The Communicants Guide, Chapter 10
CHAP. X. The Stumbling-blocks cast in our way, removed.
WE may well say here, as Christ said in another Case, Some there be who will neither enter into the Church to receive this Sacrament themselves, nor suffer those to enter in that would, but are very busie in laying such stumbling-blocks in their way as they are not able to remove. So that either they keep away from this blessed Sacrament to their great hurt, or struggle through their doubts and scruples with much Galling and Uneasiness, to their great disquiet. In pity therefore to the weak, these also ought to be removed.
1. Some have been made to think it unlawful to receive the Sacrament where it is administred with a prescribed form of Words.
Not to prove here the Lawfulness and Vsefulness too of set and prescribed Forms of Prayers in the publick Worship of God, it will be sufficient, in reference to this Sacrament, to consider thus much.
1. That when our blessed Iesus commanded this to be done in … membrance of him, he neither commanded nor forbad it to be done by a set or prescribed Form: it is therefore certainly left to the Discretion and Piety of the Church to consider which is most expedient and conducing to Edification, a Form or no Form; and to act accordingly. The thing must be done, and with a prescribed Form or without one, it must be done. Christ hath not told us which way, and who shall determine the matter but they to whom he hath committed the ordering of all such things in the Church?
2. If in any part of the publick Worship a prescribed Form be expedient, it must be in this. 'Tis the Feast of Love, and a holy Communion, wherein we declare our selves one Bread and one Body; 'tis therefore in a great measure even necessary, that before we come together we should have before our Eyes the things wherein we are …nanimously to joyn, the Words to which we are to say, Amen: and not go at …nture to joyn in we know not what, and commit our Thoughts and Devotions there to the conduct of a single man, that loves it may be to hear himself talk, and to shew his Wit and Eloquence in Words, (to say the best of them) for the most part unintelligible to the greater number of Communicants.
Yea, seeing, to the great Grief of all good Christians, the Devil and his Instruments have ever been very busie to deform this holy Ordinance, and to turn this Sacrament of Union into a bone of Contention; it well becometh the Church to use all care, that nothing be said or done in this Administration, but what is according to Truth and Godliness. And certainly it would be no good sign of such Care, to leave every Minister to his own Discretion, to use his own affected, and perhaps erroneous, Way and Words.
II. Others are made afraid to kneel in receiving this Sacrament, because th… Apostles at the first Institution did not so … and because the Papists doing so … the Bread and Wine.
If the Apostles kneeled not, yet they neither sate nor stood. And if they used a Supper-gesture, it was on occasion of the Passover whereat this Sacrament was instituted. Christ hath commanded that this be done, that is, that Bread and Wine be blessed and broken and distributed, taken, eaten, and drank in Remembrance of him; but he hath not commanded any Gesture, nor expresly forbidden any. This therefore also must be left to the Prudence of the Church, as all other Circumstances of this sacred Action, till it can be shewn that the bare Example of the Apostles did oblige us perpetually to imitate it; which here cannot be shewn: and therefore to say it did, is to add to the Word of God, and to lay a Snare before Mens Consciences; it being hard, for most men at least, to give a reason, why their Example in this Circumstance of Gesture, should …ore oblige us than in others of Time, Place, Number, &c.
Kneeling is a Gesture of Humility, and that better becometh vile Sinners offering their Prayers and Praises at the Throne of Grace in the Vertue of the Sacrifice of Christ, than any Posture of Familiarity, such as sitting especially is. However, seeing, it is enjoyned, were it less convenient, yet he hath certainly no very great Love or Appetite to this divine Food, who will rather want it than receive it on his Knees, and chooseth rather to disobey Christ in not doing this at all, than obey the Church in doing it thus, when there is no Divine Law to the contrary.
And if the Papists do kneel to worship the Elements, may not we therefore kneel to worship Christ? The Church of England hath sufficiently declared against worshipping the Elements; and if she knew you did so, would cast you forth as Idolaters.
III. But we must thus communicat… with Sinners in a mix'd Congregation and we are forbidden so much as to eat with such, 1 Cor. 5. 11. and commanded to withdraw from every Brother that walketh disorderly, 2 Thes. 3. 6. and to come out from among them and be separate, 2 Cor. 6. 17.
You must come out from Heathens, and be separate from Idolaters, such as were those Unbelievers, 2 Cor. 6. 14, 15, 16. But none but baptized Persons and Professors of Christianity, are admitted to the Lord's Table.
You must also withdraw your selves from disorderly Walkers, as you are commanded, 2 Thess. 3. 6. not familiarly to converse them, so as to partake with them, or countenance them in their Wickedness or Idleness; but set a note of Disgrace upon them by shunning their Company and Familiarity, to make them, if possible, ashamed of themselves. Yet must we not look upon them as Enemies, but admonish them as Brethren, v. 14, 15. All this plainly relates to our ordinary Conversation with such men, and nothing is …ere said about communicating in this Sacrament.
…e sure that you be none of those whose Company is here forbidden to Christians, such as are disorderly Walk…ers, that obey not the just Orders of their Pastors and Governours (v. 14.) but are unruly and will not be governed (1 Thes. 5. 14.) and such as cause. Divisions and Offences contrary to the Doctrine that they have learnt, Rom. 16. 17.
In the same sense we must not eat, that is, familiarly converse with wicked Christians, 1 Cor. 5. 11. For that it is ordinary Conversation that is there meant seems plain, because 'tis such a keeping Company with them, as the Apostle allows them with Heathens and Idolaters, v. 10. which cannot be at the Lord's Table whither they are not admitted, but only Professors of Christianity.
Though we are to withdraw from such wicked and disorderly Persons, so far as not to countenance them, but endeavour to make them ashamed o… their Sins; yet must we be careful to do this orderly, 1 Thess. 4…and as becometh Christians. 1 Peter 4. 15.And this you do not, if you study not to be quiet and to do your own Business, but delight to be busie-bodies in other mens matters. If you suffer for that, you have the just Reward of your busie-boldness.
Qu. But must wicked men be admitted to this Sacrament?
Ans. No, not if they be notorious, and have not declared their Repentance. They ought to be admonished, and if stubborn, cast out of the Church by those to whom it belongs to do it. Leave that to your Governours, and do you the Duty of private Christians.
Remember Charity thinketh no evil,1 Cor 13. 5. 7. but believeth all things; it judgeth not rashly, but hath as good an Opinion as may be had of all men. Be sure then that you have sufficient ground for it when you judge any one wicked.
Take heed also of spiritual Pride in your self, and that your unreasonable swelling with self-conceit cause not … Brother to seem little and vile in your Eyes.
See that you count not any man a wicked man only because he is not of your Opinion, or because he is not of your Party, or dares not separate from the Church as you do, or censure other men as boldly as you do, or have as high an Opinion of his own Godliness as you have: it is no good sign of that Purity which some pretend to, that they scruple at a Form or Ceremony, but not at being drunk, or being unjust in not paying every man his due, or reviling their Governours, or uncharitably censuring the whole Church; or, that they dare not come to the Lord's Table with wicked men, but dare go to the Ale-house with them.
See that you have discharged a good Conscience towards your Brethren, before you abandon their Communion.
Have you friendly reproved and admonished them privately?1 Thess. 5. 14. Talk not to others of their Wickedness till you have first told them of it.Matth. 18. 15. If this have done no good upon them,2 Thess. 3. 15. have … admonished them again before two or three Witnesses? If this prevail not, have you told the Minister and desired his help to reform these Sinners? If he cannot reclaim them, have you endeavour'd to have them cast out of the Church by Excommunication? If you have not done this, where's your Charity to your Brother? where's your Obedience to God? Where's your Zeal for the Church's Purity? You have more cause to be afraid of your own Sins, than of other mens: nay, you become by this neglect, Partakers of other mens Sins, which you pretend to be the very thing you are so greatly afraid of.
Obj. You say, perhaps, you have done all this, and yet these Sinners are not excluded, but admitted.
If it be so, it is not well; yet it is not your Fault that they are admitted; but it is your Fault if you will not do your Duty because other men will not do theirs.
Obj. But I shall so profess Communion with the wicked.
Ans. By the course you have taken you have done what was your Duty, to avoid their Communion. You come not to communicate with the Wicked, but with sincere Christians.
Obj. But by so doing I shall countenance them, and seem to own them as good Christians.
Ans. By what you have done to amend them, and by what you may still do in continuing to reprove them, you prevent that danger.
There were very wicked Persons in the Church of Corinth, such as the Apostle orders to be cast out and delivered to Sitan; yea at the Sacrament there were Divisions and Factions, and some were drunk. These things St. Paul reproves them for; but you no where hear him bid others abstain from the Sacrament because of such men, but he bids them examine themselves and eat.
IV. But you say; you dare not receive this Sacrament at the hand of a wicked Minister, and you take yours to … such.
It is not well if he be such indeed; and if he be openly such and not removed, some others are to blame as well as he. Have you admonished him? Have you again admonish'd him? If that would not do, have you complained of him, and used all the means in your power to have him either reformed or turn'd out? If this be not done, you have not done your Duty either to him, or your own Soul, or the Church of God. Complain not then of his Wickedness, but your own.
Have you used all these means in vain to reform or remove him? Then if you can conveniently you may remove to some place where you have a better. If you cannot, you are to be content, and receive the Food of your Soul from a dirty hand, rather than want it. You would not refuse the King's Pardon though a Drunkard or a Swearer brought it you. This Meat nourisheth not by vertue of the hand of him that ministreth it unto you, but by the Blessing of God that giveth it. Take it as from the hand of Christ himself, and have Faith in him, and when you have done what legally you can to get a good Minister, you shall fare no worse for a bad one in the end.
Obj. But though I can find no great Fault otherwise with the Minister, yet this I like not, that he admits scandalous Sinners to the Communion.
He is indeed to charge all such to abstain from this Sacrament till they declare their Repentance. He is not to admit such, if he know them, till they have declared their Repentance, and made such Satisfaction as the Church requireth. Do you certainly know then that he doth otherwise; and have you acquainted him who they are, and satisfied him that they are so indeed? Usually such men keep most out of his way, and he is least acquainted with them, and hath at most but an uncertain Report of their Vices; and they that bring him this Report, refuse to prove the Truth of it; and when he enquires of the Persons themselves they deny it, and he dare not deny them the Priviledges of Christians, till he have better grounds to go upon. Or if you are sure the Minister was not ignorant of their wicked Life, are you sure also, that they have not, before they were admitted, given him all the Satisfaction he could in reason demand in such a case?
You ought to be sure of these things before you censure him so hardly. And if you be sure he is guilty, complain of him, after due Admonition, and I am confident this Fault will be amended. But if unfit Persons be admitted by him ignorantly, and you know of it, and do not inform him better, it is your selves on whom this Guilt will lye.
The good Lord grant that we may all more conscientiously do our Duties in our several Stations, that his Name may be glorified, his Church may flourish in Truth and Purity, and Peace and Love may abound amongst Christians.