A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbytery in Scotland, or, A modest and…A peaceable and temperate plea for Pauls presbyterie in Scotland, or, A modest and…

Answ. 1. This argument is injurious to Gods providence, who hath left no infallible means to keep his own Name and ordinances from profanation, and his own Church from being leavened and defiled with the unclean. For Simon Magus, Ananias and Sapphira, Demas, to whom the precious promises of the covenant were preached, and the seals conferred, could not be discerned to be hypocrites by any word of God, while the event of their out-breaking wickedness declared them to be such, and so this should prove that God is not tender enough of the honour of his own Name and ordinances, who should permit hypocrites to lurk in the visible Church, and hear the promises, and receive the seals of the covenant, and defile and pollute them, and Christs body the Church, for the godly by that Text are made one body, 1 Cor. 10. (if it be rightly expounded) with the latent hypocrites that come to the communion with them. 2. The promises and seals were not defiled to Christ and his Disciples, because Judas did hear the word, and receive the seals of the word with them: The Word and Sacraments were not polluted to Paul, because Demas did communicate with him. 3. If some one private Christian know another to be an adulterer, he is to rebuke him privately, and not to tell the Church, but in case of obstinacy, and suppose the Church would not cast out the adulterer, yet is he not to private persons an adulterer, while he be juridice, by two or three witnesses convicted before the Church, and all this while it is lawful to communicate with him; for a a testimony should not be received against any, but under two witnesses. We are not made one body by eating that same supper with an unbeliever, except it be one visible body communicating in one visible bread. Christ and the Apostles were not made one body mystical with Judas, by eating the Passover together, but only one visible external society which is not inconvenient.

Answ. 1. This argument is injurious to Gods providence, who hath left no infallible meanes to keepe his owne Name and ordinances from prophanation, and his owne Church from being leavened and defiled with the uncleane. For Simon Magus, Annanias and Saphira, Demas, to whom the precious promises of the covenant were preached, and the seales conferred, could not be discerned to be hypocrites by any word of God, while the event of their out-breaking wickednesse declared them to be such, and so this should prove that God is not tender enough of the honour of his owne Name and ordinances, who should permit hypocrites to lurke in the visible Church, and heare the promises, and receive the seales of the covenant, and defile and pollute them, and Christs body the Church, for the godly by that Text are made one body,