Suspension Suspended, Tract
SUSPENTION SUSPENDED. OR, SYON-COLLEDGE Claime of the Power of Suſpending Scandalous perſons from the Lords Supper by the Will and Appointment of JESUS CHRIST, and Authority derived to Church-Officers from him, Examined, Diſcuſſed, Refuted by the Word of GOD.
WEE Read, that one one of the firſt and fierceſt conteſtations which brake out among Chriſts owne Apoſtles, even when he ſent them out to Preach, and when he was about to inſtitute the Lords Supper, was concerning Eccleſiaſticall Juriſdiction,aLuke 9. 46. cap. 22. 24, 25 26. Mat. 20. 20. to 29. Mark 10. 35. to 46. which of them ſhould be the greateſt: which though then ſeverely checked and determined by Chriſt himſelfe, yet I know not by what unhappy uninterrupted ſucceſſion it hath diſturbed the peace of the Church and whole Chriſtian world, more or leſſe, in all ſucceeding Ages; and in this laſt Age of ours, as much or more then in any precedent Century whatſoever; the wiſdome of our wiſeſt Counſellours, united altogether in our greateſt and wiſeſt Counſell, the high Court of Parliament, being unable to quiet and conjure downe this ambitious, reſtleſſe ſpirit of Domination and contention about Eccleſiaſticall Juriſdiction, ſtill predominating in the Clergy.
To inſtance but in one particular: The Parliament, after long and ſerious debate, was pleaſed to approve and ſet up a Presbyteriall Government in our Church, and at the Clergies extraordinary importunity, in a prudentiall way, to give Ministers and Presbyteries power, to keep ignorant and ſcandalous perſons from the Lords Supper, confining them to a particular enumera…ion of ſcandals, not leaving it arbitrary and indefinite; inveſting them with this authority, not as a Juriſdiction bequeathed to them by the will and appointment of Jeſus Chriſt, being not ſatisfied in their conſciences, that Chriſt had given them any ſuch divine power in his Word, but as an authority derived to them by Ordinance of Parliament and humane institution, without declaring it to be of divine right.
The Miniſters of London, Westminster, and within the Lines of Communication, not ſatisfied with this New indulged Juriſdiction, meeting at Syon Colledge, June 9. 1646. agreed upon certaine Conſiderations and Cautions, which they ſoon after publiſhed in print▪ wherein (contrary to the Parliaments intention and Ordinances) they profeſſedly claime this new authority, and the exerciſe thereof by a Divine institution, and from Jeſus Chriſt himſelfe, not from the Parliaments grant: witneſſe this paſſage, p. 5. We conceive the power of Church-cenſures, and in particular, the keeping of ignorant and ſcandalous perſons from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, to be in Church Officers, BY THE WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF JESUS CHRIST, AND FROM HIM THEY RECEIVE THEIR OFFICE AND AUTHORITY. Upon which ground they further Remonſtrate; That the Ordinances (touching Presbyterial government) do not hold forth a compleat rule, nor are in all points ſatisfactory to their conſciences; and thereupon conclude thus; Reſolving by Gods grace to walke IN ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO THE RULE OF THE WORD (not Ordinances) and according to the Ordinances SO FARRE AS WE CONCIVE IT CORRESPONDENT TO IT; (ſo as they thruſt the Ordinances and directions of Parliament quite out of doore;) and in ſo doing, we truſt we ſhall not grieve the ſpirits of the truly godly, either at home or abroad, nor give any juſt occaſion to them that are contrary minded to blame our proceedings; let the Parliament take it how they pleaſe.
For my owne opinion, I really profeſſe the Presbyteriall Government to be moſt agreeable to Gods Word, and the Independent way to be a Seminary of Sciſme, Libertiniſme, Hereſie, Errors, and a Babell of confuſion: And▪ for the Miniſters aſſembled at Syon Colledge, who agreed upon theſe Conſiderations, and Cautions, though I cordially love and reverence their perſons; yet as others much blame their Diſcretions in publiſhing them; ſo I cannot ſubſcribe to this their New Paradox dogmatically aſſerted in them, That the power of ſuſpending Ignorant & ſcandalous perſons only from the Lords Supper, is in Church Officers, by the will and appointment of Jeſus Chriſt, and that they have received this Authority from him; becauſe I read of no ſuch will or appointment of Jeſus Chriſt in his Word, nor of any ſuch Authority exerciſed by him (who admitted bSee a Vindication of four ſerious Queſtions, pag. 17. to 28. Thomas Becons Catechiſme, vol. 1. fol. 481, 482, 484.Judas himſelfe to his laſt Supper) or expreſly delegated to any of his Apoſtles, or any other Church-Officers by what names ſo ever diſtinguiſhed. True it is, that Miniſters of the Goſpell have power given them to Inſtruct, Exhort, rebuke the Ignorant and ſcandalous with all Authority, Tit. 2. 15. To informe and warne them of the great danger of unworthy hearing the Word, and receiving the Lords Supper; to dehort them under the paine of their owne ſoules, and incurring of Gods judgements not to come unpreparedly to them, Luk. 8. 18. Jam. 1. 22, 23, 25. 1 Cor. 10. 21, 22. c. 11. 20. to 34. And when they have thus done, they have diſcharged their duties, freed their owne ſoules, and are guiltleſſe of the ſins of ſuch who will not be kept backe from theſe Ordinances, and prove unprofitable hearers or receivers, as Ezek. 3. 17. to 22. c. 33. 7. to 17. Acts 20. 26, 27, 28. reſolve, and I havecA Vindication of four ſerious Queſtions, p. 28. to 48. elſewhere proved at large. But that they have any Miniſteriall or Magisteriall Authority to keepe back any unexcommunicated perſon from the Lords Supper onelyonly, who earneſtly deſires to receive it, and promiſeth reformation, without ſuſpending him from all other Ordinances, and that by the very will and appointment of Jeſus Christ, ſeemes a meere erronious paradox unto me; contrary to Iſay 55, 1. Mat. 11. 28. John 7. 33. Revel. 22. 17. and other Scriptures; which (without any Relation at all unto, or oppoſition againſt the Ordinances of Parliament, for the ſuſpending of Ignorant or ſcandalous perſons from the Lords Supper, by vertue of a meere Parliamentary Sanction) I ſhall here ſummarily diſcuſſe and refute, with reference onelyonly to that pretended divine Authority, will and appointment of Jeſus Chriſt, by which our Divines now claime it for the preſent, and reſolve to execute it for the future.
I ſhall contract the whole Controverſie into this one Queſtion, wherein the very marrow and ſubſtance of it conſiſts, not hitherto exactly debated by any to my knowledge.