An Appeal to the Learned, Book 2
The Second BOOK. The Arguments of Mr. Vines, Mr. Baxter, and Mr. Charnock, Anſwered.
MR. Vine's firſt Argument. No Effects can be aſcribed to this Sacrament of the Supper, that fall not under the ſignification of it: One thing is not ſignifyed and another wrought. But the Converſion of a Sinner is not ſignifyed by this Sacrament of the Supper.
I premiſe, that this Argument is as ſtrong againſt the Paſsover, being a converting Ordinance, whereas we know that by inſtitution that was to be attended by Unconverted men.
Anſ. I deny the minor. Eating & Drinking at the Sacrament does ſignify feeding upon Chriſt; when men do act faith upon Chriſt, they are ſaid to feed upon the body & blood of Chriſt. Joh. 6.53, 54. Except ye eat the fleſh of the Son of Man, & drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoſo eateth my fleſh & drinketh my blood hath eternal life. And the firſt act of faith or feeding on Chriſt, which is actual Converſion is ſignifyed as well … after acts of Faith.
2. Argument, That Sacrament that by the inſtitution of it preſuppoſeth thoſe that reep the benefits of it to be Converts, is no Conventing Ordinance: But this Sacrament of the Supper preſuppoſeth by the Inſtitution, thoſe that reap the benefits of it to be Converts.
Anſw. I deny the minor. The Sacrament by the Inſtitution of it ſuppoſes them to be ſuch as the Church is bound to admit. viz. Viſible Saints. If God have appointed his Church to admit viſible Saints, whether they be real Saints or not; we cannot ſay that they are by Inſtitution ſuppoſed to be real Saints: Men may ſuppoſe what they will, but by Inſtitution they are ſuppoſed to be viſible Saints.
3. Argument, The word is the only Inſtrument to beget Faith.
Anſw. If he intends the Preaching of the Word, both parts will fall under condemnation.
1. The Conſequence is denyed. Becauſe there is the Preaching the word in the Lords Supper: there the Goſpel is Publiſhed, that Chriſts blood is ſhed for the remiſſion of Sins: there is an offer of Chriſt crucifyed: Chriſt may be Preached, though there is not a diſcourſe of an hour upon a Text.
2. The minor is denyed. Miracles are a means to beget faith. 1 Cor. 14.22. Tongues are for a ſign to them that believe not. Prayer is a means, Joh. 4.…0. Thou wouldeſt have asked him and he would have given thee living waters. So is Meditation, Pſal. 45.10. Hearken O daughter, and conſider, for ſake thine own People, and thy Fathers houſe. So Circumciſion, the Paſsover and Baptiſm.
Mr. Baxter's Arguments follow.
1. Arg. If no man is commanded or warranted to receive the Sacrament without the Profeſſion of true Faith, then not without faith it ſelf: But no man is warranted to receive the Sacrament, without the Profeſſion of true faith.
A. 1. If he means that no man is warranted to receive the Sacrament, unleſs he affirms that he has Saving Faith. I deny the minor: For then no man might come, but he that has Aſſurance. And a great many gracious men muſt be excluded from the Sacrament.
2. If he means that no man is warranted to receive the Sacrament, unleſs he profeſſes real faith. I deny the Conſequence: He would prove his conſequence, becauſe no man is bound to make a falſe: Profeſſion. … Anſwer it is the duty of a man that is rationally convinced of the truth of the Goſpel to affirm that he believes it, tho' he doth not believe it with a Saving faith. They were blamed for not doing of it: Joh. 12.42, 43. Among the chief Rulers many believed on him, but becauſe of the Phariſees they did not confeſs him, leſt they ſhould be put out of the Synagogue, for they loved the praiſe of men more then the praiſe of God. When ſuch profeſs faith, they make a true Profeſſion, they profeſs that which they do indeed believe, though their profeſſion be not graciouſly ſincere, & men are bound to ſpeak the truth, though they only do it with a moral, and not with a gracious ſincerity.
2. Arg. If no Commandments that are produced in the Scripture will warrant men to receive the Sacrament without Saving faith, then no man may receive the Sacrament without Saving Faith: but none are produced in the Scripture.
Anſ. The minor is denyed. He proves it two ways. 1. They were not Commanded to be circumciſed, whether they did conſent to the Covenant or not. Anſ. That is a great miſtake, Children were not capable to conſent. 2. The Parent confeſſed an hearty conſent to the Covenant, and an hearty conſent to it, is Faith. Anſ. If an hearty conſent to the Covenant be ſaith, yet the profeſſion of an hearty conſent to it, is not faith.
In the next place he reherſes a popular diſcourſe of Mr. Charnocks; wherein there is ſuch a looſe way of arguing, that it is hardly worth the while to put Pen to Paper to anſwer the arguments.
Mr. Charnocks arguments are of two ſorts; the firſt ſort are to prove that Unregenerate Perſons may not come to the Lords Supper.
1. Arg. The Lords Supper is Childrens bread. Anſ. If ſo then it does belong to the viſible People of God, whether they be Regenerate or no. Deut. 14.1. Ye were the Children of the Lord your God. Iſa. 1.2. I have brought up Children. Jer. 3.14. Turn O backſliding Children.
2. Arg. For Unregenerate Perſons to come to the Lords Supper is a mocking of God. Anſ. It is no more a mocking of God than for ſuch Perſons to pray; by this argument they may not Pray.
3. Arg. An Unregenerate man is not in Covenant with God, becauſe he has no faith, which is the condition of the Covenant, therefore has no right to the Seal of the Covenant. Anſw. …. By this argument Iſhmael had no right to the Seal of the Covenant, nor many of thoſe that God commanded to be circumciſed, Joſn. 5.2. 2. That many Unregenerate men are in external Covenant. Deut. 5.2 The Lord our God made a Covenant with us in … therefore they have a right to the … of the Covenant. 3. Many Unregenerate men have a right to the offer of the internal Covenant, and ſo they may have a right to the Seal of it, which does Seal the truth of the Covenant, and alſo Seals the Spiritual and Eternal bleſſings of the Covenant, not abſolutely, but conditionally.
4. Arg. An Unregenerate man is dead: what has a dead man to do with a feaſt? Anſ. Thoſe that are Spiritually dead are called upon to believe, which is a feeding upon Chriſt. So that they have to do with a Feaſt.
5. Arg. The Sacrament is an Ordinance of inward Communion with Chriſt. Anſ. So was the Paſsover, yet Unregenerate men might partake of that; and Unregenerate men when they come to the Lords Supper are capable of believing, and ſo having communion with Chriſt.
6. Arg. Freemen only have a right to the Priviledges of the city: and true Chriſtians to the Priviledges of the Church. Anſ. The Church of Epheſus, and other Gentile Churches, Were fellow-citizens with the Saints, and of the Houſehold of God, Eph. 2.19. When he ſaith fellow citizens with the Saints; he means fellow citizens with the Jaws: but neither all the profeſſing Gentiles, nor all the Jews were Regenerate men.
The ſecond ſort of Arguments are to prove, that the Lords Supper is not a Converting Ordinance.
1. Arg. Baptiſm is not a Converting Ordinance, much leſs this of the Supper. Anſ. Baptiſm is a Converting Ordinance two ways. 1. God gives Grace to the Children in this way. Some in their Infancy: thus we hope for ſome that dye in Childhood; ſome afterward. 2. The conſideration of their being Baptiſed, is a means to help forward their Converſion, by convincing, awakning and incouraging of them. He would prove, that Baptiſm is not a Converting Ordinance, becauſe Circumciſion was to Abraham a Seal of the Righteouſneſs of faith, which he had when he was Uncircumciſed, Rom. 4.11. But tho' Abraham had faith before he was Circumciſed, yet it don't follow that Iſhmael had, that all his Male Servants had; and others in future times.
2. Arg. Bread & Wine are not to enloven a Dead man, but to nouriſh a living man, Chriſt is offered here as Spiritual food, and ſpiritual food ſuppoſeth a new birth. Anſ. The conſequence is to be denyed: for theſe three reaſons. 1. Becauſe this Argument lyes as ſtrong againſt the Paſsover's being a Converting Ordinance as the Lords Supper. 2. Becauſe Chriſt being offered as ſpiritual food, is a ſpecial incouragement unto the firſt act of faith, which is actual Converſion, if Chriſt offers to nouriſh us up to eternal life, that draws us to accept of him. 3. The Lords Supper repreſents Chriſt as the bread of Life, as he is; and then it is a Converting Ordinance. The reaſon is, becauſe he is not only, a life ſupporting, ſtrengthning, nouriſhing and increaſing bread, but a life giving bread. Joh. 6.48.53. I am that bread of life, except ye eat the fleſh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. And life is given in Converſion.
3. Arg. Pre-examination implies that it is no Converting Ordinance. Anſ. It implies no ſuch thing, becauſe this Examination is about diſcerning the nature of the Ordinance: about diſcerning the Lords body, 1 Cor. 11.29.
4. Arg. The nature of Excommunication ſhews it to be no Converting Ordinance. If it were a Converting Ordinance, the Inceſtuous Corinthian, ſhould rather have been kept in the Church then caſt out. Anſ. 1. Though it be a Converting Ordinance, yet only to orderly Members; the cenſures are for the Converſion of diſorderly ones, in caſe they be Unconverted. 2. The Argument is as ſtrong againſt its being a ſtrengthing Ordinance. The Corinthian if he were a godly man, as Mr. Mather ſuppoſes, had then need to be kept in the Church that his Grace might be ſtrengthned.