Londons Gate to the Lords Table, Title page – To the reader
LONDONS GATE TO The Lords Table.
Where the Elderſhip doth ſit doing their office aright, in diſcovering and ſhutting out the ignorant, prophane, and meere civill honeſt man: In ſuſpending the ſuſpected formall, legall, and Antinomiſticall Profeſſor, and in drawing in the weakeſt humble beleeving ſoule.
In a Dialogue betweene
A Miniſter of the Goſpell.
Alexander an ignorant prophane man.
Simon a proud Profeſſor.
And Matthias an humble penitent.
Mal. 3. 18. Then ſhall ye returne and diſcerne betweene the righteous and the wicked, between him that ſerveth God, and him that ſerveth him not.
Imprimatur
Edmund Calamy.
London printed for Iohn Wright at the Kings Head in the old Bayley. 1648.
To the Honourable HENRY ROLLE, one of his Majeſties Juſtices of Pleas, before himſelfe to be holden.
And to the vertuous Gentlewoman MARGARET ROLLE his loving Wife, grace and peace be multiplied.
MOST honoured friends; cuſtom hath made the Dedication of Books almoſt as common as printing of them, and wiſdome directs there to dedicate where we owe moſt reſpect, and doe conceive they will be beſt accepted. I therefore owing my ſervice to you both for ſome favours received, and preſuming upon your favourable acceptance, have made bold to prefixe your names to this enſuing Dialogue, which I hope holds forth a little light to that way of Church-Diſcipline which you, Honoured Sir, have beene pleaſed much to countenance, by condeſcending ſo farre below yourſelf (as ſome of your ranke would have eſteemed it) in accepting of the Office of a Ruling-Elder when you were choſen, in that Congregation whereof you have beene pleaſed to admit mee a member.
I have endeavoured to diſcover the exactneſſe of the Presbyteriall way in the caſe of examination of Communicants, and how circumſpect you are who you doe admit, that ſo our diſcenting brethren, ſeeing how neere you come to the golden rule, may bee moved thereby to come in amongſt us, that we may be perfectly joyned together in the ſame minde and in the ſame judgement, and ſo knit together in love according to Gods owne minde, 1 Cor. 1. 10. Col. 2. 2.
duplicate page duplicate page For as a gracious ſpiritDr. Sibs bruſed reed, p. 220. once breathed out, there can hardly be a diſcovery of any difference in opinion without ſome eſtrangement of affection, ſo far as men are not of one minde they will hardly be of one heart, except where grace and the peace of God beare great rule in the heart.
Wherefore if my workmanſhip in the handling …f this ſubject, were as …od as my aimes and in…ions are, I might boldly ſay, It were no diſparagement to your names to afford it your patronage; yet will I not diſparage it, for that may be thought to be a ſecret begging of commendations; onelyonly I ſay, I having thus farre preſumed, I beſeech you both to connive at my boldneſſe, and vouchſafe to favour theſe mine endeavours, that ſo by your acceptance they may be commended unto others, and ſo ſhall you further oblige me to remaine
Yours much engaged, E. F.
To the well-affected READER.
WHen I did conſider that heretofore by the command of Authority all ſorts of people that were come to ripeneſſe of yeares, and were endued with underſtanding, were not only admitted, but alſo compelled by Law to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper at leaſt once a yeare.
And that now contrariwiſe, Authority were ſo far from compelling in that kinde, that by their command none were to be admitted thereunto, but onelyonly ſuch as upon examination were found fit to partake thereof.
I began to conſider more then formerly I had done of the reaſon why all ſorts of people might not as well be admitted to that Ordinance, as they were to the hearing of the Ward preached: And when I had ſeriouſly conſidered of it, I found (as I conceived) ſufficient reaſon why none but true Beleevers were to bee admitted thereunto, and that therefore the power given to the Elderſhip for that purpoſe, was very lawfull, and needfull to be put in execution with maturity of judgement, it being a matter of very ill conſequence, if they ſhould either open the gate to any unbeleever, or ſhut it againſt any true beleever; and a very hard matter ſo to diſcerne of the ſtate and condition of every one that commeth before them, as never to doe the one nor the other.
In which reſpect I conceived, they ſtood in great need not only of the prayers, but alſo of all other helps that any of Gods people could afford them, I therefore as a member of the body (though but a weake one) was willing to afford my beſt aſſiſtance towards the carrying on of ſuch a great worke, and not knowing which way to doe it better, then by compoſing my meditations touching that point into a plaine and familiar Dialogue; I did thereupon adventure to put forth a ſmall Tract, intituled, A Touchſtone for a Communicant, and afterwards upon better conſideration, conceiving it came far ſhort of diſcovering all that was needfull to bee knowne touching theſe points, I (in hope that my ſecond thoughts would exceed my firſt) was moved to ſet pen to paper once again. And the Lord having (as I hope I may truly ſay) enabled me to doe more and better, I have againe adventured to put it forth to the worlds view, though I am confident I have thereby expoſed my ſelfe to the worlds cenſure.
For indeed I doe acknowledge, that if any man doe but know my weakneſſe (and my want of thoſe humane helps, which many others doe enjoy) ſo well as my ſelfe doe know them, if they conſult with fleſh and blood, they ſhall ſee juſt cauſe to ſay with Nathaniel, Joh. 1. 46. Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth; yea, and to ſay unto me as Eliab ſaid unto David, I know the 1 Sam. 17. 28.pride and the naughtineſſe of thy heart; theſe matters are not fit for thee to meddle withall, they rather belong to ſome of the learned Aſſembly. But if they will bee pleaſed to conſult with the Oracles of God, they ſhall ſee that in the building of SOLOMONS Temple there was roome as well for burden-bearers as for other more curious Artificers, 1 King. 5. 15. yea, and they ſhall ſee that at the firſt making of the Tabernacle,Exo. 25. 5. not onelyonly the bringers of blue ſilke, and purple, and ſcarlet, but even the poorer ſort, which brought Goats haire and Rams skins were accepted; yea, and they ſhall finde that the Lord made Balaams aſſeNum. 22. 28. to utter his truth, wherefore I pray thee doe not cenſure either me or the work, before thou haſt thorowly peruſed it; and whatſoever wants, weakneſſes, or imperfections thou findeſt in it, I pray thee cover them with the mantle of Charity, aſſuring thy ſelfe that I would have done better if I could: And if thou finde any good in it, I pray thee take occaſion from the weakneſſe and unworthineſſe of the Author, to ſee God the more clearly, and to give him the more glory, whoſe ſtrength is made 2 Cor. 12. 9.perfect through weakeneſſe.
And though thou be a diſcenting brother from that Church-way which the Title Page hath told thee it holds forth; yet let not that hinder thee from peruſing of it, for I doe aſſure thee there is more matter in it concerning Chriſtian Doctrine then there is concerning Church Diſcipline; ſo that although it may not pleaſe thee the one way, yet (if thou be a Chriſtian) it may pleaſe thee the other way.
But if thou haſt ſuch a proud cenſorious heart, as doth either hinder thee from reading it, or elſe from receiving any benefit by it, yet if it bring any little increaſe either of ſound knowledge or ſweet feeling in the myſteries of Chriſt to any of the Iſrael of God that is of an humble ſpirit, as bleſſed be God (I have beene informed) my Marrow of moderne Divinity hath done to many; I have my reward, and ſhall deſire to magnifie the name of the Lord for making uſe of ſuch a weake inſtrument as I am.
E. F.