Right to Sacraments, Excerpt – Table of contents
Mr Meade on Eccl. 5.1. pag, 130, 131. Offer not the Sacrifice of Fools; for they know not that they do evil.
MY third Proposition was this: That when Sacrifice was to be offered in case of sin; yet even then, God accepted not thereof primariò, primarily and for it self; as though any refreshment or emolument accrewed to him thereby (as the Gentiles fondly supposed of their Gods); but secondarily, only as a testimony of the Conscience of the Offerer, desiring with humble Repentance to glorifie him with a present, & by that rite to renew a Covenant with him. For Sacrifice was Oblatio foederalis ▪ Now Almighty God renews a Covenant with, or receiveth again into his favour, none but the Repentant sinner, and therefore accepts of Sacrifice in no other regard, but as a token and effect of this. Otherwise its is an abomination to him, as whereby men professed a desire of being reconciled unto God when they had offended him, and yet had no such meaning. Hence God rejects all Sacrifices, wherein there is no contrition, nor purpose to forsake sin, and keep his Commandments, which are the parts of Repentance: so is to be taken that Isa. 1. To what purpose is the multitude of your Sacrifices? — Bring no more vain Oblations: Incense is an abomination to me. And Isa. 62.2, 3. — And surely he that blesseth an Idol is so far from renewing a Covenant with the Lord his God, that he breaks it: so did they who without conscience of Repentance, presumed to come before him with a Sacrifice; not procure atonement, but aggravate their breach.
According to one of these three senses are all passages in the Old Testament, disparaging and rejecting all Sacrifices Literally to be understood; namely, when men preferred them before the greater things of the Law; valued them out of their degree, as an Antecedent Duty: or placed their efficacy in the naked Rite, as if ought accrewed to God thereby: God would no longer own them for any Ordinance of his: nor indeed, in that disguize put upon them, were they.
And in The Christ. Sacrif. p. 510, 511.
PSAL. 50. God saith, [Gather my Saints together unto me, which make Covenant with me by Sacrifice.] — [But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my Statutes, and take my Covenant in thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee?] Statutes here are Rites and Ordinances, and particularly those of Sacrifice, which who so bringeth unto God, and thereby supplicates and calls upon his name, is said to take the Covenant of God in his mouth. Forasmuch as to invocate God with this Rite, was to do it by way of commemoration of his Covenant; and to say, Remember Lord thy Covenant; and For thy Covenant's sake Lord hear my prayer.]
The Contents of the first Disputation. Quest. Whether Ministers may admit persons into the Church of Christ by Baptism, upon the bare Verbal Profession of the true Christian saving Faith, without staying for, or requiring any further evidences of sincerity? Aff.
THE Question explained, pag. 2, 3
What Profession is, pag. 4, 5
Whether Profession be required for it self, or as a sign of the thing professed? The later maintained, against Mr. Blake, p. 6, 7, 8
What profession it must be that we must take, pag. 9, 10, 11.
Objection. This will make Ministers Lords of the Church. Answered, p. 12
What profession in specie we must require, pag. 13
Of the Essentials of our faith, p. 14, 15, 16
The Thesis laid down, and proved from Scripture and Nature, p. 18, &c.
Mr. James Wood's words considered, p. 21
Reasons why Profession must be taken as a sign of the thing Professed, p. 23, 24
More Arguments, p. 27
Objections answered, p. 30
An Observation for the healing of unjust rigor, and scruples herein, p. 33
Two causes of mistakes, and dividing among some good people, p. 38
The Contents of the second Disputation. Quest. Whether Ministers must or may Baptize the Children of those that profess saving Faith, upon the Profession of any other Faith that come's short of it? Neg.
THE Question opened, pag 42
The Iudgement of some late Romanists, p. 45, 51
Argument 1. pag. 53
Argument 2. pag. 62
Argument 3. pag. 68
Argument 4. pag. 71
Argument 5. pag. 79
Argument 6. pag. 88
Argument 7. pag. 91
Argument 8. pag. 96
Argument 9. pag. 98
Argument 10. pag. 100 In what sense whole Churches are called Saints, Dead with Christ, Risen with him, Sons by Adoption, Abraham's Seed, Heirs according to promise, Iustified.
Argument 11. pag. 118
None may be admitted to the Lord's Supper without profession of saving Faith, p. 120 —
Mr. Gilespie's 20 Arguments against unregenerate mens Right to the Lord's Supper, defended against Mr. Blake, pag. 123
How far that Sacrament is a converting Ordinance, p. …38
Mr. Blake's Arguments considered, p. 139
Argum. 12, & 13. pag. 144, 145
Argum. 14, 15. pag. 147
Argum. 16. from Scripture-example, p. 149
Mr Blake's exceptions answered, p. 151
Argument 17. pag. 156
Argument 18. pag. 160
Argument 19. pag. 163
Mr Blake leaves us at an utter loss, p. 164
Answers to Mr Blake's Arguments, whereby he would prove that a Faith short of justifying gives Right to Baptism, p. 170, to 191
Argument 20. from the constant practice of the Church, p. 195
The judgment of above 60 Protestant Divines in the case, p. 204, to 232
Mr Blake's Confessions, pag. 232, &c.
Mr Blake's conceits of my self-contradictions, ground less, p. 235
The Contents of the third Disputation. Quest. Whether the Infants of Notoriously Ungodly Baptized Parents have Right to be Baptized? Neg.
THe terms explained: specially [Right] p. 251
The Question divided into three, p. 253
Quest. 1. Whether such subjects have Right by any Gift or Grant of God to themselves? Neg. 1. They have no such Title for their own sake, p. 255
2. Nor for the immediate Parents, p. 256
3. Nor for their Ancestors, p. 261
4. Whether they have any on the account of Vndertakers, pag. 264
5. Whether on the Magistrates power to dispose of them, p. 265
Whether as they are Members of a Discipled Nation, or born in the Church, pag. 267, 268
Qu. 2. Whether Providence give them Right, p. 268
Qu. 3. Whether Ministers ought to Baptize such, pag. 269.
Negative proved. Such are not credible Professors, p. 271, 274, &c.
The Notoriously ungodly are ipso jure excommunicated; which is explained, confirmed and defended, p. 280, &c. —
More Arguments, pag. 294, 295, &c.
Arguments Answered which would prove that the Infants of the Notoriously ungodly have Right to Baptism, p. 303, &c.
And first that from Circumcision.
Argum. 9. Of the Nullity of Baptism supposed to follow, p. 315, &c.
Quest. Whom we must take for Notoriously Vngodly, p. 326, &c.
Cautions against the abuse of Answers, p. 333
The Positive Answer in ten Characters, p. 335, 336
Quest. Is it not our duty to refuse the children of more than the Notoriously Vngodly? Affirm. p. 338
Violenta praesumptio must cause us to forbear; proved, p. 341, &c.
Quest. What is such violent presumption, or ground to take men for no credible Professors, p. 345. shewed in ten Characters.
The Contents of the fourth Disputation. Quest. Whether any besides Regenerate Believers (and their seed) have a Right to Sacraments given them by God, and may thereupon require them and receive them? Neg. pag 351.
THe terms explained: specially [Right], p. 353
Concessions in six Propositions, pag. 355
The Negative proved, pag. 356
Mr. Blake's judgement about Investiture, p. 360, 364, &c.—
Receiving Sacraments as a duty must come after saving faith, and God warranteth none to do it before, p. 369, 370, &c.
Objections answered, p. 370
Whether this confine Sacraments to them that have assurance, p. 373, 374, &c.
More Objections answered, ad p. 403
The distinction of forum Dei & Ecclesiae, vindicated against Mr. Blake's opposition, p. 403, &c.
Mr. Rutherford's Iudgement of that, and the main cause, ad p. 410
Mr. Blake's further assaults repelled, p. 410, &c.
More of his Objections answered, to p. 419
An Answer to many Arguments of Mr. J. H. in his second Vindication of free Admission, p. 419, to 431
Some sad Considerations about Mr. Prin's counsel for forcing Ministers to deliver the Sacrament, pag. 426, 432
The Contents of the fifth Disputation. Quest. Whether Hypocrites and other Unregerate persons be called Christians, Believers, Saints, Church-members, &c. Univocally, Analogically or Equivocally?
THe judgement of Philosophers about the terms, to pag. 447
That the terms are used equivocally, proved by Argument, to p. 452
And by Authority: Thirty three Protestant Divines cited.
Mr. Blake's Objections answered, to pag. 480
An APPENDIX fetching Reasons out of Doctor Owen, Mr. Blake and Mr. Robertson, against a particular Answer of them, p. 480
The little Reason for Doctor Owen's Indignation, and less for his gross mis-reports, and Socinian parallel, to pag. 488
The causlesness of Mr. Blake's tears and trembling, pag. 489
His untrue reports of my self, & of the profaneness of the Worcestershire Combinations, p. 500
His untrue and dis-ingenuous report of my abusing Mr. Ball, p. 500
The complexion of the rest of his Dispute not yet answered, p. 501
A brief discussion of his doctrine of the Faith that entituleth to Baptism, pag. 502, to 513
The impotency of more of his Accusations, pag. 513, 514
The substance and quality of Mr. Robertson's Epistolary Disputation, pag. 515, 516
His implacable kindeness, and dreadful Protestation, pag. 517
Of Punishment and mental Remisson, pag. 518, 519
Of a creeping MS. p. 520
Of the triumphing Dream of Dr Owen; and Mr Blake of the terrible Conditions which I impose on my Answerers in the Preface of my Confession. p. 521