All Sound and Orthodox Writers with one mind agree (and mere Reason teaches it) that where a Rule and express Law is ⟨p. 29⟩prescribed to men, that very Prescription, is an express prohibition of the contrary: 1Here we have the Order of Gospel Administration, not only Commanded, but Practised. First they Preached; and such as were Converted, were Baptized; such as were Baptized, walked in Church-Fellowship, &c. Breaking of Bread and Prayers; which being so express, what necessity is there to be wise above what is written, and to clamour for Precept or Example, to prove that Baptism is a bar to Communion, since we read every where, (where Gospel order is set down,) that all such as were received, were first Baptized; and not one instance in the whole Bible, that any were received without it. Nor is it rational to think that any were admitted to Church-Fellowship any other way, unless we will say that these positive Precepts were calculated for ⟨p. 30⟩some only, and not for all Christians, which is not only absurd, but against the very Letter of the Scripture, Matth. 28.19. Teach all Nations Baptizing them, that is every individual that gladly receives the Word in every Nation: Take Eat, &c. Drink ye all of it, Matth. 26.26. &c. That is, every individual Member of the Church. Which Interpretation must needs stand, until the Maintainers of this new Opinion can assign to what sort of Christians these Divine Precepts are obligatory, and to what sort they are not; a thing impossible to be made out. Which I shall shut up in the words of Mr. Cox, in his late Discourse of the Covenants, page 131. In matters of Positive Right (saith he) we can have no warrant for our practice, but from a Positive Precept: for things of this kind fall not within the compass of Common Light, or general Principles of Natural Religion;⟨p. 31⟩but have their Original from a particular, distinct, and independent Will of the Law-giver. And therefore Inferences built upon General Notions may soon lead us into mistakes about them; if upon such inferences we Form a Rule to our selves of larger extent than the express words of the Institution do warrant. Which as it is a sound and excellent Truth, quite overthrows this practice of admitting Unbaptized persons to the Communion of the Lords Supper, there being no positive Precept to warrant it:2
All Sound and Orthodox Writers with one mind agree (and meer Reason teaches it) that where a Rule and express Law is ⟨p. 29⟩prescribed to men, that very Prescription, is an express prohibition of the contrary: 1Here we have the Order of Gospel Administration, not only Commanded, but Practised. First they Preached; and such as were Converted, were Baptized; such as were Baptized, walkt in Church-Fellowship, &c. Breaking of Bread and Prayers; which being so express, what necessity is there to be wise above what is written, and to clamour for Precept or Example, to prove that Baptism is a bar to Communion, since we read every where, (where Gospel order is set down,) that all such as were received, were first Baptized; and not one instance in the whole Bible, that any were received without it. Nor is it rational to think that any were admitted to Church-Fellowship any other way, unless we will say that these positive Precepts were calculated for some⟨p. 30⟩only, and not for all Christians, which is not only absurd, but against the very Letter of the Scripture, Matth. 28.19. Teach all Nations Baptizing them, that is every individual that gladly receives the Word in every Nation: Take Eat, &c. Drink ye all of it, Matth. 26.26. &c. That is, every individual Member of the Church. Which Interpretation must needs stand, until the Maintainers of this new Opinion can assign to what sort of Christians these Divine Precepts are obligatory, and to what sort they are not; a thing impossible to be made out. Which I shall shut up in the words of Mr. Coxe, in his late Discourse of the Covenants, page 131. In matters of Positive Right (saith he) we can have no warrant for our practice, but from a Positive Precept: for things of this kind fall not within the compass of Common Light, or general Principles of Natural Religion;⟨p. 31⟩but have their Original from a particular, distinct, and independent Will of the Law-giver. And therefore Inferences built upon General Notions may soon lead us into mistakes about them; if upon such inferences we Form a Rule to our selves of larger extent than the express words of the Institution do warrant. Which as it is a sound and excellent Truth, quite overthrows this practice of admitting Unbaptized persons to the Communion of the Lords Supper, there being no positive Precept to warrant it:
- 1Act. 2.38. to 42.
- 2Query how consistent, &c.Quere how consistent, &c.
