OBJECTION VII.

CHRIST himself administered the Lord's supper to Judas, whom he knew at the same time to be graceless; which is a full evidence, that grace is not in itself a requisite qualification in order to coming to the Lord's supper; and if it be not requisite in itself, a profession of it cannot be requisite.

ANSW. I. It is to me apparent, that Judas was not present at the administration of the Lord's supper. It is true, he was present at the passover, and dipped with Christ in the paschal dish. The three former Evangelists do differ in the order of the account they give of this dipping in the dish. Luke gives an account of it after his account of the Lord's supper, Luke xxii. 21. But Matthew and Mark both give an account of it before. (Matth. xxvi. 23. Mark xiv. 20.) And the like-might be shown in abundance of instances of these three Evangelists differing one from another in the order of their narratives; one places those things in his history after others, which another places first; these sacred historians not undertaking to declare precisely the date of every incident, but regarding more the truth of facts, than the order of time. However, in the present case, the nature of the thing speaks for itself, and shews, that Judas's dipping with Christ in the dish, or his hand being with Christ on the table, or receiving a sop dipped in the dish, must be in that order wherein Matthew and Mark place it in their history, viz. at the passover, antecedent to the Lord's supper: For there is no such thing in the Lord's supper as dipping of sops, and dipping together in the dish; but there was such a thing in the passover, where all had their hand together in the dish, and dipt their sops in the bitter sauce. None of these three Evangelists give us any account of the time when Judas went out : But John, who is vastly more particular as to what passed that night, and is every where more exact as to the order of time than the other Evangelists, gives us an account, and is very precise as to the time, viz. that Jesus when he gave him the sop, at the same

time sent him away, bidding him do quickly what he intended to do; and accordingly when he had received the sop, he went immediately out. John xiii. 27....30. Now this sop being at the passover, it is evident he was not present at the Lord's supper which followed. Many of the best expositors are of this opinion, such as Van Mastricht, Dr. Doddridge, and others.

ANSW. II. If Judas was there, I deny the consequence.... As I have observed once and again concerning the Lord's dealings with his people under the Old Testament, so under the New the same observation takes place : Christ did not come to judge the secrets of men, nor did ordinarily act in his external dealings with his disciples, and in administration of ordinances, as the Searcher of Hearts; but rather as the Head of the visible church, proceeding according to what was exhibited in profession and visibility; herein setting an example to his ministers, who should stand in his place when he was gone, and act in his name in the administration of ordinances. Judas had made the same profession of regard to his master, and of forsaking all for him, as the other disciples: And therefore Christ did not openly renounce him till he himself had destroyed his profession and visibility of saintship, by public scandalous apostasy. Supposing then the presence of Judas at the Lord's supper, this affords no consequence in favor of what I oppose.

ANSW. III. If they with whom I have to do in this controversy, are not contented with the answers already given, and think there is a remaining difficulty in this matter lying against my scheme, I will venture to tell them, that the difficulty lies full as hard against their own scheme; and if there be any strength at all in the argument, it is to all intents of the same strength against the need of those qualifications which they themselves suppose to be necessary in order to an approach to the Lord's table, as against those which I think so. For although they do not think renewing saving grace necessary, yet they suppose moral seriousness or (as they variously

speak) moral sincerity in religion to be necessary: They suppose it to be requisite, that persons should have some kind of serious principle and view in coming to the Lord's table; some sort of intention of subjecting themselves to Christ, and of seeking and serving him, in general; and in particular some religious end in coming to the sacramental supper, some religious respect to Christ in it. But now did not Christ at that time perfectly know, that Judas had none of these things? He knew he had nothing of sincerity in the Christian religion, or of regard to Christ in that ordinance, of any sort whatsoever; he knew that Satan had entered into him and filled his heart, and that he was then cherishing in himself a malignant, malicious spirit against his master, excited by the reproof Christ had lately given him (compare John xii. 8. with Matth. xxvi. 8....16, and Mark xiv. 4....14) and that he had already formed a traitorous murderous design against him, and was now in the prosecution of that bloody design, having actually just before been to the chief priests, and agreed with them to betray him for thirty pieces of silver. (See Matth. xxvi. 14, 15, 16. Mark xiv. 10, 11. Luke xxii. 3....6, and John xiii. 2.) Christ knew these things, and knew that Judas was utterly unqualified for the holy sacrament of the Lord's supper; though it had not yet been made known to the church, or the disciples.... Therefore it concerns those on the contrary part in this controversy, to find out some solution of this difficulty, as much as it does me; and they will find they have as much need to take refuge in the solution already given, in one or other of the two preceding answers to this objection.

By the way I would observe, that Christ's not excluding Judas from the passover, under these circumstances, knowing him to be thus unqualified, without so much as moral sincerity, &c. is another thing that effectually enervates all the strength of the objection against me, from the passover: For Judas did not only in common with others fall under God's strict command, in the law of Moses, to keep this feast, without any exception of his case there to be found; but Christ himself, with his own hand, gave him the soft, a part of the paschal

feast; even although at the same instant he had in view the man's secret wickedness and hypocrisy, the traitorous design which was then in his heart, and the horrid conspiracy with the chief priests, which he had already entered into, and was now in prosecution of: This was then in Christ's mind, and he intimated it to him, at the same moment when he gave him the sop, saying, What thou dost, do quickly. This demonstrates that the objection from the passover is no stronger argument against my scheme, than the scheme of those whom I oppose; because it is no stronger against the necessity of sanctifying grace, the qualification for Christian sacraments, which I insist upon, than it is against the necessity of moral seriousness and sincerity, the qualifications which they insist upon.

OBJECTION VIII.

IF sanctifying grace be a requisite qualification in order to persons' due access to Christian sacraments, God would have given some certain rule whereby those who are to admit them, might know whether they have such grace or not.

ANSW. This objection was obviated in my stating the question. However, I will say something further to it in this place; and would here observe, that if there be any strength in this objection, it lies in the truth of this proposition, viz. That whatever qualifications are requisite in order to persons, due access to Christian sacraments, God has given some certain rule, whereby those who admit them, may know whether they have those qualifications, or not. If this proposition is not true, then there is no force at all in the argument. But I dare say, there is not a divine, nor Christian of common sense, on the face of the earth, that will assert and stand to it, that this proposition is true: For there is none will deny, that some sort of belief of the being of a God, some sort of belief that the scriptures are the word of God, that there is a future state of rewards and punishments, and that Jesus is the Messiah,

are qualifications requisite in order to persons' due access Christian sacraments; and yet God has given those who are to admit persons no certain rule whereby they may know whether they believe any one of these things. Neither has he given his ministers or churches any certain rule, whereby they may know whether any person that offers himself for admission to the sacrament, has any degree of moral sincerity, moral seriousness of spirit, or any inward moral qualification whatsoever. These things have all their existence in the soul, which is out of our neighbor's view. Not therefore a certainty, but a profession and visibility of these things, must be the rule of the church's proceedings; and it is as good and as reasonable a rule of judgment concerning saving grace, as it is concerning any other internal, invisible qualifications, which cannot be certainly known by any but the subject himself.

OBJECTION IX.

IF sanctifying grace be requisite to a due approach to the Lord's table, then no man may come but he that knows he has such grace. A man must not only think he has a right to the Lord's supper, in order to his lawful partaking of it; but he must know he has a right. If nothing but sanctification gives him a real right to the Lord's supper, then nothing short of the knowledge of sanctification gives him a known right to it: Only an opinion and probable hopes of a right will not warrant his coming.

ANSW. I. I desire those who insist on this as an invincible argument, to consider calmly whether they themselves ever did or ever will stand to it. For here these two things are to be observed:

(1.) If no man may warrantably come to the Lord's supper, but such as know they have a right, then no unconverted persons may come unless they not only think, but know it is the mind of God, that unconverted persons should come, and