however amiable his character, or how much soever they might esteem him in other respects.

Nor is this a new opinion, or a novel practice: for fuch has been the fentiment and fuch the conduct of the Christian church in every age. Before the grand Romish apoftafy, in the very depth of that apoftafy, and fince the Reformation, both at home and abroad; the general practice has been, to receive none but baptized perfons to communion at the Lord's table. The following quotations from ancient and modern writers, relating to this point, may not be improper. Juftin Martyr, for inftance, when speaking of the Lord's fupper, fays; This food is called by us, the Eucharift; of which it is not lawful for any to partake, but fuch as believe the things that are taught by us to be true, and have been baptized.'*-Jerom; Catechumens cannot communicate;' i. e. at the Lord's table, they being unbaptized.†-Auftin, when afferting the abfolute neceflity of infants receiving the Lord's fupper, fays; Of which, certainly, they cannot partake unless they be bapti zed.'-Bede informs us, that three young princes among the eastern Saxons, feeing a bishop adminifter the facred fupper, defired to partake of it, as their deceased and royal father had done. To whom the bishop answered; If ye will be washed, or baptized, in the falutary fountain, as your father was, ye may also partake of the Lord's fupper,

Apolog. II. p. 162. Apud Suicerum, Thef. Ecclefi. Tom. II. col. 1135.

Catechumeni-communicare non poffunt. In cap. VII. Epift. II ad Corinth.

‡ Quod nifi baptizati non utique poffunt. Epist, ad Bonifacium, Epift. CVI.

as he did but if you defpife the former, ye cannot in any wife receive the latter. They replied, We will not enter into the fountain, or be baptized; nor have we any need of it; but yet we defire to be refreshed with that bread.' After which the hiftorian tells us, that they importunately requesting, and the bishop refolutely refufing them admiffion to the holy table, they were fo exasperated, as to banish both him and his out of their kingdom.*Theophylact; No unbaptized perfon partakes of the Lord's fupper.'t-Bonaventure; Faith, indeed, is neceffary to all the facraments, but efpecially to the reception of baptism: because baptifm is the firft among the facraments, and the door of the facraments.'

Quotations of this kind might, no doubt, be greatly multiplied but that none were admitted to the facred fupper in the first ages of the Christian church, before they were baptized, we are

* Si vultis ablui fonte illo falutari, quo pater vester, ablutus est, potestis etiani panis fancti, [quem] participabat, esse participes. Sin autem lavacrum vitæ contemnitis, nullatenus valetis panem vitæ participare. At illi nolumus, inquiunt, fontem intrare, qui nec illo opus nos habere novimus, fed tamen pane illo refici volumus. Cumque diligenter ac faepè ab illo effent admoniti, nequaquam fieri poffe, ut abfque Purgatione facrofancta quis oblationi facrofanctæ commu nicet, ad ultimum furore commoti aiebant; Si non vis affentire nobis in tam facili caufa quam petimus, non poteris jam in noftra provincia demorari. Et expulerunt eum, ac de fuo regno cum fuis abire jufferent. Hist. Ecclef. lib. II. cap. V. p. 63.

+ Oudiis aßaxTiSOS METaraμßavel. In cap. XIV. Matt. p. 83. Fidem quidem effe neceffariam omnibus facramentis, fed fpecialiter appropriari baptifmo: quoniam baptifmus eft primum inter facramenta et janua facramentorum. Apud Forbefium, Inftruct. Hiftoric. 1heolog lib. X cap. IV. § 9.

affured by various learned writers, well verfed in ecclefiaftical antiquity. For inftance; Frid. Spanheimius afferts, That none but baptized perfons were admitted to the Lord's table.'* Lord Chancellor King; 'Baptism was always precedent to the Lord's fupper; and none were admitted to receive the eucharift, till they were baptized. This is fo ob. vious to every man, that it needs no proof.'+Dr. Wall; No church ever gave the communion to any perfons before they were baptized-Among all the abfurdities that ever were held, none ever maintained that, that any perfon fhould partake of the communion before he was baptized.'-Dr. Doddridge; It is certain that Chriftians in general have always been spoken of, by the most ancient fathers, as baptized perfons:and it is alfo certain, that as far as our knowledge of primitive antiquity reaches, no unbaptized perfon received the Lord's fupper.'§

That the Proteftant churches in general have always agreed in the same sentiment and conduct, is equally evident. Out of many eminent writers that might be mentioned, the following quotations may fuffice. Urfinus, for inftance, afferts; That they who are not yet baptized, should not be admitted to the facred fupper.'-Ravenellius, when speaking of the Lord's fupper, fays; Baptifm ought to precede; nor is the holy fupper to be administered to

Subjecta ad eucharistiam admissa, foli baptizati. Hist. Chriftian. col. 623.

Enquiry, Part II. p. 44.

Hift. Infant Bap. Part II. chap. ix.

§ Lectures, p. 511.

Nondum baptizati, ad coenam non funt admittendi. Corp. Doct. Chrift. p. 566.

any, except they be baptized.*-Zanchius; We believe that Baptifm, as a facrament appointed by Chrift, is abfolutely necessary in the church.'+Hoornbeekius; No one is admitted to the facred fupper, unless he is baptized.'-Turrettinus; 'It is one thing to have a right to those external ordinances of the church, which belong to a profeffion; and it is another to be interested in the internal bleffings of faith. Uubaptized believers have actually a right to thefe, because they are already partakers of Chrift and his benefits; though they have not yet a right to thofe, except in obferving the appointed order, by baptifm.' § Maftricht; As no uncircumcifed male was admitted to the typical fupper, that is, the paffover; fo under the New-Teftament, no unbaptized perfon is admitted to the Lord's table.-Leydecker; Baptism is neceffary, not only in a way of expediency, but by virtue of a divine precept. They therefore who reject it,

* Baptifmus debet præcedere; coena vero nonnifi baptizatis eft danda. Bibliotheca Sacra, Tom. I. p. 301.

+ Credimus baptifmum in ecclefia omnino neceffarium effe tanquam facramentum a Christo inftitutum. Opera. Tom. VIII. col. 516.

Nemo ad coenam admittitur, nifi baptizatus. Socin. Confut. Tom. III. p. 416.

Aliud jus habere ad facra ecclefiæ, quæ ad profeffionem referuntur: Aliud ad interna fidei. Catechumeni credentes actu jus habent ad ista, quia jam participes funt Chrifti et beneficiorum ejus; licet nondum habent jus ad illa, nifi or dine fervato et pofito baptismo. Inftitut Theolog. Tom. III. Loc. XVIII. Quæft. IV. § 10.

Ad cœnam typicam, h e. ad pafcha, non admittebatur llus-præputiatus, Exod xii, 40. ficut fub N. T. non admittiætur non baptizatus, Act. ii. 41, 42. Theolog. lib. VII. cap. V. $29.

reject the counfel of God against themselves."-Benedict. Pictetus; The fupper of our Lord ought not to be administered to perfons that are unbaptized: for before baptism, men are not confidered as members of the vifible church.'-Marckius; The dying, and the unbaptized, are not to be admitted to communion.'-Dr. Manton; In foro ecclefia, before the church, none but baptized perfons have a right to the Lord's table.'S-Mr. Baxter ; 'If any fhould be fo impudent as to fay, it is not the meaning of Christ, that baptizing should immediately, without delay, follow difcipling, they are confuted by the conftant example of fcripture. So that I dare fay, that this will be out of doubt with all rational, confiderate, impartial Chriftians.'||-Once more: Dr. Doddridge thus expreffes his views of the fubject. The law of Chrift requires that all who believe the gofpel fhould be baptized-For any to abftain from baptifm, when he knows it is an inftitution of Christ, and that it is the will of Chrift that he should subject himself to it, is fuch an act of disobedience to his authority, as is inconfiflent with true faith-How excellent foever any man's character is, he must be baptized before he

Baptifmus neceffarius eft neceffitate præcepti, non folum expedientiæ. Quare, qui eum rejiciunt, concilium Dei adverfus fe ipfos rejiciunt. Idea Theolog. p. 225.

Non debet adminiftrari coena-non baptizatis ; nam ante baptifmum non cenfentur homines effe in ecclefia. Theolog. Chriftiana, p. 959, 960,

Ad communionem hanc admittendi funt, non-expirantes, aut non baptizati. Christ. Theolog. Medulla, p. 406. Supplem. Morn. Exercis. p. 199.

Plain Scripture Proof, p. 126.