A Rejoinder to Mr Drake, Part 1 · Section 11
Sect. 11 MY ſixt Reaſon was drawn from the Miniſters innocency in his Admiſſion, through ſeven particulars, which he goes over from p. 89. unto p. 97.
1. I do but my duty. He anſwers, This is to be proved. Though Chriſt ſpeaks in general to all Miniſters of his Church Do this, or Do thus as he did that admitted the twelve. Though St. Paul, 1 Cor. 11 delivers down the ſame thing to us without any limitation; Though we are engaged in our Ordination to the adminiſtration of the Sacraments; Though we are Stewards to diſpence, and not retain theſe ſacred myſteries, 1 Cor. 4.1, 2. Paſtors, to feed the whole Church, & not keep their bread from them, Act. 20, 28. Servants to give the whole Family their meat in due ſeaſon; yet doth he ſay, This is not a general rule for all Miniſters. If it be ſpecial, let him ſhew the Text for it, where be his exceptions? Hath he any place to prove that none but the viſibly worthy are to be admitted? when theſe commands are general, it lies upon him to prove the limitations. This reaſon muſt allow, but if he will ſay it, though he cannot prove it, and deny us though he cannot diſprove us, I doubt not, but he may be too hard for any body upon theſe terms, while he keeps two ſuch maſtiff Arguments unmuzzeld by him, as ill words, and obſtinacy.
2. I have no power to turn away any. (I ſpeak of ſuch as are in queſtions) This he accounts moſt true, ſee what intereſt will do; but as for the uſe he makes of this, which I have formerly quoted, it is to be lamented. Yet is it no wonder, it is ſo like his own ſelf. When Chriſt ſays Do this, He doubts not to ſay, It is not a general rule for us. When Chriſt ſays, Drink ye all of it, He ſays, It is not the unregenerates (that is, the moſt of mens) duty. When the Evangeliſt ſays, The twelve ſate down with Chriſt, He will have it but eleven. When Paul ſays, All the Corinths were partakers of one bread, He ſays, They had but a right to it in actu primo. When the Scriptures have not a word to ſay for him, He tels us, They are abundant enough; and where indeed they abound, he counts them nothing. So here, when we hold that Chriſt had ſuch full authority over his Church, that we make his precept and example our only rule to conform our ſelves to, he boldly and openly tells us, Chriſt had not ſo much power to turn away one of his Diſciples, as he and his Elders have over his people; And yet doth he here as it were applaud himſelf with an foreign. Such is the nature of this ſelfiſh conceit. Plutarch compares it to a Hen, that leaves a handfull of good grain, which is caſt out to it by others, and g…s aſcraping for ſome ſingle rotten corn, ſome poor dirty Notion, in its own invention.
3. I hope the beſt of all. He ſays, So did Epheſus, Revel. 2.2, 4. but he may miſtake, while the Church hoped well of them, It might bear with them, to do them good; but when there was no hope to do them good otherwiſe, it was time to cenſure them. For his other Scriptures, they are anſwered in their places; and for the Magiſtrate what follows? The total conſequence is this; where we have no ground to Excommunicate any, we muſt Adminiſter, and hope the beſt of it; where we have, we muſt hope the beſt, and do that. The beſt is to be hop'd in doing what we ought, but the worſt is to be feared in doing what we ought not, or cannot prove.
4. I know God can turn the worſt, even at this Ordinance, if he pleaſe. This he counts true, but he queſtions his will; and requires of me ſome promiſe or preſident for it, For promiſes we have ſufficient. Am. 5.4. 2 Chr. 15.2. Mat. 7.7. &c. We find every where God has promiſed in general, that he will vouchſafe grace to thoſe that wait upon him in his Ordinances, Seek ye me, and ye ſhall live. Now then let any ſhew me an exception in particular againſt this Sacrament, or elſe theſe promiſes ſtand good.
Truly Sirs, You do not deal juſtly and honeſtly with this Ordinance, to detain from her that portion of grace and power the Lord hath …uchſafed, in co-partnerſhip amongſt her fellowes, and put her to the charge and labour of ſuing for it, when you might as well ſerve Prayer, and ſome of the reſt ſo, but that the keeping their ſtock in your hand will hardly turn to any advantage to you. The common Law here we will try her right by, is this, Quicquid praedicatur de praedicato, praedicatur etiam de ſubjecto. While ſhe is a fellow Ordinance with others, ſhe muſt have her ſhare in the general nature, as they are all appointed the means of Gods beſtowing his grace; ſo that here it manifeſtly lies upon you, to ſhew ſome ſpecial text to the contrary, where Converting grace is denyed to it, or elſe in juſtice you are caſt. For a Preſident, I humbly bleſſe God, I am not wholly neither left without witneſſe, but we may have one to produce in its place. And I could wiſh, that ſearching men would enquire a little, and ſeek after theſe things, and I doubt it not, but they would find ſuch experiences, and effectual impreſſions on many at this Ordinance (when unmoved at others,) that as the Jews wondered, when they heard the Gentiles alſo received the Holy Ghoſt, ſo ſhould we, at ſuch clear convictions of the Sacrament, being a means not only of the regenerate, but unregenerates edification.
5. I endeavour my utmoſt (de jure) that all come prepared. Upon this he reviles two or three pages, whether ſpitefully: againſt conſcience, or ignorantly, himſelf knows. 'Tis true, de facto, as to his whole courſe and ſeries of actions, as he has it, No man can ſay he does his utmoſt, and Mr. H. as he note well, leſſe than any; but I ſay De jure, to exhort men to examine themſelves, and forewarn them of the danger of neglecting their duty, is all the Miniſter can do, which himſelf grants, where there is no Presbytery. Yet herein I ſay not neither, I do this, (which every one commonly does) but I endeavour it onelyonly, and in the very next lines too acknowledge my many Omiſſions. But if it be Mr. D's deſign to make me ſeem vile, and proud to the world, and he dare take upon him to become the ſearcher of my very heart, even in ſuch confeſſions to the contrary, Be thou O Lord, my Witneſſe, while he takes the throne, and will be my Judge. And though he be ſo extreme againſt me, to mark what I have done amiſſe (in what never came yet once into my thoughts) yet be not thou ſo extreme againſt me, or againſt him, but cover all my failings, and his injuries, with thy Mercy, and my charity.
6. I humbly confeſſe all our ſins (as Hezekiah) deſiring true repentance, and a pardon for all our omiſſions. This, he ſayes, he cannot but approve in me, after his heavy reproaches, but would have you note here a contradiction. If he have done his utmoſt De jure, what needs he deſire pardon for his omiſſions?
I anſwer, for my failings De facto in particular, though I ſhould have done in generall what De jure I ought to do, which yet I dare not aſſume to my-ſelf, without flying to …ds mercy; if you carp at the words, I value them not, take my own meaning, (which I have truly told you) and Chriſt himſelf (I humbly bleſſe him) teaches me to ſatisfie you, When you have done all, (or your utmoſt) ſay, you are unprofitable ſervants.
7. And ſo laſtly, I venture the iſſue all on God, knowing his Ordinances are a ſweet ſavour unto him, whether we are ſaved, or periſh by them. He excepts, this is not enough, A Phyſician may not give Phyſick that may kill or cure, and venture the iſſue on God.
Anſ. But if the Phyſician, 1. ſaw a neceſſity,2. and had no other way,3. and hoped it might do good, &c. then he might conſcionably do it without queſtion, or elſe I beleeve he would be hardly able to anſwer himſelf, what ſome Church-yards may have to ſay againſt him. Mr. D. muſt take theſe ſeven particulars together, as bound up in one reaſon, and then they will hold him, but if he goes to pull out the ſingle ſticks, there is no doubt but they may be broken. It is not enough to truſt in God, confeſſe our ſinnes, hope the beſt alone, who does not ſee this? but if it be alſo our duty, and we have no power otherwiſe, &c. Take all together, and they are irrefragable. And therefore I pray compare himſelf hither, p. 47. and ſee how willing the man is, to take exceptions; I think if he ſaw his own face in my glaſſe, he would be ready to quarrel at it. His own confeſſion is this, By a particular forewarning the Miniſter may clear his own ſoul, I conceive, where no Government is ſetled, &c. And do not I ſuppoſe we have no Government, and the Miniſter forewarn all (though as to particular caſes there muſt go much prudence, and I hold no neceſſity) according to his Conſcience? and therefore why ſhould he lay ſuch vile expreſſions on me, for what he allows? Does he ſay, he may clear his ſoul, and may not I ſay, he is innocent? Should I return now, no mortal man can ſay he is clear, and ſo fall upon him in his looſe terms about juſtifying himſelf, which he does often, would not every one ſee how weak were that cauſe has need of ſuch ſupportments? and would it not render me flat to thoſe that fear God? No, I ſhall rather bleſſe God for what is yielded, and think it worth both our labours, (as it was a main ſcope of mine) if this be but ſatisfied. I ſhall reverence the care, zeal, and pains, of Mr. D. wherein (he ſays) he does ſo far exceed me, in fitting all ſorts by examination, counſel, and prayer; yet muſt not approve his ground, on which he does it. If he will tell his people, As you are Church-members, I cannot deny communion with you, though in Chriſtian prudence only, I would humbly thus and thus adviſe you; I accept his piety, Let our Conſciences be free, Let our needleſſe ſcruples, our wounds, and terrors be healed, and I have done. Let the Sacrament be returned, like the Ark, again, unto our Iſrael, and I ſhall be content, to have the new Cart that brings it, to be cloven into Wood, and the two Kine, offered with it▪ as a ſacrifice unto God.