A Christian Directory, Part 2: Christian EconomicsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 2: Christian Economics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
_Answ._ Ordinarily in well disciplined churches it should be still
every Lord's day: for, 1. We have no reason to prove, that the
apostles' example and appointment in this case, was proper to those
times, any more than that praise and thanksgiving daily is proper to
them: and we may as well deny the obligation of other institutions, or
apostolical orders, as that. 2. It is a part of the settled order for
the Lord's-day worship; and omitting it, maimeth and altereth the
worship of the day; and occasioneth the omission of the thanksgiving
and praise, and lively commemorations of Christ, which should be then
most performed; and so christians by use, grow habituated to sadness,
and a mourning, melancholy religion, and grow unacquainted with much
of the worship and spirit of the gospel. 3. Hereby the papists'
lamentable corruptions of this ordinance have grown up, even by an
excess of reverence and fear, which seldom receiving doth increase,
till they are come to worship bread as their God. 4. By seldom
communicating, men are seduced to think all proper communion of
churches lieth in that sacrament, and to be more profanely bold in
abusing many other parts of worship. 5. There are better means (by
teaching and discipline) to keep the sacrament from contempt, than the
omitting or displacing of it. 6. Every Lord's day is no oftener than
christians need it. 7. The frequency will teach them to live prepared,
and not only to make much ado once a month or quarter, when the same
work is neglected all the year besides: even as one that liveth in
continual expectation of death, will live in continual preparation;
when he that expecteth it but in some grievous sickness, will then be
frightened into some seeming preparations, which are not the habit of
his soul, but laid by again when the disease is over.
2. But yet I must add, that in some undisciplined churches, and upon
some occasions, it may be longer omitted or seldomer used: no duty is
a duty at all times; and therefore extraordinary eases may raise such
impediments, as may hinder us a long time from this, and many other
privileges. But the ordinary faultiness of our imperfect hearts, that
are apt to grow customary and dull, is no good reason why it should be
seldom; any more than why other special duties of worship and church
communion should be seldom. Read well the epistles of Paul to the
Corinthians, and you will find that they were then as bad as the true
christians are now, and that even in this sacrament they were very
culpable; and yet Paul seeketh not to cure them by their seldomer
communicating.
_Quest._ III. Are all the members of the visible church to be
admitted to this sacrament, or communicate?
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