Selected quad for the lemma: authority_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
authority_n	church_n	receive_v	scripture_n	11,700	5	6.8773	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56165	Foure serious questions of grand importance, concerning excommunication and suspension from the Sacrament propounded to the Reverend Assembly and all moderate Christians to prevent schismes, and settle unity among us in these divided times / by a lover both of peace and truth.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1645 (1645)	Wing P3959; ESTC R212447	3,845	4

Foure serious Questions of Grand Importance Concerning Excommunication and Suspention from the Sacrament propounded to the Reverend Assembly and all Moderate Christians to prevent Schismes and settle Unity among us in these divided Times by a Lover both of Peace and Truth THe businesse of Excommunication and Sequestration from the Sacrament now in publike Agitation is a matter of great moment much difficulty and very circumspectly to be handled established to prevent Prophanation and Scandall on the one hand and Arbitrary Tyranicall Papall Domineering over the Consciences the spirituall Priviledges of Christians on the other which will necessarily follow if it fall into indiscreet over-severe ambitious passionate or revengefull hands as we felt by wofull experience under the Papacy and Prelacy Nam paucis res illa tutò committi potest Mox solet subrepere Dominandi studium sub praetextu Pietatis suunt paenas ob privata odia aut Dogmata vel Talia as (*) Aretius well observes who debating this question An hodiè restitui possit Excommunicatio Resolves thus Sunt qui disciplinam hanc etiam hodiè reducere velint in eamque rem toti incumbant Alii in eo videntur desperare Et quanquam despera●dum non putem tamen perquam arduum judico nec non impossibile praesentibus moribus col●a submittere ejusmodi disciplinae For which among other reasons he renders this Accedunt exempla corum qui idem conati cum risu destitêre aut quibus pessimè cessit magno studio in Germaniae quibusdam ecclesiijs instituta fuit sed cecidit in spongiam natus ridiculus mus as some feare it nay now do among us unles it be setled with great wisdome caution moderation certainty and as little as possible herein left to any mans discretion The serious consideration whereof hath induced me to propound these ensuing Questions to our Venerable Assembly and all other moderate Christians who ought in all things especially in this to avoyd Extreames and the seeming affectation of any greater lording power over the Consciences or Priviledges of their Christian Brethren then of right belongs unto them least they approve that in or usurpe that to themselves which they have so vehemently heretofore declaimed against in denied to and quite taken away from the Pope and Prelates 1. Whether Mathew 18. 16. 17. Let him be to THEE not to the whole Church and all others as a Heathen and a Publican meant only of personall privat trespasses betweene man and man not publique scandalous sins against the Congregation as is cleare by v 15. If thy Brother shall trespasse against THEE c. not the Church and Lu. 17. 3. 4. Or 1. Cor. 5. 5. 11. 1. Tim. 1. 20. To deliver such a one to Satan c. with such a one no not to eat c. be properly meant of Excommunication or suspention from the Sacrament only And what warrant there is in Scripture for Ministers or others to suspend men from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper only and not from the Congregation and all other publique Ordinances together with it since 1. Cor. 5 7. 9 13. Iohn 9. 22 32. 33 chap. 12 42 chap. 16. 2. 2 Thes. 3 14. 2 Iohn 16. 11. 3 Iohn 10. Numb. 12. 14. Deut. 23 1 2 3 with all other Scriptures alleaaged for the proofe or practise of Excommunication speake only of putting casting out and excluding men wholly from the Congregation Syragogue and all publique Christian Communion but not one of them of excluding or suspending men only from the Sacrament and not from 〈◊〉 publique Ordinances as Prayer Preaching and the like And since in the primitive times is is evident by Tertulians Apollogy c. 39. De Paenitentia Lib. and others scandalous persons were ever excommunicated and wholy cast out of the Church extra Gregem dati not barely sequ●stred from the Sacrament Whence all the Canonists and Schoole-men determine (b) Excommunicatus non possit interesse divinis Officiis in Ecclesia vel extra cum aliis and define Excommunication to be An Ecclesiasticall censure which deprives a man from the Communion of the Church Sacraments and all publike Ordinances and A●etius defines it to be A●icuius professi Religionem nostram à consortio fidelium in sacris et prophanis rebus exclusio c. which excludes men totally from the Church and all publique Ordinances not from the Sacrament only 2. By what Divine Authority or Scripture Text can any Minister lawfully keepe backe any Christian from the Sacrament not actually Excommunicated and cast out of the Church for some notorious scandall upon a legal Conviction who earnestly desires to receive it though in his owne private judgment hee deemes him unfitting or unworthy since we read of no circumcised person in the old Testament ever debarred from the Passeover by the Priests that was willing or desirous to eat it though perchance not altogether so prepared to ea●e it as God requi●ed Exod. 12. 3. 4. c. 44 to 58. 2 Chron. 30. 13. to 21. Since Christ himselfe admitted Iudas to it though he knew him to bee a Devill a Traitor Iohn 6. 70. 71. as is cleare by Math. 26 20. to 31 Mar 14. 18. c. Luke 22. 14 c. Iohn 13. 31. And since Paul in the 1. cor. 11. 20. to 36 usurped no other Authority to himselfe nor gave any power to others to keep unworthy receivers from the Sacrament but only admonished them of the danger of unworthy receiving and thereupon advised every Receiver to examine HIM SELFE before hee came to receive And whether the Minister by admonishing his Flock of the danger of unworthy receiving and seriously dehorting such as hee deemes unworthy not to receive the Sacrament til they become more fit to participate under paine of eating and drinking their owne damnation and other judgments that will ensue thereon hath not thereby discharged his full duty and conscience as this text of the Corinths Ezech. 33. 1. to 10. Acts 20. 26. 27. with the Liturgyes of our own and the French Churches in their Exhortations before the Sacrament both intimate and resolve 3. Whether the unprofitable and unworthy hearing of the word be not as great as dangerous as damning a sinne as the unworthy receiving of the Sacrament as Math. 10. 14. 15. Mar. 16 15 16 Luk 8. 18 Heb 2 1 2 3. c. 3. 7 8 1● c. 6. 6. 7. 8 assert Whether Ministers upon the selfe same grounds and pretences of partaking of other mens sins of being guilty of their damnations of not giving holy things to Dogges and casting Pearles before Swine Math. 7. 6. meant principally of preaching the Gospell to such as shall contemne it not of the Sacrament as is cleare by Math 10 14 Mar. 16 15. 16. Acts 13 46 51 may not as well keepe their people from preaching of the word and refuse to preach unto them least it should not profit them for want of faith Hebr. 4 2. but increase