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fchifm of the reformers and reformed churches, and the invalidity of their call to the miniftry, and of their ordination; Proteftants will know what to think of it. And then, if Pref. byterians be obliged to have recourfe to the fame fort of tools against it wherewith they themselves have been long annoyed by the Epifcopal men, fome Prefbyterians, at leaft, may not be altogether at a lofs how to form their thoughts about it.

7. It cannot overthrow the national establishment, which is by law. For, ft, It cannot come in the place of it, as another conftitution of a national church might do. There is nothing of parishes with feffions, nor prefbyteries, fynods, and general affemblies, in all this view of the plan of a gospelchurch given us in the New Testament. 2dly, The national church is not fettled by law upon the foundation of God's word, but upon the inclinations of the people of the land, which this frame that has been defcribed can never pretend to; or if it might any where, for fome time, pretend to it, as in the case of a colony, it could not subsist long without a confiderable variation from itself. Of all ways of establishing a national church by law, that of this nation is the best; and it were to be wifhed, that they who have the management of fuch a church would attend to the bottom on which it ftands, the peoples claim of right. This might at least be a check upon them in the affair of perfecution.

Chrift's inftitution of a gofpel-church feeks no more for its taking place in the world, but the natural right of mankind, liberty of confcience; and cannot be disturbed by the powers of the earth, but by their breaking in upon that; which if they do, there is one above them, who can order things fo, that his kingdom will be advanced in spite of all opposition, and in the face of perfecution, as we fee in the perfecution of the church at Jerufalem.

3dly, This national church has never meddled much with the bufinefs of communion in the Lord's fupper, but left it to the minifters in their several parishes; and the Confeffion of Faith affords them fome direction whom to admit to that ordinance, and whom to debar. The practice of fuch of them as do not admit the whole parish, but some way attend to the principles of the Confeffion in that point, is, in effect, a gathering of a communicating church out of a parish, which fome men call a church. And if two or three minifters in a country fhould admit none to that ordinance but proper ob. jects of brotherly love, and join their communicants together with their own confent, and overfee them unto the maintainVOL. I. ing

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ing of communion in brotherly love among them all, and un to their edification in that love, (while in all other things relating unto the parish order, they submit to the prefbytery, and are accountable to it), this would come pretty near unto the fcriptural account of a gospel church; and if they that manage the national church could bear it, as they bear with meetings for prayer, it is not eafy to fee the harm it could do to their church. But if men will ftill urge an inconsistency betwixt this national church and the inftitution of Chrift, and by any means make them incompatible, and fo proceed to perfecute all of that way, then we may know what to do "for delivering our own fouls," Rev. xviii. 4. Jer. li. 6. and 1. 8. and must change our thoughts of the national church, that hitherto has been ftated in oppofition to Antichristian tyranny.

And this may serve for clearing, how far a practice fuitable to the propofition may take place under the prefent establish. ment, or without prejudice to it. If any want to be further fatisfied on this head, they may fee what is faid upon it by the compilers of the faith and order of the congregational churches that met at the Savoy 1658. They speak thus in their account of the inftitution of churches, and the order appointed in them by Jefus Chrift, par. 14. "However, they "who are engaged in the work of public preaching, and en "joy the public maintenance upon that account, are not "thereby obliged to difpenfe the feals to any other than fuch

as (being faints by calling, and gathered according to the "order of the gofpel) they ftand related to as pastors or "teachers; yet ought they not to neglect others, living "within the parochial bounds; but, befides their conftant "public preaching to them, they ought to inquire after their

profiting by the word, inftructing them in, and preffing "upon them (whether old or young) the great doctrines of "the gofpel, even perfonally and particularly, fo far as their "ftrength and time will admit.""

Some confiderations that prove, that communicating with perfons that receive unworthily, doth not make a person an unworthy receiver.

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Very man shall bear his own burden," Gal. vi. 5. If another be wicked, how can his wickedness unfettle my faith, or diforder my devotion, except I confent

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to his impiety, or fuffer myself to be enticed by it? He that is free from the other's offence, shall be freed also from the penalty due to the offence, and then what hurt can I receive from an ill man's communicating in my company? Why fhould I fhare in his guilt, when I both abhor it, and keep myself from the infection? "The foul that fins fhall die" is God's standing rule. If therefore I approach with a practical faith, and another with unbelief, or, which is all one, with a "faith without works," fhall his "unbelief make the faith " of God of no effect?" Rom. iii. 3.

2. What hurt did the guests receive at the wedding-feaft, Matth. xxii. 11. 12. by eating with the man who had no "wedding-garment?" Were they rejected by the master of the feaft, because they feafted in his company? No; all that came adorned with a fuitable temper, and in whose "spirit there was no guile," received the careffes of the King, and none but the profane wretch felt the thunder of the Prince's anger: As he was fingular in his fin, fo was he fingular in his punishment. The mafter doth not fo much. as frown upon the reft, doth not fo much as give them an angry word; nor doth he expostulate with them, why they did bear him company? They charitably believed he was a good man, because he was invited with them.

3. If I fee another man, whom I know to be or to have been a notorious finner, fit down by me at this holy table, he muft not therefore be an object of my fcorn, but of my pity and compaffion. I can make an excellent use of seeing him in my company: for I can pray for him, and beg of God, that he would overawe his fpirit with a fenfe of the death of Chrift, and ftrike him into repentance and humiliation; I can intreat my heavenly Father to give him a fight of the error of his ways; I can pray, that his fight of the bleeding Jefus may work upon his foul, and fill his heart with holy compunctions, and his eyes with tears; I can pray, that, after this communion, he may take heed and fin no more: and where I do so, I do at once exercise my pity, and raise mine own devotion; and this, fure, cannot make me an unworthy receiver.

4. Who hath given me a key to other mens hearts, whereby I can judge, at the receiving of the facrament, that my neighbour receives unworthily? How do I know, but that he who was vicious a week ago, may become a penitent that day? or, who affures me, that he who caft God's laws behind him yesterday, may not this day cry out, "O wretched man

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"that I am!" Who,bids me trouble my head about another's receiving, when I have enough to do with mine own heart? and, while I give myself liberty to judge another, is it not a very great fign that I am not very sensible of mine own vilenefs? If I give myfelf to cenforiousness at fuch times, I lofe my charity and humility; and if the rule be, to esteem others better than ourselves, I do not very heartily obey that precept, while I fuffer my mind to dwell upon other mens faults and errors. Chriftianity bids me have humble thoughts of myself; and if I think that all that receive with me may be, for ought I know, better than myfelf, I affuredly prepare for God's favour, who ever " gives grace to the

"humble."

5. If Judas the traitor was present at this facrament, as well as the other apoftles, and his being present did not make the reft unworthy receivers, why should I think, that a wicked man's coming with me to this table should make me one? That Judas was prefent at the facrament, we have the concurring teftimony of three evangelifts; for they all confess, that Jefus "fat down with the twelve to the eating ;" and while they were eating, Jefus administered the holy facrament unto them. And whereas it is objected, that the facrament could not have been conveniently administered if the traitor had been prefent; that is a fuppofition which contradicts the matter of fact recorded by the evangelifts; and who can judge fo well of the conveniency or inconveniency of things as Chrift himself? If Chrift thought it convenient to give it him, who can say it was not fo? Nor could the disciples be much furprised' at it, when they had fo often heard their mafter fay, that "the tares and the wheat must grow together "until the harveft," and that the "kingdom of heaven," or the church-militant, "was like a net, containing good fifh " and bad;" and though the words of Christ used in this fa crament, "This is my body, which is given for you," and, "This is the new teftament in my blood, which is fhed for you, for the remiffion of fins," cannot be directly applied to Judas; yet, fince these bleffings are promised conditionally in other places of fcripture, they might belong to Judas conditionally, in cafe he repented, or "brought forth fruits meet "for repentance," as they belonged to the other disciples abfolutely, because their hearts were fincere and without hy. pocrify. Nor is it ftrange that Chrift fhould fay, in the prefence of Judas, "I will not henceforth drink of the wine, "until I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom;"

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for there is nothing more common in the writings of the apoftles, when they addrefs themselves to a whole church, than to apply to them in general the promises of the gospel, though true believers only have a right to them; and there.. fore, when Chrift fpoke thefe words to the difciples, Judas being present, it was enough that they belonged to the major part of them, and thofe that were qualified for that mercy might appropriate it to themselves. But it is ufually pleaded, that if Judas was prefent at this facrament, yet ftill he had a good outfide; he was far from being a fcandalous finner, fo that the congregation could not be offended. But this argument is of no weight at all: for, whether he were a fcandalous finner or no, as long as Christ had declared him a devil and a traitor, it was as much as if he had been a fcandalous finner; and the difciples might be as confident of it, as if they had feen him run into excess of riot: so that Judas being prefent at the facrament, and his prefence not interfering with the worthy receiving of the other difciples, it follows, that another man receiving unworthily, cannot make us, that come with fuitable virtues, unworthy receivers. And yet, after all this, I would not be understood, as if fcandalous finners were not to be separated from this holy table, by those whofe office it is to forbid and hinder them; but then it is fit withal that the church fhould excommunicate fuch perfons firft, that there may be a mark fet upon them, whereby we may know them to be fo, and avoid their company. If the church, either by reason of the multitude of fuch finners, or for want of fufficient information, cannot, or through neglect doth not, a private Christian is not therefore to be scandalized at fuch perfons when they come to the facrament, nor think himself therefore an unworthy communicant because such are prefent, there being no public mark set upon them, whereby he is authorised not to eat with them.

The LETTER written in answer to the preceding paper.

SIR,

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T your defire I have confidered the paper you fent me, containing fome confiderations that prove, that communicating with perfons that receive unworthily, doth not make a perfon an unworthy receiver.

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