Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	child_n	great_a	sin_n	1,455	5	4.6160	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85952	The golden mean: being some serious considerations, together with some cases of conscience resolved; for a more full, and frequent administration of, yet not free admission unto, the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. / By Stephen Geree, minister of God's word, and pastor of the Church of Abinger in the county of Surrey.	Geree, Stephen, 1594-1656?	1656 (1656)	Wing G607; Thomason E1667_1; ESTC R208393	36,650	111

fear that many of them are accessary to their own exclusion who either out of pride or ignorance or prophanesse refuse to give an accompt of that faith and hope that is in them Wherefore let me tell such by the way that though there be neither precept nor practise in the holy Scriptures for examination of others as precedaneous to the receiving of the Sacrament yet doubtlesse it must needs be a pious and profitable course for most Christians to be catechised examined for their better instruction in the ground of Religion consequently for their more profitable partaking at the Lords Table the neglect whereof is and hath been a main cause of much prophanenesse irreligion and atheism in most parts of the Nation And therefore without all question they are guilty of a very great sin and have much to answer for that shall either despise or refuse their Pastours pains in this particular and deny to give him an accompt if he think fit to demand it The reason is because Heb. 13.17 they are bound to submit to them that watch for their soules as they that must give an account that they may do it with joy and not with grief for that is unprofitable for the people as the Apostle there tels them Wherefore to com now to the main matter intended I cannot but commend the great care and pains that some of my faithfull brethren have taken in several Counties in this Common-wealth to reform those committed to their charge and yet notwithstanding people for the most part wax worse and worse for want of an uniform establish'd Government back'd and countenanced with publick Authority for those that have most need of reformation will hardly hearken to any platform that is of private or particular mens managing that wants the aforesaid Authority in these days especially Wherefore in the mean time untill the Lord be pleased to stir up the hearts of those in highest places over us to settle and promote some godly frame of Church-government among us give me leave in all humility to commend a few things unto consideration in this present exigent wherein we are 1 Consid First of all let it be considered whether the case of many of our Churches be not such and so generally corrupted distracted that severe Discipline upon all sorts of scandalous sinners will not be the way rather to ruine than reform them I mean principally in regard of admistring the Lords Suppen which is the great stumbling-stone and rock of offence Even judicious Calvin himself who was strict enough in admission to the Lord's Table and professed that he would rather suffer his blood to be shed than willingly partake in the pollution of Christ blood in the Sacrament and thought that in the delivery thereof magnoperè delectus requiritur great choice is required yet addes Qui tamen haberi nequit nisi per Ecclesiae jurisdictionem which choice notwithstanding cannot be had without the Churches Jurisdiction Then afterward in the same Chapter he censures immodicam veterum austeritatem the austerity or rigor of the Antient Fathers Calv. Instit lib. 4. c. 12. but withall excuses some of them whom he thought were necessitated to use such severity and therefore brings in Cyprian to this purpose saying Certè Cyprianus declarat quam non sponte fuerit tam rigidus Patientia inquit facilitas humanitas nostra venientibus praestò est opto omnes in Ecclesiam redigi opto commilitones nostros intra Christi Castra dei Patris Domicilia concludi Mark this Remitto omnia multa dissimnlo studio voto colligendae fraternitatis etiam quae in Deum commissa sunt non pleno ●udicio examino I hide many things with desire of gathering together the fraternity even those things that are committed against God himself I do not examine with strict judgment Delictis plus quam oportet remittendis pe nè ipse delinquo I almost offend in pardoning offences more than is meet Thus much out of Cyprian that worthy man and holy Martyr Then again the same Calvin in the same section brings in Chrysostom Chrysostomus saith he aliquanto durior sic tamen loquitur si Deus tam benignus est ut quid Sacerdos ejus austerus vult videri Chrysostom who was somthing harsher than ordinary speaks notwithstanding on this manner if God himself be so favourable why should his servant seem so austere And after these he also brings in learned Augustine Scimus praeterea qua facilitate usus est Augustinus erga Donatistas ut non dubitaverit in Episcopatum recipere qui aschismate redierant idque statim post resipiscentiam Then Calvin adde● verum quia contrariaratio invaluerat coacti sunt proprio judicio cedere ut eam sequerentur but because a contrary course prevailed they were forced to forsake their own judgment to follow that whereby we may plainly perceiy how wise men were compelled in some cases for peace sake to yield to the current of the times See learned D. Field of the Church l. 1. c. 6.18 p. 36. approving the same against their own judgment And moreover in the same Chapter he cites Saint Austine bringing in an usefull saying out of Cyprian Miserecorditer igitur corripiat homo quod potest quod autem non potest patienter serat cum dilectione gemat ac lugeat Words worthy to be written with letters of gold approved as you may see both by Austine and Calvin two men most famous in their generations Cyprians words are in English thus Therefore let man mercisully convert what he can and what he cannot amend let him patiently bear and with love lament and bewail with sighs and groans And furthermore Calvin declares how the Donatists in S. Austines time were like Anabaptists in his age even as they are in outs making a rent and schisme in the Church because the Bishops would not use such severity in Discipline as they desired herereupon he relates another notable piece out of the same laborious Austine Unumistud praecipue commendat scilicet Augustinus si contagio peccandi multitudinem invaserit Consilia separationis mania sunt ac perniciosa ac sacrilega quia impia at que superba fiunt plus perturbant infirmos bonos quam corrigant aninosos malos i. e. This one thing he especially commends If contagion of sinning have invaded the multitude Counsels of Separation are vain pernicious sacrilegiou● because impious proud and do more disturbe the good ones that are weak See much more to this purpose in Master Balls triall of the grounds tending to Separation Chap. 10. pag. 2.13 and 204. who hath after the words Malitiudinem-invaserit non est illa excommunicanda sed Dei correctio expect ari debet l. 3 contra parm c 12. than reform the bad ones that are stomacky and stubborn Hence the aforesaid Austine writing to Aurelius Bishop of Carthage thus complains Ebrietatem impunè grassari in Affrica

none so fit to examine ordinarily as Ministers who are or should be men approved for knowledge judgment and holinesse And hereupon I argue further thus If invincible ignorance doth make children and fooles unfit to be admitted to this holy Supper much more will affected ignorance which makes them not onely incapable but unworthy of admittance because by their negligence they are disabled from discerning the Lord's body and so must neede ●at and drink unworthily 1 Cor. 11.29 Add hereunto that the Prelaticall party who have been most backward in this businesse of examination cannot deny but that confirmation was appointed by our first reformers and that none should be confirmed by the Byshop See the Rubrick about confirmation and before the communion but such as could say the Catechisme and that none should be admitted to the Communion untill such time as they could say the Catechisme and be confirmed and therefore the Minister was appointed to Catechize such as were to be confirmed and all Fathers Mothers Masters and Dames should cause their Children Servants and Apprentices which had not learned their Catechisme to come to the Church at the time appointed and obediently to hear and be ordered by the Curate until such time as they have learned all that was appointed for them to learn Now this being in many places neglected on all sides Ministers not Catechizing or very few of them and likewise Parents and Masters c. being backward to bring their Children and Servants to learn the Catechisme and Bishops as carelesse as any t● see it done and so in a great measure the cause of the neglect of the other whom they had power by their Courts to compell had they not wanted care and conscience hence most sorts of people did still remain very ignorant of the grounds of Religion being altogether uncatechised Wherefore let any man judge what need there is now of more then ordinary examination or catechizing almost of all sorts in regard of knowledge so that a great many that mutter and make much ado against examination as if it were so tyrannical and much worse than Episcopal Government do say they know not what For though Episcopal Government in regard of the execution of that office fell short in this particular yet in regard of the right constitution thereof the Bishops should have caused as much to have been done as is of late required by moderate Presbyterians and it was their sin and shame that they did it not See the Rubrick about confirmation and before the Communion Case 3. But shall the scandalous be admitted to this holy Communion what shall be done with them Sol. 1 I think they should indeed be excommunicated from all publick Communion in holy Ordinances those I mean that are proved scandalous and wil not be admonished nor submit and acknowledge their crimes and hainous offences Secondly seeing that in most congregations there wants sufficient power for authoritative excommunication I think it very difficult what to determine in this business and that because it is hard to judge what is scandal and also who are scandalous learned men being much divided in this particular Therefore I conceive it too great a burden to be put upon the Minister alone unlesse he were more infallible than most can possibly be imagined or unlesse there were publick Lawes to regulate and determine what shall bee accounted a scandall and who and when scandalous Sol. 3 Thirdly I add where no Government is set up as in most places there neither is nor well can be as yet rebus sic stantibus for want of fit Officers If there be any so grossly scandalous that there need no examination or other proof as in case of Bastardy Common-drunkennesse or the like if any such should offer to come to the holy Communion he is to be admonished if hee do openly confesse his sin and professe his hearty sorrow for the same promise by the grace of God to indeavor amendment I know no reason in all the Word of God why he should be put by But if he will not be admonished but seek to justifie himself or excuse the matter and remain obstinate hee deserves to bee excommunicated and cast out of the Congregation But for want of Discipline whereby this might be legally done I suppose the Minister if there be any that will join with him to testifie the scandal and obstinacie may in such a case passe h●m by 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Thes 3.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vid. Pastor Evangel l. 3. c. 5. p. 188. 189. ad 195. Ezek. 3.4 and 9. charging him not to presume to partake at his own peril warning also the rest of the Congregation to withdraw from familiar conversing with such an one more then natural or necessary civil bonds do tie them to the intent that he may be ashamed as if he were juridically excommunicate But now if none will join with the Minister in this case but leav the businesse wholly upon him I do not think it can be safe for him alone to put him away onely he may charge him to abstain till he have given some fatisfaction to the Congregation and not to offer the consecrated elements unto him and if he will take them of himself he hath had sufficient warning his blood shall be upon his own head and shall not be required at the Minister's hands And as for others that are onely suspected the Minister may not meddle with them no nor a Presbytery because De occultis non judicat Ecclesia onely they may admonish such in private to carry themselves so as to take off all suspition Now though this may seem to some very strange as favouring of loosnesse and remissnesse yet let me tell you that it is no more in effect than what some of the chief and choice Independents allow upon the like occasion For Mr Thomas Hooker a man very eminent while he was in Old Vid M. Cawdryes Review of M. Hookers Survey cap. 2. pag. 94. and afterwards in New-England yet in his Survey of Discipline yields as much In declining times saith he a Church being corrupted when diseases grow deadly there is allowed and a toleration of necessity must be so far granted M. Blake on the Covenant Ch. 47. page 437. See also Mr Gillaspy's his Aarons Rod book 3. ch 15. p. 541. until juridicè the evil be examined the parties convinced censures applied for reformation See M. Cawdrey's Review p. 94. M. Blake also quotes another passage to this purpose out of the same M. Hooker We see saith he how much reverend M. Hooker speaking the opinion of his party gives to the Churches conivence or indulgence If the Church saith he either through connivence negligence or indulgence sha tolerate such evills and evill persons in the state of Church-membership they cannot then deny them the priviledge of members thus far he Now this is one speciall priviledge of Church-members that are of years