1 Isa. xxviii. 15, 18, JVQ WD, they cut a covenant with hell and death. In old time, men were wont to kill and cut asunder sacrificed beasts, and to pass between the parts divided, Gen. xv. 17 ; Jer. xxxiv. 18. The ceremony intended an imprecation that he might be cut in pieces, as that beast was, who should violate the covenant so made. The same rite was used among the heathenish Gentiles also, Rom. xiv. 23.
2 If I partake in other men's sins, I must partake in their punishments, Rev. xviii. 4. Christians were wont to be of that courage that they feared nothing but sin. Nil nisi peccatum timeo, said Chrysostom.
1 APPENDIX TO MKMOIR.
blessed blood to any base liver; and that upon these following grounds :
[1.] Because such persons are excluded by the word of God from communion Avith believers in that glorious ordinance, as the Scriptures in the margin do evidence.1
[2.] Not only the Scriptures, but the very episcopal Rubric, for the administration of the communion, do exclude and shut out such per- sons from the supper of the Lord, in these words : ' They that intended to partake of the holy communion should signify their names afore to the curate ; and if any of those be an open and notorious evil liver, so that the congregation is offended, or have done any wrong to his neighbour by word or deed, the curate having knowledge, shall call him and advertise him in any wise not to presume to the Lord's table until he hath openly declared himself to have truly repented, and amended his former naughty life, that the congregation may thereby be satisfied/ &c. As for the presbyterial way, you all know, that by their Directory and laws annexed, they must not receive any to the communion that are ignorant, scandalous, or profane in their conver- sation. So that the sum of what hath been said is this, that by the laws of God, and by the laws of episcopacy, and by the laws of pres- bytery, profane, ignorant, and scandalous persons are to be excluded from the supper of the Lord. Ergo —
[3.] Because the admitting of such as are profane, ignorant, scan- dalous, or that are scoffers and mockers of all goodness, &c, to the supper of the Lord, is the ready way to turn the house of God into a den of thieves, and to bring a dreadful doom both upon consenters and presumers, as the Scriptures in the margin will make good.2 Not only the lack of the word and sacraments, saith Bilson, but the abuse of either, greatly hazards the weal of the whole church, Mat. vii. 6. If profane ones be allowed to defile the mysteries and assemblies of the faithful, and holy things be cast to dogs, it will procure a dreadful doom, as well to consentaries as presumers. Ergo —
[4.] Because there are many horrid sins in their coming to the supper of the Lord.
(i.) There is horrid pride, else no man in his wickedness would presume to taste of the tree of life. Yet pride cannot climb so high, but justice will sit above her.
(2.) There is rebellion and treason against the crown and dignity of Christ. Their hands and lips adore him, as Judas his did; but their hearts and lives abhor him.
(3.) There is theft and sacrilege. If the taking away of the com- munion cup or cloth, &c, be such horrible theft and sacrilege, surely it is far greater theft and sacrilege to take that bread and wine that is set apart, and sanctified by the Lord himself, for a holy use.3
1 2 Cor. vi. 14, el seq. ; Philip, iii. 2 ; Mat xv. 26 ; 1 Cor. v. 12, 13 ; BeT. xxii. 15, 21, 27.^ It is worse to admit a man openly polluted with sins, than a man bodily pus with devils. — Chrysos(om. The Tlnirians had a law, that whosoever wviit about to abolish in old law, Bhould present himself with a rope about his neck before the people, that if his invention was not approved, he might presently be strangled. You know how to apply it.
- 1 Cor. xi. 27-30 ; Rev. ii. 12-16 ; 1 Cor. x. 3-9, 21, 22, compared ; Neh. xiii. 18, 19.
3 Possidonius reports, that all that took the gold of Tholosso [Colosse ?] perished in
APPENDIX TO MEMOIR. li
(4.) There is murder in the cruellest manner that can be ; for they kill two at once — Christ, and their own souls, 1 Cor. xi. 27, 29, com- pared.
It was wickedness in Julian to throw his blood in the face of Christ ; but for a wicked communicant to take Christ's own blood, as it were from his heart, and throw it into the face of Christ, is most abominable and damnable.
[5.] They want those qualifications that should fit them for this glorious ordinance. As,
(1.) Experimental knowledge.1
(2.) Faith, without which they cannot see Christ, nor receive Christ, nor feed upon Christ, nor apply Christ, nor seal to Christ.
(3.) Repentance from dead works.
(5.) Love to Christ and his children.
(6.) Holy thankfulness.
(7.) A spiritual appetite. All which are absolutely necessary to fit souls for the Lord's supper. Ergo — ■
[b\] Because such as are profane, scandalous, scoffers and mockers, &c, are not fit for civil society, how much less fit are they then for religious societies ?2 Men that love but their names and credits in the world, will shun the society of such vain persons ; how much more, then, should men that love their Christ, and that love their precious souls, shun such society ? ''Look, as shelves and sands do endanger the /3ad fa seaman, and as weeds endanger the corn, and bad humours the blood,^;/z /^, and an infected house the neighbourhood, so does the society of evil men endanger good men. One said, ' As oft as I have been among wicked men, I returned home less a man than I was before/ Men that keep ill company are like those that walk in the sun, tanned in- sensibly. Eusebius reports of John the evangelist, that he would not suffer Cerinthus the heretic in the same bath with him, lest some judgment should abide them both. You may easily apply it to the point in hand. [Euseb., lib. iii. c. 25.] *
[7.] Because such persons as are profane, scandalous, and wicked, &c, if they were in the church, they are by the word of God to be excommunicated, and cut off from visible union and communion with Christ and his church ; therefore they are not to be admitted to the privileges of the church. That wickedness that is a sufficient ground for the casting them out if they were in, is a sufficient ground to keep them out from polluting the glorious ordinance of the Lord, 1 Cor. v. ; 1 Tim. i. 19, 20 ; Mat. xviii. 15-18 : 2 Thes. iii. 6 ; 1 Tim. vi. 3-5.
[8.] Because the supper of the Lord is a feast instituted by Christ only for his friends and children, for those that have received spiritual life from him, and that have union and communion with him, Mat. xxvi. 27-29 ; 1 Cor. x. 16, 17, &c. ; Mat. iii. 12. But profane, igno-
the possession of it. Apply it. They may say with Henry the Seventh, The cup of life is made my death.
1 A gracious soul may say, not only Credo vitam ceternam el edo vitam ceternam, I believe life eternal, but 1 receive life eternal.