A Second Vindication of a Free Admission to the Lords Supper, Title page – To the reader
A SECOND VINDICATION Of a Diſciplinary, Anti-Eraſtian, Orthodox Free-admiſſion to the LORDS-SƲPPER; OR, The State of this Controverſie reviſed and propoſed: For the fuller underſtanding of the moſt, as to the grounds whereon it ſtands; and more eſpecially for the caſe, and clearer proceeding of thoſe, that ſhall write about it, whether for it, or againſt it.
By John Humf…y, Min: of F…oome.
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Ignatii Epiſt ad Philadelph.
Nos à communione quamquam prohibere non poſſumus, niſi sponte confeſſum, aut in aliquo Judicio eccleſiaſtico vel ſeculari nominatum at que convictum.
Auſtin. Tom 9. lib. De Medicin. Poe…tentiae, cap. 3. Ex Aquino.
And Moſes took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and ſaid, Behold the blood of the Covenant which the Lord hath made with you,
Exo. 24.8.
They all drank of that spiritual rock, and that rock was Chriſt.
1 Cor. 10.4.
LONDON, Printed by F. L. for E. Blackmore at the Angel in Pauls Churchyard, 1656.
Reader,
IF thou haſt a deſire to ſee briefly the ſtate of my Opinion, but thinkeſt that theſe few ſheets are ſomething too long for thee to read over at once, which I would have thee to doe when thou takeſt it in hand; thou mayeſt be pleaſed if thou wilt, at thy firſt view, to wave or paſs over (with the Epiſtles wholly) the Second, Fifth, Twelfth, and Thirteenth Sections, (which are more particularly polemical and the longeſt) and ſo both the matter will lie more round in its ſelf, and thou have thy end in a trice. Only let me perſwade thee afterwards, to read the reſt in the whole together, at thy leaſure, with more deliberation.
J. H.
The Epiſtle to the Reader.
WHereas I underſtand by my Book-ſeller, that many doe call upon him for more copies of my first little book, (which hath been ſo much oppugned) about Free-admiſsion to the Sacrament, there being now 3. or 4. Impreſsions out of it already, and notwithstanding my advice to the contrary, he is reſolved to make his advantage; I have thought good to take this courſe, which ſeems to me beſt; to wit, to ſet my ſelf (upon ſo much longer ſtudy on my own thoughts) to write again about as many ſheets as at firſt, and propoſe the ſame, as a ſecond Vindication of this Subject, in ſtead of the former; to the end, both that the Friends of my Opinion, may ſee more clearly into its foundations, whereon it is to be defended; and thoſe that will oppoſe it, may goe about their work more dextrouſly and perſpicuouſly, having no need to uſe any bitterneſs or perſonal reflexions in the doing.
It muſt be acknowledged that my firſt Diſcourſe about this matter being prepared in two Sermons to the people, is written ſuitably, that is, more popularly, and ſo the arguments may not ſeem to be ſo full and convincing, as might be expected in a more large, or in a more cloſe and dry diſpute: and therefore having an occaſion ſomething too tetrically given me by Dr. Drake, a man otherwiſe reverend, pious and learned, I thought it fit in another book, being A Rejoynder to him, to do my endeavour for the ſtrengthning and confirming what I had written, amplifying my conceptions all along, as the matter leads me on. And this book I perceive hath gained ſo much with ſome, even of my Presbyterian friends, that though they thought the firſt piece not ſo cogent, as many were apt to ſpeak thereof, yet they think that there is ſome ſtrength put to it herein, and many particulars not unworthy conſideration.
However this be, having ſince read Eraſtus, and ſome of his oppoſers, with a few others about this matter, I find it to be neceſſary that I ſhould deliver my mind more fully and openly as to the ſtate of the Queſtion, for the avoiding of that prejudice, which I ſee elſe by one Mr. Collings, is like to be faſten'd on me; which perſon ſpeaks of me every where in his late book about Suſpenſion, as Eraſtus diſciple, and as if I had all out of him, which is no wayes ingenuouſly done, ſeeing I muſt profeſs really, I never once ſaw Eraſtus, until I had printed both my Vindication, and my Rejoynder.
And ſince I have ſeen him, I find the ground Eraſtus goes upon, by his firſt Theſes, lies thus, There is none ought (ſayes he, as a thing he counts ſhould be granted) to be kept from communion in other Ordinances, being the ordinary means to work grace in them; and for an excluſion from the Sacrament only, he ſhews there is no proof at all in Scripture, and ſo he quite takes away all Church-puniſhments. Now Dr. Drake, and thoſe that contend for a bare excluſion from actual receiving (as if Excommunication were nothing elſe) doe manifeſtly herein become ſemi-Eraſtian, yielding to him his very foundation, which Dr. Hammond hath obſerv'd before me, Power of the Keyes, cap. 4. ſect. 43. whereas we that do acknowledge indeed that there is no command for excluſion from the Sacrament alone, yet that the Scripture is clear for an excluſion from ſociety in general, by cenſure, and ſo from the Sacrament as a part thereof, doe plainly ſtand at the greateſt elongation from Eraſtus here, and neareſt to the truth otherwhere (we conceive) of any. Nos (ſayes Bullinger to the point) nunquam concedere anabaptiſtis voluimus, ut diſciplinam et coenam commiſcerent. Coenam (docemus) eſſe publicam et laetam gratiarum actionem, et non poenam. Diſciplinam vero comprehendere monitionem et correptionem, adeoque poenam, Epiſt. 2. ad Eraſt.
Beſides Mr. Collins, I know there are ſome others that have written againſt me, and it may be expected happily by ſome, that I ſhould give a particular anſwer to my ſeveral brethren, as I have to Mr. Drake; and I must confeſſe I have had ſome temptations thereunto, inſomuch that I had done ſomething herein at my firſt meeting with ſome of them: But when I underſtood, that one whom I never knew, before I ſaw his firſt booke, John Timſon, had undertaken ſuch a task, I was ſoon willing to ceaſe my ſelf; for that man having given ſuch good ſatisfaction to Dr. Drake and the Glouceſter-ſhire Miniſters, in his firſt work, The Barr removed, which to my knowledge was much taking with many plain judicious men, and more, I ſuppoſe to ſome, than my own; I did not doubt but we ſhould have many more good things from him in his ſecond work alſo (which hath been a while come forth,) in anſwer to Mr. Collings and Mr. Saunders. If there be any therefore who are weakned by what is ſaid in particular by any of thoſe aforeſaid oppoſers, I referr them to this Author; Of whom I ſhall think fit, in the way to ſay thus much, as what is juſt to him. He is a man, as I underſtand, pious and ſober; One belike, that is no other for his condition, than a plain husbandman, but exemplarily ſtudious for the time he can ſpare from his daily and neceſſary labours. He was, it ſeems, bred up under the famous Robert Bolton, and ſo one of the old Puritans, who uſing often with ſome of his neighbours to ſeek God together in the holy duty of religious conference, (Mal. 3.16.) and being deeply affected (as I ſuppoſe) with the evil of the neglect in many places of the Sacrament, (himſelf being one that received the firſt impreſsion of that grace which is in him, at this Ordinance) they were in the end convinced wholly of this opinion, and ſatisfied their Miniſter about the ſame. After a while Doctor Drakes book comming out, it pleaſed God to raiſe up the ſpirit of this ſerious man, like another Amoz, as it were from the flocks, the plough and the herds, to publiſh his thoughts about this buſineſs. I know well, that many kind of ſpirits cannot chuſe but be ready to deſpiſe ſuch a one; How knoweth this man letters? but others, happily, that are more humble and ingenuous, and no leſs underſtanding, will rather be ready to bleſs God (Mat. 12.26.) to ſee what ſolidity, clearneſs of expreſsion, and eminency of gifts and piety, he is graciouſly pleaſed to ſhoud oftentimes, in ſome very mean and plain perſons.
As for my ſelf, I have no deſire to draw the Sawe any more hand to hand with any in theſe perſonal conteſtations; I have thought it neceſſary to anſwer the chief and firſt of them that came out againſt me, and for the reſt, I do humbly conceive, that when the ſtate of my queſtion is well read over in theſe few ſheets, then my Rejoynder to Dr. Drake, adding thoſe few things, if you pleaſe, in the Poſtſcript Epiſtle adjoyn'd, will be enough to anſwer all (as to the main) that any other hath ſaid after him. Only it is my deſire, that thoſe who ſhall think fit to write againſt me for the future, will be pleaſed to deal principally with this laſt work, which is more digeſted and order'd for diſpute, and then to take in what I have written in my other two books (eſpecially in my Rejoynder, wherein is moſt) as it will fall in for confirmation and farther probation of what here is propoſed as the ſtandard to them; which if they will do candidly, as it lies in its full ſtrength, and deal with me fairly without invectives and impertinencies, they ſhall do well. For my part I have ſo prepared theſe ſheets, as nothing elſe may prevail, but plainneſs of truth and ſtrength of argument. If any ſhall come with expectation of expreſsions to pleaſe the fancy, they will be fruſtrated; The author deſires here both to appear himſelf without affectation, and to leave his matter wholly upon the teſt of the judgment, without any inſinuation by the affection.
There is one thing yet I have to adde upon advice, and it is this; that, Foraſmuch as many good men; that are remote, have entertained ſome prejudicate thoughts of my perſon, (very likely for my judgements ſake) whom they have not known; which hath made them weight the leſſe formerly what I have ſaid, and ſo may ſtill: I have thought good for the ſatisfying and un-bending ſuch of my Brethren, having had ſome occaſions lately to deſire the teſtimonial of my reverend neighbours in the Miniſtry to the Commiſſioners for approbation of publique Preachers about matters of my living, to ſubſcribe here their certificate; which I doubt not but they will own, to this effect. OnelyOnly with this caution, that it be not understood, as given with any reference in particular to this controverſie, wherein they and I doe leave one another to our own opinions.
THeſe are to certifie whom it may concern, that wee whoſe names are hereunder written, upon our perſonal acquaintance with Mr John Humfrey Miniſter of Froome, do know him to be a man Orthodox in doctrine, and Pious in his converſation.
Richard Allen, Min: of Batcomb.
Chriſtoph: Read, Min: of Wanſtrow,
Rich: Fairclough, Min: of Mells,
Will: Thomſon, Min: of Laverton,
John Geree, Min: of Freſhford,
John After, Min: of Beckington,
William Parker, Min: of Bruton.