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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91293	Suspention suspended. Or, The divines of Syon-Colledge late claim of the power of suspending scandalous persons, from the Lords Supper (without sequestring them from any other publicke ordinance, or the society of Christians) and that by the very will and appointment of Jesus Christ (not by vertue of any ordinance of Parliament) from whom they receive both their office and authority; briefly examined, discussed, refuted by the Word of God, and arguments deduced from it; and the contrary objections cleerly answered. Wherein, a bare suspention of persons from the Lords Supper onely, without a seclusion of them from other ordinances, is proved to be no censure or discipline appointed by Jesus Christ in his Word: ... That the Lords Supper is frequently, not rarely to be administred as well to unregenerate Christians to convert them, as to regenerate to confirme them: ... / By William Prynne of Lincolnes Inne, Esq.	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1646 (1646)	Wing P4097; Thomason E510_12; ESTC R203299	51,434	45

s See Master Rutherfurds divine right of Church government sect 1 2 3 4. cap. 1. qu. 1. c. That the Scripture ought to be the onely rule of all Church Discipline for whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14. 13. Secondly that where the Scripture commands a totall Excommunication from the Church and all publick Ordinances in it there Ministers and Presbyters have no more authority to suspend from one alone and give free admtitance to all the rest then t Sam. 15. 2. to 34. Saul had to spare Agage and the best of the Sheep and Cattle or v Josh 7. i. to 16. Achan to save the Babilonish Wedge and Garment x Numb 31. i. to 20. or the Israelites to spare the Moabitish women when God commanded them to be all destroyed for which sinfull partiallity they were severely checked punished Now the Scripture commands a totall excommunication of obstinate scandalous sinners from all publick Ordinances whatsoever if from any as the Texts forecited manifest and our Opposites in their discourses concerning excommunication confesse therefore they cannot without sin and contempt of Gods command exclude them onely from the Lords Supper and yet freely admit them to and communicate with them in all others Thirdly to answer Master Doctors mistaken Law Where a Judge by the Law as in cases of Treason Murder Burglary c. hath power and is prescribed to hang the party offending there he cannot exchange or extenuate the penance at his pleasure by inflicting a mulct or whipping which punishments must be inflicted only when and where the Law inflicts them not for capitall offences as all our common Law-books Lawyers will informe him our Judges being bound by Oath to judge onely according to Law not arbitrarily at their pleasure If then Judges may not alter the penalties prescribed by the Lawes of men much lesse may Ministers or Presbyteries change or mitigate the censures prescribed as they now contend by the Law of God himselfe Fourthly suspention from the Lords Supper onely without sequestration from all other Ordinances together with it is but a meer groundlesse Invention io justle out the censure of excommunication so much contended for and strip it naked of all its terror and Majesty for if excommunicate persons may resort freely to heare the Word and to all other publick Ordinances but the Sacrament yea be present at all the actions of the Sacrament it selfe and be secluded onely from the actuall participation of the Elements it will make Excommunication nothing formidable yea quite subvert the very end use and substance thereof to make scandalous persons ashamed Reply But our y Master Rutherfurds Divine right of Presbyteries p. 227 273 274 280 281 Antagonists reply That an excommunicate person may freely bee admitted to heare the Word and ought not to be excluded from it z Sixteen Antiquaeries p. 6. Where writes the Doctor is it said that an excommunicate person shall not have so much as the priviledge of one that is without 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. Might an Infidell heare the Word for his conversion and shall an excommunicate person be denied the benefit of that Ordinance I grant by excommunication he is as an heathen but why he may not have the priviledge of one that is without I desire Master Prynne to instruct me and I shall thank him for it We deny not but the meditation of Christs death the words of institution and the Sacramentall Elements and actions may doe much towards conversion and let Master Prynne shew me in Scripture why either an excommunicate person or an Infidell may not be present at all these yet neither of them may be admitted to partake of the Ordinance c. Rejoinder To this I rejoyne First that Master Rutherfurd cites many Canonists and others in the same place to prove That excommunicate persons ought not to be present at Prayers Preaching or any other publick Ordinance the generall opinion of Antiquity and the Schooles nay he proves from Ezek. 44. 7 8 9. Acts 21. 28 29. That unconverted Heathens were prohibited to come into Gods Sanctuary or enter into the Temple at Jerusalem and that those who are thus excōmunicated as Heathens are in this sense persons quite excluded the Church and Common-weale of Israel as Heathens were Ephes 2. 11 12. else no excommunication could be evinced from Matth. 18. 17. Let him be to thee as an heathe therefore Heathens whiles such were excluded from the preaching of the word de jure in Christian Churches and Congregations of which they were no members True it is the Apostles were commanded to preach the Gospell to all Nations and Infidels to convert them Matth. 28. 19. Mark 16. 15. But whether Ministers at this day have the like Commission or are to admit meere Infidels ordinarily to heare the Word in their Congregations is not yet resolved neithr will the 1 Cor. 14. 24 25. evince it which speaks of such Ministers onely who were endued with the supernaturall gift of miracles and tongues for the conversion of Infidels which are long since ceased Secondly admit that Heathens and Infidels if they casually come into Christian Churches to heare the Word ought not to be excluded but admitted to heare it yet it followes not that excommunicate persons should therefore be admitted into the Church to heare the Word preached whiles actually excommunicated for their obstinacy and incorrigibility in scandalous sins First because they are judicially by way of publick censure and punishment actually cut off from and excluded out of the visible Church and sequestred from all publick Ordinances all Christian society for scandalous offences till their repentance and readmission as is cleere by the premised Texts and most Canonists Casuists School men who write of Excommunication which meere Heathens who desire to heare the Word that they may be converted are not therefore during this censure and their impenitency they ought not to be admitted entrance into the Church or to be present at any other Ordinances in it till their readmission though Heathens may who are not judicially excluded To illustrate this by an instance of like nature If a native English man be by lawfull sentence banished the Kingdome for any crime or a Free-man of London expelled the lines of Cōmunication for his Delinquency till his conformity it is not lawfull for the one of them to return into the Kingdome or the other to come within the City till their sentences be revoked yet Aliens and Forreigners may freely enter the one and other without restraint because there is no such sentence of banishment or exclusion passed against them So a scandalous impenitent Christian cast out of the Church banished the society of Christians and excluded all publick Ordinances by a legall sentence ought not to be admitted till repentance though a meere Heathen may Secondly because an impenitent obstinate scandalous Christian by Paul's owne resolution is more to be avoyded then

the Camp imply so much The second is Numb 5. 1 2 3 4. And the Lord spake into Moses saying Command the CHILDREN OF ISRAEL THAT THEY PUT OU● OF THE CAMPE every Leper and every one that hath an Issue and who soever is defiled by the dead both male and female shall be put out without the CAMPE shall ye put them that they defile not their Campe in the midst whereof I dwell And the children of Israel did so and put them out without the Campe. Ergo they equally secluded them from all publick Ordinances Sacrifices and their common society not from the Lords Supper or Passeover alone if this putting out of the Campe were an Ecclesiasticall censure and exclusion from Gods Ordinances and society of the faithfull as is pretended The third is Levit. 16. 26 27 28. Numb 19. 3 7. cap. 31. 19. 24. Deut. 23. 10. to 15. where we read of others who for other ceremoniall uncleannesses and nocturnall pollutions were to goe out of the Campe and not to come within it till they had washed themselves and then when they were cleansed and the Sunne was downe they might come into the Campe againe Ergo during the time of their exclusion they were equally debarred from all publick Ordinances whatsoever and not admitted unto any other Ordinance more then to the Passeover Numb 2. 6. to 13. From these Texts much c Master Rutherfords divine right of Church-government cap. 5 and elsewhere urged for proofe of an Ecclesiasticall Jurisdiction vested by divine institution and the will of Jesus Christ in Priests under the Law and Ministers and Presbyteries under the Gospel to excommunicate and suspend from the Lords Supper scandalous and unclean persons I shall onely propound four Questions to the Objectors of them wherein I desire satisfaction First Whether the Camp of the children of Israel was not rather a Type of their Religious Civill State and Republick then of their Church and the exclusion of Lepers and those that had Issues with others out of the Campe for these naturall infirmities and ceremoniall uncleannesses were not rather a temporary civill sequestration to prevent infection and diseases in the Camp then an Ecclesiasticall censure of Excommunication orsuspention from the Tabernacle and publique Ordinances used in it to prevent spirituall infections of the soule or prophanation of the publick Ordinances of Gods worship The reason why I propound this Quere is because Exod. 37. 7. to 12. expresly resolves that the Tabernacle of the Congregation representing the Church of the Jewes wherein God himselfe manifested his speciall presence in the Cloud and Pillar where all publicke Sacrifices and duties of Gods worship were performed by the Priests and people and where God met with Moses and answered him and the people face to face was not placed within the Camp of the Israelites but a farre off without it witnesse the expresse words of the Text And Moses took the Tabernacle and pitched it WITHOUT THE CAMPE A FARRE OFF FROM THE CAMPE and called it the Tabernacle of the Congregation And it came to passe that EVERY ONE THAT SOUGHT THE LORD went OUT unto the Tabernacle of the Congregation which WAS WITHOUT THE CAMPE c. Which is likewise fully seconded confirmed by Numb 11. 24 to 30. And Moses gathered the seventy men of the Elders of the people and set them round about the Tabernacle and the Lord came downe in a cloud and spake unto him and took of the spirit that was upon him and gave it unto the seventy Elders And it came to passe that when the spirit rested upon them they prophesied and did not cease But there remained two of the men in the Camp and the name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad and the spirit rested upon them and they were of them that were written but went not out to wit of the Camp unto the Tabernable and they Prophes●ed in the Camp And there ran a young man and told Moses and said Eldad and Medad doe prophesie in the Camp and Joshua the Son of Nun the servant of Moses one of his young men answered and said My Lord Moses forbid them And Moses said unto him Enviest thou for my sake would God all the Lords people were Prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them And Moses gat him into the Camp he and the Elders of Israel compared with Levit. 17. 3. to 7. By which it is most cleere that the Tabernacle stood without the Camp where they used both to sacrifice and prophesie not within it Hence it is in regard the Tabernacle was placed and all the Ceremoniall Sacrifices under the Law killed and sacrificed to God without the Camp that Christ himselfe of whose passion they were Types suffered without the gates of Jerusalem typified by the Camp that his death might the more exactly answer to these Types as the Author to the Hebrewes thus resolves chap. 13. 10. to 15. We have an Altar whereof they have no right to eat which serve the Tabernacle for the bodies of those Beasts whose blood is brought into the Sanctuary by the high Priest for sinne ARE BURNT d Numb 19. 3 11. Exod. 23. 13 14 Levit. 4. 11 12 21. c. 8 17. c. 16. 26 27. WITHOUT THE CAMP wherefore Jesus that he might sanctifie the people SUFFERED WITHOUT THE GATE Let us GOE FORTH THEREFORE TO HIM WITHOUT THE CAMP bearing his reproach For we have here no continuing City but we seek one to come If then to be put out of the Camp were to be secluded from the publick ordinances and excommunicated from the society of the faithfull as our Opposites most e Mr. Rutherfurds Divine right c. p. 179. confid●ntly affirme Then the Apostle by this exhortation Let us goe forth therefore unto him WITHOUT THE CAMP bearing his reproach should excite Christians to excommunicate and suspend themselves from all publick Ordinances and Christian society with Gods people which were a madnesse to affirme Wherefore this Champion argument for proofe of the divine institution of excommunication among the Jewes under the Law and of suspention from the Lords Supper among Christians under the Gospell must be quite casheered thrust of our Opposites Camp as Leprous and excommunicated out of all their Presbyteries for an Ienoramus If then the Tabernacle of the Congregation the place of Gods speciall presence and publick worship whether all the Priests and people resorted to adore him with their Oblations sacrifices Prayers was thus set up quite without the Israelites Camp some good ●stian●e from it and no part thereof nor placed within it I may probably if not infallibly conclude from thence That their Camp was rather an Emblem of their Religious state and Republick then of their Church and the exclusion of these ceremonially uncleane persons from it rather a temporary disfranchisement or banishment to prevent corporall infection and diseases then any Ecclesiasticall censure of Excōmunication or

a meere Heathen without the Church witnesse 1 Cor. 5. 10 11 12 13. I wrote to you in an Epistle not to keep company with fornicators yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world or with the covetous or with extortioners or with Idolaters for then ye must goe out of the world But now I have written unto you not to keep company if any man that is called a Brother be a fornicator or covetous or an Idolater or a Rayler or a Drunkard or an Extortioner with such a one NO NOT TO EATE of which few make any conscience that presse this place so much for what have I to doe to judge them that are without doe ye not judge them that are within But them that are without God judgeth Therefore put away from among you that wicked person In which words the Apostle informes us First That scandalous Christians are z Which Master Ruthe●furd affirmes Divine right of Church Government p. 357. worse then Heathens that are scandalous in the same kind Secondly That Christians in some cases may keep company a Soe 1 Cor. 10. 27 28. and eat with the one but not so much as keep company or eat with the other Thirdly That they ought to judge censure put away from among themselves the scandalous Christian but not the Heathen which had the Doctor well observed he would never have desired me to instruct his ignorance in this kind Fourthly had the Doctor considered Matth. 7. 6. Give not that which is holy unto the dogs neither cast ye your Pearles before swine least they trample them under their feet and turne againe and rent you spoken principally of the preaching of the Word not of the Lords Supper then not knowne nor instituted Or Matth. 10. 14 15. Mark 6. 11 12. And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or City shake off the dust of your feet for a testimony against them Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Judgement then for that City Or Acts 13. 45 46 50 51. But when the Jewes saw the multitudes they were filled with envy and spake against those things that were spoken by Paul contradicting and blaspheming Then Paul and Barnabas waxed s● bold and said It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing you put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles But the Jewes stirred up devout and honourable women and the chiefe men of the City and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them out of their coasts but they shook off the dust of their feet against them and came unto Iconium Or Luke 14 16 17 24. A certaine man made a great Supper and bade many and sent his servants at Supper time saying to them that were bidden Come for all things are now ready but they all with one consent began to make excuse c. So that servant came and shewed his Lord these things Then the Master of the house being angry said to his servant Goe out into the lanes and streets of the City and bring in hither the poore and the maimed and the halt and the blind c. and compell them to come in that my house may be full For I say unto you that none of those men that were bidden shall taste of my Supper Or Luke 19. 41. And when he came neere the City he wept over it saying if thou hadst knowne even thou at least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes with sundry other Texts of this kind He might have learned from them That such Christians who contemne and neglect the Gospel and word of Grace when offered to them may be justly deprived of and secluded from them when as others though Pagans may be admitted to enjoy them according to that expresse Text Mat. 21. 33. to 45. where the Lord of the Vineyard when his servants were beaten and his son slaine by the husband-men from whom he required fruits threatens he will miserably destroy those wicked men and will let out his Vineyard to other husband-men which shall render him their fruit in due season Christ himselfe thus closing up the Parable with reference to the obstinate Jewes Therefore I say unto you the Kingdome of God shall be taken from you and given to a Nation bringing forth the fruits thereof which you may read fully executed and ratified Rom. 11. 7. to 26. 1 Thes 2. 15 16. Isa 5. 1. to 8. This Objection therefore will no wayes fortifie our Opposites weak Cause but confirme my tenets But it is secondly objected by our Antagouists Objection 2. b M●ster Ruthe●f●rds Divine right of Presbyter●e● p. 361 362 524 525. that the Word may and must be preached to meere Pagans and Infidels to convert and instruct them but the Lords Supper is not to be administred to such as all acknowledge Therefore there is a vast difference in this respect between the preaching of the Word and receiving of the Lords Supper and so by consequence scandalous persons which are as Heathens may and ought to be suspended from the one though they be admitted to the other I answer Answer First this Objection if examined is but a meere fallacy and inconsequent the controversie not being Whether Infidels Turks and Pagans ought to be admitted to the Lords Table before they publickly embrace and professe the Christian faith But Whether scandalous Christans externally embracing professing the faith of Christ endued with competent knowledge professing unfain●d repentance for their sinnes past promising reformation for the future and earnesily desiring to be admitted to the Lords Supper may by any institu●io●● or appointment of Jesus Christ be suspended from it when not secluded from but admitted free accesse to the Word and all other pulick Ordinances Therefore to argue thus the Lords Supper ought not to be administred to Turkes and Infidels Ergo not to scandalous Christians is a meere Nonsequitur and departing from the point in issue Secondly the reason why the Lords Supper and Baptisme ought not to be administred to Turks and Pagans before their externall conversion to the Christian faith though the Gospell may be preached to them is not because preaching of the Gospel is a converting Ordinance and the administration of the Sacraments onely a confirming but not converting Ordinance as is pretended but because the Sacraments as all c Calvin Peter Martyr Aretit● Jewel Beacon Paraeus Willet others and Master Rutherfurd himselfe Divine right of Presbyteries cap. 4. sect 5. p. 212. Divines accord are badges of our externall Christian profession yea solemne Covenants or Oaths to oblige us to yeeld all obedience and subjection unto Christ and distinguishing signes to difference Christians from all Infidels and Pagans in the

increaseth vertue decreaseth which he condemnes as contrary both the Scripture and Antiquity informing us That among the Greeks even at this day if any man absent himselfe from the Lords Table by the space of fourteen dayes except be can render a reasonable cause of his absence he is excommunicate and put from the company of the faithfull and that in all those mighty large populous Kingdomes under that most puissant King Prceious John the holy communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord hath from the beginning been DAILY ADMINISTRED TO THE PEOPLE and yet is at this present day as Histories make mention All which as it justly refutes and censures the late unwarrantable that I say not impious popish tyrannicall practice of sundry of our Ministers who I know not out of what new whimseys pretended scruples of conscience contrary to Antiquity Scripture Law the constant practice of the Church in all Ages refuse to administer the Sacrament to their Parishoners for whole yeers together or more denying this heavenly Ordinance of Christ as well to the religious among them who desire it as to the ignorant scandalous prophane prostituting this Institution of Christ himselfe to their owne ambitious designes to encroach a jurisdiction over it and their peoples consciences by this irreligious stratagem no wayes justifiable before God or men so it yeelds me an unanswerable argument to prove these two conclusions necessarily slowing from the premises First that the Lords Supper by the judgement of Antiquity and the practice of the Church in all Ages belongs to all visible members of the visible Church able to examine themselves not actually excommunicated though they be not truly regenerated because all of them are thus equally enjoyned frequently to receive it as well as to heare the Word Secondly that the Lords Supper by the resolution of all these Fathers Authors and the Christian Church in all Ages is a converting regenerating as well as a confirming or sealing Ordinance for since every parishoner and member of each Congregation being of yeers of discretion was thus exhorted obliged to receive it at least three times every yeer under paine of excommunication and not being reputed a christian the greatest part of whom as the Scripture and experience informe us were unregenerate persons not inwardly converted and void of saving faith the eating of this heavenly Banquet could not be prescribed unto such as a bare sealing or confirming Ordinance of saving grace already received much lesse as a meanes of their condemnation or aggravation of their sinnes but onely as an instrument of their inward conversion and regeneration to beget saving faith and spirituall life within their soules and unite them unto Christ Hence the c Bochellus de cret● Eccles Gal. l 3. Tit. 1. c 2. p 356. Synod of Lingon An. 1404. defines thus Sacramentum Sanctae E●charistiae est excellentissimum Sacramentum pro eo quod non solum IN EO GRATIA CONFERTUR sanctificat seu sanctitatem causat sicut alia Sacramenta sed etiam quia continet in se actorem totius gratiae sanctificationis Dominuin nostrum Jesum Christum Hence the Synod of d Bochellus de eret Eccles Gal. l 2. Tit. 1. c 34 p 152 153. Sennes An. 1521. refuting such who deny the power of conferring grace to the Sacraments not onely proves Baptismi Sacramentum sua virtute conferre Gratiam stiling it Lavacrum regenerationis quo denuo nastimur but likewise resolves thus of the Lords Supper Quis autem VIVIFIC UM neget Eucharistiae Sacramentum quod tam apertis Scripturae testimoniis comprobatur Calix enim benedictionis cui benedicimus nonne communio sanguinis Christi est panis quem frangimus nonne participatio corporis Domini est c. Quibus luce clarius constet hoc sacrosanctam Eucharistiae Sacramentum non solnm GRATIAM CONFERRE c. Which thus interpreted and seconded by the Synod of e Bochellus ibid. c. 32. p. 148 Paris Anno 1557. may passe for orthodox truth Sacramentum juxta nominis etymologiam id significat QUO QUID SACRATUR Sacramentum itaque ex more Catholicae Ecclesiae dicitur sacrae rei signum externum sensibile efficaci significatione insinuans internam invisibilem gratiam Dei aut effectum gratuitum ex divina institutione ad salutem mortalium destinatum Sacramenta duabus potissimum de causis a Deo esse instituta videntur Vna est ut sint invisibilis sanctificationis insignia externa signa Christiani ini illius quae magnae Congregationis quae est Ecclesia sigilla ne Domini familia aliarum gentium admixtione fiat incerta Altera causa est ut Sacramenta ipsa non tantum significent sed etiam sanctificent conferant invisibilem Dei Gratiam non propria aliqua rerum externorum vi aut merito ministri sed Domini secretius operantis quod instituit Itaque etsi decet bonum esse Sacramentorum ministrum tamen malus etiam potest utiliter dispensare Quum dicimus Sacramentum causam esse justificationis nostrae intellegimus non principalem sed instrumentalem sine qua res fieri non solet quamvis sine ea fieni possit nec enim virtus Domini potentia alligata est Sacramentis Ecclesiae Sacramenta sunt a Christo in morborum animi remedium curationem instituta quorum haec vis est ut sacros sanctosque faciant qui ea digne suscipitunt quando non signa quidem solum sunt gratiae sed ipsus causa his non modo signando sed efficiendo sanctitatem Christus nobis conferre voluit Sacramenta igitur non tantummodo signa sunt quae infusam gratiam contegant occultent sed quae efficiant reipsa prestant cujus notae sunt signa est autem Sacramentum divinae gratiae signum ●igura acinstrumentalis causa efficiens instrumētaliter quod sensibiliter figurat Henc● f Bochellus ibid. c. 5. p. 142. the Councill of Burdeaux Anno 1582. defines the like in these termes Cum Ecclesia nihil habet preciosius nihil ad aeternam salutem cons●quendam magis necessarium quàm â Christo instituta Sacramenta quibus omnis justitia vel INCIPIATUR vel caepta augeatur vel amissa reparatur ac Domini Dei gratia quam ipsa Sacramenta seu vasa quaedam divina continent eamque ritè suscipientibus CONFERUNT nobis abunde communicetur pastores omni studio diligentia commissum sibi Christianum populum exhortare debent ad frequentem Augustissimi Eucharistiae Sacramenti usum And Concilium g Bochellus ibid. c ● p. 14● Bitur Anno 1584. concludes thus Cum per primum parentem violata est originalis justitia in qua creatus fuerat peccato suo omnes p●st●r●s infecit c. Providus Deus singulls morbis singula adhibuit remedia Sacramenta scilicet quibus peccata remittuntur ●ominis vita reg●●vr ●ides

of God and as God is laid hold on in the Word upon our beliefe so likewise is he apprehended in the Sacrament when we beleeve Wherefore as the Word is an instrument by which the holy Ghost is effectuall as Paul saith The Gospell is the power of God to every one that beleeveth Also Faith is by hearing c. So BY THE SACRAMENTS the holy Ghost IS EFFECTUALL namely when they are received by faith FOR THEY ADMONISH AND MOVE US TO BELEEVE AS THE WORD DOTH Therefore by his resolution the Sacraments are converting Ordinances and meanes of begetting grace as well and in like manner as the Word and not confirming Ordinances onely of grace begun Yea he b Ibid loc de Sacramentorum numero positively affirmes and so did our English Apostle c Dialogorum l. 4. c. 1. f. 101. ●imiliter praedicatio verbi Apostolici Videtur esse Sacramentum ●o quod est ●ignum sanctitatis auditorii ita significanter in ●ide Scripturae in jung 〈…〉 exerc●ium alte●ius Sacraments c John Wickliffe long before him That the very preaching of the Word is a Sacrament instituted in the G●spell Maximè autem placet mihi Ordinem ut vocant inter Sacramenta numerari mod● ut intelligatur ipsum ministerium Evangelii voca●io ad hoe ministerium docendi Evangelium administrandi Sacramenta c Hoc modo numerare Ondinem inter Sacr●menta● fuerit utilissimum scilicet ad illustrandam dignitatem ministeri● verbi● And he addes That Prayer likewise may be called a Sacrament because it hath great promises anne●ed to it If then Sacraments doe onely confirme grace where it is begun before not confirme and beget grace where it is wanting then by this new Divinity neither the Ministry of the Word nor Prayer shall be converting and regenerating but onely confirming Ordinances Since in Melanchtons and Wickliffes opinions to omit● others they are and may be called Sacraments as well as the Lords Supper or Baptisme which Wickliffe d Dialogorum l. 4. ● 1. termes primum Sacramentum CONFERENS GRATIA PRIMAM SPIRITUALITER GENERANTEM Asserting likewise in the same Chapter Etsi diffinitio Sacramenti sit sacrae rei signum videt●r quod omne signabile sit e●iam Sacramentum Quià omnis creatura signat suam creationem etiam creatorem sic rem sacram signat Deus multas sacras creaturas signat seipsum Quod si Sacramentum sit invisibilis gratiae visibilis forma ut fimilitudinem gerat causa existat Cum visibilis forma in proposito signat quamcunque formam vel quidditatem sensibilem videtur quod quaelibet sensibilis creatura SIT ETIAM SACRAMENTUM quia est visibili● sorma invisibilis gratiae creatoris geret similitudinem Idaearum causa existit similitudinis suae intelligentiae creaturis Quomodo sunt ergo solum septem Sacramenta distincta specivocè Which I wish my Opposites to consider who advance the Sacraments so much above the Word which makes them Sacramēts and appropriate the tilet of a Sacrament onely to Baptisme and the Lords Supper from which they exclude and suspend all scandalous persons their children too from e Apology of the Churches in New-England against the exceptions of Richard Bernard ch 8. See Mr. Rutherfurds due right of Presbyteries c. 4. sect 5 p. 221 c. Baptisme in New-England upon pretence they are onely confirming Ordinances Sacraments and Seales of grace upon which pretext they may as well suspend them from the Ministry of the Word and prayer and from the use of any of Gods Creatures which may be termed Sacraments as well as these if these two eminent Divines mistake not I shall close up this point with the resolution of the whole Church of England both in the Articles of Religion compiled and published in King Edward the VI his Reigne Anno 1553. Artic. 26. refined and confirmed by Act of Parliament Anno 1562. in Queen Elizabeths Reigne Art 25. of Sacraments which determines thus Sacraments ordained of Christ are not onely badges and tokens of Christian mens profession but rather they be certaine sure witnesses and EFFECTUALL SIGNES of Grace and Gods good will towards us by the which he doth WORKE INVISIBLY IN US and doth NOT f ONELY QUICKEN The holy Spirit doth seale Christians Eph. 1. 13 c. 4. 30. Rom. 8 10 11. Yet it regenerats and converts them tos John 3. 6. to 9. Rom. 8. 10 11. 2 Cor. 3. 18. So doe the Sacraments by its concurrence with them but ALSO STRENGTHEN AND CONFIRME OUR FAITH IN HIM Therefore by our own Churches resolution which all our Ministers have actually subscribed to the Sacrament of Baptisme and the Lords Supper too is both a converting and regenerating Ordinance to quicken and beget as well as a confirming Ordinance to strengthen and confirme grace and so it is no New Paradox of mine but an ancient resolved truth yea the very received Doctrine of our Church and of the Churches of Christ in former Ages and the contrary opinion a meere upstart errour maintained purposely by some Divines against their owne subscriptions if not their consciences too to justifie and support the sole suspention of scandalous persons from the Lords Supper as a Divine institution by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ which else would necessarily fall unto the ground if this maine pillar of it be subverted As for Master Rutherfurds Objection 5. Doctor Drak●s and others maine reason to the contrary That no man can receive the Lords Supper worthily unlesse he come unto it with a true lively faith and sincere repentance which graces he cannot enjoy without he be first really converted else he eats and drinks dam●●ation not conversion to himselfe Ergo This Sacrament is no first converting but onely a confirming Ordinance I answer Answer First that the argument is but a meere fallacy which will either nullifie all Ordinances or prove no Ordinance no not the preaching of the Word or Prayer to be converting but meerly confirming for the very preaching of the Word will neither profit nor externally nor really convert any that heare it unlesse they heare it with faith as is resolved by Heb. 4. 2. But the Word preached did not profit them not being mixed with faith in them that heard it Rom. 1. 16 17. Heb. 11 4. 6. Mar. 16. 15 16. 1 Pet. 2. 1 to 9. So Prayer without Faith is vain ineffectuall receiveth nothing from the Lord Jam. 1. 5 6. ch 5. 15. Ergo by this reason if allowed a man must have saith and spirituall life wrought in him before he can either heare or pray with profit as he ought and so must be first converted ere he can heare the Word or Pray What then shall we conclude hence that men neither may nor ought to pray heare or receive the Lords Supper untill they be actually regenerated and inspired with saving faith God forbid for then

clean things prescribed by the ceremoniall Law not a judiciall power or Ecclesiasticall jurisdiction to excommunicate unholy and uncleane persons from the publick Ordinances or society of the holy and cleane much lesse a power to suspend them onely from the Passeover or Lord Supper as is pretended by the Objectors This I shall further cleer by Haggai ● 11 12 13. the place objected Thus saith the Lord of Hosts Aske now the Priests concerning the Law saying If one beare holy flesh in the skirt of his garment and with his skirt doe touch bread or pottage or wine or any meat shall it be holy and the Priests ●nswered No Then said Haggai if one that is uncleane by a dead body touch any of these shall it be UNCLEANE And the Priest answered and said It shall be UNCLEANE And by Levit. 20. 25 26. Ye shall therefore PUT DIFFERENCE between CLEAN AND UNCLEAN BEASTS and between UNCLEANE FOWLES AND CLEANE c. And ye shall be holy unto me for I the Lord am holy and Levit. 11. 46 47. where after God had made a large description what flesh Birds and Beasts were ceremonially uncleane and not to be eaten by the Israelites and what cleane and to be ea●en by them he concludes thus This is the Law of Beasts and of Fowles and of every living thing that moveth in the waters and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth THAT YE MAY PUT A DIFFERENCE not the Priests between the uncleane and cleane and between the Beasts that may be eaten and the Beasts that ought not to be eaten If then this be the genuine meaning of these Texts as is cleer in my apprehension by paralelling them together then all the argument that can be thence deduced is but this inconsequent The Aaronicall Priests were to teach the people to put a difference between Beasts Fowles Meats that were cleane and uncleane and between things holy and unholy by the Leviticall Law Ergo Presbyters and Presbyteries under the Gospell have a judiciall Ecclesiasticall authority vested in them by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ to suspend ignorant and scandalous persons from the Lords Supper and excommunicate obstinate sinners from the Church and publick Ordinances What ill logick sense and coherence is in this argument I referre to the meanest capacity to determine Yet this is all these Scriptures yeeld our Opposites for proofe of excommunication or suspention though they much insist upon them they might as well or rather better argue hence that the people themselves not the Priests ought to excommunicate or suspend scandalous persons from the Lords Supper because the people were to put a difference between creatures cleane and uncleane and the Priests themselves were but to teach the people to put the difference between the holy and unholy cleane and uncleane as these Texts resolve the rather for that the Apostle Jude in his Epistle verse 1 22 writes to all Christians who are called and sanctified not to Ministers and Presbyteries to have compassion of some MAKING A DIFFERENCE and others to save with feare c. Fiftly admit the Priests had power to put a difference between holy and unholy cleane and uncleane persons as well as Beasts by vertue of these Texts as is pretended yet putting a differerence is no infallible proofe of a power vested in them much lesse in the Ministers of the Gospell or Presbyteries to excommunicate unholy or uncleane persons or suspend scandalous or ignorant ones from the Lords Supper onely since every private Christian is to put a difference between spiritually holy and uncleane persons and those that are morally unholy and uncleane yet it followes not thereupon that he may judicially excomm●icate or suspend them from the Sacrament the Ministers and private Christians must put a differente between such as these First in their affections and esteem of them they must g John 13. 34 35. Eph. 1 15 c. 5. 2. 1 John 3. 11 14. Psal 15. 2. love and honour the one but h 2 Chron. 19 2. Psal 15. 4 Psal 139 21 22. Prov 29. 27. 2 Kings 3 13 14. hate and disrespect the other Secondly in their carriage towards them they must i Titus 1. 13. c 2. 15. Luke 13 3 5. Levit 19 17. Eph 5. 11 admonish and sharply rebuke the one denou●cing Gods judgements against their sins but k Isa 41. 1 2. Col. 3. 16. Gal 6. 1 2. exhort encourage and comfort the other with Gods promises they must l Psal 16. 3. Psal 101. 6. Acts 2. 44 44 familiarly converse with and lovingly embrace and delight in the company of the one but avoid all m 1 Cor. 5. 9 10 11. 2 Thes 3. 14. 2 John 10 11. Tit. 3. Psal 101. 4 7 8. familiar conversation and intimacy with the other Such a putting of difference as this between holy and unholy we admit of but any other then this is no wayes warranted from these objected Texts I shall therefore conclude from all the Premises till convinced by better Scripture Authorities Arguments Reasons then ever I could yet meet with in any Forraigne or Domestick Writers That Suspention of scandalous persons from the Lords Supper onely who desire to receive it without excommunicating them from all other publick Ordinances and Christian society though it be somewhat ancient in the Church introduced prescribed at first by the Canous n See Concil Ancyranum can 5 6 7 8. Nicaenum 1. can 11 12 13. Eliberinum can 1 2 3. A relatense 2. can 11 12. apu● Laur. Suriam Concil Tom 1. of certaine Councils in speciall cases of Apostacy in times of persecution as a meere Ecclesiasticall punishment of humane institution as the Canons themselves demonstrate which seem very unreasonable or fictitious and o De Rebus Ecclesiast cap. 17. W●llafridus Strabo intimates who termes it A sanctis Patribus constitutum a constion of the Fathers not of Christ in which sense I oppugne it not nor as prescribed by the Parliament in a prudentiall way yet it is no Divine Censure or Institution and that there is no power to inflict any such suspention vested in Ministers Presbyteries or Church-Officers by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ revealed in the Scripture as many now most confidently averre both in Presse and Pulpit without any solid reason or authority to justifie their assertion Wherefore consider seriously what I have written and the Lord give us understanding in all things that we may no longer disturbe the peace both of Church and State with any groundlesse pretended divine Censures and Jurisdictions which Christ never exercised nor instituted in his Church nor deprive the people of those divine repasts at the Lords Table which should be frequently administred to them for their conversion edification and spirituall consolation upon meer new crochets and grounds of conscience never once insisted on heretofore till this new project of claiming an Ecclesiasticall power of suspention from the Lords Supper onely by the will and appointment of Jesus Christ was set on foot but rest satisfied with the Apostles resolution and councell with which I shall conclude Rom. 14. 16 17 18 19. Let not then your good be evill spoken of for the Kingdome of God is not meat and drink I may adde nor yet Excommunion nor suspention from the Lords Supper as some now make it but righteousnesse and peace and joy in the holy Ghost for he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of men let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace and things wherewith one may edifie another not domineer or tirannize one over another and the Lords Supper too Alensis Summa Theol. par 4. qu. 22. mem 1. Art 4. Pluribus conceditur clavis absolutionis quàm gladius excommunicationis quiâ pauci sunt qui sciunt hoc ense percutere undè propter periculum paucorum manibus tradi debet FINIS Errata Page 1. line 8. dele one p 4 l 20 for 2 read 9. l 36 for 37 r 33 p 5 l 40 thrust ou● p 7 l 3 for or p 11 l 31 Churches p 12 l 44 unfit p 13 l 44 dele a. p 23 l 27 Charters p 25 l 42 the to p 27 l 33 conferunt l 44 all many In the Margin p 5 l 2 23 r 29. l 10 179 r 278.