Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	church_n	doctrine_n	great_a	1,556	5	2.8753	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A85542	Christians liberty to the Lords table, discovered by eight arguments, therby proving, that the Sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord, doth as well teach to grace, as strengthen and confirm grace, and so is common, as well to the outward Christian as to the inward Christian: occasioned by the contrary doctrine, taught by a strange minister in Woolchurch, on the 29th of June last. / By I.G a parishioner there. Imprimatur, James Cranford.	Graunt, John, of Bucklersbury.	1645 (1645)	Wing G1589; Thomason E296_30; ESTC R200217	18,658	23

CHRISTIANS LIBERTY TO The Lords Table Discovered by eight Arguments thereby proving that the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our LORD doth as well teach to Grace as strengthen and confirm Grace And so is common as well to the outward Christian as to the inward Christian Occasioned by the contrary doctrine taught by a strange Minister in Woolchurch on the 29th of June last By I. G. a Parishioner there Matthew 26. vers. 20. Now when the Even was come Jesus sate down with the twelve Gal. 4. vers. 16. Am I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth Imprimatur JAMES CRANFORD LONDON Printed for Humphrey Robinson and are to be sold at the three Pigeons in Pauls Churchyard 1645. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL JOHN ROWLES Esquire one of the Honourable House of COMMONS of the High Court of PARLIAMENT SIR IT is above thirty yeeres since the Lord hath brought mee to be an inhabitant of Woolchurch And for the greattr part of this time the providence of God hath so ordered it that I have enjoyed your acquaintance which hath been profitable both to the outward and inward man although of late by reason of your great and high imployments for God and man there hath not been that personall society as heretofore yet I often see you to participate in the best and excellent places of sound Doctrine in the way of truth and salvation which with the knowledge I have of you hath often moved my heart and spirit to supplicate the God of heaven for you as for my self to whom it hath pleased God to make his Truth so known as to make mee a childe of it above twenty yeeres since which heavenly Principles had I so heeded and improved as I ought I might have been by this time a strong man in Christ Jesus How ever Sir I must confesse to you Gods mercies have been more and abundantly greater then my own miseries and notwithstanding mine own naturall indisposition and unaptnesse to the good and streight way of the Lord yet hee hath so magnified his good will and compassion as thereby to make mee one though the least of his Disciples who therefore cannot nay dare not but speak the things I have seen and learned of him notwithstanding the Crosse and persecution that attend on the obeying and declaring the truth a part whereof you may see if you please to take view of these few ensuing lines where you may observe that the testifying to the abundant mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ manifested in the Sacrament as in the Word even for this many are offended and rise up against mee and do as much as in them lies to make the world believe that though they know me yet they know me not so as that I am seen and not discerned and yet I fear not for to speak though I care not to be known except to you and the whole houshold of faith to whom the Lord continue his love and goodnesse which shall be ever the prayer of him who is truly yours and theirs J. G. An Introduction to the Arguments shewing the cause of their writing HEaring many corrupt doctrines delivered in wool-Wool-Church by a stranger where I am a Parishioner the knowledge of the truth moved mee to write these eight Arguments below specified thereby to vindicate Gods great Bounty and free Grace set forth to man-kinde by the Sacrament of the Bodie and Blood of our Lord as well as by the Word preached His Text was these words of the Apostle But let a man examine himself and so let him eat 1 Cor. 11. 28. affirming that the Apostle here by the name man spake only of a spirituall man and that the Scriptures do in no place call a naturall man by the name of a man alledging Jer. 5. 1. to prove it with divers other Scriptures and affirmed that naturall men all of them always are denominated by the name of beasts as Serpents Vipers Wolves Dogs Swine beasts after the manner of men c. Now to deliver this without the due distinction the Scriptures make is very false and contrary to our Lords own doctrine Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born again c. meaning by the name man a naturall man as also the Apostle 1 Cor. 2. 9. Now see his doctrine as strange to the Scriptures as the Preacher was to mee for it is beyond exception that as our Lord so his servant means by the name man naturall men And as the misunderstanding of the Scripture is the ground of all errour and schisme so from these premisses he drew this strange conclusion that one in nature and unregenerated ought not to be admitted to the Supper of the Lord and because hee had no plain Scripture that forbids a naturall man which hath received the faith to believe and to be baptized therefore he falsly affirmed that John the Baptist Mat. 3. 7. forbad the Pharisees and Sadduces to come to his baptisme and so argued from the lesser to the greater that if Baptisme which is the lesser ought to be denyed to impenitent men much more the Sacrament which is the greater ought to be denyed naturall men and this hee sham'd not to affirm although there be not one word in the Text of Johns denying the Pharisees and Sadduces and so went on to shew many Reasons why naturall men ought not to be admitted to the Lords Table First saith hee because a naturall man cannot discern what the Sacrament shewes forth Secondly because all naturall men are Serpents Vipers Dogs Swine cruell and savage beasts to whom the holy and precious things of the Sacrament ought not to be given for naturall men saith he are no more capable of them then the beasts that perish Thirdly because all naturall men are forbidden to come as Christ in another case said Mat. 5. 23 24. If thou bringest thy gift to the Altar and remembrest thy brother hath ought against thee go first and be reconciled to thy brother and then come c. in which Reason this yong Minister did not remember that our Lord here speaks of a brother not naming him a naturall unregenerated man neither is it to be understood only of the Sacrament for there we come rather to receive then give Fourthly because saith he every naturall man that comes to the Sacrament is that man Matth. 22. 11 12 13. that had not on the wedding garment who therefore speechlesse was cast into utter darknesse which if this be so then all the unregenerate elect in receiving the Sacrament are in that case and condition so that none of them by his reasoning shall be converted if they receive the Sacrament but condemned which is blasphemy to affirme and all that have heretofore received it before regeneration shall perish Fifthly because whosoever giveth the Sacrament to a wicked naturall man doth therein cast the childrens bread to Dogs Sixtly because the Sacrament was ordained only to confirme Grace and not at all for

the like another said he is a foole to meddle with that he understands not for saith he he hath not the tongues and without them it is impossible he should understand the Scriptures this man although an Elder did not remember that the Apostle saith To one is given the gift of Prophesie to another the gift of Tongues by the same Spirit 1 Cor. 12. 10 11. Another said I was an enemy to all goodnesse and threatened me I should answer it before Authority so I heard and have born the defamings of many amongst which some were my familiars And between the Church and my house one told me Now you are met withall you are repayd now to whom I answered according to the old Proverb one tale is good till another is heard and the Scripture saith said I he that is first in his cause seems just which opprobrious behaviours and reproachfull expressious I have born wth patience both in the time of the assembly and ever since and so will continue without opening my mouth against them and conclude with an exhortation to Ministers and people concerning the receiving the Communion For although there be no rule in Scripture that gives any one particular Minister order to restrain any from the Lords Table that believe and are baptized except the authority given to the Church in case of excommunication as at first is signified yet the Scriptures do plentifully testifie that faithfull Minsters ought to watch over the flock of Christ to teach instruct and admonish the people to learn know and understand the meaning of all Gods ordinances and instructed in our own estates and conditions as John the Baptist exhorted the Parisees and Sadduces Mat. 3. 7. and that except we be betterred by them that which is ordained for our eternall life will be found to be to our eternall death and therefore Ministers ought to be apt to teach upon all occasions in season and out of season to shew and open to the Congregation what Prayer is in it self and that the people ought to joyn their affections to the plain truth hee should pronounce to God in his own and the peoples behalf so likewise that the Scriptures and truths opened and discovered by them is no lesse then the Word of God that shall judge us at the last day and therefore that all attention should be given to it with feare and trembling and that the end of our hearing should be to know obey it so also as touching the Sacraments that of Baptismes to declare the doctrine of Baptismes which the Scriptures cleerly teach and distinguish of so also the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of our Lord that for as much as it is Gods great mercy and goodness to give unto us those visible signs of his body and blood which are living representations of his death and passion and that as he is the propitiation of the sins of the elect of God called and justified whose hearts are purified by faith in his blood who thereby eat his flesh and drink his blood spiritually and so have eternall life in them So also Gods Word teacheth us that his blood is the propitiation of the sins of the whole world 1 Joh. 2. 2. And therefore as every naturall man renders their salvation so they are to examine themselves and prepare their hearts by repentance so to come to the Sacrament as to finde Jesus Christ to become their spirituall life as he is life and food both to such as are regenerated so that all and every mans coming to Gods Ordinances may be endeavoured to be for the better and not for the worse and also Ministers ought to have compassionate affections towards the people even as a Nurse towards the Babe on her breast and as a tender mother towards the childe of her womb and in all their wayes seek them and not theirs so that all bitternesse and pride be avoided and that the Congregation may see that they sincerely seek the salvation of the people and also the people must know that holy and faithfull teachers ought to be had in double honour both by countenance and maintenance that the glory of God and mans salvation be promoted and thus and so admonisheth he that is the Lords and thine in him J. G. The Prophets prophesie falsly and the Priests beare rule by their means and my people love to have it so saith the Lord Jer. 5. 31. FINIS 1 Cor. 15. 23.