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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85542	Christians liberty to the Lords table, discovered by eight arguments, therby proving, that the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord, doth as well teach to grace, as strengthen and confirm grace, and so is common, as well to the outward Christian as to the inward Christian: occasioned by the contrary doctrine, taught by a strange minister in Woolchurch, on the 29th of June last. / By I.G a parishioner there. Imprimatur, James Cranford.	Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury.	1645 (1645)	Wing G1589; Thomason E296_30; ESTC R200217	18,658	23

CHRISTIANS LIBERTY TO The Lords Table Discovered by eight Arguments thereby proving that the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our LORD doth as well teach to Grace as strengthen and confirm Grace And so is common as well to the outward Christian as to the inward Christian Occasioned by the contrary doctrine taught by a strange Minister in Woolchurch on the 29th of June last By I. G. a Parishioner there Matthew 26. vers. 20. Now when the Even was come Jesus sate down with the twelve Gal. 4. vers. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Imprimatur JAMES CRANFORD LONDON Printed for Humphrey Robinson and are to be sold at the three Pigeons in Pauls Churchyard 1645. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL JOHN ROWLES Esquire one of the Honourable House of COMMONS of the High Court of PARLIAMENT SIR IT is above thirty yeeres since the Lord hath brought mee to be an inhabitant of Woolchurch And for the greattr part of this time the providence of God hath so ordered it that I have enjoyed your acquaintance which hath been profitable both to the outward and inward man although of late by reason of your great and high imployments for God and man there hath not been that personall society as heretofore yet I often see you to participate in the best and excellent places of sound Doctrine in the way of truth and salvation which with the knowledge I have of you hath often moved my heart and spirit to supplicate the God of heaven for you as for my self to whom it hath pleased God to make his Truth so known as to make mee a childe of it above twenty yeeres since which heavenly Principles had I so heeded and improved as I ought I might have been by this time a strong man in Christ Jesus How ever Sir I must confesse to you Gods mercies have been more and abundantly greater then my own miseries and notwithstanding mine own naturall indisposition and unaptnesse to the good and streight way of the Lord yet hee hath so magnified his good will and compassion as thereby to make mee one though the least of his Disciples who therefore cannot nay dare not but speak the things I have seen and learned of him notwithstanding the Crosse and persecution that attend on the obeying and declaring the truth a part whereof you may see if you please to take view of these few ensuing lines where you may observe that the testifying to the abundant mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ manifested in the Sacrament as in the Word even for this many are offended and rise up against mee and do as much as in them lies to make the world believe that though they know me yet they know me not so as that I am seen and not discerned and yet I fear not for to speak though I care not to be known except to you and the whole houshold of faith to whom the Lord continue his love and goodnesse which shall be ever the prayer of him who is truly yours and theirs J. G. An Introduction to the Arguments shewing the cause of their writing HEaring many corrupt doctrines delivered in Wool-Church by a stranger where I am a Parishioner the knowledge of the truth moved mee to write these eight Arguments below specified thereby to vindicate Gods great Bounty and free Grace set forth to man-kinde by the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of our Lord as well as by the Word preached His Text was these words of the Apostle But let a man examine himself and so let him eat 1 Cor. 11. 28. affirming that the Apostle here by the name man spake only of a spirituall man and that the Scriptures do in no place call a naturall man by the name of a man alledging Jer. 5. 1. to prove it with divers other Scriptures and affirmed that naturall men all of them always are denominated by the name of beasts as Serpents Vipers Wolves Dogs Swine beasts after the manner of men c. Now to deliver this without the due distinction the Scriptures make is very false and contrary to our Lords own doctrine Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born again c. meaning by the name man a naturall man as also the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 9. Now see his doctrine as strange to the Scriptures as the Preacher was to mee for it is beyond exception that as our Lord so his servant means by the name man naturall men And as the misunderstanding of the Scripture is the ground of all errour and schisme so from these premisses he drew this strange conclusion that one in nature and unregenerated ought not to be admitted to the Supper of the Lord and because hee had no plain Scripture that forbids a naturall man which hath received the faith to believe and to be baptized therefore he falsly affirmed that John the Baptist Mat. 3. 7. forbad the Pharisees and Sadduces to come to his baptisme and so argued from the lesser to the greater that if Baptisme which is the lesser ought to be denyed to impenitent men much more the Sacrament which is the greater ought to be denyed naturall men and this hee sham'd not to affirm although there be not one word in the Text of Johns denying the Pharisees and Sadduces and so went on to shew many Reasons why naturall men ought not to be admitted to the Lords Table First saith hee because a naturall man cannot discern what the Sacrament shewes forth Secondly because all naturall men are Serpents Vipers Dogs Swine cruell and savage beasts to whom the holy and precious things of the Sacrament ought not to be given for naturall men saith he are no more capable of them then the beasts that perish Thirdly because all naturall men are forbidden to come as Christ in another case said Mat. 5. 23 24. If thou bringest thy gift to the Altar and remembrest thy brother hath ought against thee go first and be reconciled to thy brother and then come c. in which Reason this yong Minister did not remember that our Lord here speaks of a brother not naming him a naturall unregenerated man neither is it to be understood only of the Sacrament for there we come rather to receive then give Fourthly because saith he every naturall man that comes to the Sacrament is that man Matth. 22. 11 12 13. that had not on the wedding garment who therefore speechlesse was cast into utter darknesse which if this be so then all the unregenerate elect in receiving the Sacrament are in that case and condition so that none of them by his reasoning shall be converted if they receive the Sacrament but condemned which is blasphemy to affirme and all that have heretofore received it before regeneration shall perish Fifthly because whosoever giveth the Sacrament to a wicked naturall man doth therein cast the childrens bread to Dogs Sixtly because the Sacrament was ordained only to confirme Grace and not at all for

the begetting of grace as bread is not given to beget but to sustain a man Seventhly hee that comes to the Lords Table being unregenerate is that fathers son Mat. 21. 30. saying Go and went not His Uses following did aggravate his Doctrine and Reasons as it follows also he did affirm that the damned shall cry out of hell to such Ministers as have delivered the Sacrament to such naturall men here in their life-time and shall say Thou gavest me my damnation in giving me the Sacrament for I was blind and saw it not dead and discern'd it not and therefore wo be to you that have given mee my eternall confusion and destruction with many more of these and the like strange and fond expressions of his own vision invented by his own brain contrary to Gods truth hee concluding these vanities with such a seeming confidence as no man could contradict or gainsay but assured himself that every one that heard him were satisfied with the cleere truth of this dark light urging it on the Congregation again and again with these or the like words Now I hope there is none but who are fully satisfied whose importunities for mistakings where no lesse then an engagement to mee which understood their falsenesse to make these opposing Grounds presently turning them into eight Arguments proving thereby that the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord ought not to be denyed to any that receive the common faith and outward Baptisme except in the case of excommunication and in that respect the spirituall as well as the carnall may be excluded 1. He that preacheth that the Sacrament of the Lords Table doth not as well teach to the begetting of grace as the confirming of grace hee is ignorant of the nature of the Sacrament and of the Word of God but so it was preached at Woolchurch on the 29th of June 1645. Ergo 2. If by the preaching the Word Christ crucified be the means to beget grace then the visible manifestation to the eye as well as to the eare of the signes if his death are the means of begetting of grace also But by the preaching of the Word to the eare Christ crucified is manifested or set forth for the begetting of grace Gal. 3. 1. 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. Therefore the visible manifestation of the signes of Christs death are for the bagetting of grace also 1 Cor. 11. 26. Matth. 26. 28. 3. If Gods Word say So often as you eat this bread and drink this cup yee do shew the Lords death till he come then the Sacrament doth teach grace to be received by Christ as well as confirm the grace already received but the Apostle so saith 1 Cor. 11. 26. therefore hee that teacheth otherwise is ignorant of the Scripture and of the nature of the Sacrament as also it is proved Luke 22. 19 20. Matth. 26. 28. 4. He that teacheth that whosoever giveth the Sacrament of bread and wine to a naturall man although hee believe the Scriptures and be baptized doth hereby cast holy things to Dogs and pearles before Swine such a Preacher doth not understand the command of our Lord in that place Matth. 7. 6. But so it was taught in the place and time above said Ergo 5. Whosoever so teacheth as aforesaid doth either willingly or ignorantly or both testifie that Christs practice was against his commandment which is blasphemy so to affirm but so it was affirmed in Woolchurch in the time and place above said Ergo For hee gave the bread and cup to Judas amongst the rest of the twelve Matth. 26. 20. to the 30th verse Luke 22. 14. to the 22. verse John 13. Mark 14. 17. to the 25. verse and in so doing hee did not cast holy things to Dogs nor pearles before Swine 6. If the Scripture shew to us that all that had the common or historicall faith to believe Jesus Christ come in the flesh had admission after baptisme to the Lords Supper and so by and through the common gifts of Gods Spirit might examine themselves and discerne the Lords body according to the Apostles meaning 1 Cor. 11. 28. then he that restrains it to the spirituall Christian only presumes above what is written but at Woolchurch the place and time above said the restraint was affirmed Ergo 7. If the Paschall Lamb to the Jewes were the same that the Supper of the Lord is to Christians then all Christians are to have the same liberty as the Jewes both outward and inward carnall and spirituall Exod. 12. 47. But the Supper of the Lord is the same in effect as the Passeover 1 Cor. 5. 7. Heb. 11. 28. of the which the carnall Jewes were to communicate as well as the spirituall Ergo carnall Christians may communicate as well as spirituall Christians 8. He that teacheth that whosoever delivereth the Sacrament to a wicked unregenerated man delivers to him his damnation preacheth a devillish doctrine for therein he condemneth the Lord of life for the Word and Sacraments are not properly the causes of mens damnations in themselves but casually and accidentally But so it was affirmed in the place and time abovesaid that whosoever delivereth the Sacrament to a wicked unregenerate man delivers to him his damnation Ergo he that so teacheth preacheth a damnable and devillish doctrine These Arguments were delivered to the Preacher by the Clerk some two days after his Sermon and the next Lords day after Prayer in the Pulpit he did declare to the Congregation that hee had received divers Arguments against the doctrine hee had taught them the Lords day before and that they may the more cleerly be answered saith hee I will make repetition of what I delivered before unto you verbatim and accordingly did repeat two thirds of his Sermon or thereabouts some of the said particulars hee in repeating delivered with more caution then before other things hee wholly omitted and when he had finished his repetition then he drew forth the Arguments with Answers written to every one as he affirmed although indeed and in truth not any one of them were answered And notwithstanding his publike notice in the Pulpit that whosoever would might have copies yet my importunitie these nine or ten dayes together cannot procure his Answers that I might make my Replication thereby to open the Scriptures that prove my Arguments As also to shew the weaknesse and invalidity of his Answers although I have promised money for the writing thereof and as yet hee will not avouch them notwithstanding his publike vaunting at the first yea my importunity was such as that he passed his faithfull promise to me before a friend in private that within two dayes after I should have them but I understood he was prevented by some parishioners that in affection towards me are dissented wherfore I am forst to call them to mind by my memory which he read written to the auditory His Answer to my first Argument To the first saith hee I answer that the

denominated the called of God they are so declared because the word of grace preaching Christ crucified had effectually wrought on them and called them And so also should from time to time call all others of all nations that are of the election of grace so that the Scripture is full and pertinent to prove the Argument as also the other Scripture Gal. 3. 1. of which he made no mention at all as my memory serves me although thereby the Apostle proves plainly to the Galatians that the truth was effectually taught to them by having Jesus Christ crucified evidently set forth before their eyes amongst them whereby the very strength of the Argument is proved that as the Word of Christ crucified spoken to the eare teacheth or is a means to work grace so also is the Sacrament of bread and wine that doth teach preach or manifest the same Christ crucified to the eye by which the heart is informed as by the eare His Answer to the third Argument To this hee answerd negatively also and as I remember found fault with the translation of the Scripture alledged by me for the proof of my Argument and said the words yee do shew the Lords death till c. is not truly translated for it should be shew yee c. My Reply to his third Answer This mans answer to this Scripture is like the answer that an Arrian made me not long ago to another Scripture I alledged against his blasphemous position of Arrianisme he maintaining that Christ was a meere man and that to affirm a Trinity in Unity of the Godhead was nonsense and ridiculous and contrary to reason nature learning and Scripture Will you be judged by Scripture said I yes said he whereupon I demanded what he thought of 1 Joh. 5. 7. There are three that beare record in heaven the Father the Word and the Holy Ghost and these three are one here said I the Scripture affirms the Trinity in Unity Oh Sir said he the Text it not truly translated for the word in the originall is they do agree in one I pray said I what other acceptation hath the word or how can you expresse it otherwise from the originall it is said he as truly to be translated they are one as they agree in one then said I your own mouth is witnesse for by your own words you have confirmed the Text so I say to this Linguist that in the Margin shew yee c. is the same in the Text yee do shew c. And therefore it is full for the same purpose for which I brought it and plainly proves that so often as the Supper of the Lord is celebrated the death of Christ thereby is manifested preached declared and shewed forth to the communicants the beholders and participaters of the bread and wine the signes of the Lords Body and Blood and this the Scriptures do cleerly and apparently teach and set forth to us if you consider the terms the Holy Ghost uses for that very end and purpose as that of our Lord which I alledged for the proof of my Argument Luke 22. 19 20. This is my body which was given for you this do in remembrance of me also this cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you where by body we are to understand the bread that signifies his Body And so by cup signifying his Blood and in obeying his command to eat the bread and to drink of the cup the end and intent of eating and drinking is to commemorate his death and passion and so often as we do so eat and drink wee participate of that which manifesteth to us the new Covenant which is the only means that God hath ordained for salvation proved to us in these words This cup is the new Testament in my blood which was shed for you c. And by the apt lively visible signes to the eye of bread and wine is preached to us the new and living way which hee hath new made and consecrated for us through the vaile that is to say his flesh Heb. 10. 20. yea as apparently as it is preached and made known to the ears by words and as St. Luke so St. Matthew hath it thus This is my body c. this is my blood of the new Testament c. giving to the signes the very name of his body and blood that whosoever readeth or seeth the signes may be thereby taught the benefit of Christs death thereby purchasing for man-kinde repentance and remission of sins which as it is in his name preached to the ears by the word so manifested to the eyes by broken bread and powred out wine for the eye and ear are equall in-lets to the heart so that it is cleerly proved that the Sacrament of the Supper of the Lord doth as truly teach grace where it is not as it doth confirm it where it is His Answer to my fourth Argument To the fourth Argument hee saith the passage in his Sermon concerning Matth. 7. 5. was but by way of allusion to that Scripture My Reply to his fourth Answer He did so allude to that Scripture as that hee confidently affirmed that all wicked and unregenerated men were Dogs and Swine and whosoever did administer the Sacrament to such did therein cast holy things to Dogs and pearles before Swine therefore I say still that he that so teacheth directly orindirectly positively or consequently such a Preacher doth not understand the command of our Lord in Matth. 7. 5. neither did the Preacher by his seeming evasion answer the Argument but it stands still in every part of its strength against him for in the Scriptures all naturall men are not called Dogs and Swine but such as have been enlightened and have been made partakers of the Holy Ghost in its common gifts and having thereby received the truth in some measure and efficacie to be outwardly cleansed from the pollution of the world through the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ and yet turn from the holy commandment given unto them and become insnared intangled and overcome again with the pollution from which they were washed and again lick up the filth they had vomited these and such as these are Swine that wallow in the mire again and Dogs that return to their vomit 2 Pet. 2. 22. Heb. 6. 4 5 6. who as they discover themselves the way of censure and excommunication is to be used with them His Answer to my fifth Argument Against my fifth Argument bee peremptorily affirmed that Judas was not with the twelve when the Sacrament was instituted and administred and first for the proof thereof if my memory fail me not he told the Congregation that the translators of the Bible had not placed the 21. verse of the 22. chapter of Luke in the right place but they ought to have brought in those words of that verse next after the 16. verse And who affirmed that so it was in the originall the Greek Testament

Sacrament of the Lords Supper doth not teach to the begetting of faith for that is the proper office of the Word alone Rom. 10. 17. so then saith the Apostle Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and therefore not by the Sacrament c. My Replication to his first Answer In my affirming that the bread and wine the signes of the Lords Body and Blood do teach grace where it is not as well as confirme grace where it is I do not therein deny that faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God but I affirm that the same Word is also taught and preached by the Sacrament For the Text hee alledgeth doth not say as he affirmeth that it is the office of the Word alone but these are the Apostles words so then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God Now we must observe that the term faith hath divers acceptations in the Scriptures and for the clearing this point I will observe but two distinctions First as it is referred to God the Creator and secondly as it hath respect to Jesus Christ the Saviour and in both these respects the heart is as truly taught by the eye by seeing Gods works as by the ear through hearing Gods Word The first distinction is fully proved by the Apostle Rom. 1. 19. 20. because that which may be known of God is manifest in them that is to mankinde for God saith Hee hath shewed it unto them for the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are cleerly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead so that they are without excuse And that holy man Job of whom God himself testifies that hee was his servant he was wel acquainted with this truth Job 12. 7 8. But ask now saith he the beasts and they shall teach thee and the fowles of the aire and they shall tell thee or speak unto the earth and it shall teach thee and the fishes of the Sea shall declare unto thee And again two Apostles Paul and Barnabas give in evidence to this truth at Lystra saying Acts 14. 17. Neverthelesse he that is God left not himself without witnesse in that hee did good and gave us rain from heaven and fruitfull seasons filling our hearts with food and gladnesse and again St Paul Rom. 2. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodnesse and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodnesse of God leadeth thee to repentance that is to return to God And for the further proof of this the Prophet David is very ample and large Psal. 19. Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night sheweth that is declareth or preacheth knowledge there is no speech nor language where their voyce is not heard And secondly that faith in Jesus Christ is taught visibly by the eye as audibly by the eare the Scriptures do as clearly and plainly declare also for thus did all the shadowes under the Law visibly and openly teach and preach Christ as the Sacraments under the Gospel and this was the only objection of the Nonconformists ever since King Edward the sixth his time that none but God could put or impose upon his Church teaching signes or ceremonies and such teaching signes Sacraments or shadows was circumcision the Paschall Lamb and all other ceremonies before Christ And so saith the Apostle Col. 2. 16 17. Meats and drinks Holy dayes and new Moons or Sabbath dayes were a shadow of things to come but the body is of Christ so also the Sanctuary the gifts and sacrifices and the Priesthood under the Law serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things Heb. 9. And as Jesus Christ was thus visibly taught by the eye to the heart under the Law so he is more clearly taught preached and set forth by the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper now under the Gospell which do as visibly manifest him as the Word doth audibly and as the Rainbow in the clouds when it appeareth to the eye doth certainly teach the heart Gods perpetuall faithfulnesse in his promise so the visible signes of Christs Body and Blood in the Sacrament and are a lively ample visible Sermon to us of Christs death and passion his giving himself for mans salvation and do teach and instruct us to grace and mercy by Jesus Christ as truly as the Word preached so that now it is cleer by what hath been proved that if the visible creatures teach the same truth in their measure that the audible creatures do then so doth also the bread and wine set apart to be received that Christs death may be commemorated and they therein declare and preach also in their measure the word of Grace and promise the new and living way to life by the body of Christ which shal be further opened by my Replication to his Answer of the third Argument And by the way take notice that this my first Argument is the same in effect that Mr. Perkins laies down in his fifth Principle where hee makes the means to attain faith to be the Sacrament as well as the Word and Prayer and so also in the Directory pag. 52. in these words And we are to give thanks to God for all means of grace the Word and Sacraments His Answer to my second Argument The second Argument hee denyed also and gave no Answer to the first Scripture Gal. 3. 1. but to the second Text 1 Cor. 1. 23 24. where the Apostle saith Wee preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling block and unto the Greeks foolishnesse but to them that are called of God both Jewes and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God in which words saith hee the Apostle doth not prove that Christ crucified doth convert Jews and Greeks but that he is to one a stumbling blocke and to the other foolishnesse but in the next verse to them that are called of God both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdome of God so that hee affirmed this Scripture is nothing at all to my Argument thus or to this effect as my memory serves me was his Answer My Reply to his second Answer A man can never preach truly that doth not distinguish of termes that differ rightly for in these two verses the Apostle speaks of Jewes and Greeks in a twofold notion that is of both nations of such as were cast away and reprobate as also of such in both nations as were ordained and elected to eternall life to the first the preaching of Christ crucified proved through their own wickednesse and opposing the truth to the one nation foolishnes to the other people a stumbling block which notwithstanding the same doctrine to the elected part of both nations through Gods grace working their hearts to receive it became to them the power of God and the wisdome of God to their salvations And although the elect are here

not at all disabled for this sense is not strained but true and proper His Answer to my seventh Argument It was to this purpose that hee made two exceptions against this Argument First against the conclusion that hee never heard before of a carnall Christian for saith hee the Apostle in Rom. 2. 28 29. speaks of a carnall Jew under the Law and of a spirituall Jew under the Gospel but never saith he have I heard before of a carnall Christian And in the second place he said that by his Argument he would have all men admitted to the Sacrament all without exception fooles idiots and mad-men nay little children and all for children were admitted to the Passeover by the place hee alledges saith he Exod. 12. 47. therefore I pray behold the weaknesse and sillinesse of this Argument these or the like were his words My Reply to his seventh Answer First for your exception against the terme carnall Christian I wonder you should be so ignorant of the Scripture and yet take upon you to be a Teacher for to be carnall is to be in the flesh and doth not the Apostle in one word resolve the question Gal. 4. 29. But as hee that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the spirit even so is it now that is in the Apostles time and ever since also as in all the seven Churches of Asia and in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 3. 3. Are ye not carnall saith the Apostle and also amongst us at this time for one spirituall Christian there is ninety nine carnall and in the flesh and for you to expound Rom. 2. 28. to be a carnall Jew under the Law and vers. 29. to be a spirituall Jew under the Gospel you have thereby written a monument of your ignorance for look back to the 14 15 26. and 27. verses and they will shew you the meaning but those truths are beyond your capacity You also say I argue weakly and ignorantly to argue from the liberty of the Passeover to the liberty of the Lords Supper for you say if that be so then fooles and ideots mad-men and children may be admitted but this is your simple and weak inference and not mine for reade again and you shal see that mine was this if carnall men as wel as spirituall men were admitted to the Passeover then carnall men as well as spirituall might be admitted to the Sacrament and the reason is because they are both signes of the same substance agreeing with the Apostles doctrine They did all eate the same spirituall meat and drink● the same spirituall drink and that rock was Christ to them under their shadowes 1 Cor. 10. 3 4. and so it is Christ to us under our Sacraments 1 Cor. 10. 16. 17. and this St. Paul preacheth for truth 1 Cor. 5. 7. it being the very substance of my argument Christ our Passeover is crucified or slain for us saith the Apostle of whom bread and wine are signes under the Gospel as the Paschall Lamb did shadow forth under the Law the same Christ And this Argument you have in no sense answered at all and therefore it stands still proving that carnall Christians as well as spirituall may communicate in the Supper of the Lord His Answer to my eighth Argument This Argument hee seemed to justifie and hee said hee did not intend he shoud be so understood that whosoever delivered the Sacrament to an unregenerated man delivered unto him thereby his damnation for the Sacrament was not so in it self but by reason of mans sin casually or accidentally it might prove so agreeing and making use of my own expressions in the same Argument My Reply to his eighth Answer Let all reasonable men judge whether my Argument be not a true and just consequence from his doctrine he affirming that the damned shall cry out of hell to such Ministers that in their life-time gave them the Sacrament and say in giving them it you gave me my damnation c. wherefore wo be to you in giving mee my confusion and destruction c. Wherefore I advise you hereafter to consider what you should say before you speak and let your tongue be in your heart and not your heart in your tongue for a Scribe instructed unto the Kingdome of God is like a good housholder that bringeth forth of his treasury things new and old And the Messengers of the Lord the Ministers of Christ speak not their own mindes but the minde of God and of Christ as they have received it from above who are as the Apostle saith like good workmen and need not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth for as the Sacraments if they be not received for the better but for the worse through our own wickedness and disobedience will aggravate and increase our judgement and condemnation so of the like nature is the Word also which is the chiefest means to beget or attain to grace the Word preached it self through the disobedience of such as heare it proves the savour of death as it is the savour of life to them that believe and obey it 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. Now when hee had read all my arguments and his seeming Answers to them then hee told the people that hee hoped now by this time they had seen that as this Sophister had charged him with ignorance and false doctrine so hee did hope they all saw hee had by his answers proved me both ignorant and false in my Arguments and told the people as before I have intimated if any man pleased for their further satisfaction they should have copies of them whereupon some dissenting neighbours not well affected to mee nor well acquainted with the truth did cause a note to be put up to him by the Clerk to this effect That some of the Congregation desired him to name the man publikely to which hee answered at the first sight thereof I am said he intreated to do that which I would not willingly do for it is not an evill thing in any man to make objections but honourable but presently he audibly declared my name saying hee is a man whom I know not whereupon many that wanted both charity and understanding laughed and whispered together manifesting contempt and scorn by nodding their heads and by many other dumb-shews breaking out afterwards into words as these and the like words that now he was fully answered and his folly discovered some saying he deserveth to be whipt others that I deserved to be set in the stocks others that I meddled with that which I had nothing to do withall they not knowing the Apostles commandment As every man hath received the gift even so minister the same one to another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God 1 Pet. 4. 10. And one of them to a friend of mine said Is this your friend that you have spoken so much and so well of now you see him discovered to be weake and simple and

the like another said he is a foole to meddle with that he understands not for saith he he hath not the tongues and without them it is impossible he should understand the Scriptures this man although an Elder did not remember that the Apostle saith To one is given the gift of Prophesie to another the gift of Tongues by the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 10 11. Another said I was an enemy to all goodnesse and threatened me I should answer it before Authority so I heard and have born the defamings of many amongst which some were my familiars And between the Church and my house one told me Now you are met withall you are repayd now to whom I answered according to the old Proverb one tale is good till another is heard and the Scripture saith said I he that is first in his cause seems just which opprobrious behaviours and reproachfull expressious I have born wth patience both in the time of the assembly and ever since and so will continue without opening my mouth against them and conclude with an exhortation to Ministers and people concerning the receiving the Communion For although there be no rule in Scripture that gives any one particular Minister order to restrain any from the Lords Table that believe and are baptized except the authority given to the Church in case of excommunication as at first is signified yet the Scriptures do plentifully testifie that faithfull Minsters ought to watch over the flock of Christ to teach instruct and admonish the people to learn know and understand the meaning of all Gods ordinances and instructed in our own estates and conditions as John the Baptist exhorted the Parisees and Sadduces Mat. 3. 7. and that except we be betterred by them that which is ordained for our eternall life will be found to be to our eternall death and therefore Ministers ought to be apt to teach upon all occasions in season and out of season to shew and open to the Congregation what Prayer is in it self and that the people ought to joyn their affections to the plain truth hee should pronounce to God in his own and the peoples behalf so likewise that the Scriptures and truths opened and discovered by them is no lesse then the Word of God that shall judge us at the last day and therefore that all attention should be given to it with feare and trembling and that the end of our hearing should be to know obey it so also as touching the Sacraments that of Baptismes to declare the doctrine of Baptismes which the Scriptures cleerly teach and distinguish of so also the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord that for as much as it is Gods great mercy and goodness to give unto us those visible signs of his body and blood which are living representations of his death and passion and that as he is the propitiation of the sins of the elect of God called and justified whose hearts are purified by faith in his blood who thereby eat his flesh and drink his blood spiritually and so have eternall life in them So also Gods Word teacheth us that his blood is the propitiation of the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2. 2. And therefore as every naturall man renders their salvation so they are to examine themselves and prepare their hearts by repentance so to come to the Sacrament as to finde Jesus Christ to become their spirituall life as he is life and food both to such as are regenerated so that all and every mans coming to Gods Ordinances may be endeavoured to be for the better and not for the worse and also Ministers ought to have compassionate affections towards the people even as a Nurse towards the Babe on her breast and as a tender mother towards the childe of her womb and in all their wayes seek them and not theirs so that all bitternesse and pride be avoided and that the Congregation may see that they sincerely seek the salvation of the people and also the people must know that holy and faithfull teachers ought to be had in double honour both by countenance and maintenance that the glory of God and mans salvation be promoted and thus and so admonisheth he that is the Lords and thine in him J. G. The Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priests beare rule by their means and my people love to have it so saith the Lord Jer. 5. 31. FINIS 1 Cor. 15. 23.