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cause_n	church_n	communion_n	separate_v	1,943	5	9.5273	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B08365	A dialogue between a pastor and parishioner, touching the Lord's Supper. Wherein the most material doubts and scruples about receiving that holy sacrament, are removed, and the way thereto discovered to be both plain and pleasant. Very usefull for private christians in these scrupulous times. With some short prayers fitted for that occasion, and a morning and evening prayer for the use of private families / by Michael Altham, Vicar of Latton in Essex.	Altham, Michael, 1633-1705.	1687 (1687)	Wing A2933AB; ESTC R172247	65,705	236

I beg your Prayers and shall not fail to join my own that it may please God to pardon both me and them who have led me into it I am so well satisfied that I hope I shall not hereafter omit any opportunity of doing what I am commanded Sir I have given you a very great trouble though you are pleased not to think it so You have taken a great deal of pains and to good purpose for I am very well satisfied that all my scruples have been idle and ungrounded Cavils and that I had no just cause to separate my self from the Communion of the Church as I have hitherto done But Sir may I presume to give you a little more trouble You have removed my scruples and now I desire to be admitted into Communion with the Church and am resolved by the blessing of God to walk orderly and peaceably therein If therefore you will please to furnish me with some short rules which may direct me in my preparation for this holy Ordinance and instruct me how to behave my self both then and afterwards you will greatly oblige me and I shall make it my business to observe them Pastor I shall very readily and willingly comply with your desire and think it no trouble at all I am so far from thinking it so that I look upon it as my duty and am mighty well pleased when I meet with an opportunity of doing it so well that I could heartily wish that those whom God hath committed to my charge would often give me this occasion And to satisfy you that these are my real thoughts I shall now apply my self to answer your desire by giving you the best rules and directions that I can in this Case And to render them the more effectual I shall observe the method propounded by your self and endeavour to show you 1. What is required of those who come to the Lord's Supper 2. How they ought to demean and behave themselves when there 3. What will be expected from them afterwards 1. What is required of them who come to the Lord's Supper Ans Our Church hath given a short but very full Answer to this Question which is this They are required to examine themselves Ch. Catech. whether they truly repent them of their former sins stedfastly purposing to lead a new Life have a lively Faith in God's mercy through Christ with a thankful remembrance of his Death and be in Charity with all men Which Answer is founded upon that excellent Rule laid down by St. Paul in this Case Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of this bread and drink of this Cup 1 Cor. 11.28 To examine ones self imports a serious diligent and impartial Tryal in order to amendment and reformation A transitory glance upon the several Occurrences of our lives or a general survey of what we do or have done will not serve the turn but we must make a particular search and scrutiny into our several actions and the several circumstances wherewith they have been attended We must consider from what principle and by what rule we have acted and to what end our actions have tended and apply these to those several and respective duties we have been about For without the due consideration of these things an action though materially good may be formally evil This is to examine but whom are we to examine Not others but our selves Let a man examine himself God Almighty having endued man with reason and consideration having made him sensible of his duty and apprehensive of those hopes and fears that advantage and danger which usually attend the performance or non-performance thereof leaveth him to be his own Judge and remits him to his own Examination So that if men will flatter and deceive themselves in that which is their greatest concern they may blame themselves and none but themselves if danger ensue thereupon God would not have men either impertinently to meddle in the concerns of others or carelesly to trust others with what concerns themselves he would have every one do his own duty and take care of his own concern It may reasonably be supposed that every man either is or at least ought to be best known to himself and that he will be most just to himself And therefore God trusts man with himself and St. Paul in this very case refers man to himself saying Let a man examine himself But if after all this Men will be unfaithful to themselves and deceive their own Souls whom have they to blame but themselves Thus have I shown you both the importance of the word and the Subjects of the Duty what it is to Examine and who they be that are to undergo that Discipline There only remaineth to consider the end for which we are to examine our selves and that is In order to amendment and reformation God would not have us to ravel into our by-past lives on purpose to take pleasure in our former sins or from our impunity to take encouragement to go on still in the like iniquities but he would have us to understand wherein we have formerly transgressed our rule and done amiss to correct and amend it for the present and to resolve upon a more renewed course of living for the future This in the general is or ought to be the design of self-examination but to be more particular and bring it nearer to our present Case I shall endeavour to do these five things 1. To show you the reasonableness of this advice Let a man c. 2. The necessity of the thing we are advised to viz. Self-examination in order to a due participation of this holy Feast 3. What we are to examine our selves about 4. By what rules we are to proceed in examining our selves 5. For what end we ought to examine our selves 1. The reasonableness of this advice Let a man examine himself St. Pauls advice and counsel in this case will appear to be very reasonable if we consider either the excellency of the Feast we are invited to or the unworthiness of the persons who are invited It is no common and usual entertainment but a great and extraordinary Feast that we are invited to Nor is it only a bare Feast but a solemn Feast upon a Sacrifice and that Sacrifice no other than the offering up of the Son of God and our Saviour Christ our Passeover is sacrificed for us therefore let us keep the Feast saith St. Paul 1 Cor. 5.7 The Master of this Feast or he who makes this great entertainment for us is none other save only the holy Jesus It was he who as a Priest offered himself as a Sacrifice unto God the Father who hath instituted this holy Feast in memorial of his Death and Passion and therein prepared for us not only common food for the refreshment and sustentation of our decaying Bodies but such as may suffice to nourish both our Bodies and Souls unto Eternal Life not only the food

to the other questions in the Church Catechism The reason whereof is plain Preface to the Order of Confirmation Because in Confirmation they do in the presence of God and of the Congregation renew that solemn promise and Vow that was made in their names at their Baptism ratifying and confirming the same in their own persons and acknowledging themselves bound to believe and do all those things which their Godfathers and Godmothers then undertook for them Now all this considered will plainly evidence that persons who are grosly ignorant and devoid of some competent measure of knowledge in their Religion are not thought by our Church to be duly qualified to be Communicants Nor doth our Church proceed without good Authority herein for this her practice seems to be founded upon that qualification of a Worthy Communicant required by St. Paul viz. Discerning the Lord's Body 1 Cor. 11.29 Parishioner Sir I am very well satisfied that such persons as you have now described ought not to be admitted as guests at God's Table and I am glad to understand by your Discourse that our Church doth not knowingly admit any such But there is one thing which I perceive the Church maketh a necessary qualification in every Communicant viz. Confirmation by the Bishop Now Sir I never was confirmed and I believe very few in the Parish have been and therefore if this be necessary all or most of us for want of it are under a necessity of absenting our selves therefrom Pastor It is true that by reason of the iniquity of the late times which put all things out of order both in Church and State most who are now grown up do want the benefit of this holy rite but I am willing to believe that it is not their contempt of it but rather either the want of opportunity or the want of better instruction since that is the occasion of their not being confirmed And therefore our Church like an indulgent Mother in her new Rubrick maketh not the want but the neglect of it to be a bar against us for she now requireth that all who are admitted to this holy Ordinance should either be actually confirmed or ready and desirous so to be Now when you rightly understand the design and tendency the usefulness and excellency of this holy Rite which I have hinted to you in part and of which you may see more if you will but take the pains to read over that short Office for the Order of Confirmation I do not doubt but you and all others will be very desirous of it And if you be so then is the want of it at present no bar to your present communicating with us in this holy Ordinance Parishioner I am very well pleased Sir that it is not and if the want of it be not I do assure you the contempt of it never shall be any bar against me By that little which you have said of it I am so well satisfied in the excellency and usefulness thereof that I shall not willingly omit any opportunity hereafter of being confirmed And in order thereunto I do humbly beg your assistance therein Pastor You may promise your self my assistance in this or any other thing that is for your good at all times But since you are so well satisfied in this which hath given occasion to this short digression I shall now return to the consideration of your main Objection and proceed to show you some other cases wherein our Church thinketh fit to restrain the rashness and presumption of some who without due consideration would rush upon this holy Ordinance 2. If men be grosly scandalous open and notorious evil Livers who make no Conscience of what they do who live in Gluttony and Drunkenness in Chambering and wantonness in strife and envying and take no other thought save only for the Flesh to fulfil the lusts of it Rom. 13.13 14. Fornicators Idolaters Adulterers Effeminate Persons Abusers of themselves with Mankind Thieves Covetous Persons Drunkards Railers and Extortioners as they shall not inherit the Kingdom of God so neither ought they to be admitted to this holy Sacrament 1 Cor. 6. v. 9 10. And therefore our Church is so far from giving encouragement unto such that she requireth her Ministers having knowledge thereof to call upon them Can. 26. Rubrick before the Communion and advertise them that they do not presume to come to the Lord's Table until they have openly declared themselves to have truly repented and amended their former evil life 3. If any have been at strife and variance with their Neighbours and do still indulge their malice and hatred refusing to forgive injuries done to them or to repair wrongs which they have done to others Can. 26. Rubrick before the Communion These are not to be suffered to come to the Lord's Table till they be or are willing to be reconciled till they have forgiven from the bottom of their hearts all that their Neighbours have trespassed against them and have recompensed or are willing and resolved so to do as soon as conveniently they can all the wrong they have done unto their Neighbours 4. Churchwardens or Sidemen who have the Oath of God upon them and have bound their Souls thereby to present to their Ordinaries all such enormities and publick offences as they are particularly charged to enquire of in their several Parishes Can. 26. If these notwithstanding the obligation of their Oath and their being frequently called upon by their Minister and Ordinary to discharge their Consciences by the due performance of their Duties shall wittingly and willingly desperately and irreligiously incur that most horrible sin of perjury by neglecting or refusing to present such enormities or publick offences as they themselves know or are otherwise made known to them They ought not to be admitted to this holy Sacrament till they have evidenced their repentance and repaired their fault by a more vigorous performance of their duties 5. If men be Schismatical or of known rebellious principles i.e. if they refuse to comply with the Order of the Church in kneeling at the Sacrament Can. 27. if they do designedly absent themselves from the publick Prayers of the Church if they be common and notorious depravers of the Book of Common-Prayer and administration of the Sacraments c. Or if they be such as do speak against and deprave his Majestie 's Sovereign Authority in Causes Ecclesiastical Except every such person shall first acknowledge to the Minister before the Church-Wardens his repentance for the same and promise by word or writing that he will do so no more He shall not be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper 6. Strangers i. e. persons of another Parish ought not to be encouraged in leaving their own Parish Church and going to another or in leaving their own Minister to hear another Much less ought they to be encouraged in deserting Communion with their own Minister and Parishioners Our Church

Hands unto God in Prayer But though this ought to be the constant Frame and Temper of our Souls yet there are some particular Seasons when we ought seriously solemnly and on set purpose to exercise the same especially Morning and Evening And because all Masters of Families ought with the good Joshuah to take care that not only They themselves but those of their House serve the Lord and that this can never be well done without keeping up some Religious Order and Discipline in their Families it will not only be convenient but necessary for them to set apart some certain Times and Seasons wherein both they and their Houshold may jointly exercise this so immediate Act of Worship and together offer up their Prayers and return their Thanks and Praises unto God. This Part of Religious Worship I am afraid is too much neglected if not wholly laid aside in many Families at this Day To restore therefore this Holy Order and Discipline in private Families to revive the Exercise thereof and to assist those who are not already better supply'd in that Godly Practice I have Composed this following Prayer and do heartily wish that all Masters of Families would take care that either this or some such like Prayers be constantly at least every Morning and Evening used in their Houses The Prayer O Almighty most Merciful and Eternally Gracious Lord God! Thou art a God hearing Prayers therefore to Thee shall all Flesh come Thou art Good and doest Good Thou art the Great and Glorious Creatour of Heaven and Earth the Wise Orderer and Disposer of all things therein We the unworthiest of thy Creatures here on Earth are at this time prostrate in thy Presence humbly confessing our Sins and thankfully acknowledging thy Mercies We confess O Lord we have sinned against Heaven and against Thee and are no more worthy to be called thy People We have left undone those things which we ought to have done and we have done those things which we ought not to have done We have omitted many Duties and committed many Enormities We have sinned against great Light and great Love discovered to us in the Gospel of thy Son. Our Sins we confess have been so out of measure sinful that should'st Thou deal with us as we have deserved or measure out unto us a Vial of Wrath proportionable to the Ephah of our Iniquities it might in a drowning measure and manner fall upon us But with Thee O Lord is Mercy that Thou may'st be feared and therefore is it that we are once more humbly bold to offer our Persons and our Devotions to the Throne of Grace beseeching Thee for thy Mercy 's sake and for the Merit 's sake of thy dear Son and our Blessed Saviour in Mercy to look upon us to open our Eyes and make us sensible of our Sins to open our Hearts and make us sorrowful for our Sins to work in us a Repentance never to be repented of to subdue and mortifie in us all our Lusts and lustful Inclinations all our corrupt Thoughts and Imaginations And instead thereof to implant in us Principles of Holiness and true Righteousness Give us a lively Faith in thy Son a sincere and entire Obedience to thy Will a profound Humility and unwearied Patience under thy Hand and an holy Contentedness with every Estate and Condition wherein Thou shalt please to place us Justifie we pray Thee our Persons and sanctifie our Natures Wash us throughout in Soul and Body and Spirit that so both our Persons and our Performances may now and evermore be acceptable in thy Presence O Lord our Strength and our Redeemer With us we pray Thee be mindful of all Thine Bless thy Universal Church and every Member thereof particularly these Churches of England Scotland and Ireland And herein in a particular manner let the choicest of thy Blessings rest upon the Head and Heart of thy Servant but our dread Soveraign JAMES by thy Grace and especial Providence of England Scotland France and Ireland King Defender of the Faith in all Causes and over all Persons as well Sacred as Civil in these his Realms and in all other his Majesty's Dominions and Countries Supreme Moderator and Governour As Thou hast done Great things for Him so we pray Thee do Great things by Him In Him give unto us the Blessings of Government and in Him fulfil amongst us the Ends of Government Bless Him and Us in the Safety and Preservation of his Royal Person and in the Health and Happiness of his Royal Relations In particular Bless Him and Us in blessing his Royal Consort and our Gracious Queen MARY make her a joyful Mother of Children and happy in them And in Blessing be pleased to bless Katherine the Queen Dowager their Royal Highnesses Mary Princess of Orange the Princess Anne of Denmark and all the Royal Family Endue them with thy Holy Spirit enrich them with thy Heavenly Grace prosper them with all Happiness and bring them at last though late to thine Everlasting Kingdom Bless Him and Us in blessing the Ministers of thy Holy Word and Sacraments as well Arch-Bishops and Bishops as other Pastors and Curates Bless the Lords and the rest of his Majesty's most Honourable Privy-Council Bless all the Nobility Gentry Judges Magistrates and Commonalty of the Realm Bless them all from the Highest to the Lowest with Religious Hearts towards Thee their God Loyal Hearts towards their Soveraign and Loving and Charitable Hearts one towards another And now O Lord we pray Thee for a Blessing upon Us even Us who are here before Thee at this time Bless Us in our Persons in our Off-spring in our Servants in our Relations in our Acquaintance in our Habitations and in all our Lawful Actions Thus far this Prayer may be used both Morning and Evening and the Morning Prayer may be continued thus LET thy good Hand of Providence be over us this Day for Good Let it preserve and defend us from all Dangers both of Soul and Body We are now going to Converse with a subtil and sinful World be Thou pleased to fortify our Minds against both the Allurements and Contagion thereof Let neither our own in-bred Lusts and Corruptions betray us nor the Power of Sathan nor Policy of the World prevail upon us to swerve from the ways of thy Commandments Be pleased O Lord to go in and out with us in all our Undertakings and to bless and prosper us therein Imprint upon our Minds such a warm and vigorous Sense of thy Divine Providence over us as may engage us always to walk in thy Ways and oblige us to study nothing more than how to serve and please Thee all our Days Nor are we mindful of our selves alone but of all those also who are in worse Condition than our selves who are any ways afflicted or distressed in Mind Body or Estate especially those who either desire or stand in need of our Prayers Let it please Thee to comfort and relieve them