A sober discourse of right to church-communion

Ans. If we consult the Scripture with the Coherence, it will appear how weak this Objection is.

1. For that Rom. 6.3. Let it be considered to whom the Apostle writes: Is it not to the whole Church, and every individual of them? In verse 1, 2. When he says, What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that Grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ? If these words in the first and second Verse respect the whole Church, as they must be supposed to do, unless we will conclude that the Apostle ⟨p. 140⟩did grant a liberty to some of the Church to continue in sin, and live therein, then these words, Know ye not that as many of us as were Baptised into Jesus Christ, &c. Are Interrogatively propounded not only to the same persons, unto whom the former words relate, but also as an Argument or Reason why none of them should live any longer in sin, which is the thing from which he was a dissuading not only some of them, but even all of them in the foregoing verses, and which he improves in an Argumentative way throughout the greatest part of the Chapter, and it would not befit the Reason of any ordinary man, much less of a Great Apostle to make choice a Reason or Motive to enforce his Exhortation or Persuasion, which is of less extent in the tendency and concernment of it, then are the persons whom he doth Exhort or Dehort. Which ⟨p. 141⟩yet is a piece of weakness, of which we must suppose this Apostle to be guilty, unless you do conclude that all those of the Church of Rome were dissuaded from continuing any longer in sin upon this ground, because they had been all Baptised into the Death of Christ, viz. a Conformity to his Death, as well as a belief of it. To conclude, If the whole Church had not been under the Motive, the whole Church could not be pressed by it as here you see they are.