Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	body_n	lord_n	soul_n	1,654	5	4.8504	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85329	Londons gate to the Lords Table. Where the eldership doth sit doing their office aright, in discovering and shutting out the ignorant, prophane, and meere civill honest man : in suspending the suspected formall, legall, and antinomisticall professor, and in drawing in the weakest humble beleeving soule. In a dialogue betweene a minister of the Gospell. Alexander an ignorant prophane man. Simon a proud professor. And Matthias an humble penitent. Imprimatur Edmund Calamy.	Fisher, Edward, fl. 1627-1655.	1646 (1646)	Wing F995; Thomason E1213_1; ESTC R210120	58,722	302

indeed growth in grace is a maine end and fruit of that Ordinance God thereby giving to every faithfull Receiver the Body and Blood of his Sonne Christ that by the Bread of his Flesh and the Wine of his Blood he may cause them to grow Mat. Well Sir this day hath beene a day of good tidings to me and surely Sir if the LORD have beene so mercifull unto me as you have declared then have I cause to magnifie and praise the name of the Lord as long as I live for bringing me hither this day to you surely if the Lord doe count me worthy to come to his Table and to receive Jesus Christ with all his rich endowments then may I truly say as I remember Hannah Samuels mother 1 Sam. 2. 8 said in her song He raiseth up the poore out of the dust and lifteth up the begger from the dunghill to set him among Princes and to make him inherit the throne of glory I little thought when I came hither with my neighbour Simon that I should bee found to be more fit and more worthy to be admitted to the Lords Table then he surely Sir if you had not proved it so plainly I should not have beleeved it Min. Assure your selfe neighbour Mathias that this day the words of the Apostle James are fulfilled concerning you two where he saith that God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble and so are the words of the Virgin Mary where she saith that God filleth the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away Mat. Sir I will now take my leave of you and truly I cannot tell how to expresse my thankfulnesse to you for the great paines you have taken with me this day the Lord in mercy make it profitable to me and recompence your paines to you an hundred fold and I beseech you Sir pray for me Min. Now the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit and soule and 1 Thes 5. 23 24. body be preserved blamelesse unto the comming of our Lord Jesus Christ faithfull is he he that calleth you who also will doe it Mat. The Lord be with you Sir Come neighbour Simon will not you goe along with me Sim. No I pray you be going before and I will come after you Mat. Well then I will also take my leave of you and I thanke you for suffering me to come along with you to this place where I have through the mercy of God received so much good Sim. Well but do not you now goe home and boast among our neighbours that Master M. hath found you fit to be admitted to the sacrament and me unfit Mat. No neighbour Simon I shall not do so for I know that if it be so it is the free mercy of the Lord towards mee and therefore I desire rather to speake to my owne soule and say unto it in the words of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4. 7. For who maketh thee to differ from another and what hast thou that thou hast not received Now if thou hast received it why dost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it And so the Lord be with you both Sim. Fare you well good neighbour Mathias Min. The Lord be with you good neighbour Sim. Well Sir I wish that I were fit to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for I see there is much good to be gotten by the right receiving of it Min. Surely neighbour Simon if men did but know what good is to be obtained at the hands of the Lord by the right partaking thereof and what hurt doth come to a man by not receiving it aright they would not onely desire to come thereunto as indeed many doe though it is to be feared hand over head as we use to say not knowing what they doe but they would also endeavour to fit and prepare themselves thereunto and therefore no marvell though you do desire that you were fit to receive it aright Sim. Sir I doe perceive that he who is not fit to partake thereof is a miserable man whether he do receive it or not Min. He is so indeed for if he doe receive it being not fit he doth thereby commit the greatest sinne that is unpardonable and doth expose himselfe to the greatest misery that can befall a man either here or hereafter as you know I told my neighbour Alexander and if he receive it not then hee misseth and comes short of all that good which you know I told our neighbour Mathias comes to a man by means of the right receiving thereof O then what great care and paines ought men to take to fit and prepare themselves to partake of that Ordinance and how often should they frequent it being duly fitted and prepared And yet alas for want of so doing how many men and women by their absence doe deprive themselves of these great benefits Some there are that are neither fit nor willing to come others there are that are willing to come and yet not fit to come and others there are that are fit to come and yet not willing as for instance How many are there who because they cannot receive the Sacrament kneeling as they have formerly done are not willing to come What said an old simple ignorant man in my hearing not long since Rather then I will receive it so unreverently as they doe now a dayes by sitting at Table as if they were equall with Jesus Christ I will never receive it while I live And are there not some others who meerly out of a superstitious conceit doe desire to come and yet by reason of their unfitnesse are justly upon examination kept backe by the Eldership And are there not some who it may be are fit to come and yet doe not come either because they are ashamed to come before so many men to bee examined as they are informed doe sit upon that occasion or else are fearfull least they should not be able to answer them to their content and so be turned backe to their disgrace And are there not also some others who it may be are fit to come and yet either because they scorne to be examined at these yeares or by such and such a man whom they doe conceive is inferiour to themselves they will not come And are there not others also who are fit to come and yet doe not come because such are admitted to the Sacrament whom they conceive are not fit to partake thereof Thus I say either thorow superstitious ignorance prophannesse or through foolish shame or feare or else through the sinne of pride many are kept from that great benefit which otherwise they might receive by the right partaking of that Ordinance Sim. It is true indeed Sir I see it clearly and therefore I beseech you tell me what course you would advise me to take to fit and prepare my selfe thereunto that so I may come before you

Covenant and where there is no Covenant there is no Seale and then consequently no Sacrament so that you being an unbeleever you are an unconverted un-regenerate man no childe of God no spiritually living man neither are you under the Covenant of Grace and therefore assure your selfe the sacrament of the Lords Supper was not instituted and ordained for you Alex. Then Sir it seems that you do not intend to admit me to bee a partaker of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Min. Surely neighbour Alexander you not having true faith in Christ you cannot bee a partaker thereof though we should admit you Alex. This is strange to me Sir cannot I come to Church and receive the Bread and Wine and eat it and drinke it if you give it me Min. Yea I do confesse though you have no faith yet you may partake of the Bread and Wine but you are not to come to the Sacrament to partake of the Bread and Wine but to be made a partaker of CHRISTS Body and Blood under the similitude of Bread and Wine but this you cannot doe without Faith for Faith is the hand with which Christ is received as you may see Joh. 1. 12. yea and it is the mouth by which we feed on him as you may see Joh. 6. 53. wherefore I beseech you bee not so simple as to thinke and imagine that you are to come to the Sacrament for a morsell of finer Bread or for a draught of sweet Wine nor that if you receive the outward Elements in a reverend manner and behave your selfe decently during that action and demeane your selfe mannerly for that day that then you have received the Sacrament in honour of Christ and done a right acceptable service to God But know and consider That the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a spirituall Banquet where we are to feast our soules with the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ crucified for us and this you cannot do for want of Faith and therefore if you should come and partake of the outward Elements yet would it be no benefit to you Alex. But Sir doe you thinke it would bee any hurt to me if I should receive the Sacrament Min. Yea I know it would be great hurt to you for by reason of your Ignorance and want of Faith in Christ you are neither able to examine your selfe before you come there nor to discerne the Lords Body when you are there and so should you receive the Sacrament unworthily and so not only be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord but also eat and drinke damnation to your selfe as the Apostle tells you 1 Cor. 11. 27. 28 29. Alex. Sir these things are somewhat strange to me and therefore I pray you give me leave to ask you a few questions about them and first of all tell me what I ought to examine my selfe of because you say I am not able to doe it Min. Why you ought to examine your selfe 2 Cor. 13. 5 whether you bee in the Faith whether Christ be in you yea or no whether you be dead to sinne or alive to righteousnesse what graces you have and what you want what corruptions you have overcome and what do overcome you what religious actions you perform and how you performe them in briefe to examine your selfe is to take a true survey of the state and condition of your soule by comparing it with the Scriptures Now you are ignorant both of the state and condition of your soule and also of the Scriptures and therefore I say it is impossible that you should be able to examine your selfe Alex. Well Sir and what is it to discerne the Lords Body Min. To discerne the LORDS Bodie is to put a right difference betweene the outward Elements in the Sacrament and common Pemble on the Sacraments p. 59. Bread and Wine which difference is not at all in substance but in the use the one being prophane the other sacred being set a part to signifie unto us the benefits of Christs death and passion or the discerning of the Lords Body stands in knowledge understanding and Dike on the Sacraments p. 90. judgement of the nature use and necessitie of the Sacrament but you have manifested by that which you said ere while That you put no difference betwixt the Bread and Wine at the Lords Table and common bread and wine but would use them as you doe your ordinarie food without any regard of the spirituall use of them and therefore you are not able to discerne the Lords Body at the Sacrament Alex. But Sir it would be a strange thing if I by receiving the Sacrament should become guilty of the Body and Blood of Christ I pray you Sir shew me the reason of it Min. The reason is because if you should receive the Sacrament you would doe even so as the shedders of Christs Blood did for looke as they that crucified and pierced Christ poured not forth his Blood that they might Dike on the Sacraments p. 56. drinke it but onely that they might poure it forth and shed it so you by your receiving the Sacrament without profit or benefit to your soule would rashly and in vaine shed the Blood of Christ Or to be guiltie of the Body and Blood of Christ Reynolds on the Sacraments p. 180. is to offer some notable contempt unto the sufferings of Christ to finne against the price of our Redemption and to vilifie and set at naught the precious Blood of the new Covenant as if it were a common and prophane thing when men out of ignorant sensuall secure presumptuous formalizing inconsiderate and prophane affections approach unto Christs Table to communicate of him Alex. And do you think that I should eat and drink damnation to my selfe if I should receive the Bread and Wine at the Sacrament Min. I think you would commit such a sinne in prophaning the Sacrament as deserves both eternall and temporall Judgement for though this Table of the Lord be a Feast of choicest delicates for refreshing of the Pemble on the Sacraments p. 66. soule when men come rightly prepared thereto yet doth it become the bane and destruction of soules when men present themselves thereat with unbeleeving impenitent and unholy hearts as you would doe if you should come there Alex. Then Sir it seems you doe absolutely conclude that I am unfit to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Min. Surely neighbour Alexander you being wholly ignorant wholly sinfull unbeleeving unregenerate unconverted no Sonne of God no spiritually living man and having neither hand to receive Christ nor mouth to feed on Christ nor being able to examine your selfe nor to discerne the Lords Bodie and an unworthy receiver and so liable to become guilty of the Bodie and Blood of Christ and to eat and drink your own damnation I think it must needs follow that you are unfit to be admitted to the Sacrament of the LORDS Supper Alex. Well

we might busie our mindes and spend lesse time about such matters and bend our mindes and studies more about matters of substance viz. about the Doctrine of Faith and Repentance and matters that concerne Christian practice and godly conversation and meekenesse and love amongst our selves truly neighbour Simon I am perswaded that all both godly Ministers and godly Christians that doe now live in this Kingdome have great cause to rejoyce and be thankfull to the Lord that hath let them live to see those things which we see to wit that there is now power given to godly Ministers and Elders to keep back unfit and unworthy Communicants from the Lords Table the which it is well knowne hath not beene heretofore though much desired and O that the Lord would be pleased to move the hearts of all our godly discenting Brethren to come in and joyne themselves with us that so we might rejoyce and praise the name of the Lord together but no more of this Sim. Truly Sir these your words have moved my heart to your way and I wish I were worthy to come in amongst you but I will take my leave of you and goe home and consider of what you have this day said unto me concerning the state and condition of my soule for I still feare I am not right and I see that the chiefe thing to be looked after and regarded is the true Knowledge of Christ Min I surely that is the thing indeed and O that we could all of us seeke more after that then we doe and as one in a In Bacon hi● Catachis Epistle dedicatory certaine place saith very sweetly Oh that every one in this Kingdome that truly desires to feare the name of God were so wise as to forbeare this clashing dashing themselves in pieces one against another for matters externall triviall and circumstantiall in Religion and would at length content themselves with that which is alone saving and everlasting and account it honour and happinesse enough in matters appertaining to God to be a Christian I remember I was lately told by a Christian friend of mine that one comming to old Master Dod not long before his death to desire him to resolve him about the point of Re-baptizing or some such like point he answered Friend have you made your Calling and Election sure or rather give diligence to make that sure which in my judgement was a very gracious answer Sim. Well Sir I will now take my leave of you for this time and I beseech you pray for me Min. Truly neighbour Simon I would here breake off and take my leave of you were it not that I see our neighbour Mathias looke very heavily and therefore I pray you tarry a while till I have spoken a few words unto him and then I will take leave of you both together How doe you neighbor Mathias what aileth you to be so sad what is the matter with you Mat. O Sir if you did but know how it is with me you would say I had cause to be heavie and sad Min. Weepe not man weepe not I pray you but tell me what is the matter with you Mat. O Sir I am troubled to thinke what will become of my soule when I dye Min. And what causeth this trouble Mat. Why truly Sir the hearing of your discourse with my neighbour Simon hath caused it for I thinke with my selfe that if he that is a man of such great knowledge and holy life and conversation be questioned by you and doe question himselfe whether he be in a good condition or no alas then what may I thinke of my selfe that am such a poore ignorant and sinfull man as I am Min. But I hope you are neither so ignorant nor so sinfull as you thinke you are Mat. O yes Sir it is too true the Lord he knoweth it Min. Why have you no knowledge in the fundamentall points of religion did you never learne your Catechisme Mat. Yea when I was young I learned a little but alas I have forgotten it long since Min. No I hope you doe remember some of it and therefore I pray you tell me what is God Mat. I beseech you Sir beare with my ignorance and I will answer you as well as I can I thinke God is the Maker and Governour of all things Min. Well said and how many Gods be there Mat. Surely Sir I think there is but one true God Min. Well said and how many Persons is there in the Trinity Mat. I thinke Sir there are three Min. And how are the three Persons distinguished Mat. Alas Sir I cannot tell how to answer that Min. And how did God make man at the first Mat. In his owne Image and likenesse Min. And wherein did that Image or likenesse consist Mat. Truly Sir I cannot tell you Min. Well but you say you are a sinfull man how doe you know that you are so Mat. Because I was conceived and borne in sinne and have sinned all my life time Min. And what is sin Mat. Why surely Sir sinne is to doe contrary to the minde and will of God Min. Neighbour Simon you know him better then I therefore I pray you tell me what you thinke of him Sim. Yes Sir I have known him a great while and have alwaies taken him to be a simple honest man according to his knowledge onely I must tell you I have heretofore seene him now and then a little distempered with drinke but of late he hath seemed to minde matters of Religion for I have seene him sometimes at a Lecture on the weeke day and therefore I hope he is better now then he hath been formerly Min. Well neighbour Mathias I am glad to heare that you begin to minde the best things and to frequent the hearing of Gods Word more now then formerly I pray you tell me what hath moved you so to doe Mat. Why truly Sir a friend of mine a godly religious man whom neither of you know was the first occasion of it for he telling me in an humble loving manner that he feared I was yet in my naturall estate and condition and thererefore lyable to Gods everlasting wrath and damnation in Hell his words did so worke upon me that I asked him what he would advise me to doe and he bad me be diligent in hearing and reading the Word of God and get good Divinity Bookes and one Booke he commended to me above the rest called The plaine mans path way to Heaven and truly Sir I hope the reading of that Booke hath done me much good but alas Sir my sins my sins are they that trouble me Min. But whether are they your sinnes which you have formerly committed or your present corruptions that doe trouble you Mat. Truly Sir they are both for I am troubled at my former sinnes for feare they are not pardoned and I am troubled at my present corruptions because I cannot overcome them Min. I pray you tell me one thing

is soundnesse of minde in thee if thy knowledge be sound though weake let it not discourage thee and there may be soundnesse of minde as well in a little knowledge as in much Mat. I Sir it is like that there may be so in others but how shall I be sure there is so in me Min. It is very cleare and evident to me that your knowledge is sound though weake and that you have a sound minde in that you know your selfe your nature and your sinnes and are thereupon humbled for unsound knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8. 1. But your knowledge hath discovered to you your ignorance and so hath abased you in your owne eyes and cast you downe and therefore doubtlesse your minde is sound Mat. I but Sir I told you that I also feared that I was never yet truly humbled I pray you tell me what you say to that Min. And the reason why you feare it as you say is for that you have not renounced your owne righteousnesse Mat. Yea indeed Sir that is the reason of it Min. Why I pray you tell me truly have you any hopes to be justified or accepted in the sight of God for your owne performances Mat. Yea indeed Sir I told you that I have had hopes that if I sinned no more then the Lord would forgive my former sins and accept of me Min. But I doe not aske you what you have done formerly but what you doe now Mat. Why truly Sir you have this day made it so evident and cleare to me that it is onely the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ received by faith that procures acceptance in the sight of God that I see it is my onely way to beleeve on his name and as I told you I doe desire so to doe Mat. Then beleeve it you are truly humbled which is a very good and sure foundation and therefore you are like to erect a good and sure building though it may be it may not goe on so fast nor make so glorious a shew as some others doe Mat. But alas Sir I am so ashamed and troubled in my minde when I consider how farre other men doe out-strip me both in knowledge and other graces that I know not what to doe Min. But surely you have no cause at all to be troubled at that for it is to be feared there are some Professors that grow up quickly and flourish abundantly in a legall way they are not troubled with inward heart corruptions as other poore soules are they are full of parts gifts abilities and duties which others want and are very glorious Christians in outward appearance and yet for lack of an humble foundation they are but flittering fleeting motions windy conceptions whereas you or rather the Spirit of Christ in you hath laid such an humble foundation that questionlesse there shall be built upon it a gracious building composed of many Evangelicall Graces and therefore I pray you be not dismayed though you come farre short of many vaine glorious high-spirited Professors it is like the Lord sees though it may be you doe not that if you had such parts gifts and abilities which some others have and had not some sinfull corruptions in you which it may be others have not that then you would he lifted up above that which is meet and be kept in your selfe from Christ therefore it is the Lords glorious wisdome and gracious goodnesse to you to let some of your sinfull corruptions remaine in you especially to open your eyes to see them and to affect your heart with them and to let you come behinde others in gifts and parts that so your soule may sink in holy despaire of any helpe in your selfe and rest in nothing till it come to Christ Crucified and the eternall sweet promise in him howbeit this you may be assured of that if you be carefull to use the good meanes to this end appointed you shall have such a measure of faith and all other graces of the Spirit of Christ as shall be most fit for you Mat. O blessed be the Lord if this be true but I pray you Sir what are the meanes which you would have me to use Min. Why I meane hearing and reading the Word of God meditation prayer and receiving the Sacrament Mat. Why Sir I pray you doe you thinke me sit to come to the Sacrament Min. Yea indeed do I. Mat. Surely Sir I am altogether unworthy Min. And why doe you thinke your selfe unworthy Mat. Why because of my ignorance and sinfulnesse Min. Then belike you thinke that knowledge and righteousnesse makes a man worthy to come to the Sacrament Mat. Yes indeed Sir I have had such thoughts and therefore when I heard you question whether my neighbour Simon were worthy to be admitted to the Sacrament I did much admire at it for that I know he is a man of great knowledge and godly life but I doe much more admire that you should thinke me to be worthy Min. Indeed if wee were to understand these words worthy and unworthy by way of meriting and deserving then he in regard he hath more knowledge then you and it may be is more free from some inward corruptions then you and doth more frequently performe religious actions then you were more worthy then you but as I told him not long since we are not to understand words worthy and unworthy by way of meriting and deserving but by way of fitnesse and sutablenesse of disposition to receive Christ and taking them in this sence I say that your ignorance and sinfulnesse have occasionally through the working of GODS Spirit wrought in you such a fit and sutable disposition for the receiving of Christ that I doe pronounce you worthy to be admitted to the Lords Table Mat. O blessed be God if this be true but Sir I pray you what is this fit and sutable disposition which you say the Spirit of God hath by occasion of my ignorance and sinfulnesse wrought in me or wherein doth it consist Min. This fit and sutable disposition which the Spirit of God hath wrought in you consists in that sight and sence of your owne ignorant sinfull miserable and helplesse condition as hath made you see your need of Jesus Christ to be made unto you of God wisdome 1 Cor. 1. 30 righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Mat. But Sir I pray you how can such a disposition be said to make me worthy to be admitted to the Lords Table Min. Why even as we when we see a miserable poore hungry man that is senceable of his owne miserable and helplesse condition crave an Almes with earnest desire and intreating we doe conceive he is in a fit and sutable disposition to receive it and account him worthy to have an Almes bestowed upon him Even so when the Lord sees a man so sensible of his owne miserable and helplesse condition that he sees and feeles his need of Jesus Christ and therefore doth earnestly desire him

Sir if the case stand thus with me then surely I have no cause to be sorry as some are but rather glad that the Parliament have taken such a course that you Ministers and Elders in every Parish shall examine every one before he be admitted to the Sacrament for if it had not beene for that and if all might have come to the Sacrament that would as it was in the Bishops dayes then had I two or three times at the least received the Scrament of late though as it seems it had been to the hazarding of the salvation of my soule But Sir what would you advise mee to do in regard I have heretofore received it divers times Min. Why surely I would advise you to goe unto the Lord by often and fervent prayer beseeching him to pardon and forgive you that and all your other sins for his Sonne Jesus Christs sake and to give you faith to beleeve the pardon and forgivenesse of them and to give you repentance for them and so to make you a new creature And I would also advise you to become a diligent hearer of the Word of God and read it often that so you may come to know your self and Jesus Christ with the nature use and necessity of the Sacrament and by these and other such meanes it may please the Lord to convert your soule and to make you fit to be admitted to the Lords Table and then we shall willingly receive you Alex. Then Sir it seems I may be permitted to heare the Word of God preached Min. Yea indeed I do not only permit you but also exhort you thereunto for that is the speciall meanes which God hath ordained for the converting of soules and for the breeding of grace in the heart of his Elect and therefore I say I doe exhort you yea and I beseech you as you tender the good of your soule have a speciall care of that and when you finde that the Lord hath thereby wrought upon your heart then come before me and the Elders to be examined and in the meane time I will pray for you and so for this time I have done with you Alex. Well then Sir I will take my leave of you and I thanke you for the paines you have taken with me Min. Fare you well neighbour Alexander and I beseech the Lord to convince you of your sinnes and convert you to the faith of Christ Sim. Well Sir now you have pleased mee wondrous well for now I see you will not admit of every ignorant and prophane fellow to come to the Sacrament and truly now I could almost finde in my heart to come in amongst you and joyne my selfe with you were it not for this businesse of Examination but that I cannot approve of and to tell you the truth since I was here with you the other day I met with a friend of mine unto whom I related your conference with our neighbour Zacheus and he said That there was no warrant in Scripture either for Minister or Elders to examine any one before they come to the Sacrament indeed said hee the Apostle exhorts a man to examine himselfe before he come but he doth not exhort any other to examine him neither is there any place of Scripture that warrants it Min. But whosoever your friend was hee is much deceived for the Apostle in exhorting a man to examine himself doth not exclude his examination by another but rather includes it and though there be no place of Scripture that doth expresly require one man to examine another before he come to the Sacrament yet may it bee gathered from Scripture by necessary consequence for I thinke no man will deny but that command of the Lord Deuter. 6. 7. to Parents to Catechise their children and servants and to take an account of their Faith and surely if Ministers 1 Cor. 4. 15 bee spirituall Fathers as indeed they are then by the like reason they are warranted to examine their people and to take an account of their Faith And surely I doe conceive that the practice of those Christians is both warrantable and commendable who in any case of conscience which is not easily determined doe repaire to some godly Minister for his advice and counsell therein considering that the Lord Isai 50. 4. hath given unto them the tongue of the learned that they should know how to speake a word in season And considering also that the Prophet Malachy saith The Priests lips should keep Mal. 2. ● knowledge and men should seeke the Law of God at his mouth and this case of conscience to wit whether a man be fit to partake of the Sacrament yea or no I doe conceive is not very easily determined and therefore as the Eunuch said unto Philip Act. 8. 36. See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized So I do conceive that it is meet for every man and woman before they receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to goe to some godly Minister or rather now before the Eldership and say I understand that such a day the Sacrament of the Lords Supper is to be administred what doth hinder me to partake thereof and that it is meet for them to answer with Philip If thou beleevest with all thine heart thou maiest and so require him either to make some briefe confession of his Faith as the Eunuch did or else to give an answer to him that shall aske him a reason of the hope that is in him with meeknesse and feare according as the Apostle Peter exhorts Christians to doe 1 Pet. 3. 15. Sim. But Sir would you have a man to do this that hath received the Sacrament many a time already Min. Yea indeed if he never yet did it yea and although he have already done it in private yet do I thinke it meet that hee should goe before the Minister and Elders and do it againe to them more publikely Sim. Indeed Sir I doe confesse it is meet that all Ignorant persons who are not able to examine themselves ought to doe so But as for such as have a great measure of knowledge and so are able to examine themselves I see no need of it at all Min. But I do conceive that it is meet for them also to come to be examined that so the Eldership may have a full satisfaction concerning their fitnesse so far forth as they are able to judge yea and that they themselves may by their approbation bee the better confirmed in the same yea and that the ignorant sort who for want of knowledge are turned backe may have no occasion given them to say That the Ministers and Elders are partiall and that such a man or such a woman would be found as ignotant as they if they were examined Sim. Well Sir I doe now beginne to conceive that it is meet for a godly and learned Minister to examine a man but I neither see it lawfull nor needfull that those whom