Secondly, That Qualification without which ⟨p. 34⟩a man may not be taken into Church Fellowship, is doubtless to be demanded of them that would approach unto the Supper of the Lord. For, without, a Regular standing in a Visible Church, the Holy Table ought to be Inaccessible; and it is blindness, to imagine, That the Lord has prepared this blessed Banquet, for any but those that come into His Holy Mountain. It has indeed been disputed, Whether All Church-Members may presently be admitted unto the Lords Table. We all of us do stigmatize it as a gross Error, in those degenerate Christians, the Abissines, the Arminians, the Maronites, and some others, To distribute the Eucharist unto children. And the purest Churches of the Lord Jesus, have generally not been so large, or so soon in the Administration of the Lords Supper, as of Baptism. One has been given as Milk, when the other, like Strong Meat has been withheld; and the Ancients usually Detained the baptized, a while before they were Confirmed. But no man of sense ever imagined any other than that Only Church-Members might be admitted hereunto. Now a man may not be taken into Church-Fellowship without a probable and credible Profession of a Saving Faith •o settle this point; I will not urge the Notion of some, that when our Lord washed the feet of his Disciples, adding, I have given ⟨p. 35⟩you an Example, He meant, As I have taken care to have your Feet washed before I entertain you, so I would have you see that the Faith of other people be cleansed before you take them to a communion with you at my Table. I am no more sure of this paraphrase than I am that the Rite of Feet washing should be continued in the Churches of our Lord, as it was at Milan in the Days of Ambrose, or as 'tis too ludicrously at this day among the Greeks. But I suppose, all men will grant▪ that only Disciples may be taken in among Church-members. Now none are to be Reputed as Disciples of our Lord, but such as have that character, in Luc. 14. 27. To bear a Cross, and come after Him; and in Mat. 16. 24. to Deny Himself. The Disciples in Heart, are those that cordially, and the Disciples in show, are those that visibly, forsake all that is contrary to the Son of God. Our Lord says, in John […] 31. If ye continue in my Word, then are •e my Disciples indeed.
Secondly, That Qualification without which ⟨p. 34⟩a man may not be taken into Church Fellowship, is doubtless to be demanded of them that would approach unto the Supper of the Lord. For, without, a Regular standing in a Visible Church, the Holy Table ought to be Inaccessible; and it is blindness, to imagine, That the Lord has prepared this blessed Banquet, for any but those that come into His Holy Mountain. It has indeed been disputed, Whether All Church-Members may presently be admitted unto the Lords Table. We all of us do stigmatize it as a gross Error, in those degenerate Christians, the Abissines, the Arminians, the Maronites, and some others, To distribute the Eucharist unto children. And the purest Churches of the Lord Jesus, have generally not been so large, or so soon in the Administration of the Lords Supper, as of Baptism. One has been given as Milk, when the other, like Strong Meat has been withheld; and the Ancients usually Detained the baptized, a while before they were Confirmed. But no man of sense ever imagined any other than that Only Church-Members might be admitted hereunto. Now a man may not be taken into Church-Fellowship without a probable and credible Profession of a Saving Faith •o settle this point; I will not urge the Notion of some, that when our Lord washed the feet of his Disciples, adding, I have given ⟨p. 35⟩you an Example, He meant, As I have taken care to have your Feet washed before I entertain you, so I would have you see that the Faith of other people be cleansed before you take them to a communion with you at my Table. I am no more sure of this paraphrase than I am that the Rite of Feet washing should be continued in the Churches of our Lord, as it was at Millain in the Days of Ambrose, or as 'tis too ludicrously at this day among the Greeks. But I suppose, all men will grant▪ that only Disciples may be taken in among Church-members. Now none are to be Reputed as Disciples of our Lord, but such as have that character, in Luc. 14. 27. To bear a Cross, and come after Him; and in Mat. 16. 24. to Deny Himself. The Disciples in Heart, are those that cordially, and the Disciples in show, are those that visibly, forsake all that is contrary to the Son of God. Our Lord says, in John 〈…〉 31. If ye continue in my Word, then are •e my Disciples indeed.
