the Spirit of Christ The saving knowledge faith in Christ and this by the preaching of the Gospell Thereby the Spirit flowes into the Heart and all with Him Faith the mother Grace with all her daughters all at once and all together While Peter yet spake the Holy Ghost fell on them all which heard the Word Acts 10. 44. 11. 15. The Case is Cleare The word preached is the Appointment of Christ to quicken the dead The Sacrament of His body and blood is His Appointment together with His Word to maintaine and quicken that life when to sence and feeling it is in a swound and fainting away This being a point of high concernment to be cleare in we crave leave to proceed farther in it in way of Answer to that may be gathered from the holy Scriptures against what hath been last said That the word of God where it is preached is the onely meanes in the Spirits hand of Conversion And indeed to mention it onely in passage here some Godly Ministers as is meet for us to judge doe ascribe conversion not to the act of receiving as the man of your perswasion doth and truely we thinke not one godly Minister in the world is of the same mind with you but to the exhortations and prayers in use at that time before and after the Sacrament is administred To this we shall speake hereafter in its proper place where we shall tell our perswasion as to that matter So we come to that we intend here 1. It is said Rahab the Harlot had faith and it saved her from perishing yet living out of the Church she could not heare the Heb. 11. 31. Word To this it is answered by our Perkins of sweet and pretious memory That where ordinary meanes faileth God can work extraordinarily by reports and rumours Josuah 2. 9 10 11. 2. It is said Pauls conversion was without the Word True it was very extraordinary immediate by the Lords owne Hand yet He would put an honour upon the word of His grace which He hath appointed for conversion He sent Ananias unto him vers 11. though the great work was don for behold he prayes And in the next Chapter Cornelius now converted must send for Peter 3. It is said 1 Pet. 3. 1. That the husband without the Word may be won True Without the word he may be gained to come to the word to heare it by the entreaties and perswasions of the wife frequenting the meeting place and by her good example and Christian carriage adorning the word which she had heard she might by the blessing of God win upon him to goe along with her to the place of hearing his body was drawn within the Church-doores without the word but his heart could not be drawn up to God without the word the Spirit of God and of Glory accompanying the same which is learned Bezaes interpretation there the summe of it And we conceive that we reade 1 Cor. 7. 16. fals under the same construction 4. Before we can put a close to this we would put a Question here and then put it to the holy Scriptures for resolution thereunto The Question is Whether an holy Discipline in private houses we meane a godly education there be not sufficient to turne the hearts of the Children to God and to worke in them a true actuall faith Before we enquire farther for resolution hereunto we would say this first That this ruling well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity workes marveilously upon them making such impressions upon the outâ—ard man as that they looke not as if they had been born dead in trespasses and sins Children under wrath as well as others Wee will proceed a little here to witnesse the honour we give to this Despised Discipline in families surely a family well Trained disciplined or Catechised is a very beautifull sight as is an Army well ordered all and every one keeping their ranks and doing their Duty A rulers walke before the ruled if according to the rule together with his exhorting comforting and charging every one of them as a Father doth his children is very winning and gaining upon the whole family to doe as the Ruler in cheife doth he being truely and indeed religious his very example is a command a Gâ—n 18 19. yea a compulsion b Gal 2. 14. to the ruled so as his whole family become religious too they give good hopes that way at least they seeme Jâ—h 24. 15. 〈…〉 so at the worst they oppose not for then they know they must be no longer there for a Ruler sits as in a Throne within his own house and scattereth away all evill with his eyes For the proofe hereof we entreat the Reader to consult with the Scriptures in the Margent We will note but one example of a Ruler whose carriage was so gratious in his family that he made not onely his family but his whole Court to be a Nurcery of Religion which may minde us what Philo Jud speaks of Joseph he made the Prison where he was a little Temple for the Spirit of God to dwell in And indeed it must be so He that knowes how to rule his own house well is in a good posture of spirit for publike rule The same wisdome and justice and holinesse for kinde onely more enlarged and extensive acts in eyther spheare and will regularly move in the little and the greater house The summe is A good Ruler who is norma publica is marvelously commanding for good as an evill example is marvelously compelling to evill Whence the complaints of our Godly Ministers in all ages which commands our mark and our mourning We will set downe here our excellent Burroughs his words upon Hosea 4. 25. Woe to such parents whose children if ever they come to themselves shall wish rather they had been of the generation of Dragons and off-spring of Vipers than begotten of such parents Adde hereunto worthy Mr Burges his words It is a woefull curse to be borne of wicked parents from whom the Children learne onely to curse sweare lie and rob prophane opposers of God and Godlinesse We will read M Baxters words also I know none on earth that play the Rest 3. 305. part of the Devill himselfe more truely than these men doe And if any thing that walks in flesh may be called a Devill I think it is a parent that hindereth his childe from salvation being carelesse of his education He goes on speaking terrible words to carelesse and negligent parents as the most are but our ears are sealed and our consciences sâ—ared we will not heare And so much to assure us that a pious education and holy discipline doth much where ever it is and the want of it doth much mischiefe but holy Doctrine doth all thereby the New Nature is wrought in young and old by God whereas by holy discipline our old nature is but painted and varnished over which
Lords Table for there you know the veriest varlet in the Towne if there be any such which perhaps you question may have admittance with his Children to Baptisme and if he please may come at the day appointed to the Lords Table as freely as you may come to an Inne and set up your beast in the stable And if you were questioned about your owne Towne where you give freedome enough to these fore-mentioned places the Font and the Table for you are of Mâ— Hs perswasion Wee beleive you could speake little of the good you have wrought among them by indulging that liberty to bring their Infants to Baptisme and anon after themselves to the Lords Table ignorant though they are some of them whome ye so freely admit as is ignorance it selfe Nay Sir to tell you our faith in these matters we verily beleive That Ministers generally all over the Nation having mightily obstructed their Gospell-worke in the Conversion of Sinners by suffering them to Come to the Table of the Lord there to receive Christ in the bread and wine before they could give any evidence they had received Him by the word of hearing we meane by the preaching of the Gospell You suffer them to step-over the Converting ordinance and admit them to the sealeing ordinance and now you may preach till your lungs are spent and doe no good among them Indeed this is our faith and which relating to such things that are the highest concernments of Gods Glory and good of His people we may not keepe in to our selves The great worke and buisinesse of preaching is you know to bring Christ and the soule together To call them in who are without then to confirme and strengthen them being brought in Now you should it is our faith waite Gods time till this be done till He hath by His Word and Spirit gathered a Church out of a Church we know this sounds harshly in your eares but why should it so till He hath gathered His Church out of your Church since you make it as wide as the little world in England till He hath taken them out of the world and added them to His Church set them in a safe * Act â— 4◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sure and immoveable state faâ—t upon their Rocke Christ as Mount Zion fast for evermore Doe you goe on now to doe your worke preach the Gospell and leave the Rest to God patiently waiting His time But in the meane time you shall never make us beleive had you the tongue of an Angell That wicked and unreasonable men for they have no faith which is the reason of the soule are the worse because they are denied the Seales of the Covenant But much worse which may be because they are admitted to pertake of those before their time for as once it was so it is now together with the bread and wine John 13. 2. 29. 30. the Devill enters them too and now see them in their walke and you see Devills incarnate no difference in their walke for as they see him doe so doe they onely they have flesh and bones so hath not he SECT IX IN the 9th place and so to tell you all that hath been to our best remembrance told us thereby to justifie your doings in Gods house as to the handing forth those sacred things there If the people may not be suffered to come to the Lord's Table to receive there as they expresse it They will not come to the place of hearing to receive the word there drive them from th' one place and they le drive you from th' other or if that they cannot doe they will not come at you or if they doe come they will cast your pearles whereof you are dispensers the word of God or Counsells thereof behind their backes they will not hearken to you Mat. 7. 6. To this we would reply these foure things and first by way of Question 1. How would this have sounded in the Apostles eares Commissioned by their Lord to preach unto the Heathen should these Heathen have sayd to the Apostles If ye will not Baptize us first we will heare none of your preaching We say how would this have been taken by the Apostles supposed those Heathen had spoken unto them these words Verily for so it seemes to uâ— the Heathen people now adayes speaking after the rate of those words before suggested speake the very same thing And how uâ—reasonable and wicked they shew themselves to be in so speaking is left upon your thoughts with this earrest request that your thoughts may be serious 2 We thinke it will be granted That the Gospell is the greatest Treasure or Talent of price that can be entrusted with the Children of men It is that which listeth up a people whether ye speake of a Nation or a man onely we allude to that in Job as High as heaven It is the rod of His pâ—wer the â—câ—ptâ—r of His â—ob 34. â—â— Kingdome the grand Instrument we will borrow that excellently Learned man's words whereby He accomplisheth all His 〈…〉 designes in the world whether they be for life or for death 2 Cor. 2. 16. He hath given that a right to take possession in His Name and authority of all that He will owne in any Nation under heaven Now if this be rejected by us we will have none of it unlesse upon our owne termes and order of our own appointment give us the Body and Blood of Christ first As if we would say give us the seales of the Covenant but for the Covenant it selfe opned unto us in the Gospell we will have none of that We were saying If the Gospell of the Grace of God be put away Acts 20. 24. Acts 1â— 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Maâ—h 21. 41. and driven with all our might from us as that which is most loathed by us or hatefull to us we shall be miserably destroyed anon as those Despizers for we are pointed at there But vestra res agitur You know your Lords order how tender He is of it and the judgement that is written shall be their portion who will remove the bounds that you may not doe like them Yee can take it into your Consideration and put it upon ours That if This Rich Talent we called the Gospell so laded with pearles be not used and improved first no other Talent can nor can we expect any other Talent given to us in mercy no more than we can another Gospell For the Lord doth not say as we foolishly may dreame and doe according as we have dreamed The man hath not improved his Talent nay he hath abused it What though give him another Talent No Take therefore the Talent from him and give Math 25. 28. it unto him which hath ten Talents The onely wise God will not doe as His unwise Stewards doe if He will owne them for His as to Gospell Administrations The man hath denied renounced his
comes now to be proved when we have set downe Mr Baxters Pag. 129. 133. words which seeme to us to speak contrary we will note but one passage amongst many in his booke of Baptisme The Assembly I told you before that gave in their experiences about the time and manner of Gods working grace in their hearts did most give-in that it began as they thought in youth or childhood in very few by the Ministeriall teaching And for my own part I think that if ever I had true actuall faith it was by the benefit of education before ever I heard a Sermon We would speak three words to this 1 by way of Caution 2 By way of supposition 3 positively or Concludingly as we have been taught by our learned Godly Ministers 1. By way of caution we would wish no man to trust that Conversion whereof he can give no other Certificate but that he was virticiously educated 2. Suppose that a parent by his holy Discipline and pious education had converted his childe by the good hand of God with him we would aske hath he done this without the Word It could not then be called holy Discipline or pious education 3. But to speake positively and so to conclude this point that the word of the Lord may have in all things the pre-eminence Education or the bringing up of a childe in the Nurture and admonition of the Lord is but the externall moulding of a man not the internall Renovation of his heart Education fashions and frames the outside onely Conversion if true the inside Education changeth the actions onely Conversion not the actions onely but the Nature also for the effecting whereof there must be put forth an exceeding greatnesse of Power together with the Word once more and to doe our Utmost to drive it home we are borne every mothers child like a wild Asses Colt we love to be free or rather dissolute we cannot endure to be subdued to order we would know no Law but our own lusts nor rule but our own desire nor be servant to any but our own will Yet the Law of a virtuous education passing upon us we may be brought into some good order and under subjection we may be canded over and seeme more than Civill And yet there is as vast a difference betwixt what Education doth and the word preached doth as there is betwixt Nature and Grace and that is greater than between a mans Nature and a beast Education may pollish and beautifie yea and rectifie Nature put it into a pretty frame for a time But the word preached is appointed for this very thing to change Nature to put it into a right frame and to set it right for ever To change a sinner into a Saint To make a Beleever of an Infidell Therefore holy Cowper taking this very thing into Consideration That the word preached is the onely meanes of Conversion would alwayes as he went to Church send up this ejaculation or short prayer Lord bow my eare that I may heare thy word Amen He it is who hath an Almighty Arme and reacheth it forth by His Spirit with his Word and so maketh it a Converting word that He in all things may be Glorified through Jesus Christ To whom be Glory Praise and Dominion for ever and ever Amen SECT VI. IN the sixt place we have heard you say that you have done your duty when you have told your people theirs and the danger of unworthy receiving according to the tenour of those dreadfull words they find written 1 Cor. 11. 27 28 29 c. THIS is well but not the whole of your duty no nor the least part They will not beleive that there is any danger in receiving at least such you speake of unto them being in your account and upon the same score admitted to the Table Beleivers Disciples and Saints why should they Question that which you doe not question Let Turkes and Pagans question those matters and not Disciples and Saints we meane Baptized-ones for eo nomine c. But Sir it is good to be serious in these matters as to be sâ—rvent in a cold matter is no signe of Wisdome So to bâ— câ—ld in an hot and fervent Buisinesse be vrayes folly Wâ— makâ— bold â—o put three questions to you Th' one relating to a gâ—â—â—t Loâ—d on Earth supposing you to be a steward in his housâ—â—â—d leâ—ve you to make answer to this Lord. The other relaâ—ing to the Lâ—rd of Heaven and Earth whose servant you profâ—sse your sâ—lfe â—o be and a steward in His house The third shall be put to your owne soule and as to the other so to this make you your answer Calling God to record upon your soule The first 1. Supposing you to be a steward to a great Lord on Earth would he take it well at your hands That you counselled yea threatened a rude and rascall Company nasty wretches and not worthy to enter your Lords house much lesse to approach His Table notwithstanding in they would Come which yet they Could not without your Connivance and more and sit downe with Him at his Lordâ—hips Table Answer this matter to your Great Lord and so we leave it 2. You are a servant to your great Master in Heaven and you say He hath made you a steward in His house Make your Answer to Him Questioning you at this great point why have you been so carelesse what manner of persons you have admitted to my Table make Answer to Him we leave this upon your thoughts also 3. Put it to your owne Soule Is it enough to warne Men we cannot doubt but you have been warning proud men and covetous and hypocriticall mockers and you know whome and yet they have Come Doubtlesse Sir you should have restrained them from drinking a Cup of poison and from Rushing upon their owne damnation Answer this to your owne Soule and when you are about it Call God to record therein Then perhaps you may tremble at Elies doome I will judge thy house for ever for the iniquity thou knowest because thy Sonnes made themselves vile and thou Restrainedst them not thou didst not bend thy brow nor frowne upon them A good man scatters the wicked with his eye they shall not pertake of holy things of bread ordained for Children This shall suffice for that If a Lord on Earth will not take these doings at your hand will your Master in Heaven And if your Conscience which is as we may say the Center of the soule placed betwixt the understanding and the will taking in the Result from both If this your Conscience acquit you not God is Greater than your Conscience how will you Answer Him It commandeth your serious thoughts in debateing these matters and then to give in your Answer thereunto We would remind you of this last said thereby to Render you the more serious That as a steward is not to doe any thing but according to the minde and will of his
more than touched upon three things specially the Word preached how they pressed to that place and listned to it when they came thither Secondly the Covenant of Gods free grace by Jesus Christ blessed for ever Thirdly Faith upon that we were the more large all beareing upon that being the hinge of all Now Sir this is our earnest desire That you with your Brethren would looke over this againe and lay your doctrines manner and practise before your people to that Standard for we choose to speake in that number And 1. Doe ye presse upon your people the necessitie of heareing and before you admit them to the Lords Table doe ye take time and place to search them to the bottome what they have profitted by heareing You know hereby they are hewen and made polished Stones and so fitted to be laid in the Lords building we trust you doe not doe as the Master of your Lord doth Polish your people at the Lords Table Surely they are to be made readie as those Stones were before they should have your admittance to 1 Kings 6. 7. Come thither And to proceed doe you aske what is that grace they must have before they can profit In our zeale for the Lords Christ yours and your peoples precious soules we shall question you in these grave points and so returne in all thankfullnesse your godly jealousies touching us and our way by putting it upon your thoughts what your way is with your people and how with them They with you walke therein You know but have you as you can made your people know it That preaching is the Chariot that carrieth Christ all about the Nationall Church we had almost said the world And the onely Appointment of God in the Spirits Hand to plucke them out thence as Lot out of Sodome It is the Ordinance sanctified of God for the begetting of faith in the beginning or Alpha of it so in the encreasings of it to the Omega or perfecting of the same It is that â—hereby that which is begun is perfected and that maintained which is begun It is that whereby the abundant riches of Grace through Jesus Christ are Conveyed unto us by Covenant we have said all 2 Tim 1. by Covenant life and immortality is brought to light by the Gospell preached the Ministery thereof there is not onely an unfolding of the gloriously excellent things of Christ but there is grace given by the Spirit to beleive them Thereby th' understanding that everlasting dore is opned to Jesus Christ Him that is true the true God and eternall life Now th' understanding closes with 1 Joh. 5. 20. Him or rather He by His Spirit with the understanding He is Truth The will and affections are drawn-out to Him also Oh how good is He to the Soule what a lovely object altogether desires By preaching all this is done it is the Chariot of the Cant. 5. Spirit it is the meanes that worketh faith which is the marriage of the Soule to Christ uniteth the soule to Him planteth it in Him maketh it one with Him And now she begins to know the abundant riches and glorious excellencies of Her Husband and the way of Conveyance of all these unto her by Covenant but still the first doore that is opned to all this is the eare and it is opned by heareing by heareing the eare is made able to heare we meane by the word the Spirit boreth it and now faith comes-in and fetcheth all-in the soule stands in need of Christ and all and all as sure as a Covenant of God with His people in Christ can make it Hold you to this still we meane hold your people to it faith comes by heareing it hath the stamp and institution John 10. 17. of God upon it and heareing by the word of God This was the ground of the Apostles faith not all the miracles they had seene John 2. 22. They Beleived the Scriptures and the word which Jesus had said Eph. 1. 13. The ground of the Ephesians faith also In whom ye also trusted after that ye HEARD the word of truth the Gospell of our Salvation The very end of all that is written touching Christ John 20. 31. and is preached of Him that ye might beleive c. Chaâ—ge this point home so your Lord Chargeth you and examine your people about their faith in God They will say they beleâ—ve Numb 22. 18. They will say as Balaam did My God and so will they say our God Hosea 8. 2 we know Thee Tit. 1. 16. Heare them now how they can make out what they say Doe they know Him whom they call theirs here you are like to find your people as grossely ignorant as were their fore-fathers of whome ye say saith our Blessed Lord That He is your God Joh. 8. 54 55. yet ye have not knowne Him We that have accustomed our tongues to lying ever since we were borne must not be credited in what we say till you have heard us making out what we say by giving a reason of the hope that is in us for truely thus it is with us for the most part We understand neither what we say nor what we affirme in God's matters Yea we commonly say we know the Father and the Son when we oppose the meanes appointed by God to convey this knowledge to us Now you shall doe well to tell us rebus sic stantibus That we are as well qualified to have Communion with Christ at His Table as a Wadd of dried stubble is to have Communion with a Consuming fire and doe no more enjoy Him there than midnight enjoyes the Sunne And that we doe indeed and in truth no more desire Communion with Christ the King at His Table or in any other place than darknesse can desire Communion with light or Beliall with Christ We are grossely ignorant of what we doe when we approach by your allowance the Lords Table It is not possible Fruimur Cognitis Ignoâ—i multa Cupido we can enjoy that we have no knowledge off or acquaintance with nor can our desires move towards an unknowne object Good Sir speake these things out to us your people we meane We are somewhat the larger here a point of so high concernment being Confident also of this very thing That you find your people cleane crosse to their Rule as your Brethren doe every where slow to heare and swift to speake for the Lords Supper We conceive the reason thereof to be this In a heareing place they cannot heare one word if it be the true word of God which is pleasing to flesh and blood it speakes death to their lusts if ever it speakes life to their soules Therefore they hate the word a killing word deadly because they love their lusts dearely They will have none of that meate which endureth to everlasting life none of the wine of the Gospell but as much bread and wine as you
receivers very likely your people will not apply their heart to this no not to this But if they may not have the Lords Supper as formerly they have had once a yeare at least which now will not serve their turne or thrice or since they are used to it once a moneth they will crie-out against you all the yeare long and Curse too to whom God hath not made it manifest that they themselves are beasts These ignorant unreasonable and wicked persons will so doe if you will not suffer them to drinke downe a Curse and destroy themselves for ever if you will not take the readiest way to destroy them by admitting them so unworthy to the Lords Table They will destroy you at least they will doe what they can Why but as the Counsell is to the Parent Correcting his Child Let not thy soule spare for his crying So regard not their Crie nor their Curse neither But though they Curse Blesse them which you cannot doe but in bidding them attend diligently upon the Converting ordinance and forbeare comming to the Lords Table till the Word preached hath done its worke Then come and wellcome But we shall contribute more to this at the end of this Treatise And now before we come to argue the Negative That Children in understanding willfully such Children of Belial alwayes are not to be admitted to the Lords Table We will with your leave heare you make out the Affimative first That Children in understanding are to be admitted to the Lords Table We have heard you we shall alledge nothing from what we have read and those in your way with you make it out thus and so this is your first proofe CHAP. II. SECT I. SUâ—ely all our forefathers were not all mistaken but they gave it forth to all all along till within these very few yeares which they had not done if they had not thought it lawfull to be done It is hard to prove this nay we thinke it is impossible Though we grant that many the excellent of the earth did give forth these It is hard even for good men not to be câ—râ—ied dowâ—e the streame when at once they goe with the wind of example and tide of Nature Read Mr. Phil. â— Evang. 〈◊〉 pag. 227 228. c. seales to as many as came for them and that was just as you say to all And truely much might be said to excuse these excellent of the Earth à tanto if not à toto The tyranny of Custome as a tide or torrent impetuously running all one way and carrying all with it The Tyranny of Bishops also as fast friends to Christ many of them as were these excellent of the Earth then and now fast friends to Anti-christ Indeed Issachars we had almost said curse but to all His God turned it into a blessing was upon the good Ministers and people they lay couching under burdens and this dispirits both Ministers and people so that with him in Tacitus if we may alude to it gemens sequitur tamen they sighed and they groaned yet they followed the Commandement And surely we may adde this how did they breath after Reformation in these matters And when they saw no amendment we know whether some of them went for it is knowne in all the Earth and how did they there And the faithfull here wrestle with their God about these things And what thankes can they Render to God for what He hath done in way of Answer to their prayers Time was when another Girded these faithfull men and carried them whether they would not but now blessed be God they have a blessed liberty to Gird themselves in the All-might of their God according to His Glorious power to walke whether they would in all pleasing This we desire to leave upon your serious thoughts what use and improvement is made of this liberty or whether not abused as an occasion to the flesh by men of Mr H s perswasion And yet Sir we must make bold to tell you your proofe is naught and proves nothing Quâ—d 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nâ—n 〈◊〉 haeresis est etiam vâ—â—us consuciuâ—â—o Jeâ—â—â— Christ is â—â—y Antiquity That He did and that He â—pake said Ignaâ—ius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tâ—ll not me it was â—â—stomaâ—ily so done but tell me what ought to be done 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. so an old Philosopher reproved his friend A. Geâ— lib. 10. c. 19. What have we to doe with th' examples and wants of our Fathers they are no rules of our faith or for our walking It is not what was done but what ought to be done If such a proofe may be warranted what evill may not be approved good and be justified Here the Heretique Eutiches sic à progenitoribus accipiens credidi c. This faith have I received from my Ancestours in this faith I was borne and Baptised and in the same I desire to dye and yet the same faith was an errour and no faith Full-up to the same words said another as very an Heretique as the former Quemadmodum ab insantiâ edoctus sum itâ— Credidi Credo As I have been taught from my Childhood so I have beleived and so I beleive still And the Idolatrous Jewes say much the same So we have done and our Fathers before us our Kings and our Princes and so we will doe But Sir we speake to you in our Jewells words We sit not in Judgement to Condemne our Fathers God onely is their Judge and He knoweth how to deliver His owne He was able to preserve the Bush in the midst of the flame and Daniell in the Cave in the mids of the Lyons And the three Chrildren in the midst of the furnace of flaming fire and His people Israell in the midst of the red Sea even so was He able to preserve His owne in the midst of that deadly time of darknesse Ignosci potuit simpliciter erranti post inspirationem veri c. He that erreth of simplicity as our Fathers did may be pardoned The times of that ignorance God might winke at But after that once God hath inspired the heart and revealed His truth whosoever continueth in his errour offendeth without pardon of ignorance for he is over-borne with presumption and willfullnesse These we have heard are the words of Cyprian and this shall serve for Answer to what our Fathers did their doeings are no prescriptions for us The word of our God is the Rule of our practise in all things And we humbly conceive it lyeth open before us as to this particular as our Cynosure or Starre to direct us whereof anon SECT II. WE have heard it said to beare you out in your doings That learâ—ed and Godly men doe as you doe at this day in point of admission to the Lords Table We oppose not here nor gaine-say what is said of their Learning and Godlinesse But this we say That your proofe is naught still and proves nothing There were learned
Counsell if it had been taken well But it was very ill taken for when Hezekiah sent the posts from Citie to Citie through the Countrey of Ephraim and Manasseh with this Message That he would have a reformation according to the first institution or patterne and would not have them doe as their immediate forefathers had done It is said verse 10th That they laughed the Messengers to scorne and mocked them What! may we not doe as our Fathers have done must we now be wiser than they Yes saith he you must be wiser than they and you must doe better than they else you will shew your selves arrand fooles and utterly undoe your selves for your fathers were stiff-necked and did not yeild themselves to the Lord to serve Him and to doe as He bad them But they would doe as pleased them and was good in their owne eyes and so brought all this evill upon themselves You must not doe as they did for then you must suffer as they did whom God gave up to desolation as you see Now read how these words wrought with some of them not a few the Lord by His Spirit setting them home vers 11. There was a Reformation in those matters and things must be done according to their first institution We hope it will teach you very much in point of admission to the Lords Table And yet to set home your lesson and to helpe you in your choice of fit Guests for the Lords Table Take in the last place an example from Ezra Who would have none to joyne with him in the Passeover But such onely as had seperated themselves from the filthinesse of the Heathen and joyned themselves to Gods people to seeke the Lord God of Israell Ezra 6. 21. So much to your fourth objection You have yet more to say to justifie your Doings SECT V. THat you see not why you should exclude any from the Lords Table because how know you whether they may God is the onely â—â—wgâ—ver and we must receive the Law from His mouth He that will please God must shut all his own Imaginations out of dooâ—es and have nothing to doe with thâ—m We never dishonour God more than when we take upâ—n uâ—â—o serve Him oâ—r own way and leaving His rule make a rule for our selves Mr. C on Job 23. p. 405. Ab extra ordinario ad ordinarium non valet argumentum not be converted there It is you know Mr H s conceite and we know you have said no lesse To this we say That you give us but your word for this but give us one word from your God and we will give you one of our eyes Then search againe for another word to prove that this sealing ordinance is converting and give it us and we will give you the other eye so for two Scriptures you shall have two eyes deare though they are to us yet not so deare as the truth the least jóta whereof is of more account with our God and so with His good people than are the visible heavens and the earth Therefore Sir Mr H s we would rather mention his name than yours so much we favour you shall not put out our eyes with his conceits now that he hath put out his owne by his sensuality He shall not abuse us as he doth the Scripture shamefully after his manner touching the Centurions Conversion by seeing Christ onely upon the Crosse It was as miâ—aculous and extraordinary as was the Renting of the vaile and rockes and opening of the Graves And he is as well able to prove That when he last administred this ordinance he raised dead bodies out of the Graves as that he raised dead soules by his administring to them the Bread and the Wine which yet is the thing he is to prove That Conversion which is the raising of the soule from its grave is wrought in this way we meane by giving out this ordinance It is true The people will speake Highly of it That they never found the Word of Gods grace so prevailing with them as was that they heard delivered to them at the graves mouth and at the Lords Table But he that cannot see that this is a meere delusion and devise of Satan and our owne heart which is blind and cannot see a farre-off and will make us beleive a lye That God will step out of His way and worke extraordinarily for us while we neglect and turne our backs upon the ordinary meanes He hath appointed for the turning the heart unto Him We shall speake more to this in another place for the present we say onely thus That this tenet That Sacraments doe convert senteth strongly of Poperie and is most unsavoury and loathsome to every good mans heart being assured That That the â—ord preached is the great Appointment of God to bring Christ and the soule together never to be parted againe Preaching is the Chariot that Carrieth Christ up and downe the world here is Christ for you who sanctifieth Himselfe for your sakes That He might doe for you and in you all that was to be done and to suffer all that was to be suffered for the satisfying of His Fathers justice and the Compleating of an everlasting Righteousnesse That ye might be Compleate in Him and wholy sanctified through the Truth and throughly furnished to every good worke Then preaching Christ Crucified is the Appointment of God for the salvation of soules so many Scriptures give-in their evidence that we know not how many The dead shall heare John 5. â—5 the voyce of the Son of God in the preaching of the Gospel and they that heare that is beleive and obey shall live Other sheepe I have He meanes us Gentiles them also I must bring belonging Jâ—hn 10. 16. Eph. 5. 14. John 17. â—0 2 Tim 1. 10. 1 Coâ— 18. 21. 23. 2. 14. to the Election of Grace but how wilt thou bring them Lord Thou art in Heaven and they on Earth they shall heare my voice The preaching which Christ bids His Ministers preach is no other but Christs voice which bids the sleeper awake and arise from the dead It is that whereby the Spirit workes faith in the soule it is that whereby life and immortalitie is brought to light through the Gospell All the Angells in Heaven cannot convert one sinner it is not their office or appointment from God But the word preached which the wisdome of the world counts foolishnesse converteth all that are converted being that great Appointment of God for that end It is just so with us now dry bones when Conversion is wrought as once it was And as I prophesied there was a noise and behold a shaking Ezek. 37. 7. 10 breath came into them and they lived and stood up upon their feete an exceeding great Army As then so now and to the end of the world life and immortalitie is brought to light into our soules by the Gospell It is the Chariot of Christ of
of Land houses and the like we know how bootlesse it were for us to have nothing to shew for our rights and just title to them but a Seale without a writing or a Covenant without a Seale And whereas it is said we open the Covenant to the people and so we discharge our duty and leave them to examine themselves at that point for so they are Commanded But let a man i. e. every man examine himselfe and so let him eate 1 Câ—â— 11. 28. This presupposeth that which is most false saith Learned Beza That all are able diligent and willing to examine themselves and so upon that supposition to be admitted to the Lords Table We will deferre this to another place where we shall find this very Scripture assured us That ignorant persons are no 〈◊〉 Bez. more to be admitted to the Lords Table than are Children or madmen So we leave this taking it fully proved that they who are wholy ignorant what the Covenant is or what it meaneth are not to have admission to receive the signes and seales thereof or as our little Catechisme hath it They that have no inward Grace cannot tell what to make of the outward signe SECT III. THey are not to be admitted to the Lords Table who cannot possibly receive any thing there but bare Elements bread and wine they cannot receive profit by it not having faith to mingle with it faith is a necessary ingredient in every Service we doe performe to God or to our owne Soules The word spoken to us profits not unlesse we mingle it with faith The word Heb 4. 2. spoken out from us The word of prayer prevailes not without faith It is like a Gun discharged without a Bullet which makes a noise and doth no execution So in receiving at the Lords Table if we doe not put out the hand of faith we receive no more there than at our owne Table faith is to the soule what the eye eare mouth hands feete are to the body No Spirituall good comes into our soules till Faith by the Word and Spirit comes in and fetcheth it in And no good can come forth till faith putts it forth be it word or deed If faith be not wrought in us the Spirit and Word hath had no work upon us for that is the first grace in the order of time and to our apprehension faith comes in first and drawes all other graces after it it enliveneth and quickneth the soule it is the Spring of spirituall life in us it is the first grace of all it is set downe in stead of all and indeed so it is If we have faith if we can beleive nothing is impossible to us to doe or to suffer when God calls us thereunto It was a Sad time with the Thessalonians and Paul was sadded at it and faine would he know how the case stood with them specially how it fared with their faith when I could no longer forbeare I sent to know your faith 1 Thes 3. and when good tideings were brought us of your faith we were exceedingly comforted for I know full well so long as you stand fast in the faith ye shall stand like Mount Zion in the world an everlasting foundation mauger all the powers and policies of Hell-Gates wide open against you To open this a little and to proceed in it Because indeed it is the very hinge upon which all shall turne When the holy Spirit comes in to the soule conveyed in thither by the word the Spirit the Hand of God and Christ His Vicar or Agent here on Earth does nothing in an ordinary way without the word The word can doe nothing without the Spirit it bringeth all at once along with Him All Spirituall things needfull to Salvation And that the soule may take fast hold on them and appropriate them to Himselfe saying all these are mine The Spirit with the Word for He will not worke alone as the Word cannot workes faith there and faith workes up the soule to Christ for it is the Spirits working It s chiefe and maine object And now drawes or suckes from that Breast of Consolation all that is desireable suitable satisfactory and most pleasant to her But this is the thing Faith lookes first to Christ the person of Christ the fountaine the Spring-head the Treasurie the mine of Gold Faith lookes to the person of Christ first it knitts the soule to Him then it lookes to all the good things we have by Him a world of good things in Him a world of good things from Him All that tends to Grace and Glory Yet it is the person of Christ that the soule of a Christian principally lookes to The whole word of God all the divine truths therein revealed are the object of faith to direct order and sway our lives But yet these are not the object of faith when we looke for peace for Consolation for forgivenesse of sinnes and reconciliation with God Then faith lookes to Christ fixedly wholely solely These things being premised we returne to our Argument First They that have not received faith the Guift of God Faith is the Mother Grace where that is in Truth there is true knowledge unfaigned live and Gospell Repentance The graces required in every true Communicant John 20. sent unto us by the hand of the Spirit with the word can performe nothing pleasing to God nor can they receive any thing from God but a Cup of wrath if they continue faithlesse and unbeleiving They have not received Faith no not by all those meanes appointed by God as Conduit-pipes to convey faith and every Grace unto them they have not received faith true saving faith they cannot receive Christ a true and saving Christ a King and Prophet to Rule governe and teach them and a Priest to save and Redeeme them a false Christ and he is many they may Receive by a false faith they must have a true faith before they can receive a true Christ with all the benefits of His blood-shed for them a true faith leades them unto this storehouse or Treasury brings them up to this fountaine opnod for sin and uncleannesse layes the soule in that Jordan cleanseth and washeth it there bids it wash and be cleane bids it drinke and be drunken Cant. 5. 1. Eph. 5. 18. with wine whereof is no excesse i. e. be aboundantly satisfyed But without faith none of this can be It being the very bucket the mouth of the soule So that a man comeing without faith to the Lords Table is like a vessell cast into an Ocean of waters that hath no mouth to let any-in So then without faith without Christ and then Aliens to the Common-wealth of Israell and Strangers from the Covenant of promise having no hope well set and setling and without God in the world Now are these to be admitted to the Lords Table persons without faith and then without any saving grace for faith is first in