Letter of Ministers Requesting Judgment Concerning Nine Positions, Positions 3,4 · Reply 6 – Answer 5
Reply.
IF it be repugnant to Divine Inſtitution to admit of approved Chriſtians lawfully baptized, walking in the faith, members of the viſible Churches, and partakers of Church priviledges among us to the Lords Supper, or their children to baptiſme, becauſe they What though this inconvenience do ariſe ſometimes through mans corruption it ſhould be otherwiſe; and we muſt ever conſider of the nature of Gods ordinances in their right uſe, &c. Rob. againſt Ber. pa. 213.be not entred into Church fellowſhip according to your order, then it is unlawfull though no ſuch evill conſequences are to be feared.
But if by accident ſome abuſe ſhould fall out, the evill is to be prevented by all lawfull meanes: but the faithfull are not utterly to be debarred Reſpondit caam nullam fuiſſe cur 10. Bapt. iſtos accedentes rejiceret ut qui ad ejus bapt. venirent cum peccatorum agnitione nec ipſe poteſtatem haberet eos excommunicandi etiamſi fuiſſent excom. digni. Beza de Presb. p 23.of the order of God, whereto they have right and title by his free grant and gracious invitation. And no queſtion but the ſeales of the Covenant may be profaned many times when it is not in the power of the diſpenſers to put back or expell ſuch as profane them. If the Congregation ſhall admit of, or tolerate an unworthy member, the Churches priviledges are profaned; and yet we conceive you will ſay the Paſtor is not faulty in receiving him, when the Church doth tolerate unworthily, if he do what pertaineth to his office to keep the holy things of God from contempt. But in the caſe propounded there is no feare or danger of ſuch conſequences neceſſarie to follow: for the queſtion is not of all ſorts at randame, but of Chriſtians profeſſing the faith intirely, Recte ſane quis illos à ſacris prohibuerat, &c. etſi ſit tam ſceleratus quiſpiam quam eſſe exiſt imatur tum ſi tale judicium ſibi quiſque ſumat quae mox fuerit Eccleſie facies? ſed pretered tenendum eſt istud in hoc negotio inita cujuſpiam conſ. non probabillas rectam alterius conſciam. Id. pa. 26. Id in privatorum arbitrio relinquere ut alibi diximus & periculoſum nimis & toti Eccleſiae valde damnoſum fuiſſet. Id. p. 80.lawfully baptiſed, known, and approved to the conſciences of the wiſe and judicious viſible members of the Churches of Chriſt among us often admitted to the Lords Table, whether theſe either ſufficiently knowne unto you, or orderly recommended may upon deſire and ſuite themſelves be admitted to communicate in the Lords Supper, and their children to be baptized, what feare is there now that the extraordinarie office of the Apoſtles, and the ordinarie office of Paſtors and Teachers ſhall be much or little confounded? Is this to take as illimited power as the Apoſtles did in the execution of their office? How ſhal this tend to abrogate the diſtinction of Church Aſſemblies from the confuſed multitude? or how is the profanation of the ſeals thereby indangered?
You aske if without reſpect to their Church eſtate men of approved pietie (as we ſay) are to be admitted into fellowſhip in the ſeals, how ſhall their pietie be approved to the Church, not by their own report of themſelves alone, &c. Do not you ſay the ſame, That there be many godly perſons, and of approved pietie among us, who are not approved by their own report of themſelves (unleſſe ye will take their wiſedome, faith, patience, courage, conſtancie, and holineſſe of life for their report) approved, we ſay by as ample and ſufficient teſtimonie as the Apoſtles exacted of them whom they received into Church fellowſhip, or can be required of members admitted unto the priviledges of the Church, if men will follow the Lords direction, or as you can give to ordinances members of your ſocieties. You profeſſe high reſpect of your brethren in old England, but it ſeemes you judge them inſufficient to give orderly teſtimonie of the ſinceritie and uprightneſſe of approved Chriſtians, well known unto them, and living among them, which two cannot well agree. We ſpeake not of ſuch who againſt light refuſe to profeſſe ſubjection to the Goſpel of Chriſt to joyne themſelves orderly in fellowſhip with ſome approved Church: But of ſuch as do with all readineſſe profeſſe ſubjection, and walk accordingly, and heartily deſire to joyn themſelves to the moſt pure and compleat Churches ſo farre as they are taught of God, or have opportunitie thereunto. And if exception be taken againſt them onelyonly, who refuſe againſt light to ſubmit themſelves to the Goſpel; by what rule do you proceed when you judge men to refuſe againſt light, or debarre them who do not refuſe againſt conſcience, but for lacke of opportunitie. No doubt (as you ſay) but now and then a man of approved pietie in the judgement of ſome may be found too light, yea and in the judgement of his owne conſcience when he hath come to triall. And no queſtion but many have been admitted by the Church, who indeed and truth are much too light; and ſome refuſed who deſerved better then they that caſt them off, we will not diſpute what errours have been committed, nor what bleſſing ye have found upon your proceedings; we heartily beſeech the Lord to keep your congregation pure, make his ordinances more and more effectuall, go before you in the way wherein you ſhould walk, and multiply his mercies upon you in the ſame. But this we are perſwaded, and therefore we ſpeak, that in debarring godly Chriſtians from the Lords Supper, and much more the children of thoſe parents who are in covenant with God, from holy baptiſme you exceed your commiſſion you have received from God, and go beyond your due bounds. And notwithſtanding your circumſpection more worthy and faithfull Chriſtians have been denied when of leſſe worth, and meaner ſufficiencies have paſſed, and been by you received.
Anſw. 6. Conſid.
NOne have power to diſpence the Seales but they that are called to the office of Miniſtery; and no man can be ſo called till firſt there be a Church to call him, ſeeing the power of calling Miniſters is given by Chriſt unto the Church; and thence it follows, that all thoſe that deſire to partake Demonſtr. of Diſc. ca. 4.of the Seales, are bound to joyne themſelves in Church ſtate, that ſo they may call a Miniſter to diſpenſe the Seales unto them. And this dutie by the appointment of God lieth not onelyonly upon ſome Chriſtians, but equally upon all: ergo no Chriſtian can expect by the appointment of God to partake in the Seals till he have joyned himſelfe in Church fellowſhip, and in the call of the Miniſter. And indeed ſeeing a Church, and a Miniſter called by the Church, is of ſuch neceſſitie for the diſpenſing of the ſeales, it may ſeeme unreaſonable that ſome Chriſtians ſhould be bound to become a Church, and to call a Miniſter that ſo the ſeales may be diſpenſed, and other men (when this is done) have equall libertie to the ſeals who refuſe to joyne unto the Church.