The second thing propounded, is to prove, that he that will come to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, ought first to submit to examination, and tryal, as it hath been formerly explained: For this purpose, we will lay down these three Propositions.
1. _It is the Will of Jesus Christ, that no grosly ignorant, or scandalous person should come to the Sacrament._
2. _That it is the Will of Jesus Christ, that those who are grosly ignorant, or scandalous, should be kept from the Sacrament (if they offer to come) by the Officers of the Church._
3. _That it is the Will of Jesus Christ, that Church-Governours have some sufficient way to find out who are such ignorant and scandalous persons, that they may be kept away._
_That it is the Will of Jesus Christ, that no grosly ignorant, or scandalous person, should come to the Sacrament._
1. No _grosly ignorant person_, because the Scripture saith, _that a man must first examine himself, and so eat of that bread, and drink of that cup_; and it likewise saith, that he that will come to the Sacrament must be one that _discerneth the Lords body_; otherwise he _eats and drinks damnation to himself_; and it adds, that we are to do this _in remembrance of Christ_, and thereby to _shew forth the Lords death till he come_. And therefore a man that is grosly ignorant, and is not able to examine himself, nor to discern the Lords body, nor to remember Christ; nor understands what it is to shew forth the Lords death, ought not to come to the Sacrament, no more then a baptized Infant, who is therefore not to partake of this Ordinance, because of his want of knowledge.
2. No _scandalous person_: This is evidenced from the words of the Apostle, _Let a man examine himself, & so let him eat_, &c. from which words we gather two things:
1. That he that would come to the Sacrament, _must examine himself_; which examination ought to be according to the nature of the Ordinance of the Lords Supper, _viz._
1. In general; whether he be worthy to come, or no; (not with a _worthinesse of merit_, but of _Evangelical suitablenesse_.)
1. Whether he have _true Faith in Christ_, without which, he cannot worthily eat this bread, and drink this cup.
2. Whether he _truly repent for sin, and from sin_. For he that comes in any sin unrepented of, comes unclean, and so pollutes the ordinance.