A Rejoinder to Mr Drake, Part 1 · Section 12
Sect. 12 VNtoUnto theſe reaſons I added two more, From the command and good of coming; from the evill of omitting this Ordinance.
For the command, I did but name here becauſe included before, as I have now opend in my fifth reaſon, … on the ſtrength of … He objects, p. 97. … Receive, bec…uſe Mark, Luke, and Nathaniel were not there▪ … is he much prettier over … where he that is ſo much againſt this command of actual receiving, will yee have … and the Diſtracted come to the ſight, to be converted at it.
His grand argument which runs through his Book, is this, …he Word (and Prayer) is the inſtrument of converſion, ſo not the Sacrament, therefore natural men as well as others muſt hear that, but may not receive this.
Anſ. This arguing is palpably weak and groſſe (beſides the matter untrue) It is not an unregenerate mans duty, becauſe it will not convert him, as though it were mans benefit were the ground of duty, and not Gods precept; whereas a thing is not our duty therefore God wills it, but God wills it, and therefore it is our duty.
For Judas, it is already anſwered. For, 1 Cor. 11. it is manifeſt, after St. Paul has convinc'd the Corinths of their unworthineſſe, yet their coming together he approves, and that not to look on, but to Eat, v. 33. The caſe is clear, if men be without prejudice, the duty was ſtill to be done, and their carriage to be amended. But whereas he adds, Why ſhould Mr. H. put th…ſe aſunder which God hath joyned? I anſwer, how comes Mr. H. to be accuſed, and Mr. D. be in the fault? I ſay, a man muſt examine himſelf, and ſo Eat, he muſt do both, I joyn them. He ſays the unregenerate muſt examine himſelf, and ſo abſtain, He ſeparates them. Nay he ſays, he muſt be preſent too, but not Eat, which is even another Schiſm in the actions. His words then, Mr. H. ſays, let a man Eat though he does not examine himſelf, are a ſlander. I place very much on this. There are two things I hold an unregenerate Chriſtian is ſtill to do, to examine himſelf and to wait; to wait, and to examine himſelf. He muſt conſider his own condition that he may pray according to it, when he has prayed and goes about his duty, he muſt examine ſtill, what influence God has on him by it. He muſt likewiſe, when he comes to hear, and eſpecially to receive, try his own heart, that he may apply the Covenant, according to his eſtate, and when he has done, he muſt look over his ſoul ſtill, what he has gained in waiting on God. Readers, I do here in the name of Chriſt, as you look for good at his ordinance, commend to you this duty, and if you ſhall dare to come with careleſſe hearts, and ſecure ſpirits, may the terrors of eating and drinking your damnation ſeize upon you, and frighten you from the danger, into the arms of repentance, and boſom of Chriſt.
For the good of comming, he objects p. 98, 99. The Sacrament must not be attended on as the word, in order to converſion, but edification, &c.
Anſ. We muſt not receive this doctrine without Scripture, which will wholly diſ-people this Ordinance, though I think his own diſtinction may ſerve the truth, if ordered aright, ſeeing the word Edifying, as in our frequent uſe, ſo ordinarily in Scripture, is attributed in common to the viſible Church, 1 Cor. 14.3, 4. There are therefore (though this might have been reſpited yet to its place) two ends, unto which the Word is inſtituted, To convert the Nations unto the faith, and to Edifie ſuch as are brought in to the profeſſion of it. Now it is true, the Sacrament is inſtituted but for one of theſe ends; It is not to convert the Heathen, for the Word is no ſealed Word unto them, but it is to edifie the Church, wherein the moſt being ſuch as are not yet effectually wrought upon, as it tends to Edifie them, it muſt be a help or means to their regeneration. And thus ſhall his ſtrong hold become as a forſaken bough, and uppermost branch, unto which, we may climb up by his own terms, and not leave on it, ſo much as the ſhaking of an Olive tree, or as the gleaning Gapes, when the Vintage is done.
For the evil of Omiſſion, p. 100. he diſtinguiſhes between a not receiving, and neglecting; which may be allowed, I think, on a juſt occaſion, ſo long as we reſolve on better preparation againſt the next Sacrament; But otherwiſe, it is a poor anſwer to my inſtance of the Paſſeover, where the bare omiſſion of not bringing an offering in the appointed ſeaſon, which in the forbearance, was allowed to none, but for a MonethMonth, Numb. 9.13. was ſuch a ſinne as did endanger them to be cut off. His exceptions p. 101. againſt the Parable, Matt: 22. are vain things; Thoſe that murdered the ſervants, were a part of them that were invited, and not to be oppoſed, for the contempt of the feaſt is the main buſineſſe intended, as appears by Lu. 14. where nothing elſe is mentioned. But the main queſtion (for ſo far the Parable may reach) is, whether they that refuſe to come into Gods Ordinances, (all which I allow it concerns, as well as this) are not unworthy, v. 8. and in danger to be deſtroyed? And then whether it be better for an unregenerate Chriſtian to come to the Sacrament as preparedly as he can, or wholly to omit it? and I think we are ſufficiently inſtructed by all other duties, which is the greater ſin, to ſail only in the manner, or to leave undone the matter alſo. Let the briars and thorns be ſet together in battel, the fire ſhall paſſe through them.
P. 102. In oppoſition to Mr. H. it is neither a certain duty on the Miniſters part to admit all, nor on the peoples part, for all to receive, &c.
Anſw. Let Mr. D. take heed how he is carried through oppoſition, leſt in oppoſing Mr. Humfrey, he directly oppoſes the command of Chriſt. He grants, p. 47. That where there is no government ſetled, the Miniſter by a due forewarning may clear his ſoul, but how ſadly does he reverſe this here, and wrap him again in a fatal cloud? for if it be not his duty, it muſt be his ſin, there is no medium for his excuſe. Let us therefore here ſteel our ſelves, that in doing both, we do as we ought, without making his conſcience (as to the particulars, de facto) a rule of ours. For his diſtinction of mediately, and immediately, he ſhould have forborn the wound, and ſaved his ſalve; for there is none that denies, but that every man is to examine himſelf, and prepare, as well as come. But whereas he holds, that though a man ſhould examine and prepare himſelf (ſuppoſe as well as he can) yet if they judge him not viſibly worthy, he muſt not be admitted, and if he judges not himſelf really worthy, for his own part yet, he muſt not eat, he has ſtretched a line: of diviſion over the Church, a plummet of lead on weak conſciences, and wiped the Sacrament, as a man wipeth a diſh, wiping it, and turning it upſide down in wiping.
In the ſame page he tels us, They do not keep away any for fear of accidental ſcandal, though others do, he patrons not; and yet in the next, he ſays, I charge them with doing evil, that good may come of it, whoſe damnation (that is, I take it, diſallowance) is juſt, Rom. 3.8. And here, that the words may ſeem harſh, he produces them without the Text, and will have it in a Rhetorical way, when I barely take them as they are; and becauſe this is not enough, he frames an interpretation (by ſuſpending, &c.) of his own; So that I muſt needs be made guilty of cenſuring them, when he confeſſes, it does not concern them. And now, for all this falſe accuſation, ſhall I, inſtead of returning any evil to him, humbly ſatisfie him, that as for any bitter ſpirit in quoting that text, God knows I am innocent, and may even pathetically ſay with Paul, 2. Cor. 12.13. he may well forgive me this wrong, for I never intended any in it. But as for his own cenſoriouſneſſe, it is ſuch, as makes his very mercies to be wounds, and his forgiveneſſes themſelves, need to be forgiven.
He is pleaſed here to write a book againſt me, which is nothing almoſt but revilings, and when he has done me all the injuries he can, that never offended him, he proceeds to forgive me, and deſires God to free Mr. H from all that guilt, and miſchief, he would bring on me. This is his kindneſſe to me a ſtranger, I thank him; And truly met hinks my ſoul is ſo troubled for fear I ſhould offend any of Gods people, I do even accept of it▪ Ah Lord I Can ſpite go to prayer? Let me be ſpited, if I be forgiven. While he ſeems to hold up his hands to pray for me, it is to ſtrike me with them, and having already laid me in the duſt, he does but herein, as it were, kneel upon me to keep me down. Yet will I heartily joyn with him, in beſeeching the Lord to pardon my failings, to pity my weakneſſes, and to keep his Church, if I do erre, from any hurt by it. Let the righteous ſmite me, and it ſhall be a balm; yea, let him reprove me where I do amiſſe, and it ſhall be an Oyl; but Let not the foot of pride come at me. Behold I am vile, I will lay my hand on my mouth, Once have I ſpoken, and I will not anſwer, twice have I ſpoken, but will proceed no farther. Nevertheleſſe if truth ſhall be found with me, let not any diſdain it, though I am nothing, for I do even wholly herein look ſo upon my ſelf, and depend on God for it, with as much fear and trembling as my heart can hold; and I find thoſe impreſſions I ſometimes receive in my addreſſes unto him, does carry me on, to hope for good, and venture the iſſue upon him. Look on me, O Lord, and forgive all my ſins. Who can underſtand his own errors? Cleanſe thou me from ſecret faults. Thou that hast ſhewn me troubles, quicken me again, and raiſe me up from the depths of the earth:
Page 103. He comes to the end of my firſt Sermon, and as he would have the Reader obſerve me, p. 99. to leave ſome ſcruple about the unregenerates receiving as a pledge, but obſerves not himſelf what is added, Which nevertheleſſe on the Miniſters part, as offer'd on condition, is not hard. So likewiſe here he quotes theſe words, I give you not my reaſons by the heap, but by the weight, but leaves out what follows, I humbly commit them to you, which takes off the aſperſion. One may eaſily make the beſt face ſeem unhandſome, if without the good features, he ſhews only the freckles, with a piece of a noſe, and the gap of a tooth.
But whereas hereupon he concludes ſo victoriouſly, That my Eight arguments are not worth one, (you may conceive he thinks it one of his own) and then having well railed at them, leaves them diſcomfited with the edge of his mouth; Methinks we have gotten here another Adino the Tachmonite, who has lift up his spear againſt Eight arguments, and ſlew them at one time. This is the Worthy, that thinks himſelf fit to be picked out, for the Champion in this Diſpute, againſt all commers, and all eſſayes. This is the man, adapted, and officed, Both for the Shew-bread, and for the fine ſlower, and for the unleavened Cakes, and for that which is baked in the pan, and for that which is fried, and for all manner of meaſures and ſize.