The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal divided into four parts ... : in each of which there are not a few choice and useful questions, very shortly and satisfyingly discussed and cleared / by ... Mr. James Durham ... who being dead (by this) yet speaketh ; and published by John Carstares ... ; to which is prefixed an excellent preface of famous Mr. Blair ... ; together with a table of the contents of the several chapters of each part.

CHAP. XIV. Clearing whether the Ordinances of Christ be any way polluted by corrupt fellow-worshippers.

BUt yet two things are to be satisfied. 1. It may be said, But are not the Ordinances of Christ someway polluted by the unworthinesse of such scandalous partakers? and if so, can polluted Ordi∣nances be partaken of without sin? Answ. We may consider polluting of Ordinances in a threefold sense. 1. An Ordinance may be said to be polluted, when the essentials and substantials thereof are corrupted, so as indeed it ceaseth to be an Ordinance of Jesus Christ: Thus the Masse in Popery, is a fearfull abo∣mination, and a corruption of the Sacrament: in this respect, the Ordinance (if it may be called an Ordinance after that, for indeed it is not an Ordi∣nance of Christ) is polluted, and this may be many wayes fallen into, and communion in this, is indeed sinfull and cannot but be so.

2. An Ordinance may be said to be polluted, when

it is irreverently and profanely abused, though essen∣tials be keeped: Thus the Lords Sabbath may be polluted, which yet is holy in it self; So was the Table of the Lord polluted, Mal. 1. And in this sense the Sacrament of the Lords Supper was indeed pollu∣ted by the Corinthians, 1 Cor. 11. when some came drunk or otherwayes irreverently to the holy Ordinances; in this respect, an Ordinance may be said to be pol∣luted to him that so goeth about it, because to the un∣clean all things are unclean; but it is not polluted in it self, nor to any other that examine themselves, as the former instance doth clear, because that polluti∣on cometh from nothing in the Ordinance, (it being in its essentials compleat) but doth arise from the sin∣fulnesse of such and such persons, and therefore must be commensurable with them.

3. An Ordinance may be said to be polluted, up∣on this extrinsick consideration, to wit, when by some circumstance in it, or miscarriage of those that are about it, it is made common-like, and so want∣eth that luster and honourablenesse that it ought to have; by such a fault the Ordinance is made obnoxi∣ous to contempt, and is despised by others, contrary to the Lords allowance. Thus the Priests of old made the offerings of the Lord vile and contemp∣tible, which was not by corrupting them in essenti∣als, nor making them cease to be Ordinances, bu•…•… by their miscarriages and corrupt irreverent way of going about them, they did lay that stumbling-block before others, to make them account these Ordi∣nances contemptible. This may be diverse wayes fallen into, As, 1. when the Officer, or Minister, hath a profane carnall carriage, So he maketh the Ordi∣nance of the Ministery, and every other Ordinance vile in this sense: Thus, if an Elder or any other•…•… should take on them to admonish while they are in drunkennesse or passion, or such like, they do pol∣lute that admonition, yet still these Ordinances are

Ordinances, and that admonition an admonition. 2. It is fallen into, when an Officer doth indiscreetly and indifferently administrate Ordinances to preci∣ous and vile, as if they were common things. Thus a reproof may be polluted when a manifest known contemner is reproved, because, so a pearl is casten before swine, which is derogatory to the excellency thereof. Thus a Minister may profane or pollute the most excellent promises or consolations of the Word, when he doth without discretion apply the same indifferently; or, without making difference between the tender and the untender and profane; yea, even between the hypocrites and the truely god∣ly. This is not to divide the Word of God aright, and is indeed that which the Lord mainly account∣eth to be Not separating of the precious from the vile, when peace is spoken to them to whom he never spoke 〈◊〉〈◊〉 This is also committed, when grosly scandalous persons are permitted, without the exercise of Disci∣pline upon them▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 live in the Church, or are admit∣ted to Sacraments, because so Gods institution is wronged, and the luster thereof is lessened, and men are induced to think lesse thereof. 3. This may be also by the irreverent mann•…•…r of going about them, when it is without that due reverence and gravity that ought to be in His worship. Thus one may make the Word and Sacrament to be in a great part ridi∣culous; and so suppose, that at the Sacrament of the Supper, in the same Congregation, some should be communicating at one place, some at another, some should be palpably talking of other things, some miscarrying by drunkennesse, &c. as its clear was in the Church of Corinth. All those may be said to pollute the Ordinances, as they derogate from their weight and authority, and miscarry in the admini∣stration of them, and are ready to breed irreverence and contempt in others where the Lords Body in the Supper, or the end of His instit•…•…tion in other Ordi∣nances,

is not discerned and observed: yet all these do not pollute the Ordinance in it self, or make it to be no Ordinance, nor do pollute it to any that doth re∣verently partake of the same, and doth not stumble upon the block that is laid before him: Because an hearer that were suitably qualified, might comfort∣ably receive and •…•…eed upon a sweet promise, even when it might be extended in its application beyond the Lord's allowance; yet doth not that alter the na∣ture thereof to him: So may worthy Communicants that have examined themselves, and do discern the Lord's Body, partake of that Sacrament with His ap∣probation, and to their own comfort; Because they might discern Him and by that come to get the right impression of the Ordinances, although many blocks were lying in their way: for, it is not others casting of snares before them, but their stumbling at them, that doth pollute the Ordinance to them. Hence we see, that though all these were in the Church of Co∣rinth, so that there was neither 〈◊〉〈◊〉 in the man∣ner, nor discretion in respect of the Receivers (for, some came drunken, and some came and waited no: on others, some came hungry, and others full) yet was it still the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and unpolluted to those, who by examining of themselves, and discerning of His Body (which others failed in) did reverently and duly partake of the same.

Besides these wayes of pollution mentioned, we cannot conceive of any other (for now legal and ce∣remonial pollution, such as was by touching a dead body, &c. and was opposit to ceremonial holinesse, is not in this case to be mentioned) yet we see the first cannot be alleaged here, and none of the other two ought to scare tender persons from the Ordinances of Jesus Christ.

If it be said, That communicating in such a case▪ doth seem to approve such an admission, and to con∣firm those in some good opinion of themselves who

are admitted, and so there is a necessity of abstain∣ing, though not upon the account, that the Ordinan∣ces are polluted, yet, for preventing the foresaid of∣fence, which might make us guilty. Ans. If weight be laid upon offence, we make no question but it will sway to the other side. O what offence hath this way given to the Church of Christ! how hath it hardned those that had prejudice at Religion? How hath it opened the mouths of such as lie in wait for some∣thing of this kind? How hath it grieved and weight∣ed others? how hath it made the work of Reforma∣tion, profession of Holinesse, exercise of Disci∣pline, &c. to stink to many, and so to be loaded with reproaches, as hath marred much that accesse to keep the Ordinances unpolluted in the former re∣spect, which otherwise might have been? 2. Is not reverent and exemplary partaking of the Ordinances at such a time, a more edifying and convincing testi∣mony against such untendernesse, than by withdraw∣ing to give a new offence? 3. The Lord's precept in such a case, Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat, doth not leave the thing indifferent upon that ground; And therefore that objection is not here to have place, as the grounds formerly laid down do evince: For, we are not to be wise or holy beyond what the Lord hath commanded.