Discourse of Right to Church-Communion, Chapter 3
CHAP. III. Shews that this Practice of admitting Unbaptized Perſons to the Lords Supper, is againſt Scripture.
TO Demonſtrate this Truth we ſhall add ſome further enforcements from that Text before-mentioned, viz. 1 Cor. 11.2. Now I praiſe you Brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the *foreign. Syriack. Mandatum, a Command. Inſtitutum, an Ordinance, Rivet. Praecepta mea tenetis, and keep my Precepts. Montanus.Ordinances as I delivered them unto you.
The Apoſtle having in the foregoing Chapter, verſe 14. exhorted them to fly from Idolatry, ſhewing the great danger of mixture in the Worſhip of God, in verſe 22. brings them to conſider the danger; Do we provoke theLord to *foreign ad iram, vel ad aemulandi ſtudium provoco, To provoke to wrath or jealouſie.jealouſie? Are we ſtronger than he? And ver. 23. to prevent all miſtakes ſheweth that in things of an indifferent Nature, there might be a lawful uſe of them provided therein all occaſion of offence were avoided. And elſewhere (viz. Rom. 14.) he Treats largely of the duty of Saints to bear one with another, and not to with draw their Love and Affections from each other, where the matter of difference lay only in ſuch things, as in themſelves had no relation to the Worſhip of God.
In the beginning of this Chapter he exhorts them to be followers of him as he was of Chriſt, by which he informs them that no mans Practiſe or Example ought to be any further followed than they follow Chriſt.
In the Text he commends them for their care in keeping the Ordinances of Chriſt pure, both withreſpect to matter and form, as appears by the Phraſe [as they were delivered unto you] from whence we may obſerve,
That it is Practiſe praiſe worthy for the Churches of Jeſus Chriſt to preſerve and keep the Ordinances of Chriſt, as they have been delivered by Chriſt and his Apoſtles to them. becauſe,
1. We hereby advance the Wiſdom of Jeſus Chriſt, who hath in his Houſe ordered all things ſo, to the effecting of thoſe ends for which he hath appointed them, that there is no neceſſity of mans Additions, either with reſpect to the matter of them, or the Order and Method in which they are diſpoſed. Now the Church of Chriſt is his Houſe, and his Wiſdom ſhines greatly, not only in the Food he hath provided for them, but in the way by which they receive it from him, there being nothing thatintrencheth more upon the Wiſdom of God, than that (when he hath preſcribed a method in his Word) men ſhould preſume to alter or change the ſame; it being a much greater ſin than the bare Omiſſion of any Duty, for by our Omiſſions we ſhew only our weakneſs and ſhortneſs of what we ſhould know and do; but by Additions, we caſt a blemiſh upon the Wiſdom of Chriſt, as if we were wiſer to order things than he.
That which occaſioned ſo great an aſtoniſhment in the Queen of Sheba, 1 Kings 10.4,5,8. Was the obſervation of the Order of Solomons Houſe, which made her admire his Wiſdom. And ſurely the Wiſdom of Chriſt is very eminently ſeen in the Order wherein the Ordinances of his Houſe ought to be Practiſed. The Apoſtle, Col. 2.5. Rejoyced to behold not only the ſtedfaſtneſs of their Faith, but their Order alſoin the Goſpel of Jeſus Chriſt.
2. Becauſe the Ordinances of Chriſt are given by him to his people as a Truſt, and therefore great care and fidelity muſt be uſed to keep them as they were delivered by him: For as in Humane Affairs, the exact conſcientious and upright management of a Truſt, is a certain note of the Integrity and Honeſty of the Truſtee, ſo the violation of it is a high breach and violation of Sincerity and Faithfulneſs. Hence the Apoſtle ſo earneſtly exhorts Timothy to keep that which was committed to his truſt, *foreign any thing depoſited, or credited to ones faithfulneſs, and truſt.2 Tim. 6.20. Yea, the glorious Goſpel it ſelf, (of which this Holy Ordinance is a part) is ſaid to be committed to the Apoſtles Truſt, 1 Tim 1.11. And ſo it is indeed committed to the Care and Truſt of all True Churches of Chriſt, who are to be accountable for it, to the Great Lord and Authorof it the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, &c.
3. Becauſe it preſerves the Beauty of the Houſe of God: For whatſoever is preſcribed by the Lord Jeſus, with reſpect to his Worſhip, is full of Beauty, Harmony, and Order, every thing anſwering its reſpective end, and what is ſignified thereby: and as Grace ſhines in its luſtre in the orderly exerciſe thereof; ſo do the Ordinances of Chriſt: For as Regeneration is the firſt work of God upon the Soul, in order to the exerciſe of the Graces of Chriſt given, ſo hath he appointed Baptiſm, as that which is the firſt Ordinance to be Practiſed, which doth more particularly, than any other Ordidinance in the ſignification of it, hold out, and viſibly repreſent our New Birth, and therefore is called the Baptiſm of Repentance, Mark 1.4. Luk. 3.3.
Sutable hereunto does that Learned and Eminent Divine Mr. Daniel Rogers expreſs himſelf. *Treat. of the two Sacram. p. 71. Printed, 1633.'Baptiſm then is the Firſt Sacrament of the Goſpel, conſiſting of Water, which is Sacramentally Chriſt; or wherein by Water duly applyed, not only the preſented party is made a Member of the viſible Church; but alſo Sealed up to an inviſible Union with Chriſt, and thereby intereſſed in all thoſe benefits of his, which concern the being of Regeneration.
'By calling it the firſt Sacrament, I point at the Precedency and Order of Baptiſm. The which all thoſe Names of Baptiſm both in Scripture, and elſe where do approve Its the Seed of the Church, as the other is of Food. It iſſued firſt out of the ſide of our Lord Jeſus upon the Croſs. Its the Creating Inſtrument of God to produce and formthe Lord Jeſus to a New Creature, and to Regeneration in the Soul. Tit. 3.5.Its called our Union with Chriſt, our Marriage Ring, our Military Preſs-mony, our Matriculation, Cognizance and Character of Chriſt, our Implanting or Ingrafting into him, and his Body, our Ship, our Ark, our Red Sea, our putting on of Chriſt. For as all thoſe go before our Nouriſhment, Communion, Cohabitation, ſervice, Fruit, Manna, or Food from Heaven, ſo this Sacrament muſt go before the other. Breeding, Begetting and bringing out of the Womb, doth not more Naturally go before the feeding of the Infant by the mothers Breaſts, then this Womb of the Youth of the Church goes before the Milk thereof; the Church being no Dry Nurſe, but a Mother of her own, the Sons and Daughters of her own Womb—Let all whodeſire to taſte of the Sealing power of the ſecond Sacrament to Nouriſh them as Saints: Firſt prove the Sealing power of the former Sacrament to beget and make you Saints. And a little after Pag. 72—Beware—leſt the Lord be froward with them that fight againſt the God of Order: leſt inſtead of finding Nouriſhment before Breeding, as they Rob God of his Order, ſo they meet with Wrath and Judgment, before Mercy and Salvation; yea leſt God accurſe their ſingle emptyneſs of Chriſt, with ſuch a double barrenneſs, as will admit no Conception or Birth.
'And very pathetically pag. 73. after he hath ſhewed that Chriſt hath joyned Water with a kind of equal neceſſity with himſelf, Mar. 16.16. John 3.5. ſubjoyns 'Shall not he who deſpiſeth Water (appointed to ſuch an unſeparable Holy end) deſpiſe the Ordainerof Water? Exod. 20.7.ſhall we take his name in vain, by ſlighting that by which he makes himſelf and the power of his Word and Spirit manifeſt to beget the Soul to him, and be holden guiltleſs? Matth. 19.6.When Chriſt hath put both in one, ſhall we dare to ſay the one is ſtrong, the other is baſe? ſhall we ſlight it, ſlack our haſte to it, our Holy preparing of our ſelves to it, our abiding at it, our offering up Prayers for bleſſing it, our making it the joynt Object of our Humiliation, Faith, Reverence, and Thanks? Far be it from us, ſo to abhor that Popiſh Hyperbolical eſteem of it, and the merit of the work wrought of it; that we run into another Riot to diſeſteem it? Doubtleſs he that cares not for Chriſt in the Word, Chriſt in the Promiſe, Chriſt in the Miniſter, Chriſt in the Water, Chriſt in the Bread and Wine, Chriſt Sacramental; cares as little for Chriſt God, Chriſt Fleſh, Chriſt Emanuel. By theſe he comes near. And Matth. 10.40.He that deſpiſeth you, deſpiſeth me, and him that ſent me. Beware we of ſuch contempt, even in the ſecreteſt of our thoughts and Affections: and let Chriſt in the Water be Honoured as Chriſt, for that ſweet Union and Fruit which he brings to poor Souls thereby. If Jordan be precious when God will uſe it, for the Angels Healing by it, much more this.2 Kings 5.…. John 5.2.
'Pag. 81. The Lords Scope in Baptiſm is an inward Grace, but this general Priviledge is to all equal, viz. A badge of an outward Member: diſtinction from the common Rout of the World, out of the Pale of the Church. The Lord appointed Circumciſion as a Seal of the Righteouſneſs of Faith chiefly: yet as an over-plus he allowed it to be the Differencer of all other Nations fromthe Jews. It was a Fence and Wall of Separation from them in all their Converſe. So is Baptiſm now a mark or badge of external Communion: whereby the Lord ſettles a Right upon the Perſon to his Ordinances, that he may comfortably uſe them as his own Priviledge, and wait for the inward Prerogative of Saints by them. And yet this (as much as men boaſt of it) is but a ſhell in reſpect of the other. So far he.
Again, Baptiſm holds out the Souls Intereſt in the Death, Burial, and Reſurrection of Chriſt in a more ſpecial manner then any other Ordinance, it is called the Stipulation or Anſwer of a good Conſcience, by the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt from the Dead;1 Pet. 3.21. that is, when a Conſcience appeaſed and pacified with the diſcharge of Sin, can cry Abba Father with a holy ſecurity, and ſpeak to God himſelf, &c. Now this Stipulationof a good Conſcience is the Effect of Baptiſm, and which Baptiſm Seals: For what it finds … Seals, although it doth alſo Exhibit more of the ſame kind. A Learned Expoſitor Mr. Tho. Godwin.gives his Senſe of this place thus.
'The Anſwer of a good Conſcience is here Attributed to Chriſts Reſurrection, as the thing ſignified and repreſented in Baptiſm, and as the cauſe of that Anſwer of a good Conſcience, even Baptiſm (ſaith he) doth now ſave [us] as being the Ordinance that Seals up Salvation, not the putting away the filth of the Fleſh, or the waſhing of the outward man; but the Anſwer of a good Conſcience towards God by the Reſurrection of Chriſt from the Dead. (To open this, ſaith he) Our Conſcienccs are that Principle within us, which are the Seat of the guilt of all the Sins of the whole Man, unto whoſe Courtthey all come to accuſe us, as unto Gods Deputy, which Conſcience is called Good or Evil, as the State of the Man is. Now in Baptiſm, forgiveneſs of Sins and Juſtification being Sealed up to a Believers Faith and Conſcience under that lively Repreſentation of his Communion with Chriſt in his Reſurrection; hence this is made the fruit of Baptiſm, that the good Conſcience of a Believer Sealed up in Baptiſm, hath wherewithal from thence to Anſwer all Accuſations of Sin that can or do at any time come in upon him, and is, as it is here added (by vertue of the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt,) namely in this Reſpect, that his Communion with Chriſt in his Reſurrection hath been repreſented in his Baptiſm as the Ground of his Faith, and of that Anſwer unto all Accuſations.
By all which we may (by the way) ſee of what neceſſity Faith is required of the Perſons that are Baptized, if they will receive any benefit thereby. Alſo, how Baptiſm being the firſt Ordinance to be Adminiſtred, anſwers to the firſt Grace Received; From whence it appeareth, That as the Grace of Regeneration gives a Right to the Enjoyment of Goſpel Inſtitutions; ſo Baptiſm, with reſpect to Priority and Order, is the firſt Inſtitution, without which, none may regularly partake of other Church-Ordinances.
And this further may be noted as conſiderable, that as there is but one Beginning of Natural Life to man; and one beginning of Spiritual of Life, which is by Regeneration, John 3.3. Ames Medulla Theol. pag. 183 The Supper of the Lord ought oftentimes to be Adminiſtred to the ſame Perſon, &c.So Baptiſm is to be but once Adminiſtred; whereas, if Baptiſm had the ſame import and ſignification with reſpect to the Priviledges that are to be enjoy'd at the Second Comingof Chriſt as the Supper of the Lord hath, there would be the ſame Reaſon for the frequent Adminiſtration of it, as is for the Supper of the Lord.
4. It is commendable to keep the Ordinances of Chriſt pure, as they were delivered, becauſe it prevents the creeping in of the Inventions of Men in the Worſhip of God. For (as it was before Noted) Man is naturally apt to be medling that way, and mixing ſomething of his own with thoſe Sacred Inſtitutions which God has with greateſt ſeverity prohibited, having not ſpared any, no not his own People, though what they have done therein ſeems not to be out of any wicked intentions, but rather out of an Ignorant Zeal: Of which there are many Inſtances in Scripture as before recited; particularly, the Memorable Caſes of Nadab and Abihu, Lev. 10.2,3. Uzzah 2 Sam. 6.6,7. &c.
Suitable hereto Mr. Burroughs very excellently expreſſes himſelf in his Book intituled Goſpel-Worſhip, or the Right Manner of Sanctifying the Name of God, pag 8, 9, &c.
—'All things in Gods Worſhip muſt have a Warrant out of Gods Word, muſt be Commanded; it's not enough that 'tis not Forbidden, and what hurt is there in it? But it muſt be Commanded.—When we come to Matters of Religion and the Worſhip of God, we muſt either have a Command, or ſomewhat out of Gods Word, by ſome Conſequence drawn from ſome Command, wherein God manifeſts his Will; either a Direct Command, or by comparing one thing with another, or drawing Conſequences plainly from the words, we muſt have a Warrant for the Worſhip of God, &c.—When any Creature is raiſed in a Religious way above what it hath in it by Nature, if I have not Scripture to warrant me, I am therein Superſtitious.—We muſt be all Willing-Worſhippers, but not Will-Worſhippers, Matth. 15.9. Iſa. 29.13.
Pag. 10. '—You ſee how ſevere God was to Nadab and Abihu, for but taking other Fire then that which God appointed, to offer up Incenſe, though there there was no direct Commandment againſt it, &c.
Page 11. 'In the matters of Worſhip God ſtands up little things, ſuch things as ſeem to be very ſmall and little to us, yet God ſtands much upon them in the matter of Worſhip. For there is nothing wherein the Prerogative of God doth more appear, then in Worſhip, as Princes ſtand much upon their Prerogatives.—There are—things in the Worſhip of Godthat are not written in our hearts, that only depend upon the will of God Revealed in his Word; which were no Duties except they were Revealed there. And theſe are of ſuch a nature, as we can ſee no Reaſon for, but only this, Becauſe God will have them.—Though men would think it a little matter whether this Fire, or that Fire, and will not this burn as well as that? …t God ſtands upon it.—When Ʋzzah did but touch the Ark, when it was ready to fall, we would think it no great matter; but one touch of the Ark coſt him his life. There is not a minnim in the Worſhip of God, but God ſtands mightily upon it.—For a man *Numb. 15.32.to gather a few ſticks (on the Sabbath) what great great matter was it? But God ſtands upon it. So when the men of Bethſhemeſh did but look into the Ark, it coſt the Lives offifty thouſand and ſeventy men, &c.
He further adds, page 12. That there is no Priviledges or Dignities of Man, that can ſecure them from Gods ſtroke; Inſtancing Nadab and Abihu's Caſe, Moſes the man of God being their Ʋnkle, and Aaron their Father, men newly conſecrated to the Prieſts Office, renowned men that God put much glory upon; yet if they will venture but to offend God in this little thing, his wrath breaks out upon them, and kills them preſently, &c.
This Eminent Servant of God Adds much to the ſame effect in the ſaid Book which for Brevity is paſt over—And amongſt the Reſt, offers ſeveral Reaſons by which he judgeth that Nadab and Abihu, were good men, and gives a plain Demonſtration that they had no wicked Deſign, as [1] They were Young men, newly come to their Office, and might not underſtandall things, as if they had had longer Experience. [2] Its obſervable for ver. 1. 'Tis called ſtrange fire, which he Commanded not, that if there be not a Command for our Practice, nor ſuch a Preſident as the Scripture approves of, no Humane pretence can excuſe the tranſgreſſor from the Judgment of God.
Beza, In his Annotations upon the third verſ. I will be ſanctified, obſerves that the meaning of it is,—I will puniſh them that ſerve me otherwiſe then I have Commanded, not ſparing the Cheif, that the People may fear and praiſe my Judgments. There is alſo a notable Inſtance, 1. Sam. 6.13,15,19. Concerning the men of Beſhemeſh, who being in the field reaping their Harveſt, Rejoyced at its Return, ver. 13. And therefore offered Sacrifices to the Lord, ver. 15. But becauſe they looked into the Ark, fifty thouſand, threeſcore and ten men ofthem (as was ſaid) were ſlain. The like inſtance we have (as was already urged) about Ʋzzah, 2 Sam. 6.6. whom God ſmites dead for touching the Ark, &c.
It is concluded by all Orthodox Writers, that the Riſe of Antichriſt was by Degrees; firſt encroaching by one Invention, and then from time to time ſuper-adding another; which is indeed no wonder, for if a Church once ſwerves from the Rule in one thing, a Foundation is thereby laid of doing ſo in many things. And for this Reaſon the Apoſtle with great Earneſtneſs charges, *Tim. 6.13,14.Timothy, and in him all Saints, thus, I give thee charge in the ſight of God, &c. That thou keep this Commandment without ſpot, unrebukeable, until the Appearing of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. The Apoſtle had in this Epiſtle been inſtructing Timothy about Church-VVorſhip, and things rela…ing to Prayer, Elderſhip, dealingwith Members, &c. And therefore concludes, I charge thee to keep this Commandment; that is, that which he all along in the Epiſtle directed and preſſed with ſo weighty Arguments: As if he had ſaid, It is your indiſpenſible Duty to be careful in this, becauſe, as 'tis expreſs'd verſ. 15, 16. In his own time he ſhall ſhew who is the bleſſed and onelyonly Potentate, &c. Jeſus Chriſt hath given Goſpel-VVorſhip to his Church, as King of his Church: The Potentates of the VVorld ſhew their power in nothing more then in keeping thoſe who are employed by them to the ſtrict Obſervation of the Commiſſions given to them; So that if an Embaſſador goes beyond his Commiſſion, he forfeits his Head; and therefore if any Thing be demanded, or any Particular offered in order to a Treaty, which is not in their Commiſſion, they uſually anſwer, I have no Commiſſion to anſwer or meddle with this or that point. Now ſaith the Apoſtle, Keep the Commandment blameleſs without Spot: Jeſus Chriſt is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, the only Potentate, and in his time he will ſhew it, and Examine by what Commiſſion from him they have done what they have done and Practiced, and will ask this great Queſtion, Who hath Required this at your hands? what ſatisfactory anſwer can any man give, if ſuch a thing be allowed? If you ask a Rule for Baptizing Children, may not ſuch a Perſon Demand where your Rule is for Unbabtized Perſons to Receive the Lords Supper? If you ask a Rule for ſigning with the Croſs in Baptiſm, he will ask where your Rule is for Baptizing of Children, and in a word if any one thing be admitted in point of Practice, that has not the expreſs Warrant of Gods Word, it will make way for others, becauſe the ſame Reaſon or Pretence that Eſtabliſhes one, may equally be Produced for another, and another, without end; and ſo a Deviation from Rule in any thing, though never ſo ſmall, tends directly to bring in the Inventions and Traditions of Men into the Worſhip of God.
From the whole of what hath been ſaid, we may Infer theſe Corollaries or Inferences,
1. That God hath Preſcribed a particular way and method in which he will be Worſhiped.
2. That he is ſo tender and nice therein, that the leaſt Variation from his own Stated Order will not be allowed by him, which appears by the puniſhment of ſuch as Tranſgreſſed, and the praiſes given to ſuch as kept his Ordinances as they were Delivered unto them, mentioned at large before.
3. That to ſwerve from the Lords Inſtitutions, and Invert his Order,has a direct Tendency to Deſtroy all Modes of Worſhip, and conſequently all the publick and ſolemn Exerciſe of Religion, in as much as the ſame Reaſon by which one Ordinance may be changed, or Diſcontinued, will equally prove the change or Diſcontinuance of any, yea of all at long Run.
And if the firſt Churches might not be Conſtituted without this Ordinance of Baptiſm, neither may thoſe that ſucceed them, becauſe the ſame Reaſon that made Baptiſm neceſſary to them, makes it alſo neceſſary to us. For Goſpel Order ſetled by Apoſtical Authority and Direction, as this was, hath not loſt any of its native worth and efficacy, or obliging Vertue, by any Diſuſe or Diſcontinuance occaſioned by any, but ought to be the ſame to us now, as it was to them in the begining of ſuch Order; eſpecially conſidering the day wherein we live, many indeavouring to bring in their own Inventions into the Worſhip of God, which ſhould make all Chriſtians be more careful and Zealous to Cleave to the Inſtitutions of Jeſus Chriſt, as they were firſt Delivered by the holy Penmen, and the Practice of the Primitive Chriſtians.
To conclude this head, as Baptiſm is not to be Repeated, becauſe it is the Sacrament of Regeneration, Initiation, and Incorporation, which are not capable of Reiteration, ſo neither can the Seal and Sign thereof; ſo whatſoever makes for the not Repeating it in the ordinary uſe of it, makes alſo for this as fully or more, that it ſhould be the firſt.
If it not to be repeated becauſe it is the Sign or Seal of Initiation, Regeneration and Incorporation, by the ſame Reaſon it muſt be firſt, as Initiation, Admiſſion, Incorporation, and Regeneration, are the firſt Internal Acts in us, and upon us, by which we are made Chriſtians. But of this we have ſaid enough before.