For my part, this answer might be fufficient, That I agree with the propofition which is laid down to be proven: for, in the pureft external communion that can be expected in a vifible church, there will be hypocrites, foolish virgins with the wife, Matth. xxv. from the beginning, and branches in Chrift not bearing fruit, John xv. from the beginning. These may receive unworthily, though they be not difcerned fo to do by any befides him "before whom all things are naked "and open." Their receiving unworthily is fo far fron making believers joined with them unworthy receivers, that it can in no wife touch them; feeing none but the fearcher of the hearts can meddle with it. Real believers, not so scandalous as to be excommunicated from that ordinance of the fupper, may receive unworthily; as appears from the Apoftle's difcourfe on that fubject to the church at Corinth, 1 Cor. xi. For he speaks of fuch chastisements as might befal juftified perfons for their communicating unworthily: "When we are judged," fays he, "we are chaftened of the "Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world." And we cannot say, that partaking in the fupper with a real believer, receiving unworthily, makes him that fo partakes an unworthy receiver. Though yet, at the fame time, it must be owned, that unworthy receiving, if it fhall appear in them that we are bound to look upon as believers, and be tolerated in a church, will bring down divine judgments upon the church. Neither is communion with them that are not, by the law of Chrift, to be looked upon as believers, fcrupled at or refused, on this very account, that it makes them that hold fuch communion unworthy receivers; but on the account of the nature of the ordinance, the communion that is proper to it, and ought therein to be held; and on the account of the command of Chrift, forbidding communion with fuch perfons.

:

It might be pleaded, that kneeling at the communion-table does not make him that fo partakes an unworthy receiver; and yet Scottish Prefbyterians (will not hereby juftify that way of partaking and fome might perhaps contend, that partaking of the bread, if the cup fhould be denied to the people, does not make the believer an unworthy receiver of the bread; yet no Proteftant would by this justify himself in that way of receiving the Lord's fupper.

If the author of this paper had feen meet to impugn the answer to the fynod's query upon this fubject, or what is advanced upon it in the Narrative, from p. 167. to p. 174. it

might have served better to clear this fubject of difference, than the proof of a proposition never denied by me.

But, upon a view of what is advanced in the proof of this propofition, it would feem to me as if the author would have it thought, that we are not concerned with our fellowcommunicants in the Lord's fupper; and that to communi cate with them that have no appearance of being difciples of Christ, and are known to be wicked, cannot touch us at all in that ordinance. And if this be his scope, to make us easy with whom we communicate, I must differ from him; because I fee nothing in the word to give countenance to it, but very much against it.

I shall take a look of what he says on the five heads of ar gument, and confider how far it ferves to free us of all fcruples at promifcuous communion, and make us easy what they be with whom we communicate. And,

1. Is it fo, That it belongs not to us to be fatisfied, in the judgment of charity, concerning those with whom we com. municate; because "every man fhall bear his own burden?" If we look that context, we shall fee, that as every man "must bear his own burden" before the Lord, fo it is the great duty of the difciples of Chrift to "bear one another's "burdens, and fo fulfill the law of Chrift," Gal. vi. 1.-5. Does not the new commandment of Chrift oblige us to make a difference between the disciples of Christ and the rest of the world? to know them, do the peculiar duties of brotherly love to them, and to hold special communion with them our brethren "whom we have feen?" And is not this ordinance the highest instance of that communion, wherein the disciples give the greatest expreffion of their love to one another? Are not we, in proving ourselves and our own work, to have an eye upon this mark of love to our brethren whom we have feen, without which none of our works are good works, and without which we can " have no rejoicing in ourselves?" See the first epiftle of John. And is not every man "to bear "his own burden," with refpect to this commandment of Chrift," at the laft day?" See Matth. xxv. and John iv.

17.20.

I have heard it also alledged, "That because we are called "to examine ourselves, in order to our partaking of the "Lord's fupper; therefore we are not concerned to inquire "about others, for making the judgment of charity about "them with whom we communicate." Yet, in that fame context, the difciples are called " to tarry one for another,

"that

"that they come not together unto condemnation ;" and they are diftinguished from other men, whom the Apostle calls "the world." This plainly imports, that they had to do with one another in coming together to eat the Lord's fup. -per; and that every one of them was not to look to himself only, without regard to any other, or any concern to know whether they were communicating with difciples or infidels. And further, it is plain, that their want of the exercise of bro. therly love to one another in coming together, appearing in their not tarrying one for another, and in the divifions that were a mong them, was one reafon of their being chaftened of the Lord, and of their coming together to condemnation. See I Cor. xi. from 17. to the end. If a man examine himself as he ought, he will fee abundant reason in himself not to despise any of Chrift's "little ones," and to make him judge charitably, and reckon himself " less than the leaft" of them; and this is an excellent mean to preserve from that pride and selfconceit which is inconfiftent with brotherly love. But if we examine ourselves by the rules and marks laid down in the word of God, we fhall find ourfelves concerned to make a difference between the little ones that believe in Christ, and the world; and that we have much to do with them, in coming together with them "to eat the Lord's fupper," that we have not to do with the world.

If a believer, joined in partaking of the ordinance, and in church-communion, with an open unbeliever or wicked per fon, do abhor his guilt, and keep himself from the infection, he does well; but it must be at least owned, he is not using the means appointed by Christ for that end; while he is yo ked together in the most eminent part of Chriftian commu. nion with that perfon, and is declaring himself" one bread" and "one body" with him, by partaking with him in that "one bread," which is the "communion of the body of "Chrift;" and this after Chrift has commanded him to turn away from fuch. See 1 Cor. chap. v. "Ye are puffed up, "and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this "deed may be taken away from among you. Your glorying " is not good. Know ye not, that a little leaven leaveneth "the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that "" ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened," &c.

2. For what appears in the parable of the man among the guefts wanting the wedding-garment, he is difcerned by none but the all-feeing mafter of the feast, and might be the object of the brotherly love of the other guests, who might be ap

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proved in the exercife of this love toward him as a fuitable ob. ject of it, and yet he himself bear his own burden. The ground of their charity toward him could not be, that he was an object of the gospel-call; for fo were they that were invited and would not come; but that he appeared to them to give obedience to it, and joined himself with the guests, appearing to be a gueft, and a partaker of the heavenly calling. Many fuch objects of brotherly love will be found by the mafter of the feaft at length to want the wedding-garment. But if our charity be to go upon a man's being invited by the gospel-call unto fellowship with Chrift and his people, then there will be as many objects of brotherly love as there are hearers of the gofpel; and all to whom the gofpel is preached might, without more, partake of the Lord's fupper; which must be a great abfurdity with them that are of the principles professed in the church established by law.

3. Without question, a notorious finner is not to be the object of our scorn, but of our pity and compaffion; and there are duties of benevolence and compaffion, fuitable to the gospel, to be done toward that man: but is this to be our work about our fellow-communicants in partaking with them in that bread and cup? Be this exercise about the notorious finner what it will, it is not communicating; and if I be not otherwise employed in that ordinance, I am not communicating at all. If I should pray that the Lord's supper may be a mean of conversion to fuch a finner, I know not if I would be praying in faith: for that ordinance is no mean of Chrift's appointment for that end. The preaching of the gospel of Chrift at a communion-table, (though that be not a proper way of doing it), may be a mean of converfion to a notorious finner, and a mean also of edifying a believer; but hearing the gospel, though it be in faith, and communicating, are two very diftinct things. An onlooker, that is not parta king in the bread and cup, may perceive a reprefentation of a crucified Chrift in that bleffed bread and cup, wherein he fees others partaking, and perhaps may be very much affect. ed with it; but it cannot be faid, that this perfon is communicating in the Lord's fupper and if there be no more but this in the cafe of a perfon fitting at the table, and eating the bread and drinking the wine, without having any thing to do therein with his fellow-communicants, I very much question if that perfon be communicating at all. We cannot expect that he who never "faw Chrift," or "believed" in him as exhibited to all in the preaching of the gospel, will "difVOL. I. D d

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"cern the Lord's body" in the fupper as fet forth there only to disciples, to be difcerned by them in their partaking of it together as one body, for the confirmation of their faith and love, and for " fealing believers unto the day of redemption." We are not to defpife, but pity and pray for a company of Infidels, Jews, Mahometans, or Heathens: but would it be lawful for us to partake with them in the Lord's fupper (suppofing them to be fome way or other compelled to it) till we fhould be fatisfied of their converfion? or could we in that cafe exercise communicating graces with refpect to them? And if we compare the condition of thefe infidels with that of infidels going under the Chriftian name, and claiming intereft in the Chriftian privileges, we may come to find the other fort of infidels having, in feveral refpects, the better of them.

4. Chrift has kept the key of hearts in his own hand; but, by his new commandment, he has injoined his difciples the knowing and acknowledging of the proper objects of that peculiar brotherly love; elfe that his commandment would be in vain. For, if those whom he commands us to love with this love, cannot be known by all his difciples, diftinguifhed from others, to what purpose is this his command. ment unto all the difciples? And though he hath not given any of them the key to mens hearts, yet he hath pointed out to all, in his word, the objects of this brotherly love, with whom he commands us to hold communion, and those from whom he commands us to turn away. Communicants must be the objects of this love, and we must know so much concerning them with whom we communicate, before we eat of that bread and drink of that cup with them: and so we have no occafion for troubling ourfelves, in communicating, with cenforioufnefs, and dwelling upon one anothers faults; but we rather thus come together, every one of us fearing concerning himself, left he be the only perfon in all the company whom the Lord fhall find wanting the wedding-gar.

ment.

As to what is faid of preparing for God's favour, by hum. ble thoughts of myself; it is an unguarded expreffion, that may be taken in a fenfe very derogatory to God's grace, and there may be much abominable pride in applying after-this manner for God's favour in that ordinance.

However, it is fafer to hold by the fcripture way of speaking: "He refifteth the proud, and gives grace to the humble; "and if we would judge ourselves, we fhould not be judged."