comfort of the Sacrament in our soules If we dishonour God in despising his Word and Sacraments and Ministers t is equall that hee should poure contempt upon us and give up our names for a reproach upon earth They only can expect that God should have a tender regard of their lives and health and credit and other good things they enjoy who have themselves a dutifull respect of his glory and doe with all thankfulnesse and good conscience receive and use the favour and meanes of grace he bestowes on them 2. This shewes the cause why many times those that professe true Religion fare worse than others in regard of so many troubles and afflictions as betide them more than others The reason is because as the spirituall good things which God bestoweth on his Church are greater than any other favours which he imparts unto other men so is their abuse of them more highly displeasing unto God than others contempt of more inferiour favours But of this I have spoken largely upon the 29. verse therefore I doe but name it now To proceed Many among you are sicke c. Many The sinne of profaning the Sacrament was not a particular private sinne of some one or few among the Corinthians but it was a publike disorder and a common fault of the greatest part Now accordingly the punishment lights not upon a few here and there one but upon Many as there were many that had sinned But yet touching the community of these judgements upon the Corinthian Church it is to be noted that they were not such iudgements as came indifferently upon the City of Corinth For then they might have replyed that these sicknesses and death came not upon them for their profanation of the Sacrament seeing they lighted as well upon the rest of the Idolatrous Citizens Wherefore as the sinne was peculiar unto the Christians that were in Corinth so also were these punishments in some speciall extraordinary manner inflicted on them whereby it appeared that God singled them out in speciall for their foule profanation of his most holy worship The practicall conclusion hence is That Common sins have common punishments When the Vlcer is spread over the whole body a Plaister is ill applied but unto one part Where God comes to cure hee fits his medicine to the disease and were hee comes to kill his consuming wrath runnes so farre as doth the over-flowing of iniquity in that place wherewith hee hath to deale If hee bee to punish a whole world after hee hath provided for the safety of his Church all the rest perish to the last man If he be to destroy a Sodome wherein there is not one righteous they shall die every mothers sonne of them This may teach us a twofold lesson 1. That if wee will escape from common plagues wee learne to live free from common sinnes Let us not partake with others in their sinnes lest wee also share with them in their punishments Flee out of the middest of Babel and deliver every man his soule be not destroyed in her iniquity saith the Prophet Ieremy Chapt. 51.8 unto the Iewes residing at Babylon in Chaldea Go out of her my people that yee be not partakers of her sinnes and that yee receive not of her plagues saith the voice from heaven unto the godly abiding in the mysticall Romish Babylon Let us now follow this admonition and withdraw our selves from amongst all ungodly persons in the world not in place for then we must goe out of the world but in our love and practice of their wicked doings that in nothing wee have fellowship with the unfruitfull workes of darknesse How shall wee doe this yee will say The best way we can follow is this Learne to mourne for common sinnes and so thou shalt bee sure to live free from them Put on that holy affection which was in David Let thine eyes runne with rivers of waters because men forsake Gods Law Make not thy selfe sport with other mens â—innes but when thou lookest on them let thine eye breake thy heart with godly sorrow for the Irreligious contempt of Gods Word and Worship the pride the excesse the oppression the swearing the drunkennesse that fills every corner of the Land If there bee any sparke of true love to the Church and State wherein thou livest if any pity of the soules of thy brethren let it grieve thy soule to see men post madly unto destruction and weepe in secret to see the measure of iniquity rising up to the brimme to the hastening of destruction upon Church and State Bee a mourner in Zion and so escape the punishment of the sinners in Zion that when feare and confusion takes hold on them thou maist be marked out to safety and deliverance Other meanes to provide for thy welfare in common calamities there is none at all As for such as will continue to be as bad as the worst and yet hope by finenesse of wit and policy to speed as well as the best let such scornfull men and mockers of Gods counsell reade with attention that excellent place Esa. 28.14 seq Where they may see such their vaine confidence pulled downe to the dust in the example of others that have likewise trusted to it and bin confounded 2. Wee learne hence what to judge of any Christian Church when once corruptions grow common and overspreading all If God begin once to take in hand to punish such a Church will it be thinke you some light touch and easie afflictioâ— Nay Flagellum mundans an over-flowing scourge is then to be expected a scourge that shall go thorough every quarter of the Church to whip out from thence those that have polluted and defiled it by their abomination in every place These Corinthians were but a poor handfull of people newly drawn out of Gentilisme in one no very great City yet see how sharply the Lord deals with them for this one abuse of the Sacrament Many of those that in all were but a few are severely punished for it What then and how sore wil be the judgements of such Churches which have flourished 〈…〉 extent aboundance oâ— peace 〈◊〉 â—ight and liberty of the Gospell so long wherein yet the fruits of Obedience worthy of so unspeakable mercies aâ—e not to be found Iudgement is already begun at the house of God and wee cannot but with bleeding hearts bewaile the wofull desolations come upon some and the utter ruine threatned unto all forraine Churches Oh my beloved brethren let us pray dayly and fervently that the Lord would now say to his destroying Angell It is sufficient Hold now thy hand That he would make warres to cease unto the ends of the earth that hee would give peace to them his people who want it that he will continue peace to us his people that yet enjoy it That the cup of his furious indignation wherof so many nations of the earth have beene made to drinke may not passe over unto us but the dregges thereof if any remaine may rather bee powred out upon the nations that know him not nor call upon his Name but amongst us for ever may his Gospell flourish upon us bee his peace and protection unto the worlds end Amen O Lord for thy Son Christs sake I come to the last words Many weak sick many sleep Here is the punishment in the three degrees of it 1. Weaknesses viz. the first languishing of the body and inclination unto diseases 2. Sicknesses the next degree when diseases had fully seazed on the body 3. Death the last degree and complement of both the former Now of the two first degrees which were the lesser evills the Apostle saith that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Multi Many were afflicted with them but of the third the greater evill namely Death he alters the word and saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Satis multi not a few were dead though not so many as weake and sicke From this diversity in these punishments observe we in the last place That God in punishing man for sin orders his punishments differently according to the quality of the offence and party offending Some sinnes are of deeper dye than others and require more washing to 〈◊〉 them off Some are like unto humors seâ—led in the body which require stronger potions to purge them out others be as some infirmities newly fallen upon the body which are cured by medicines of weaker ingredients As when men have made a bargaine men will haue earnest or so to confirme it so is the Sacrament to confirme the Covenant FINIS a 1 Cor. 11.21 â—2 b 1 Cor. 11.25 c Maldon in Iohn 6. d Aug de merit peccat l 1. c. 24 passiâ— alibi Tert. l. 4. adver Marcion Amb. l 3 Sacr. c â— followed by some in Bohemia Chry. praelect Chron. Russia O dorbard de Relig. Rus. e Exod. 4.8 f Hieron Paulino g Latens 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ibid. De Gub. l. 4. Ioâ— 7.17 * 1 Sam. 30.12 * See the book of Canons Sal. de Gub. l. 4. 5. Matth. 1â— 9. Mat. 23.29 c Prov. 29.27 De Gub. l. 8. Heb. 9.10 Ioh 4. * Zanch observat in con fess suam de Relig. Christiana in cap. 16. appor 10. * Ioh 3.17.18.19 2. Thes 2.12 1. Tim. 3.12 * Hos. 5.13 7.11 They call to Egypt they goe to Ashur Lam. 1. ver 1. * Vers. 14. * Vers. 18. * Vers. 20. Men sharpliest punished for those sinnes they have committed with greatest pleasure and security Psal. 119.136 Ezek. 9.4.5.6
AN INTRODVCTION TO THE WORTHY RECEIVING THE SAcrament of the Lords SVPPER By that late learned Minister of Gods holy Word WILLIAM PEMBLE of Magdalen Hall in Oxford Published since his death by his friend Qui discordat à Christo nec manducat carnem eius nec sanguinem bibit etiamsi rei tantae Sacramentum ad iudicium suae praesumptionis quotidie indifferenter accipiat De Consecrat Dist. 2. c. 65. Qui discordat Ex Aug. in liâ— Sent. c. 339. Vt quid puras dentes ventrem Crede manducasti Ibid. c. 47. Vt quid Ex Aug. tract 25 26. in Ioan. LONDON Printed by I.B. for Iames Boler and are to be sold at the signe of the Mary gold in Paâ—â—s Church-yard Anno Dâ—â— 1633. TO THE WORSHIPfull his worthy good friend JOHN BAKER Esq. at Mayfield in Sussex Grace and Peace SIr to erre in speculative Doctrines chiefly where the soveraigntie and sufficiency of the Scripture is maintained as it is with us is not so frequent nor so easie as to mistake in matters practicall Errors in doctrine are more dangerous but corruptions in practice are more often by reason that our practice flowes immediatly from more various and weake principles in us than our speculations doe Hence we see that in matters divine amongst us where the Scriptures are in force and have their due place there are few errors in the doctrine many faults in the practice For an instance wee need goe no further than the Sacrament of the Supper the doctrine whereof is by the blessing of God out of question for the Orthodoxie of it in our Church But where Satan cannot taint the Doctrine there hee will corrupt the Practice all hee can so we finde that in S. Pauls time the Practice of this Sacrament was rather growne faultie than the Doctrine a type of our dayes wherein we see the people growne carelesse remisse and prophane for the practice in the receiving of this Sacrament so verie few prepare themselves in a discerning manner In matters morall and divine contrarie to what we see in things naturall we leape from one extreame to another sine medio from superstition to prophanenesse from bad to worse Papists and wee agree that this Sacrament is not to bee given to children who cannot examine themselves we all say that to this Sacrament there is required a personall and a praeviall disposition in the receiver an opus operantis and yet wee finde our people come to the Lords Table though not children in yeares yet in understanding Nay do we not heare the very best complaine much this way their griefe is that this Sacrament doth them little good and where one complaines of his unprofitable hearing the Word many bemoane their uncomfortable receiving of this Sacrament What may bee thought the cause are they not both the verie ordinances of God Yes I know that Sacraments have a certaine voyce and that they are a kinde of visible words yet there is not that viva vox in the Sacrament administred as is in the Word preached Now this force which is in the lively voyce of the Preacher doth helpe much to qualifie the Hearer Let this then goe for a truth that amongst some other reasons of this difference one maine cause why wee say and feele that we profit lesse by this Sacrament than by the Word preached is for that as we should prepare more so wee doe prepare lesse before-band to the receiving of this Sacrament The way then to cure this disease is to prepare and fit our selves better and to that end is this booke serving rather to prepare the Communicant in the practice than to defend the doctrine of this Sacrament A good booke and in our dead and unsavourie times very needfull which I now dedicate to you to say nothing of mine owne respects for reasons taken from the deceased Author Were he alive and say hee would print this booke you are the man whose name it should beare you supported the vine that bore this and many other excellent grapes his studies had shrunke and withered even then when they were about to knit had it not beene for you and your exhibitions To tell you what great charge you bestowed on him I need not to tell the world in print is a thing you desire not onely I would men of quality would stay their hands from their excesses upoâ— unprofitable creatures and learne of you to shew their bounty in watering such plants as this was and then they neede not repent of their excesses but rather rejoyce with you for their expences And I could wish that every Gentleman of ranke could say as you can that in his time hee hath raised up an able Schollar a learned Divine a well studied Artist a skilfull Linguist and which is the soule of all a verie godly Minister Had hee lived you had enjoyed him and he you but hee is gone to enjoy the Lord and in reading of this his booke you may in some sort enjoy him And such as read this and the rest of his labours if they profit not by them let them blame themselves if they doe as I am certaine many doe next unto the Lord let them thanke you and blesse God for him and you to whom I commit both you and yours and remaine Yours in the Lord Christ RICHARD CAPEL To the Reader COurteous Reader if any other print this book according to any notes I thought good to give thee notice that this is according to the Originall under the Authors owne hand left unto me when he departed this world and therefore take this as the onely true and genuine Copy And so farewell R. CAPEL AN INTRODVCTION To the worthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords SVPPER MOst true is that of Salomon Pro. 19.2 Without knowledge the mind is not good He that hasteth with his feet sinneth True where the mind wants knowledge the foot will be hasty Ignorance Rashnes are inseparable companions but this is true also that Knowledge alone cannot make a man good Where the minde hath knowledge the foote may be lazie and where knowledge abounds negligence may abound too Now of the two Monoris criminis reatus est legem nescire quà m spernere as Salvian speakes and an unadvised practise comming from ignorance is farre more tolerable than wilfull disobedience convicted and condemned by knowledge There is then a necessity for practice â—o follow after knowledge and there is also an excellency wherein practice goes before knowledge as the end alwaies deserves more love and praise than the meanes The younger brother in order of Nature hath here the preheminency to be blessed above the elder which I spake not to make divisioÌ„ among brethren and set at oddes these two parts of Religion by a quarrelsome comparison but that I may have leave at this time to do as Iacob sometime did when Manasseh and Ephraim were presented unto
to content our idle humours than ayming sincerely at his glory is a foule contempt and cannot but bring a curse upon us Yee have despised my Name saith God unto the Priests Mal. 1.6 Wherein say then In that Ye offer uncleane bread upon mine altar verse 7. Matters were come to that passe in this Prophets time that neither Priest nor People cared a â—ot how God was served Any thing they thought would content him and therefore they presumed to offer that to him which they durst not present unto their Prince or Governour the blinde the lame the torne the sicke any thing which their covetousnesse could best spare was a sacrâ—fice good enough for God Yea the whole frame of Legal Ceremonies they were utterly weary of them counting them base and contemptible and in effect nothing but an unprofitable drudgery Doth God take this well at their hands No hee curseth them for this their impiety Cursed bee the deceiver which hath in his flocke a male and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing The reason followes For I am a great King saith the Lord of Hosts and my Name is dreadfull among the heathen Wherefore it must needs be a horrible offence in the Iewes the people of God thus to vilifie so great a maiesty when even the Gentiles themselves yeelded a more awefull reverence thereunto I shall not neede to stand long in prouing a truth so evident the time and paines will haply bee better imployed in making application of it to our selves A threefold use of this point I commend unto your consideration and practice Vse 1. First Information of our iudgement touching such evills as wee see doe befall men in this life Wee behold the best Churches in great calamities the best men sorely afflicted and we wonder that God should deale so rigorously with those that serve and worship him Wee ghesse at many causes but seldome doe we hit upon the right which here the Apostle intimates unto viz. Profanation of the ordinances of Gods worship This Irreligiousnesse in Gods service is the maine cause as of other sins so of all judgements Vnrighteousnesse against man issues from irreligion towards God and therefore in punishment we must chiefly cast our eyes that way if wee will follow the streame up unto it first fountain We commonly looke another way and put off our calamities vpon other causes If any other but the Apostle had told these Corinthians that their sicknesses and death was sent upon them â—or their profanation of the Lords Supper they would haue doubted of his opinion Many were sicke and dyed but what of that men cannot live or bee well alwayes these things come at adventure or by course of Nature t was want of care in their dyet t was the malignity of some unwholsome dish want of exercise ill temper of the body infection of the aire and such like causes have made them weake and sickly want of physicke want of looking to old age or some such matter hath brought them to their end Any thing rather than what the Apostle speakes of should be reckoned up as the cause of their present griefes But hee having a better spirit to judge of matters tells them plainly that what ever they may imagine t was for abuse of the Sacrament For this cause that sicknesses and deaths reigned amongst them When the Iewes endured so many miseries even from their first plantation in the land to their finall casting out from thence they were seldome aware of this point that their corruptions and abuses in Gods worship brought such plagues upon them If the Philistims Canaanites and other Borderers upon them doe spoile their Country tyrannize over them and oppresse them with cruell slavery as they did in the times of the Iudges they will interpret this to be nothing but an old grudge which these Nations bare against the Israelites for dis-possessing them of their Countrey for which they were hated and all occasions sought to worke revenge If the Kingdome be divided that 's nothing but Rehoboams folly and ill counsell of ill advised Courtiers If Israel make warre on Iudah or Iudah upon Israel that 's but policy to keepe downe one another lest one should encroach upon both Kingdomes If there be civill warres that 's thorough the factions of potent and ambitious States-men If a Forreiner invade them t is nothing but the pride of ambitious tyrants that cannot be content with their owne but seeke after glory and greatnesse in the ruine of other Kingdomes Yea if a Salmanasser or Nebuchadnezzar carry them away captive out of their land though they may thinke in the generall that God is not well pleased with them yet they would resolve these effects into other causes more proper as they conceive T was weaknesse in their Kings degenerating from their ancient valour want of good confederates of good counsellors of skilfull and trusty commanders of hardy souldiers they were over-borne by multitude and these or some thing like these were the cause of this misfortune but of their sinnes they thinke not of that matter Many there were no doubt who iudged better touching the successe of Civill and Ecclesiasticall affaires whose eyes God had opened to discerne the equall dependance betweene the sinnes and the punishments of the present age wherein they lived but for the generality of the State their thoughts went another way after worldly and politicke reasons Which was the cause that being so often smitten yet they returned not to God that smote them because they were ignorant of their sins for which he smote them Thence in many grievous calamities of the State they did what they could by all politick means to uphold the ruines thereof but yet there was no reformation at all of the horrible corruptions of Gods pure Religion This they looked not after as if all had beene well on that side whereas indeed the maine crakce which threatned the downefall of that glorious state was not in the roofe or sides of the building barely in the Lawes and Civill governement but in that onely strong pillar whereupon all rested viz. Religion now rent and shivered in pieces Had wee a history of those times of the Iewish state compiled by Iewish Politicians living then and relating unto us the same publicke events which wee finde recorded in Scripture it would quickly appeare by the comparison that God iudged otherwise of the causes of those things than the State then did Those stories would be like unto these written in latter ages touching Christian Common-wealths where Church and State are put asunder as having little dependance one upon another All notable events prosperous or unhappy the rising or decay of states or great men in the state c. are curiously enquired into all consells and circumstances scanned and censured but for Religion what entercourse it hath with such events there is scarce so much as a glance that way So â—linde and earthly is every man in
discerning aright of Gods iudgements and the course of his government over all humane affaires Wherefore that man may see his error in this point God hath beene pleased by revelation from heaven to make knowne unto him the chiefe cause of such calamities as come upon States and Kingdomes professing true Religion For which purpose God raised up Prophets from time to time to put the Iewes in remenbrance of that which otherwise they would not have thought of viz. that for their abominable corruptions in Gods worship and other sinnes proceeding thence they were thus plagued These men cryed out loud enough to be heard saying as it is 2 King 17.13 Turne from your evill waies and keepe my commandements and my statutes But then as now the poore Prophets preached to little purpose they might talke till they were weary few men regarded what they said Wherefore God hath caused their Sermoâ—s and the Stories of their times to be recorded in everlasting monumenâ—s that all ages of the world may take notice of the true cause of Gods iudgements Wherein wee see that God le ts passe as scarce worth the naming all civill considerations and brings all the prosperity or adversity of Church or State unto this head viz. the Neglect or Regard had unto Religion and Iustice. The children of Israel did wickedly in the sight of the Lord they served Baal and the gods of the Nations they forsooke the Lord they walked not in his statutes these be the reasons for which matters goe ill with them as we may finde it at large expressed Iudg. 2. 2. King 17. 2. Chron. 36. Yea in this matter God gave unto them a generall rule whereby to rectifie their iudgement and ours in the like case in the 29. of Deut. Where Moses tells them that when their posterity or the stranger from a far land should see the plagues of the Iewes countrey and the diseases thereof where with the Lord should smite it they would aske after the reason of it and say Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto his land what meaneth the heate of this great anger The answer followes Then men shall say because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their fathers which hee made with them when hee brought them forth out of the land of Egypt For they went and served other gods and worshipped them gods whom they knew not and whom hee had not given unto them And the anger of the Lord was kindled against this land to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this booke vers 14 15 16 17. According to this observation wee may judge of the state of the Christian Church ruinated in the East by Saracens and Turkes over-run in the West by Goths Vandals and other Northren nations then when pure Religion was corrupted by Sects and Heresies by superstitious abuses brought into the worship of God especially into the Sacrament more and more polluted by abominable vanitiâ—s by pride and contention among the Bishops by neglâ—gence in the inferiour Clergie by turâ—ing Religion into regular hypocrisie each one serving God after the statutes of Ahab and decrees of the house of Omâ—i I meane after the rule of his new devised order but not according to that rule prescribed in the Word whereby alone all must walke that looke for peace upon themselves and the Israell of God When thus by superstition profanenesse impiety and all filthy corruptions in doctrine and manners the name of Christian became even to be a dishonour unto Christ God dealt with them as before he had done with the Iewish Church delivering them over into the hands of cruell enemies who vexed and spoyled them on every side But what shall wee say unto Churches reformed and purged from the leaven of such corruptions may we apply this rule unto them Yea wee must even in these daies of distresse and trouble wherein God dasheth the nations of the earth together breaking them one upon another like earthen vessels Now that the Kingdomes of the earth are shaken and the Church of God persecuted and afflicted with fire sword and desolation We that are yet but passengers going on in quiet by the way cannot but behold and bewaile her sorrow which sitteth upon the ground weeping sore in the night for these miseries that are come upon her Oh that our heads were full of water and our eyes a fountaine of teares that we also could weep day and night for the slaine of the daughter of Zion But now if wee stand still and wonder and enquire How doth the City sit solitary that was full of people how is shee become a widow shee that was great among the Nations a Princesse among the Provinces â—ow is shee become tributary Heare what answer her selfe will make The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand they are wreathed and come up upon my necke therefore it followes he hath made my strength to fall the Lord hath delivered mee into their hands from whom I am not able to rise up And againe The Lord is righteous for I have rebelled against his commandements Heare I pray you all people and behold my sorrow my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity And againe Behold O Lord for I am in distresse my bowels are troubled my heart is turned within me For I have grievously rebelled Yea this is it T is the sinnes of a Church that kinde a fire in her palaces Her sinnes that sharpen her enemies sword to the slaughter Her sinnes that destroy her strong Hold and make the rampart and the wall to lament and languish together Let us not here cry out upon men complaine upon Princes blame wee know not whom nor for what as if all had been well had they done or would they doe as wee have contrived it but lay we the blame where the fault is and say we That they be the sinnes of the Church that kept good things from her and brought evill upon her And be we still sighing in silence for t is the Lord hath done this even he hath done that which he had devised he hath covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger and cast downe from heaven to earth the beauty of Israel Indeede Reformation is a glorious name a Church reformed and restored unto purity of doctrine and discipline is a glorious society But it s one thing to have Gods pure worship established by Law another thing to have it settled in mens hearts and observed in their practice The doctrine of a Church may be pure the Sacraments rightly administred the government duely ordered and yet God may be highly dishonoured by that Church when that which is well adpointed is not yet well used This is haply the Corinthians case here in the Text they did not for ought we can prove pervert the Institution of the Sacrament adding or omitting any thing materiall to the essence thereof but yet