ENGLAND acknowledges New-England, as the most Resembling Daughter among all her Colonies; and She may receive Instructi­ons from thence, that may render it most unreasonable for her to Forsake the [Page 2] Law of her Mother. There was a Time, when He who holds the Stars in his Right Hand, sent over many Scores of them, to Shine in this American Orb, out of reach to the sweeping Rage of the Dra­gon. But of Later Years, the Stars that Shine in Europe, do without moving from thence, only send over their sweet Influences, in their Holy and Heavenly Writings. Besides the many Treatises which New-England is continually, by the way of the Press, receiving from the Divines born and bred in this Coun­trey, it annually Vends (I suppose) Hundreds of Books published by Divines Beyond Sea; and many of them are here found so Acceptable and Servicea­ble, that New England give [...] them a Se­cond Impression. If the Groans of the Plantations complain, That they meet with some Difficulties from England, on Political Accounts, 'tis w [...]ll that on Reli­gious Ones, we have some Compensati­on made unto us. And if the Non Con­formists, Who are the truest and sound­est part of the Church of England, yet meet with Discouragement there, let it be some satisfaction to them, that here is a whole Nation of Non Conformists, [Page 3] which know them, and love them, and Read them, when they cannot See them.

Among those Worthy Ministers of London, whose Labou [...]s have been Use­ful and Precious to the Christians in these Ends of the Earth, a Character of speci­al Respect is due to the Reverend QUICK. His Great Pains [...]n Transla­ting and Publishing, the Synodi [...]n [...]alliae R [...]formatae, des [...]rve acknowledgments from all Good men, and Sharpen their Appetites for his Icones. But if he had never gratifyed the Publick, with any other of his Composures, besides his, Young Mans Claim to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, That alone were enough to have endear'd him unto the Christians that compose the Churches in the Ameri­can Regions. The Discourse is Brief, and yet Full; Full, and yet Plain: Plain, and yet Quick and Powerful; Holiness brea [...]hes in every line of it; it consisteth of Right Words; and it is admirably well accom­modated unto the Designs of Practical Christianity. In tenui Labor, at tenuis non Gloria. — The Young People of New-England, so much forget the Church State which was the Errand of their Fathers into this Wilderness, and so little prepare [Page 4] for, and Approach to, the Sacred Fellow­ship of that Church State, that we may not wonder at the terrible Judgments, which have, like Fire from the Neglected Altar, i [...]ed forth upon them. To Quicken our Young People, unto such a Conscientious Renovation of their Baptismal Covenant, as may make it appear that when they are Come to years of Discretion, they are Come to years of Religion, and to Assist both Pastors and People, in bringing our Baptised, under an orderly Confirmation, and in that Examination which may bring the well qualified unto the Table of the Lord; This [...] a thing [...] [...]van­tageous to our [...] Now [...] Do This, is the Tendenc [...] of the Discourse here put into our Hands▪ And though the Worthy Author, should never in this World Know all the particular Success of this his Discourse, yet there is a World, wherein he may Expect both the Know­ledge and the Reward of [...] yea, whate­ver be the Success, Great will be the Re­ward.

[...] First Intention in the Second Im­pr [...]ssi [...]n of [...]his Euchiri [...]i [...]n Juvenis Christi­ [...] (as we may call it,) is, To Direct and Exci [...]e, Practical Christianity, in that [Page 5] [...] of it, The Celebratio [...] of [...] Eucharistpunc; But when a Neigh­bour, whose Respect both for the Author and the Master of this Lit­tle Book, disposed him to put himself unto some [...] for the Re [...]printing thereof, requested us, to Write a Prae­face unto it, the like Respect in Us, (One of whom, did at London Eight years a­go enjoy a personal Acquaintance with the Author,) caused us joyfully to Em­brace that Opportunity. Nor is it a small satisfaction unto us, that [...] have herein so good an Opportunity, to do some further Service for our Churches, and to take some Notice of the Circum­stances which call for tha [...] Service▪

We cannot but be sensible, When the most considerable part of the Ministers of the Gospel throughout this Colony, have un [...]er their Hands proclaimed their sense of it, That [...]he [...]e are Tendenc [...]es a­mong us, towards Deviations from the Good [...], whe [...]ein our Churches have, [...] to the Word of the Lord [...] Esta [...]l [...]shed and [...] Excellent Servants [...] [...]esus Christ, not concurring [Page 6] every punctilio of our Platform, whom we are very far from counting Enemies to our Churches, or Apostates from the Religion of them. And we are as far from Censuring and Reproaching, All our Young Men, as gone off from the Way of their Fathers, and of the Churches, while we know that so many of them, are of pious Dispositions, answerable to their other Lovely Accomplishments. Nevertheless, the Ministers who com­plain'd of, Tendencies towards Deviations from the Good Order of the Churches ▪ must not be condemn'd as making a Rash Complaint: While their Ears do often hear men expresly wish for Another Or­der to be introduced, and their Eyes do see many things, not only Writ, but also Done, that are contrary, yea, Destructive t [...] the present Order. There is no argu­ing against Sense: and when we feel an House pul [...]ing down, it will be imp [...]ssible for any but men fast Asleep, to dream, that it is Building up. Ind [...]ed [...] pro­moters of those Deviati [...]ns an [...] Innovati­ons which threa [...]en the [...]h [...]r [...]h [...]s do not seem Agreed am [...]g [...]hems [...]l [...]s, i [...] any one point, but This, that they would not have Things to be as the Eminent Plan­ters, [Page 7] and General Synods, of our Church­es have Left them unto us: And it is not without a Remarkable Providence of the Lord, who Walks in the midst of the Golden Candlesticks, that nothing has been hitherto Emitted against the Constitution of th [...]se Churches, but it has been Decri­ed even by those that are not over-fond of that Constitution: it has had some odd strokes that even they that wish for, and heave at the Alteration therein En­deavoured, have yet been scandalized at, as indefensible. There is▪ in this Dis­pensation of God, an Admonition to them that will receive it! It's also true, for the most part, sober men will profess, That they Look upon the Holy Church­es of New England as dear to God, and for the main in a better Order, than most upon the face of this miserable Earth: nor do they actually mend any thing, in gadding to change their way. But yet such is the Levity of an Unstu­died and Unstable Generation, that if any th [...]ng be Done against that Order of the Gospel, they will Invent all the Co­lours imaginable to excuse it, and main­tain it; and if any thing be W [...]t or Sp [...]ke for that Order, they will Employ [Page 8] as many [...]vils as they can [...]p [...]n it; it is distastful to them. The Books Writ­ten to explain and maintain the Disci­pline of our Churches by the brave men that fi [...]st Enlightened these parts of the Earth, they so slight them, that they never so much as Read them; and at the same time, the Books writ­ten by the Ultramarine Adversaries of the Churches are in their Hands Night and Day. Let it be but intimated, That a man is disaffected unto the Churches, they will have his Person in Admiration, as being a man of Absolute Learning, (though he should be so no otherwise than in Erasmus's phrase:) And let a man be Looked upon, as a Friend unto the way of the Churches, his Reputation is gone with 'em; he can do nothing worth looking upon. If all men are such Friends to the Constitution of our Churches, What means this bleating and Lowing? There are too many, who do not very prudently, that they can find no other methods of expressing their Friend­ship. No Syrs, Habent Opera [...] Lin­guam; I [...] a man have never so little Ac­quaintance with Church History, and the, Prudentia veteris Ecclesiae, the prospect of [Page 9] such things will give him some Appre­hensions.

Among the many other Devices, wherewith our Inconveniencies are car­ [...] on, we cannot but complain of one, that hath in it as much of Injustice, as of [...]: And this is, That they must be carried on, under the Name of Pres­byterians, a Name which the Church­es of New-England mention with [...] justly expecting from them that claim [...], nothing but Kindness. 'Tis true, as every thing admits of a Distinction, there may be two sorts of Presbyterians: The Author of the Unto Reformanti [...], Long since noted a very notable Distin­ction between, The Reforming Presbyteri­ans, and, The Presbyterian Formalists; ad­ding, That the Congregationals, are a choice, if not the best part of the True Presbyterians. There are those whom we may call Reforming Presbyterians ▪ men that are Studious of Piety and Sanctity, and a Discipline that shall promote Piety & Sanctity in the Churches of the Lord Jesus Christ. And then, there are some, who cannot indeed presently conform to [...] the Superstitions retained in part of the Church of England, but yet are either [Page 10] Strangers to the Discipline in the best Ordered Churches of the Reformation, or Averse to it, on other principles than those of Piety and Sanctity; and such as Labour and Rejoyce where ever they come, to see Enclosures about the Chur­ches demolished, and whatever distin­guishes them from the wide and wild World Extinguished. Hi Classicalium nomine (as one that knew them, says of them) Reformationi omni reali obicem po­su [...]re, et etiamnum p [...]nunt. Now, the true Reforming Presbyterians will find so little disagreeable to them, in the Churches of New England, that We are satisfied, they would never offer any Disturbance to them, never value themselves upon any Difference from them, never signalize their Dissatisfaction at them. There are certain Heads of Agreement, whereon the Presbyterians and Congregational Brethren in London, have United. And indeed the Varieties between them, are so Little, that we wonder any Men of Great Souls can find any matter worthy of Conten­tion in them. The famous Robinson him­self though counted as far from a Pres­byterian as any, declares, Regimen nostrum Ecclesiasticum est [...]mi [...]e Democraticum, s [...]d [Page 11] plane Aristocraticum et Presbyteriale. And on the other side, the famous Newcomen, though a great Presbyterian, when our Platform of Discipline was first published, he carried it one day into the Pulpit with him, uttering a great Approbation of it. Now, Let all the World know, That the Churches of New-England, are as much in that Happy Union, as any under the Cope of Heaven; and we do, and shall contend with none, but those who vio­late the Articles of that Union. Reform­ing Presbyterians of an Eminent Chara­cter sometimes retiring hither, have been as much Received, Beloved, and Estee­med here, as any of the Pastors born & bred among us; and as the Churches of New-England imposed nothing upon them, that was grievous to their Con­science, thus they, not only conformed unto the Things which they found here practised, but even made Conscience of doing so. The Presbyterians which have sought the peace of these Gardens of the Lord, have not in any Laudable thing been inferiour to those that shall under the Nation of Presbyterians go to break down the hedge about them, or fill them with We [...]d [...] ▪ which did not use to be there. [Page 12] A Brief Treatise Vindicating, The Order of the Gospel, professed and practised by the Churches of New-England, has been late­ly set forth among us; and their Vindi­cation in every point is fetch'd from the Concessions of the Reforming Presby­terians beyond Sea, yea, not only this and that particular Author of Great Fame among those of such a Denomina­tion, but whole Synods, whole Nations of them. Now a Treatise thus proved and Approved by the most unexceptionable Authority of Presbyterians, must be as­saulted with a Review, pretending to Answer it; and the Answerers will be Angry, we suppose, if they been't count­ed Presbyterians. Whatever may appear Injurious in that Review, we have the same cause to forbear any Rejoinders, that Melancthon had, for perswading Vitus Theodorus against Rejoyning any thing upon Osiander when he had abused him; and we have considered, Optimus ille qui f [...]rre novit Injurias plurimas All we ask is, That the Authors will find for themselves another Name than that of Congregational or Presbyterians! What shall we say more? Our Authors will hold forth, that where a Church [Page 13] has Elders, there is no necessi­ty that they should consent unto the Choice of more,[Mr. S. S. Doctr. of Churches. p. 9▪] when more shall be Chosen, but the Vote of the major part of the Brethren is valid, without the concur­rence of the Elders. And yet these challenge the Name of Presbyterians, as belonging to them. 'Tis also well known, That in almost all the Presbyteri­an Churches on the face of the Earth, the Rights of the Fraternity are still after some sort preserved, by a Consistory of Elders, chosen from among them; Whereas our Presbyterians, for the most part, so far as we are inform'd abhor, disdain, deride the very mention of them: And some that wil per­mit such Elders, [Mr. S.S p. 12] yet forbid 'em any ways to intermeddle in the affayr, of Trying and Judging, who shall be Admitted unto Sacrament [...] ▪ This is not fair! Briefly, There [...] some who are unacquainted with the Orderly Establishments, in the Scotch, the Dutch, the French, the Genevian, and other Church­es of the Reformed, which are all Presby­terian: but they have seen some Church­es in the English Nation, Gathered▪ o [...] [Page 14] Continued, with much ado, by very Holy Ministers, in a Time of Persecuti­on, and therefore in more feeble, more defective▪ more uncertain circumstances, than they themselves would gladly have been. And now, they set up as Reform­ers for the Churches of New England, but the Reformation which they propound is, for our Churches to part with Order­ly Establishments, wherein they Harmo­nize with other Presbyterian Churches, and to put themselves into the feeble condition of those few that just make a shift to Live, and that would with all their Hearts, get into the Condition of New England, if they could. A Lauda­ble Attempt! If these our Fri [...]nds, are Presbyterians, why do they pay so little Respects unto the Classes of the Pastors in the Vicinity? Our Pastors have their Associations, for mutual Assistance in the Work of the Gospel; If these Associations do not assume unto themselves all the power, which many Presbyterians can al­low to them, yet they may unquestiona­bly assume and expect so much power, that the [...]e be no publick Actions done to Invade and Alter the Constitution of our Churches, without the Advice of [Page 15] the Neighborring Ministers. But when or where was this Advice, ever so much as once taken for any of those Actions that have been done (even in Print▪) contra­ry to what is commonly professed and pract­ised in the Churches of New England? Give us leave to say it: There hath not any one thing been done against the Established Order of our Churches, by those, who call themselves Presbyterians, but if they had been in any other Coun­trey of Presbyterian Churches under the C [...]pe of Heaven, they would have been severely Censured. Synods of all the Churches in our Colony, and Synods consisting very much of those Holy, and L [...]arned, and Able Divines, i [...] com­parison of whom, the minds of those that now oppose their Determinations, are (to speak in an Hebrew phrase) Like the Eye of a Needle, to the Gate of a Temple, have given us from the Word of God, an Established Order to be kept in our Churches. And though some Raw Youths may under the Name of Presby­terians, now value [...]hemselves upon their contempt of the [...], of Discipline, which is the Summe [...] Established Order, yet th [...]e Reverend Presbyterians, [Page 16] who published their Jus Divinum near fifty years ago, Expresly declare, That they agree with the Things of the greatest concernment in it; and their Debates about some things of lesser consequence, were not Contentiones, but Collationes. They that go to undermine this Established Or­der, do not in the least pretend, that a­ny one Sinful Thing is therein imposed: and yet without the Sentence of any Synod (so much as a Provincial One,) they not only do themselves depart from our Establishments, but also, partly by Manuscripts industriously and mischie­vously handed about the Countrey, and partly by Printed Oppositions, Excite all people to give up what they have in the Way of God received from His Word We Appeal to all the Reforming Presby­terians in the World: Say, O ye men of God, and of Order, Say, O our Ever-honoured Brethren; Will you approve such Things? Or, can they who do such Things, easily make you a Repara­tion, for the Wrong they have done you, by making your Name, the Umbrage of their Disorderly Undertakings?

The Reverend QUICK shall speak for you. That Excellent Presbyterian, [Page 17] hath written the very Spirit of the New-English Reformers; he writes the Princi­ples, that are the very Vitals of our Churches, and they will Prize him, and Love him, and Bless God for him. He proposes, that our Young People, in per­formance of their Baptismal Vow, humbly craving Admission to the Lords most Holy Table, be found able and willing to per­form the Duties of Regenerate Christians; and he proposes, that they be Exam [...], Whether they be sensible of their Spiritual Wants; And of their manifold Sinfulness, and Wretchedness? And, whether they have by Saving Faith betaken them [...]elves to the Lord Jesus Christ, in all His Offices, for Salvation from their Sinfulness and Wretchedness? And, what Ground of Hope they have, that God has Accepted them, and Pardoned them? And, where they hope to find their Justifying Righteousness? And, whether they be yet in the Covenant of Grace? And, After what manner, they will Prepare for, and Approach to, and Discern the Lords Body at, the Table of the Lord? And he concludes with bringing them under a COVENANT, That they will Submit unto the Discipline of that par­ticular Church whereto they shall apply [Page 18] themselves; to be Admonished, [...], Censured, [...]f need be, by the PASTOR, and BRETHREN of that Church.

Sirs, New England it self is not more New English! If the Pastors of our Church­es will Examine all the Candidates of their Communion, with such Questions as these, and Expect fit Answers to the Questions, and Report as much of the Answers as may be judg'd fit unto the Brethren, This is all the Relation of Expe­riences, that ever we would urge for. And we fear, a Relation has often been Produ­ced and Accepted by great pleaders for it, without half so much Examination.

We earnestly declare unto you, O Peo­ple of God, That This is the very Discipline which we wish to see preserved in [...]he Churches of New England, as Fearing [...]at the Churches themselves cannot be [...]e­served, but soon become Lothesome to Hea­ven, if This be lost. We could without any Trouble, see Varieties in the Customes of the Churches ▪ about such Things as may be Vari [...]d according to the sense of Edi­fication one way or another; nor did we ever much admi [...]e the Wisdom of them that have been the [...] and [...] of [...]forming in thing [...] [...] [Page 19] different. But we confess, that we are more than a little Troubled, nor can we forbear Speaking to them, and saying▪ Do not Sin against the Churches ▪ when we see men labouring to Unhinge the very Essen­tials of our Churches and change the very Matter and Form of them: And the more noted the men are for Experimental Re­ligion, and the more we value and honour them for their strict Conversation (where­in, Sobrij accedunt ad perdend [...]s Ecclesias,) we are still the more Troubled. Had it been an Enemy, we could have born it, but they are our dear Brethren some­times, and men that we have a great re­spect for on the account of their profita­ble Preaching, and Exemplary Walking. We hope, they will hear your cries, O ye Endangered Churches, reaching to their serious Hearts; What thou, O our Son! Thou that we hoped, would have been one of our Guides; Thou that hast been so well acquainted with us; Thou from whom we have had such sweet counsel. Thou, whose Company has been so grateful unto us in the House of God: Think, we pray thee▪ Think of what thou dost. Certainly, Thou canst not wittingly and willingly do us any Hurt! Why shouldst thou be through thy mi­stake [Page 20] so unhappy, and why should thy worthy Talents be so unhappily Employ'd, as to dam­nify the Interests, which the Sincere Intention of thy Soul was to have preserved? And that which we think, should cause the Cryes of the Churches, to arrive with the more of Pungency, unto the Hearts of these our Brethren is, The Evil Ten­dency of their Undertakings. For, as they do not Substitute a Better Order for our Churches, in the room of that, which they go to take away, and which we judge we should Let no man take away, so, they cannot rationally imagine, that what they propound as a Better Order should be for one while brought in upon them. All the Tendency therefore of the Writings that batter the Order of our Churches, can be only to fill the Mouths of a Revolting Generation, with Cavils a­gainst those things, which the Generality of our more Devout, and more Studied People, take to be the Right wayes of the Lord It is too notorious, That every Town, hath more or less a Company of loose People in it, that are without the Power of Godliness; and yet, while there is a Church in the Town, that in its Dis­cipline ▪ represents the Kingdom of Heaven [Page 21] unto the Neighbourhood, they are struck with some Terror from Heaven, that makes their minds uneasy in their Unregenera­cy. Now, the Writings that are shot forth against our Churches, do for the most part marvellously please that sort of People; who accordingly being furnished with Quibbles, What plain Scripture have you for this? and, What plain Scripture for that? which they see done in the Holy Hill of the Lord, they divert and quiet the unea [...]siness of their self condemning Minds, un­der their criminal Unfruitfulness under the means of Grace, and Extinguish in them, the sense of many a Duty incum­bent on them. This is all the Effect, we have hitherto seen of these Writings. The Hearts of the Righteous have been made sad, and Impiety hath been Grati­fied and Strengthened. We beseech you, Syrs, in the Fear of God, consider what you do! What Account will you give, to the Great Lord of these Holy Churches?

Of all the Writings, that have been grievous to the most of the People of God, throughout the Country. We have not observ'd any to have given more Grief, than one lately Publish'd by a Re­verend [Page 22] Brother, whom nevertheless we Resolve always to Embrace in the Arms of our most affectionate Charity. We told him Seven years before the Publica­tion of it, That if it came abroad, we would as Publickly animadvert upon it; But now going to be as Good as our Word, we find our selves in many Respects almost whol­ly Excused from it. The little Book a­bout, The Order of the Gospel, which came abroad [...]ust before this Doctrine of Churches, anticipated it, with an An­swer. They that have ever thoroughly Studied the Order of the Gospel, we would humbly perswade our selves, will not easi­ly abandon so much of Scripture and Reason and Antiquity, meerly because a few Gentlemen at Boston and New York are Displeased with it, but rather make their Displeasure, something of an Argu­ment on the other side. That, Order of the Gospel, must first be Refuted a little more Significantly, before we need pro­ceed unto a Refutation of what is Offen­sive, in the Novelties, wherewith our Friend has undermined it; and this the rather, because he advances very little besides down right Assertions and Positions, without so much as a Shadow of Demon­stration. [Page 23] Certainly, no Metampsychos [...] hath transform'd us into such Pythagori­ans, as to take an, Ipse dixit, for a Demon­stration, or to conclude a thing Must be, because an Ingenious and Contemplative Gentleman, in his Retirements, conceives, It may be. Yea, t'were easy to show, that the Pamphlet every where has an­swered it self: but our Tenderness for the Author, will cause us to shun every thing, that looks like a Catching at the Oppor­tuni [...]ies, which his manifest Inconsistencies, and Self contradictions, would give unto more Touchy Disputers, to lessen him. Nor may we wonder, if they who Con­tradict the Scriptures be left also to Con­tradict themselves. And if none of all This could be said for our Excuse from a Labour (and yet Scarce a Labour) whereto our Entire Affection for the Author were enough of it self to indis­pose us, there is one thing that abundant­ly Supersedes it; and that is, That the Writings of the most eminent Presbyteri­ans in Europe have an hundred times over Sufficien [...]ly R [...]selled all that this Gentle­man has Written against the Churches of New England. Never [...]heless, we shall bestow a Gentle Touch upon his Novelties, [Page 24] lest he count himself neglected; and in­deed the little Room whereto we are now confined, will permit no more than a Touch, upon them.

We shall not concern our selves, with his Doctrine, That Elders have not only power over their particular Churches, Doctrine of Chs▪ p. 14. but also over others; and his Essay to Erect Provincial and National Churches, (and these must Consist only of the Clergy) as of Divine Right. For there is no Fear that This Doctrine will take among us: It never took yet in any Nation of Presbyterians: And among our selves, They that upon as carnal accounts like not the Order our Churches, will, if it were only to prese [...]ve their Purses, never submit unto this Order, and the unknown Decrees, and Canons, and Ana­thematizing Thunderbolts, which may ensue upon it. The Episcopalians, which plead for such a Church, have been con­victed of a Plot, and a very Treasonable one it is, to subject the whole Christian Church unto the Patriarch of the West: But we are too well acquainted with that Old Gentleman, to put our selves into his Hands: And we flatter our selves with [Page 25] [...], That the Twelve Hundred and Sixty years are too near out, for him to Expect it Our Friend abhors, we know, such an Issue of his Hypothesis: but we do not know, how it will be Staved off, or how an Oecumenical Church is less of a Divine Right, than a National: or at least, a Church of Europe than a Church of England. The more Sober Divines in the Church of England, which are for a National Church, but not for a Foreign Ju­risdiction, would yet have it Recognized as being of no more than an Humane Right; nor do they see, how without the hazard of High Treason, and of a Foreign Jurisdiction [...]o have it otherwise▪ and among others the Ingenuous Author of, Catholicism wi [...]hout Popery, giving us the Scheme, which the late Queen, and Arch [...]bishop, would have Prosecuted, if Death had not cut off their Noble Purpo­ses, does confess, ‘He that Impartially considers the Writings for Episcopacy and against it, will find these two things to be True: First, That the English Prelacy as now Exercised, hath no foun­dation in Scripture, or Primitive [...]i­quity. Secondly, That Indepen [...]y, if it be meant of the Relation [...] [Page 26] Pastor and his Flock, is plainly, Jure Divine.’ But for all the Claims, of the Clergy, meeting when they think fit, in Provincial and National Synods, to be Pro­vincial and National Churches, of a Divine Institution, tis Answer enough, that we only say, Gentlemen, Show us the Institution. To tell us, That the Constitution of the Church of Israel, and of the Synagogues as particular Churches under it, in the Land of Canaan, is an Instituti [...]n for the Churches of the New Testament, will rather Astonish than satisfy Considerate Christians. We find in the Acta Erudi [...]orum, that the learned Vitringa has in a late Discourse evinced that there were no Synagogues in the days of the first Temple: he has also proved that by the Church in Math. 18 17 the Congrega­tion and not the Elders only are intend­ed. But alm [...]st all [...]he Traditions that we have about the Church Government of the Synagogues, are ei [...]her the Fabulous, or at best, uncertain Reports of the Tal­muds, which were not in being, till seve­ral Hund [...]eds of years after our Saviour: yea, ti [...]l a little before the Days of Justi­nian Our Friend indeed blames us, for Attempting to compile a compleat Platform [Page 27] for our Churches, out of the Books of the New Testament: Indeed! We see now the Fault of our Platform of Church disci­pline; Tis too much compiled out of the Books of the New Testament!

But we are concern'd, when we see the Brethren in our Churches, by the New Doctrine of Churches, utterly stript of the Liberties which the Lord Jesus Christ hath pu [...]chas [...]d for them, and con­fer [...]ed on them. It seem'd Odd unto us, to Read, That those Males which are not their own Masters, Doct of Chs. p. 1 [...] have nothing to do, to to V [...]te in the Church: because we thought, the Lord Jesus Christ had made them His Free men: and though this our Friend Forbid their Votes, Ca [...]tel est sa plaiser, yet we never heard, until he now told us, that the Lo [...]d Forbad them. But that which augments the Oddity, is, Why Brethren of that particular Character, should have such a particular Exception from a Share in the Liberties of the other Brethren, when it seems no Brethren have any Liberties at all anon left unto them. For, We find the Brethren Ex­pressly shut out from any wayes [...]ntermeddling, or,Doct. of Chs. p. 12 looking to [Page 28] have their Consent Asked,) in the affairs of Admitting, and of Censuring, and of Restoring their own Members; and anon, we have the Synods of Provinces and Na­tions, claiming an Appointment from the Lord, for the Government of the Churches within their Bounds. T'would puzzle any man to tell what affairs now remain to be managed by the Votes of the Bre­thren. If you say, the Choice of their Of­ficers; No, we suppose the Classes will soon take That also into their Hands: For, alas, This People know not the Law.

But what need we contend with our Friend, about the Lordship over the Heri­tage of the Lord, unto which he would animate his Catechumens [...] Let him first make his Peace with the Good Old Eng­lish Presbyterians, the London Ministers, who in their Vindication of the Presbyterian-Government, Express­ly say,p. 70, 71. ‘It is as warrantable by the word of God, for one Minister to assume unto himself alone the Power of Suspending from the Sacrament, as it is to assume the whole Power of Admitting to the Sa­crament, for, Contrariorum eadem est Ratio; For one Minister alone to [Page 29] Assume this Power unto himself is to make himself a Congregational POPE—’ Upon the [...] of which passage, we will take [...] That those men [...] wonderfully [...]norant of Church Histo­ry, who are not sensible, That the Rise of Popery was, the Clergies ingrossing all things in the Church to themselves, and the Peoples ignorantly and imprudently part­ing with such Rights as belong'd unto them. There was (by the way) a Time, in the Church of Rome, when, It was not so. That very Clemens, of whom the Apostle Paul sayes, His Name was in the Book of Life, the Pastor of the Church at Rome, writing to the Church of Corinth, urged the Contentious in that Church, to yield Obedience unto, the [...], the Things Appointed & Commanded by the Multitude of the People. If it had been an Evil Thing for the Brethren to have their Sha [...]e in Appointing what should be done, it would have been an Evil Thing for Clemens to have advised Obedience unto what they Appoi [...]t [...]d. However, if a Citation from English ones, will merit no Attention, we will try a little, what may be had from Scotch Presbyterians: The [Page 30] Celebrated Rutherford shall be one of them, to whom, we hope, you our Bre­thren in the Colony of Connecticut, that Exceed all the rest of New England, for proclaming your Indisposition to the Or­der wherein your Churches have so long flourished, will above others attend; Be­cause t'was Rutherford that was against your Thomas Hooker, even that incompa­rable Thomas Hooker, who▪ though he were (with your leave) the greatest man that ever your Colony saw, yet now the most Raw Youths among you can [O Times and Manners!] Confute him! Says Rutherford, (and, his Witness is true,) ‘Grave Beza, Cal [...]in, Bucer, Bul­linger, Melancthon, Bucan, Paraeus, Rive­tus, Sibrandus, Junius, Tre [...]catius; The Fathers, Cyp [...]ian, Jerom, Augustin, Nazianzen, Chrysostom, Ambrose, Theodoret, Theophylact, require [...] ALL THINGS to be done, Consentiente [...], with the PEOPLES Consent’ Si [...]s, we would not have Troubled▪ you with this H [...]mane Authority, but only that it is a lit [...]le Ad Hominem; and that you may blush a little, when you call your selves Presbyteri­ans. We readily grant, That the Elders of the Churches, are to be the Rulers of [Page 31] them; and that it is a gross piece of Morellian, and Brownistical Anarchy for the Votes of the Brethren to be valid with­out their Concurrence, (as the Presbyte­rianism that runs down Connecticut River has newly taught us!) and that the Co­rahism of Brethren taking their Work out of their Hands, is very offensive to the God of Order. Nevertheless, Is not One Extream to be shunned without Running into another? Such Blessed Reformers as Musculus, have shown us, That Mini­sterium Christi, et Libertas Ecclesiae non sunt [...]. Let those that so confident­ly go to Rob the Brethren in our Chur­ches, of their just Liberties, fi [...]st Read Parker, and Ames, and Cartwright, yea, Let them first Read, Beza, and Zanchy, and Whitaker, and Bucer, and Bl [...]ndel; for our Brethren, will be content, with what those illustrious Writers have un­answerably Challenged on their behalf. But that we may do the Young men, Right, they have yet Read so little, a little more time at some Kiriath-Sepher, would be a Kindness to them. After all, if we can't bring Divine Authority, to praeserve the Liberties of the Brethren in our Churches, 'twill be no Sacriledge [Page 32] to pillage them away: But either there is Divine Authority for it, or else we have all this while mistaken the C [...]mmand given to the Corinthians ▪ If the Brethren in a Church are to Act, in the Censuring and in the Restoring of those who be­long unto the Church, then the Elders may not therein proceed wholly with­out the consent of the Brethren. And, If the Brethren in a Church, are in Con­junction with the Elders, to judge, who shall be Rejected from the Church, and who shall be Re admitted, they are to be Judges, who shall be Admitted. But in both of these Consequences, the Former is True; Therefore the Latter. They are very unreasonable Folks, that will put us to prove the Consequences. The Assump­tions are plain, from the Command given unto the Corinthians, [1 Cor. 5, 12, 13.] To put away a Wicked Person, and this, as passing a Judgment on him: And again, [2 Cor. 2.7.] To Forgive that wicked Person, when Repenting of his Wicked­ness. Why should not the Brethren of our Churches, pretend unto the same Li­berties and Priviledges with the Corinthian B [...]ethren? The Answer given is, That though we find these Things written to [Page 33] the Brethren, yet none but the Elders were to do the Things. But this is a most Shuffling Evasion: Tis the Talk of Loosers: And for the more thorough mortif [...]tion of the Shuffle, tis Expressly said [2 Cor. 2.6.] T'was done by, THE MANY: now, THE MANY, certainly are not meerly the Elders. But indeed the whole Books, which have been writ­ten, to prove, That Church Government is to be managed, with the consent of the People, have never yet had any thing like an Answer. And instead of all the other Unanswerable Arguments, therein brought forth, we will in this place offer no more than one: the Scriptures of Truth having instructed us, That when we have proof enough, we should know when we have enough ▪ and not multiply things, which the Time would fail us to tell. We say then; The Brethren in our Churches, for the most part, challenge no other Liber­ties, than what the Brethren in the Primi­tive Churches enjoy'd for Hundreds of years together. That man must have l [...]ss Modesty than a Roman Catholick, who shall Deny This Report; We will refer such an Immodest man, to such a Roman-Catholick, as Du [...]pin, for the Castigation of [Page 34] his Anistoresie. We will now thus argue upon it. If the Brethren in our Churches have not such Liberties as ours do chal­l [...]nge, of Divine Right belonging to them, then the Ravishing of such Liberties, from the Primitive Churches, after they had been some hundred of years in the possession of them, was the Reforming of those Churches. But was it so? No sure. That Reformation, was the Romish Aposta­sy; and not the first, nor the least In­stance of it. If it was a Reformation, it was one of Antichrists making: though no doubt, some very Holy men, were Instrumental and Subservient thereunto. But as Ramus thank'd the Cardinal of Lorrain for making him a Protestant, by suggesting to him, that the further the Church went from the Age of the A­postles, the further it went from the Golden Age; Thus, to talk of the Churches being in a more Scriptural and Regular co [...]ition, five hundred years after the Apostles, than they were in one or two Hundred, would be strange Language for the Mouth of a Protestant. Our be­loved F [...]iend, must Pardon us, if we tremble at the terrible Judgments of God, when we hear very Holy men, pressing [Page 35] a Reformation upon our Churches, and when they come to Explain themselves, What Reformation they mean, telling us in Effect, You must put your selves out of the condition, wherein the Primitive Churches flourished, (as well as out of that, wherein you your selves have done so) and put your selves into the condition, whereinto the Ro­mish Apostasy had sensibly drill'd on the Churches, after the Revolution & Expiration of several Centuries. Alas, Ne nos ad Tales compellite coetus. We do the rather take notice of This; because all the molesta­tions hitherto given to the Churches of New England, have much arisen from un­acquaintedness with the Antiquities of the Primitive Churches ▪ and our Friend particularly, seems a little Shye of advising to repair unto the State of the Primitive Churches, See Doct of Chs p. 2, 3. for any Illumination about the meaning of those passages in the New-Testament, relating to Church Order, which he will have to be contested.

Nor are we less concerned, when we find the New Doctrine of Churches, aim at the very Apple of the Eye of all our Churches,Doct. of Chs. p 7. by deny­ing the Formation of a Congregational [Page 36] Church, to be by a Church-Covenant, Explicit or Implicit, wherein they bind themselves to walk together, according to the Order of the Gospel: and adding, [Worse and Worse!] That there is no Necessity of any such Bond, Ibid. p. 8. to distinguish one Church from another, and to avoid confusion of Churches; And, We read of no such par­ticular Covenant in the New Testament, we have no Precept for it, we have no Precedent for it, — no Syllable in the Word of God, intimating any such thing, neither is there any need of it.

And so let the Babes of New England at last come to understand, that the Milk for Babes, which the Catechism that still generally instructs their Infancy (and which we suppose this Authors Father did instruct him in) has cheated them with Poison instead of Milk, when it gives them this Defini [...]ion of, A Church: It is a Congregation of Saints joined toge­ther, in the Bond of the Covenant, to Wor­ship the Lord, and Edify one another in all His Holy [...]Ordinances: And in this Cove­nant, according to that Catechism, They give up themselves and their Seed, first to the Lord, to be His People, and then to the [Page 37] Elders and Brethren of the Church, to see forward the Wo [...]ship of God, and their mu [...]tual Edification These Essayes to Un [...]teach the Children of New England, the very Principles of their Catechism, can­not but be afflictive to the Hearts of Religious Parents, that are afraid of no­thing so much as their Childrens departing from the Religion of their [...]: And surely, There are some such Parents yet left among us! If the Lord had not left us a Remnant of such, What should we have been! — But let us a little pause upon this point. Faederata Conjunctio constituet Ecclesiam, was a Maxim among the Old Presbyterians, but our Young Presbyterians are of another Opinion. Our Friend gives us another Form of His Church, His, we say, for it shall not be Ours! The Form of it is, he says, That they are [...] by the Appointment of God to [...] in One place, in a constant way, for the Celebration of His Publick Worship Then, [...] we, all the Ungodliest Wretches that call themselves Christians, in the Town, [...] Church Members, even, whether they [...], or no▪ And by the way, 'tis [...], That there are two points by some [...]. One is, that point o [...] [Page 38] Tyranny, That the Faithful shall not have the free choice of their own Pastors; Another is that point of Corruption, That all Bap [...]ised People, who dwell together in the same Town, shall be Compell'd to Sit together at the Lords Table. But why must the Covenant be thus decry'd in our Churches? We never until now, heard of any Presbyterian Divines, but what granted, That every Particular Church is a Society of Christians, which even the Law of Nature dictates, to be under an Implicit Engagement (or Cove­nant,) of being faithful to the Relations they bear unto each other. And the Grant is beyond all Contradiction: Where men do not Implicitly Agree and Engage, to Worship the Lord Jesus Christ▪ toge­ther, according to his Laws, 'tis uncon­tradictably, and uncontroleably certain, they neither are, nor can be a Church. The Congregational Divines take advan­tage from hence to in [...]er, If an Implicit Covenant be necessary to the Being of a Particular Church, then an Explicit Cove­nant, is Expedient, is Profitable, is Desire­able. Yea, they prove that it is a Duty ▪ For we have the Law of Nature, and the Law of Scripture too, to Dictate thus [Page 39] much unto us, That God must be Serv­ed with our Best: W [...] to him that puts the Lord off, with a Defective Thing, when he has a Better: and we are as certain, as any certainty it self can make us, That an Explicit Covenant is Better than an Implicit. The sharp Eyed Mr. Bax­ter thought there was no Difference be­tween the Presbyterian and the Congre­gational on this point, of, The Covenant; and adds, God forbid that any faithful Mi­nister of Christ, should fight against that which is profitable to the well being of a Church, meerly because the Church without it may have a Be [...]ng. Then must we pl [...]ad for Hunger and Want and Calamitous Di­seases, that Leave us but the Being of men! Alas, that we see now not only the Well being, but the very Being of our Churches, fought against, under Presby­terian Colours, but not fairly or truly hung out! The State of the Case in short is this Are Par [...]icul [...]r Chur [...]hes an Institution of the Lord Jesus Ch [...]ist or no? If they be, Are [...]here parti [...]ular Du­ [...] which the Members of these Chur­ [...], owe to their Elders and one ano­ther? These Duties indeed [...] D [...]ties [...]posed and enjoined in the Covenant [Page 40] of Grace. And our Church Covenant is nothing but the Covenant of Grace, ap­plied unto the Duties and Concerns of Particular Churches. Behold then, and Answer if you can. If the Lord Com­mands men to Acknowledge their obli­gations unto the Duties of the several Relations, whereinto He brings them, then the Lord Commands men to En­ter into (at least an Implicit) Church-Covenant. For our Church Covenant is nothing else, but an Acknowledgment of our Obligations unto those Duties which become Incumbent on us, as Rela­ted unto such or such a Church of His: No man that knows any thing, ever took it for any other. But no man will dare to deny, that the Lord Commands men to acknowl [...]dge their Obligations unto the Duties of their several Relations. And [...]hen we presently gain what we Asked for, That we should make this Ackn [...]wledgment, as Explicit, as there is any occasion that it should be; and there is no Transaction under Heaven, in which there is more occasion that such an Acknowledgment should be Expli­cit, than [...]hat of Gathering a Church for the Lord Jesus Christ. And though the [Page 41] hazard of having the Word misconstru­ed, among malignant Enemies, might make the Apostles forbear using the word, Covenant, yet, If you'l please to consult the New-Testament in its Greek Original, you'l find, the First Christian Church, [Act. 2.42.] Joyned and cleaved together; which how they could, without mutual Promises to each other, let any Rational Thing imagine if he can! We need not insist on the practice of the Primitive, and the Reformed Churches, to Vindicate what is practised by the Churches of New England, in their Church Covenant: They shall be Vindi­cated by Mr. Solomon Stoddard. For, not only, saith he,Doct of Chs. p. 6. A Church is a Body Corporate: We are sure then, A Church is a Body Covenanted: Form a Corporation, if you can, without a Covenant: But, anon, To keep clear of an O [...] ­cumenical Church, Ibid. p. 28. lest we should say, that according to him, The Angelicane Church and the Ga [...]licane Church are one, (which some are dri [...]ing a [...],) he repli [...]s, No, because that several Christian Nations, though they are in the same [...]pecifical Covenant, yet they [Page 42] are not in the same Individual Covenant. Now, Sir, by your Favour, a National Church, is a Particular Church, in respect of the Church Universal. You now tell us, That which makes the Distinction between one such Particular Church, and another, is, Their not having the Same Individual Covenant, though they have the Same Specifical Covenant. Why then did you tell us, Twenty pages before, There is no necessity of any such▪ B [...]nd to distinguish one Church from another: when tis this Bond that makes the Distinction? Behold, How Autor [...]m seriunt tela retorta suum. Dear Sir, Why should you Tempt men, to R [...]proach one of the most Serious, and Solemn, and [...]awful Actions, that is ever done in the Churches of the Lord, as being A Need [...]ess Thing, and so (for if it be a Needless Thing, it must be so!) A taking of the Name of the Lord in vain! And When the Mini­sters of God throughout the Land, are toyling Day and Night, with [...] to bring their Hearers under the Bond of the Covenant, that God may be gl [...]ri­fied in their Professed Subj [...]ction to His Glorious Gospel, Why, Sir, Why should you go to Evacuate [...]o important a [Page 43] Scope of their Ministry? We are verily perswaded, that you are dear to Hea­ven as well as to Us, (and therefore to Us!) and that the Lord Jesus Christ hath a Crown in Heaven for you: and that He has invested you with that Righteousness of His, whereon His C [...]ur­ches do thank [...]ully Enjoy your worthy and your prin [...]ed Labours: But we are also perswaded, that your Entrance into the Kingdom, would be the mo [...]e Abun­dant, if you would make to the Church­es of the Lord, some Reparation ▪ for the Damages, that your Invasi [...]ns upon their Holy Discipline, are like to do unto them.

We Leave it. But we must in the Last place declare, (though perhaps we shall say Least concerning i [...],) That in the New Doctrine of Churches, the thing at which we are most concerned, is, that perilous Paradox; That men may and ought to come unto the Lords Supper, Doct. of Chs. p. 21. though they know themselves to be in a Natural Condition: Ibid. p. 22. And That the Lords Supper is Instituted to be a means of Regeneration: And, That they who are not Saints, do not profane the [Page 44] Ordinance. The Churches of New Eng­land had hitherto held fast the sound Words, with which such Holy Presbyteri­ans, as Gelapsy, and Baxter, and Dyke and others had instructed them. They durst not shut themselves out, from the Union with the Presbyterians in London, whereof this is one Article, None shall be Admit­ted as Members in order to Communion in all the Spceial Ordinances of the Gospel, but such as to a Judgment regulated by the Word of God, are persons of visible Godli­ness and Honesty▪ credibly professing cordial subjection to Jesus Christ. They have Read also a famous Writer of the Congre­gational Way giving this Acc [...]unt of i [...]; She doth not judge it any way conducing towards the Quickning of those who are dead in Trespasses and Sins to put them in con­ceit that they are Living Stones, by putting them into the building of the Spiritual Tem­ple of God; nor doth She willingly suffer a­ny man to eat and drink damnation to him­self, to further him in his Salvation. That Popish Fancy (Espous [...]d also by some of the more popishly disposed Lutherans,) That the Lords Supper is Appointed for a mean of bringing the Unregenerate home unto God, has been from the beginning [Page 45] Exploded in the Churches of New Eng­land. They have taken it, for an Upstart Noti [...]n, (as Mr. Vines calls it) and (with him) wondred that any man should stand up in the Defence of it, since there is an Army to a man against them. It would not have been imagined, That when the Twenty ninth Article of the Church of England says, That in the use of the Lords Supper, such as are void of a Lively Faith, to their Condemnation Eat and Drink the Sign and Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ: And when the Common-Prayer Book of the Church of England says, That in no wise men should come but in the Marriage Garment, Let him not come to the Holy Table, but let him truly Repent of his sins past, and have a Lively Faith in our Saviour Ch [...]ist; there should now arise Divines in the Churches of New-England, that should preach this Doctrine to us: Tho' you know that you never did Repent of Sin & never did Believe on Christ; Yet come to the Table of the Lord: Fear not; You may as well come to a Sacrament as to a Sermon. Though you know your selves to be Enemies of God, and impenitent Ha­ters of what is Holy and Just and Good, yet Eat O Friends, Drink abundantly, O Belov­ed. [Page 46] This Chills with a sort of Conster­nation, the Hearts of almost all that have any Fear of God in them, from one end of the Land unto the other. Yea, 'twere enough to make the Land shake four hundred Pars [...]e. One th [...] was Fa­mous for building the Churches of New-England, and indeed a Master Builder, in them, wrote a Book, Entituled, The Ho­liness of Church Members. But in the next Generation, there come those who break down the Carved Work thereof, and among the Axes and Hammers therein Employ'd, One is a Book, the Title whereof might be, The Unh [...]liness or Hy­pocrisie of Church Members. Possibly, that which may have betray'd our Friend into these Hallucinations, is, a peculiar Exactness in his Thoug [...]ts about a Work of Regeneration. In the Experience of his own Religious and Regenerate Soul, there may have been such and such no­table Operations of the Holy Spirit up­on his mind; and it is natural for such good men, to make their own Experi­ence a Rule for others. If others have not perceived all the same Operations, in the [...]ame Measure, and in the same Order, with themselves, their trembling Appre­hensions [Page 47] of Gods Righteousness, and of Mans Deceitfulness, not making a due Allowance for the Variety used in the Way [...]f the Spi­rit, cause them to fear that such are not yet Regenerate. Hence according to the Judgment of Severity, passed by these E­minent Christians, there will not be in a whole Town, Regenerate Persons enough, to make a Church where a Judgment of Charity ▪ would find a considerable Num­ber. [And yet, by the way, we know not how it comes to pass, that there is one Time in the Month, wherein Severi­ty strangely Vails to Charity; and con­cerning those Persons, to whom the A­postle Peter sayes, Act. 2 23. Ye have taken Jesus, and by wicked Hands have Crucified and Slain Him, We must be ex­pressly told, They might be Godly [...] Now,Doct. of Chs. p. 21 to avoid this E [...]umbance, the Regeneration of Communicants must not be Enquired after, no, not so much as by themselves, in order to their Communica­ting. Our Friend finds himself under a Necessity to grant, That a Church must be a Society of Saints;Doct. of Chs. p 5 but now, lest known Sinners then should be kept out of the [Page 48] Church, and lest it should be said unto the Wicked, What hast thou to do, that thou shouldest take the Covenant of God into thy mouth, it is provided, That we must not look upon those only to be Visi­ble Saints, Ibid. p. 6. who make a profession of the true Religion, joyned with an Holy Conversation. Yea, tis provided, That a person lying under Scandalous Of­fence and under censure for his Offence, Ibid. p. 23. is not deprived of visible Saintship. And yet, such Inconsistences does the Truth compel our Friend unto, [Tis the Revenge of Truth upon him, for striking at it!] That when he comes to tell us, Who are the Visible Saints, that are to be Admitted unto the Lords Supper, he lets [...]all these words, which do at once give up all: Such a Profession, as being sincere, makes a man a Real Saint, being morally sincere, makes a man a Visible Saint. Behold, a Concessi­on of all that we ask for! Haec verba loquentis ab Ore — Gaudens arripio. First, A man that would be Admitted unto the Lords Supper ▪ must make a profession of Real Sanctity: He is not a Visible Saint, Except he make a profession of That, which if it be Really in him, would [Page 49] render him, a Real Saint: But by a Real Saint, we can understand no other, than One, that has Really Repented of Sin, and Believed on Christ, and Obeyed the calls of the Gospel from his heart. Secondly, This profession of Real Sanctity, must be moral­ly Sincere, or else the man is not so much as a Visible Saint. But now, a mans pro­fession of being a Real Saint, can't be mo­rally Sincere to himself, while he knows it himself to be False, or knows himself to be Unsanctifi [...]d Nor d [...]es the mans pro­fession appear morally Sincere, unto them that are to Try it, while they can con­vict him of the Falsehood in it, and of his being Unsanctified, either by being unable to give any Tolerable Account of any Im­pressions from the Grace of God upon him or by being Ungodly in the course of his Conversati [...]n▪ What need we now go any further? The Tree has it sel [...] lent us an Helve to the Ax, that cuts all down by the Roots. But that we ma [...] Cutt Home, we need only say; Is the Lords Supper a Seal of the New Covenant, or no? If it be, Let this Argument come out of it. Either a Saving Faith is re­quisite unto Worthy Partaking at the Table of the Lord, (so requisite, that without [Page 50] probable Hopes of it, it is a Presumption to approach that Holy Table, or else a man that knows himself to be an Unbeliever ▪ may venture to come, while he knows himself to be so. But now, That a man who knows himself to be an Unbe­liever, may not come unto the Holy Table, is thus Evinced. A man may not Re­ceive the Seal of the Covenant, while he does Reject the Covenant it self. But an Unregenerate, and an Unbeliever does Re­ject the Covenant of God, and of Life. Tis a most unreasonable, a most preposte­rous, Imagination, that a man who con­tinues in Rebellion against the Covenant of God, should have that Covenant Seal [...]d unto him. If a man Refuse all the very Great and Precious Promises of the Covenant, why should his Interest in those Promises be Seal'd unto him with a Sacrament? But a man who does not Refuse the Covenant, and the Prom [...]ses of it, that man is a true Believer: he that accepts the Proposals of the New Covenant, is a Rege­nerate man. But one word more. Is the Lords Supper to be praeceded with a Self Examination, or no? I [...] it be, Let this Argument be put into the Scale. If a man may not come to the Table of the [Page 51] Lord, until he have Examined himself whether he shall be a Worthy Receiver, Then a man who knows himself incapa­ble of being a Worthy Receiver, may not yet come unto that Holy Table. What is the Scope of the Self Examination, that must go before coming to the Holy Table, but for a man to see whether he can yet come Worthily, and not come till he have by due Prayers, and Pains, made Experi­ment, whether the Lord hath helped him to do those things, that must be done be­fore he come? This is a thing so plain, that we are put upon helping our Charity with any Sort of Spectacles, to Think, that any man will Dispute it, any other­wise than meerly for Disputation sake And indeed, they that understand Greek, need not be told, that when tis said, 1 Cor. 11.28 Let a man Examine himself; an Examination even to Approbation is called for. But now, a man that knows himself to be still Unregenerate, and Un­repentant, knows that while such, he can­not be a Worthy R [...]ceiver at the Table of the Lord. For, deal Sincerely; He that Receives the Bread and the Wine, in the Eucharist, but Receives not the CHRIST, Exhibited therein, is he a Worthy Receiver▪ [Page 52] But an Unrenewed Mind, cannot Receive a CHRIST: A CHRIST is Received by none, but those whose Mind is Renewed by the Holy Ghost: Such an one is a Rege­rate man. The only thing here that some can't get over, is This; Then they, who don't know themselves to be Saints, don't know▪ that it is Lawful for them to partake, & so far as a man hath any Scruples about his Saintship, he must proportionably have Scruples about the Lawfulness of his participation. In short, As a certain Ma­nuscript, which Walks about, [the Author whereof, we know not, only we know, it was not our Excellent MITCHEL, One of the bravest men that ever our Colledge bred, and one in the History of whose Life, there is an Eternal Confutation of all the Pamphlets, that have been casting Fire into our Churches.] intimates it, He can [...]t Eat in Faith, and so tis Sin. But any Child may easily get over it. It is the Command of the Lord Jesus Christ, that His Disciples do Cele­brate the Holy Supper; as it was▪ for the Israelites, to Celebrate the P [...]sseover. They can have no Doubt about this Command; they must be so far from Questioning the Lawfulness of Celebrating the Holy [Page 53] Supper, that they must own it a Duty. Now, the Passeover might not be Cele­brated in an House▪ that had any Leaven in it. Well, but it was not necessary, the People should infallibly know that there was no Leaven in the House; it was only necessary that they should Search the House, and that upon and after a due Search, there should be no Leaven that they knew of; they should not Know, that the Leaven was yet unremoved. Thus in the Lords Supper: The Heart must be Search'd, whether the Leaven of Unregeneracy, or Original Sin in the whole Reign of it, and Reigning Lust, be yet unremoved. Though we don't infallibly know, That the Leaven of an Unregenerate Mind, is Removed from our Heart, yet we must come to the Lords Supper, because of the Command for it; We must yield Obedi­ence to the Command as well as we can, and we do not know of any Bar to our Immediate Obedience. But if we do know that the Leaven is yet wholly unremov­ed, th [...]n we have something else to do, before we may dare to Celebrate our Passeover. Briefly, A probable Hope of Re­generation, is enough to Embolden our [Page 54] coming to the Holy Table, as we are com­manded: Yea, to come though we may have many Doubts and Fears upon us: for while we have that probable Hope, we do not know, of any thing, that should Hinder us. Wide is the Differ­ence between a mans knowing himself to be in the Bond of Iniquity, and a mans not infallibly knowing himself to be Rege­nerate, and yet having a probable Hope of it. We would not for Ten Worlds, run the Hazard of bringing the Blood of so many Souls upon our Heads, as we might, if we should bid men in their Known Unregeneracy to come unto the Tremendous Mysteries, which in the Early Dayes of the Church, were thought fit, as Origen assures us, for none but Souls Exquisitely Searched. We cannot forget the words of Luther. If I were to call for a Curse upon my greatest Enemies, it should be This: Let them go hear the Word of God, and then Despise it, and Reject it; So, Let them hasten to the Table of the Lord, and hereby they sha [...]l Seal the Stone upon their Grave, and have DAMNATI­ON Written in great Characters upon their Foreheads. We call to mind, That the Communicants of the Church in Phillippi, [Page 55] were those, of whom the Apostle could say, Phil. 1.6, 7. God hath begun a good work in you, It is meet for me to Think this of you all. (And all the Epistles have passages of like importance.) Ac­cordingly, We would have our Commu­cants to be such, that upon Examination, It may be meet for us to think of them all, that God hath begun a Good Work in them, which He will Finish. And when we find our Friends answer, That the Com­municants might be such, when the Apo­stles wrote, but they were not such when they first became Communicants, we can scarce imagine, that they themselves re­ally take it for an Answer: 'tis a forlorn cause, that must fly to such an Answer. That the Lords Supper, is not Appointed for the Ordinary means of Working the First Grace in Unregenerate Men, but for the Confirming and Strengthening of Grace in the Regenerate, We need not go to prove, till they that are Undermining our Churches, can show a proof of such an App [...]intment. We can tell where [...] said, It comes by Hearing: Let them tell where 'tis said, It comes by the Sacra­ment [...]vertheless, one of us, was [...] of more than Twenty [Page 56] pages, to maintain the Present Truth, concerning the Importance of probable Regeneration, as a Qualification for the Subjects of Sacraments, in a Treatise Entituled, A Companion for Communicants. Our Friend has not counted so much as One Reason of the many there offered, worthy of the Least Answer: but then, we request the Readers, to compare the Doctrine of this our Friend, with the Doctrine and Reason, of the Excellent Charnock, in a whole Sermon which does Refel it unanswerably and Irrefragably. In the mean time, we shall envy to no man, the Consolation, (Alas, a sad one!) of having done what he can, that persons, in order to their being Admitted unto the Lords Table, shall not be asked by their Pastors, no, nor by themselves neither, Whether they have ever given themselves unto the Lord Jesus Christ: or having done what he can to prove, That such vile Hypocrisie, as for a man to put on the Face of Religion, when he knows his Heart neither hath nor Likes Religion, is the Qualification of One that is to abide in the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to dwell in His Holy Hill: and that an Histrionical Faith is enough to Qu [...]i­fie [Page 57] one, for the Seals of Pardon and Glo­ry. These few things, we thought pro­per to Write, on the occasion of our ha­ving so Good Company as our Honou­red QUICK, for what we Write. We are not insensible, to what Reproaches, and Invectives, we Expose our selves, by our Freedome, in thus Defending the Churches; for Grievous Revolts must be carried on with Slanders. And when the New modellers of our Churches can make no other hard Character stick up­on us, they will industriously characte­rize us about the Country, as Humour­some men, who if they can't have their own little Humours gratified, will make a deal of Disturbance. But, be it known to you, O ye Churches of the Lord; Although we are our selves for the Con­gregational Church Discipline, yet we never do appear with open Expressions of Dis­satisfaction, but at those Innovations irre­gularly started among us, which the Writings of the Reforming Presbyterians Beyond Sea, have discountenanc [...]d. And we have pressed no Singular Opinions of our own, as all that [...]ry up and push on the Innovations [...] have pleaded far [...] [Page 58] have been the Decisions, and the Directi­ons left us by the General Councils, of all our Churches. Nor have we made any Disturbance; Except men will be Distur­bed, when they are but Lovingly Advi­sed of Aberrations; for we ask the Re­bukes of our Neighbours, when ever they find us forget that Rule, Being Re­viled, we Bless; Being Defamed, we En­treat. And that which necessitates our Doing what we have Done, is our consi­dering, That we are set for the Defence, as of the Faith, so of the Order of the Gos­pel ▪ Nor are we without Praesages, that when the Order of the Gospel is gone from among us, the Faith will soon go after it. For we daily see one point going after another, and such a slothful­ness, and sleepiness and cowardise upon those that should be m [...]re Fai [...]h [...]ul to the Evangelical Inter [...]sts, and should ap­pear more vigorously to stop the Tor­ren [...], as no Good Account can be given for. Yea, we see those Churches that [...] themselv [...]s as being most Emi­nent for praeserving the [...] of their Evangelical Principles, ha [...]dly [...] pre­s [...]ve themselves from the [...], which almost all the Reformed Churches [Page 59] in the World have prohibited. If a Backsliding Generation do thus, While we are yet Alive, what will they do, a few years hence? We may perhaps, a little altering the words with which the Roman Orator begins one of his Orati­ons, conclude, Nemo his Annis Viginti Ec­clesiarum Hostis fuerit, qui non Bellum eo­dem Tempore nobis quoque en dixerit. But if our Watchfulness and Faithfulness to the Churches of New England, bring all the raging Obloquy imaginable upon us, We humbly hope, That the Lord, who Walks in the midst of His Golden Candle­sticks, and Who knows our Works, and our Labour, will still help us unfaintingly to Labour for His Names Sake, and for His Churches: And it will turn unto us for a Testimony.

LET not the Churches imagine, That their Pastors, have generally desert­ed their Principles. The Principles which rendred these Churches famous in the former Generation, are not all Dead, with the Brave men of that Generation. The Doctrine about the Examination, & Qualification of Communicants at the Holy Table, is yet Alive in the Country, and will out live all the Stabs that are daily given unto it. When unhappy Pamphlets, decrying the necessity of mens coming with Repentance, and Faith and Love, in their Hearts to the Holy Table, are zealously dispersed and De­fended in the Country, 'tis a vain thing to flatter us, that there is no Apostasie, carrying us away from our first Founda­tions: For the Apostasy of the Young men is very great before the Lord; Yea, it cries aloud unto the Reforming Presbyte­rians a thousand Leagues off, to come in for our Help against it. If things go on, the Holy Writings of Dyke, and Vines, [Page 62] and Gouge, and Roberts, and of Doolittel, and others, which have been bless'd for the making of so many Christians in A­merica, must be hiss'd back to Europe a­gain. But the Pious Doolittel's Book a­bout the Lords Supper, (as well as the rest) will be still Read and Prized in the Churches of New England, notwith­standing the Attempts of some Late Pa­pers, to render it an Erroneous Piece. Ma­ny Hundreds thereof are Sold among us; and it is at this very time Reprinting in Boston. The Holy Quicks Treatise will have the like Reception. Those Ministers that have, as it were accidentally had the opportunity to peruse it, have gladly Sign'd their Testimony unto it, and unto the Design of it. That no more have Sign'd it, is because they have not yet Seen it, or had the like opportunity: For they are not all afraid of apearing faith­fully to warn the Churches of their Dan­gers; these Eight, are not the only Mi­nisters that have their Hearts in the En­suing Attestation. Let those that can't concur to the Reverend Quicks Divinity, be content that our Churches will first see the Reforming Presbyterians beyond Sea-part with it, before They be deluded [...] it.