Two Treatises 2, Dedication 1 – To the reader
To the Reverend, and my much honored Fathers, and Brethren, the Miniſters of the Goſpel in the Church of England, who deſire to be found faithful. Grace, Mercy, and Peace.
(Reverend, and much honored in the Lord)
PArdon the preſumption of this Dedication, which hath faln to you, not more by choice, then neceſsity. In this enſuing Tract, (as the Text offered, and the exigency of the times required it,) I have taken occaſion, once and again, to excite Chriſtians to a conſciencious attendance upon that ſacred Ordinance, the Sacrament of the Supper, as being both a ſign and a ſeal, a repreſentation and a pledge of that bleſſed Communion, which they hope to have another day with Jeſus Chriſt, and one with another in the Kingdom of their Father. Now ſo it is, that in the way of this motion, (at the requeſt of ſome now walking abroad) I foreſee a double rub, which without your help I am not able to remove. The one is, the late diſuſe of this Ordinance in ſome places; the other, the promiſcuous proſtitution of it in others. The former of which deprives many of this Sacramental Communion, who are deſirous of it, and in meaſure fitted for it. The latter diſcourageth ſome others, who out of tenderneſs of Conſcience dare not communicate; where they conceive (though without any juſt ground) their bare preſence may make them acceſſory to ſuch a profanation. Upon this double account it is, that I now make this Prefatory addreſs to you; wherein the ſum of my requeſt is, That ſo many of you as are intereſted in the (ſuppoſed) guilt of either of theſe, would be pleaſed ſeriouſly and ſpeedily to apply your ſelves (ſo much as in you is) to the redreſs thereof. A ſad thing it is, which the Church complains of in a litteral ſenſe, Lam. 4.4. That children ſhould cry for bread, and that there ſhould be none to break it to them. And it is no leſs, that the children of the Kingdom ſhould cry for Sacramental Bread, and that there ſhall be none to break it unto them; none to adminiſter this Ordinance to them, to which they have as good right, as to any other. Pardon me here, if I take the boldneſs to minde you of what I know you cannot but remember, and will be ready to acknowledge, that you are not Lords, but Stewards of the myſteries of God. Now (as the great Apoſtle maketh the Application of this doctrine, 1 Cor. 4.1, 2.) It is required in ſtewards, that a man be found faithful. Many other qualifications there are requiſite in ſuch an officer; but none more, none ſo much as this of fidelity. And wherein doth that conſiſt, but in a free diſtribution of what is committed to him according to his maſters will for the good of the family, Giving to every one his portion in due ſeaſon? Luke 12.46.And this it is which I do here humbly beg from all of you, that you would in ſuch a way approve your ſelves faithful to God, and his people, by a free diſpenſation of all Ordinances, which he hath betruſted you with. This ſome, and many of you have done, and do, in the diſpenſing of the Word; and why not alſo the Sacraments. Surely, theſe are to be looked upon amongſt thoſe ſacred Myſteries; by which name they were known to ſome of the Ancients, who were wont to call the Euchariſtical Elements foreign, Dreadful Myſteries. And as ſure I am, that the due adminiſtration of them is within the compaſs of your Commiſsion: As of Baptiſm, ſo of the Supper; which our Saviour in the firſt Inſtitution held forth to his Apoſtles with an Hoc facite, Do this; 1 Cor. 11.24, 25.directing them, (as it is conceived) what they (and all the Miniſters of the Goſpel in ſucceeding ages, there repreſented by them) were at that time to do in participating, and afterwards in diſpenſing of that Ordinance, viz. To imitate his example in taking, bleſsing, eating, drinking the Sacramental Bread and Wine, giving both to the people in commemoration of his Death and Paſsion. This, in obedience to his command, they afterwards accordingly did. Let not any of their Succeſſors then lay aſide this Ordinance, nor yet without unavoidable neceſſity ſuſpend it. Our bleſſed Saviour, knowing his departure to be at hand, how deſirous was he to celebrate the Paſchal, and Euchariſtical Supper with his. Apoſtles? foreign, With deſire (ſaith he to them) I have deſired to eat this Paſsover with you, before I ſuffer. Luk. 22.15. And let the like motive prevail with you, not knowing how nigh the time of your departure may be, not to put off from monethmonth to monethmonth, from year to year (as in too many places of late times hath been done) the celebration of this Ordinance: In which neglect, as the Ordinance ſuffers not a little, ſo the Church much, and that more ways then one.
And as for you (my Brethren) who do hold forth this Ordinance, let me (in the name of your Maſter and mine) beg it at your hands, that you would endeavor to diſpenſe it in ſuch a way, as thoſe who have moſt right unto it, may not be diſheartned from partaking in it. Caſt ye up, caſt ye up, prepare the way, take up the ſtumbling block out of the way of my people; ſo runs the Proclamation, Iſai. 57.14. Which let it ſo far take place with you, as that you may not by any act of yours obſtruct, or (ſo much as in you lieth to remedy it) ſuffer to be obſtructed the way to the Lords Table, whereby any of his people ſhould be hindred from having Sacramental communion with him. Amongſt which obſtructions I know none at the preſent more obvious, then that which I have pointed at, of promiſcuous and mixt communions, the admitting of all ſorts to this Sacrament. Which, however happily it be not ſo juſt a ground of ſtumbling to others, as they may make it, yet in it ſelf it cannot be denied to be an abuſe, and profanation of that Ordinance. So it was looked upon in the laſt age, and that by ſuch as were free from the imputation of (ſince ſo called) Puritaniſm. *Si quem indignum eſſe palam conſtiterit, is ad coenam â pastore minimè eſt admittendus, quià ſine Sacramenti id profanatione fieri non poteſt. Nowelli Catech. in quarto, pro pè ad finem; Im pr. Anno 1570.If any be openly known to be unworthy, the Paſtor ought not to admit him to the Supper, becauſe it cannot be done without profane abuſe of the Sacrament; As that Reverend Dean of Pauls, Dr. Nowel in his approved, and then Authorized Catechiſm hath reſolved it. And it is no other doctrine, then what the Church then held forth in her Rubrick before the Communion; where ſhe not onelyonly allows, but enjoyns her Miniſters not to admit perſons ſcandalous, or malicious to the Lords Table. Not ſuffering them to be partakers of the Lords Table, &c.] Rubrick before the Communion.Let not this Direction and Injunction then be ſlighted by any of you, who account it your Honor to be called the Sons of that Mother: But looking upon this, not onelyonly as your liberty, but your duty, ſee that with holy care and conſcience you apply your ſelves to the diſcharge of it. It is that which the Lord telleth his Prophet Jeremy, (being then in a diſtracted condition in regard of the preſent times, and not knowing well how to demean himſelf in the execution of his office in the midſt of ſo many diſcouragements as he then met with,) If thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou ſhalt be as my mouth. Jer. 15.19. This would he have him do in his teaching, to put a difference betwixt the good and the bad, Preaching Goſpel to the one, and Law to the other; confirming and comforting the former, ſharply reproving and menacing of the latter. And ſo doing, the Lord tells him he ſhould be his mouth, approve himſelf a true and faithful Miniſter of his. And what is there ſaid of that part of the Miniſterial Office, not unfitly may it be applied to this, the diſpenſing of this Sacrament. If herein you ſhall ſeparate the precious from the vile, put a difference betwixt thoſe who (as to Man) are worthy and unworthy, reaching forth this Ordinance to all, and onelyonly ſuch, as in the judgement of a well-regulated Charity may be looked upon as meet gueſts for that Table, now ſhall ye be as Gods hand, owned by him in this your Miniſtration.
Thus have I briefly preſented my deſires to both of you. To which, what anſwer I am like to receive at ſome hands, I cannot but foreſee; and therefore give me leave to meet it with a ſhort Replication. True it is, the Adminiſtration of this Ordinance, and that in ſuch a way, it muſt be acknowledged to be the Miniſters duty; but how ſhall it in theſe times be diſcharged by him? What, ſhall every Paſtor then aſſume and exerciſe a ſole power and juriſdiction over his flock, to admit and refuſe as it pleaſeth him? To this I will not, I dare not, ſay Amen. That which Prelacy hath diſclaimed, let not ordinary Paſtors make challenge to. What remedy then (it will be ſaid) is to be found, and uſed for this miſchief of mixt communions? To this I ſhall deſire an anſwer may be received from that forecited Author, which I preſume may finde better acceptance from his hand, Magiſt. Quod ergo remedium huic malo inveniendum eſt, atque adbibendum?then mine.
In Churches wel-ordered and wel-managed (I ſhall give it you in his own words, as I finde them tranſlated) there was ordained and kept a certain Form and Order of Governance. Audit. In Eccleſiis benè inſtitutis atque moratis, certa ut [Pag. 92. Matth. 18.15, 16, 17. Acts 14.23 & 15.4, 6. d. 22.24.20. d. 17. f. 28. 1 Cor. 6.2.1, 2. & 12. d. 28. & 14. c. 26. g. 40. 1 Tim. 5. c. 17. Tit. 1. b. 5.] anteà dixi, ratio atque ordo gubernationis inſtituebatur atque obſervabatur. Deligebantur Seuiores, id eſt Magiſtratus Eccleſiaſtici, qui Diſciplinam Eccleſiaſticam tenerent atque colerent: Ad hos authoritas, animadverſio, atque caſtigatio cenſoria pertinebant: [1 Cor. 5. a. 1.4.5. & 11. c. 16. d. 18, &c.] Hi adhibito etiam Paſtore, ſi quos eſſe cognoverant, qui vel opinionibus falſis, vel turbulentis erroribus, vel anilibus ſuperſtitionibus, vel vitâ vitiosâ flagitiosâqve magnam publicè offenſionem Eccleſiae Dei adferrent, quique ſine coenae Dominicae profanatione accedere non poſſent, cos ā Communione repellebant, atque rejiciebant, neque rurſum admittebant, donec poenitentiâ publicâ Eccleſia ſatisfeciſſent. Nowelli Catech. ubi ſupra.There were choſen Elders, that is, Eccleſiaſtical Magiſtrates, to hold and keep the Diſcipline of the Church. To theſe belonged the Authority, looking to, and Correction, like Cenſors. Theſe calling to them alſo the Paſtor, if they knew any that either with falſe opinions, or troubleſome errors, or vain ſuperſtitions, or with corrupt and wicked life brought publickly any great offence to the Church of God, and which might not come without profaning the Lords Supper, did put back ſuch from the Communion, and rejected them, and did not admit them again, till they had with publick penance ſatisfied the Church.]
This was the beſt, and onelyonly ſolution, which that judicious and authorized Catechiſt in the laſt age was able to hold forth. And truly for my part, I muſt profeſs, that (ſeeing the late Reverend Aſſembly could not) I do deſpair of finding out a better. All the remaining ſcruple then will be, what ſhall be done in thoſe places where ſuch aſſiſtants are not to be found? In the reſolving whereof, I ſhall humbly crave your help; onelyonly taking the boldneſs to leave this motion with you. That where a Juridical cannot be obtained, you would rather chooſe to act in a Precarious, and Paſtoral way, then to ſuffer ſo great and uſeful an Ordinance to be laid aſide, as of late times in too many places it hath been.
More I have not, ſave onelyonly to apologize for one other Branch of the Treatiſe, wherein I have freely declared my apprehenſions concerning the geſture, which is in this Congregation uſed, viz. Of ſitting at the Table in the act of receiving. This I have commended, and muſt commend, as conceiving it moſt agreeable to the firſt pattern, and to the ſubſequent practiſe of the Proto-primitive Churches in the Apoſtolical times, as alſo ſuiting beſt with the nature of the duty; and conſequently freeſt from all juſt exceptions. But not with any intent to cenſure all other different forms of adminiſtration; as well knowing, that all places of publick meeting cannot with conveniency admit of this. Which having preſented unto you, I ſhall now leave you, where I found you, under the gracious protection and guidance of him, who holdeth the ſeven Stars in his right hand, and walketh in the midſt of the ſeven golden Candleſticks: Humbly ſubſcribing my ſelf
The unworthieſt of your fellow ſervants. Joh. Brinſley. Great Yarmouth. Jan. 31. 1652.
TO THE Chriſtian Reader.
(Chriſtian.)
WHen I firſt took up this Text, it was far from my thoughts that my MEDITATIONS thereon, ſhould have been made any further publick, then as the Pulpit rendred them. But ſince that, ſadly laying to heart the long, and yet continued diſuſe of that Sacred Ordinance, the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, in many places; with the ſlighting and neglecting of it in ſome others, where it is held forth in a regular way, according to the Primitive Patterne, I have been induced to caſt abroad this ſpark, which Providence had put into my hand. Which I have done, not with a deſire of kindling any fire of contention in the Church (which being already broken forth into ſuch open flames, calls for water, not for oyl,) but of a holy zeal, and fervor in the hearts and ſpirits both of Miniſters and People, that both may be excited in the fear of God, and in obedience to the command of their bleſſed Lord and Saviour, ſpeedily to ſet upon ſome effectual courſe, whereby this Sealing Ordinance, being of ſo great concernment to the Church, may be reſtored to Liberty with Purity. May the ſucceſs herein in any degree anſwer my Intentions, I ſhall bleſs God for it, and reſt,
Thine in all Chriſtian ſervices, John Brinſley. YARMOUTH. Jan. 31. 1653.