The Covenant Sealed, Treatise · Chapter 7 · Section 4 – Section 7
SECT. IV. Propoſition. 3.
Fundamental rihgt and priviledge of actual admiſſion to be diſtinguiſhed.VVE must yet diſtinguiſh between a fundamentall right, and title to the Sacraments, and the priviledg of actual admiſſion; between a firſt and ſecond right in them; between jus ad rem & jus in re. In civil titles this diſtinction holds; A child in non-nage upon his Fathers death is entitled to his inheritance; A poſt thumus child, whoſe Parents death prevents his birth (which was the caſe of Aſher the ſon of Ezron, 1. Chron. 2.24.) upon the firſt inſtant that he ſees the light, ſtands thus entitled, yet the law ſuffers not his admiſſion to an actual perſonall managing of it, till he be able to improve and employ it to his own and the publique benefit. The leper whom the Prieſt had pronounced unclean; ſo that he muſt dwell alone without the Camp, in a ſeveral houſe, ſevered from all company (which was the caſe of Ʋzziah King of Judah, 2 Chron. 21.26. according to the law in that caſe provided, Levit. 13.46.) had in the mean ſpace title to his houſe and his whole inheritance, and upon his cleanſing, was to be actually received unto it. There is a Sequeſtration, and there is a confiſcation, and proſcription. Men that are held from their eſtates upon juſt reaſons, are not yet totally, and finally outed; This diſtinction alſo holds in Eccleſiaſticall immunities, in that Paſſeover held in the Wilderneſſe by Gods appointment, the fourteenth day of the firſt monethmonth, there were certain men that were defiled by the dead body of a man, that they could not keep the Paſſeover on that day, and they came before Moſes and Aaron, and ſaid unto them, We are defiled by the dead body of a man, wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering to the Lord in his appointed ſeaſon? Numb. 9.6, 7. They ſtood equally entitled with the reſt of the children of Iſrael to that Ordinance, yet there was a barre in the way, that they ſaw, to keep them back: They therefore plead their priviledg, and hold it as a matter of grievance, that there was any obſtacle in their way. This puts Moſes to a ſtand, he cannot deny their right, yet by reaſon of the barre in the way dares not give them admiſſion: therefore he ſaies, Stand ſtill, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you, ver. 8. And the Lords order upon it was, If any man among you, or your poſterity, ſhall be unclean by reaſon of a dead body, or be in a journey, a farre off, yet ſhall he keep the Paſſeover unto the Lord, the fourteenth day of the ſecond monethmonth, at even ſhall he keep it, ver. 10, 11. Their right is there confeſſed by the Lord himſelf, and the preſent barre alſo acknowledged. A phyſicall barre is confeſt, when being diſtant in place, they cannot come; A legal barre is alſo confeſt, when in their preſent condition they are not fitted for it. And when ſome that were under this law of ſuſpenſion in Hezekiahs time, came to the Paſſeover otherwiſe then was written, having not cleanſed themſelves, even many of Ephraim, Manaſſeh, Iſſachar, and Zebulon, Hezekiah prayed for them, 2 Chron. 30.18, 19. The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to ſeek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleanſed according to the purification of the Sanctuary; The anſwer of the Lord we have, ver. 20. The Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people; which doth either imply, that they were ſtruck of God for their ſin, (as was Abimelech, his wife and maid ſervants) and were healed by Hezekiahs prayer, (as they by Abrahams) or elſe that by their ſin they were in danger of Gods hand, and by Hezekiahs prayer preſerved; ſo that enough hath been ſaid for this diſtinction between a firſt and ſecond right, a fundamental right and priviledg of actual admiſſion. There may be a true right when yet there is a barre that ſtands in force.
SECT. V. Propoſition. 4.
AS the fundamental right to Sacraments must be grounded on the written Word of God; ſo the barre to actuall admiſſion muſt be written likewiſe. Fundamental right and bar to actual admiſſion muſt be both written.None may be admitted without known right, their viſible Covenant-title muſt appear; in ſuch caſe a ſeal would be put to a blank, and the Ordinance prophaned. It was therefore provided that no uncircumciſed perſon muſt eat of the Paſſeover, Exod. 12.48. and none in Covenant in right, that ſtand in any viſible relation to God, without a known barre may be kept back. There muſt be a reaſon ſeen of their admiſſion, and a reaſon ſeen of their ſuſpenſion. The ſin of thoſe of Ephraim, Manaſſeh, Iſſachar, and Zebulon was; that they ate of the Paſſeover otherwiſe then was written. There was that barre upon them, that according to the written Word they were not in preſent to eat of it. He that gives warranty to his people to come, muſt alſo put in the exception againſt thoſe that are to be denyed. No Perſon, no Church muſt take in, or refuſe by their own power; this were to Lord it over Gods heritage, and an high uſurpation of a power not put into their hands. Stewards in great houſes are to take in, and hold back from the family, not at their own will, but according to their Maſters pleaſure
SECT. VI. Propoſition. 5.
THis right unto, or barre put to detain from Sacramental participation, is not alwayes explicite, and expreſſe, Right unto, or barre to detain from Sacramental participation, is not alwayes and explicite.it is ſufficient that by a clear and full conſequence from Scripture it may be deduced. The fundamental title is clear, and before cleared. It is the Covenant that gives a title, the outward Covenant is a ſufficient title to all outward priviledges, prove a Covenant made, (kept or not kept, if not renounced) and then a right ſtands. The right unto, or barre put to preſent acceptance, is often more diſputable, which the written Word in expreſſe termes or by neceſſary conſequence muſt alſo determine. When thoſe were kept back by reaſon of a touch of a dead body, from eating the Paſſeover, Num. 9. there was no expreſſe precept in the Law for ſuch prohibition of them; but ſeeing ſuch were to be kept out of the Campe, Num. 5.2. and they muſt be clean that eat of the offerings of the Lord, they were evidently included, and it appears that they ſaw it. And when the Lord himſelf names thoſe barres, which in after times ſhould withhold an Iſraelite from the Paſſeover; the inſtances which he gives are no ſufficient explicite enumeration: It is there ſaid, that he that is in a journey could not eat of the Paſſeover, neither could he that was in priſon, or imployed in war, or under ſickneſſe: One legal uncleanneſs is there named, which did defile; there were other defilements as well as that, which diſabled an Iſraelite actual participation, Num. 5.2. OnelyOnly thoſe that inferre ſuch conſequences, muſt be able to make good their conſequences, and take heed of framing principles of their own, and then deduce conſequences from them: were this heeded, the door would not be ſet ſo wide open, as many complaine, not yet kept too narrow, as perhaps there may be cauſe of complaint, according to many mens rules, though according to their practice, perhaps there is no ſuch great cauſe of grievance; perhaps the grievance may be found on the other hand.
SECT. VII. Propoſition. 6.
Rules for actuall admiſſion and bars put in Old Teſtament times were more explicite and expreſſe.IN Old Teſtament-times Scripture-rules for mens actual admiſſion, and barres put to detain them, were more explicitely delivered, When men (according to the rule of the Sanctuary) were to be received, or denyed (as other circumſtances of like nature) were then more punctually delivered, and fitted to the Churches minority, which was taught, as a child with a feskue: In Goſpel-times when there is more light, and the Church hath attained further growth (as it doth not need; ſo) we do not find ſuch punctual direction. The nature and uſe of the Sacraments being known, together with the end of their inſtitution, general Scripture-rules obſerved, (that all is to be done to edification) and the end of the Miniſterial function compared, for the perfecting of the Saints, for the edifying of the body of Chriſt; It may be more eaſily collected, to whom the Sacraments may be of uſe, and to whom they will be unſerviceable.