Rich. Baxters apology against the modest exceptions of Mr. T. Blake and the digression…

God hath no where made a Covenant, that they shall have the Lords Supper that will profess faith. To feign God to make a Covenant with man, whose condition shall be oral profession, and whose Blessing promised, is only the nudum signum, a little water to wash men, and a little bread and wine, without that Christ, and Remission of sin, Mortification and Spiritual Life, which these Sacraments are in their Institution appointed to signify, seal and exhibit, this is, I think a groundless and presumptuous course. 4. The same may be said of Discipline: which, alas few Churches do enjoy. I desire therefore that those words of Scripture may be produced where any such outward Covenant is contained. I take outward Ordinances and other blessings to be a second part of, or certain appurtenances to the blessings of the great Covenant of Grace, and given by Covenant on the same condition (of true faith) as Justification it self is: but allowed or given by Providence, where and when God pleaseth, and sometime to Infidels that never made profession, as to some of them (the Word and temporal mercies) and not assured by promise to any ungodly man, that from Providence receiveth them.

God hath no where made a Covenant, that they shall have the Lords Supper that will profess faith. To feign God to make a Covenant with man, whose condition shall be orall profession, and whose Blessing promised, is only the nudum signum, a little water to wash men, and a little bread and wine, without that Christ, and Remission of sin, Mortification and Spiritual Life, which these Sacraments are in their Institution appointed to signifie, seal and exhibit, this is, I think a groundless and presumptuous course. 4. The same may be said of Discipline: which, alas few Churches do enjoy. I desire therefore that those words of Scripture may be produced where any such outward Covenant is contained. I take outward Ordinances and other blessings to be a second part of, or certain appurtenances to the blessings of the great Covenant of Grace, and given by Covenant on the same condition (of true faith) as Justification it self is: but allowed or given by Providence, where and when God pleaseth, and sometime to Infidels that never made profession, as to some of them (the Word and temporal mercies) and not assured by promise to any ungodly man, that from Providence receiveth them.