for your absence and your pennyworths of Earthly Gain countervail the loss of Heavenly Grace Your buying bodily provision excuse the neglect of thy Souls nourishment Your gathering up Dross and Dung as St. Paul terms the riches of the World satisfie for your loss of Christ or what shall it advantage a Man to win the World by a Bargain and lose his own Soul by barring that of the means of his Salvation But so long as all these buying and selling farming and wiving may be done at other times the six daies God allowes for them the plea will not hold in his Court to excuse their absence who requires their presence at his Feast on another day and time set apart for the same No pretence of worldly cares and business can excuse them that are bidden These we have in the Text. Next these The Excuses of some in our time Of Military Men. we will weigh the excuses of some in our time The Military Mans in the first place who attends the service of War that disquiets the mind and therefore saies he must be excused Yet such came to John's Baptism the Sacrament of Regeneration and why not then to Christ's Supper the Sacrament of Nutrition If the War be warranted by God's Word and managed with a good Conscience they may eat Bread and drink Wine with the Priest after it to their comfort as Abram did with Melchizedec the Priest of the most high God Gen. 14.18 who brought him forth Bread and Wine and blessed him at his return from the rescue of Lot and the slaughter of Chedor loamer the Tyrant and the Kings with him But when 't is otherwise and the Conscience accuseth God's Word condemneth and Blood cryeth up for vengeance then let Men forbear for fear of Judas the Traitor's judgement Abi retro eum sacellis tuis qui lucris inhiaes saies St. Cyprian cujus manus sunt sanguinae plenae De Coena Domini Come back thou with thy bags full of spoyls whose mouth gapeth after ill gotten goods and whose hands are full of blood In this case an Excommunication is fitter than a Communion and an eight months exclusion from the Table and Temple both As St. Ambrose prescribed the great Emperour Theodosius for the good of his Soul after his rash Decree which cost the lives of 7000 Thessalonians Or such a strait penance as St. Cyprian injoyned the lapsed Christians De Lapsis whom he bids Orare impensius rogare to seek God by prayer more instantly and earnestly Diem luctu transigere vigiliis noctes fletibus ducere to spend the day in mourning and the night in watching and weeping Stratos adhaerere eineri cilicio sordibus volutari to lye and wallow in sackcloth and ashes Eleemosynis frequenter insistere quibus animae à morte liberantur to break off their sins Dan. 4.27 as Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar by righteousness and shewing mercy to the poor Justis operibus incumbere quibus peccata purgantur and to make restitution and do good works whereby through God's mercy their sins may be purged and pardoned A course must be taken for this to make ready for the Communion or how shall Men ever think to be ready if they dye for the day of doom and dye they must there is no remedy and if they cannot be prepared to meet Christ in the Sacrament how shall they be able to look him in the face at the day of Judgement Next Excuse of Malicious Men. the Militant may come in the plea of the malicious who is vexed with Injuries Arrests Suits or Slanders and therefore saies he must be excused But how can he expect that at his hands Mat. 5.44 who commands us to love our Enemies gives not leave to live one day without Charity St. Paul limits Wrath within the time of Sun-set Eph. 4.26 Let not the Sun go down upon your Wrath and Christ our Saviour bids Agree with thy Adversary quickly and be reconciled to thy Brother Mat. 5.25 and so offer thy Gift at the Altar We daily offend God and would not have him angry with us shall we so soon and so long be angry with them that so seldome offend us We pray God to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us and if we forgive not them that trespass against us how can we look to be forgiven all our trespasses at Gods hands If there be any then in whose heart lyes the venome of inveterate Malice or the poyson of Asps under his lips let him imitate the wise Serpent which leaves Venenum in latibulo casts up his Poyson and leaves it in his Den behind him when he goes to drink that he bane not himself So must the spitefull and malicious do leave his Venome of Hatred and Malice when he comes to the Sacrament that he drink not his own damnation and not return like the Dog to the Vomit to resume it again Catiline to make his Conspirators with him of one mind caused them all to drink to each other Bowls of Wine mingled with Mans Blood Much rather should that Cup of Wine which Christ hath mingled with his pretious Blood work that effect and combine our hearts in brotherly love After these we may take the Return of them which keep away for the cause of Schism and Heresy who answer with Contumacy say not so much as have us excused with them in the Text but with Corah and his Companions Numb 16. when they were sent for by Moses We will not come up Whos 's first Schism they made in the Church was for an example punished with such a Schism of the Earth that it rent asunder and they sank down into Hell It is not a causless separation from Christ's Body the Communion as St. Paul calls it or the Congregation that can excuse 1 Cor. 10.16 17. It excludes outwardly and which is worse separates inwardly and causes a substraction of the Spirit of Grace that is the Soul that enlivens the whole Mystical Body of Christ and so leaves the divided member in a dead or dying condition Augustin Membrum amputatum amittit Spiritum dum in corpore erat vivebat praecisum verò amittet Spiritum A member of the Church cut off by wilfull Schism or deserved Excommunication loses the Spirit While it remained in the Body it is actuated and animated by the Spirit but cut off the Spirit leaves it as the Soul doth the Limb divided from the Body Which is plainly seen in many of those self-conceited Separatists who because they like not to retain the knowledge they had of God in their minds Rom. 1.28 are given over of God to a reprobate mind as he did the Gentiles to do things not convenient These cannot if they would communicate and eat Christ's crucified Body unless they renounce and repent their erroneous and blasphemous opinions and return to the union
THE KINGS CENSURE UPON RECUSANTS THAT Refuse the SACRAMENT of the Lords Supper Delivered in three SERMONS CONTAINING A Refutation of some dangerous common errors And a Remonstration of the Duties of Administration and Participation of that Holy Sacrament Proving the Necessity of receiving it Reproving the Neglect and contempt of it Disproving the Exceptions and excuses alleged against either the giving or taking of it Set forth to publick view for the hungry and thirsty Souls sake that desire to be satisfyed By Thomas Marshal Minister of the Doctrin and Sacraments of the Gospel 6. Ioh. 53. Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his bloud ye have no life in you 22. Luke 19. This do in remembrance of me LONDON Printed for Francis Cowles in the Old-Baily 1654. To the antient standing Clergy of our Church Presbyterians Independents or by what other Names and Titles else they be distinguished Reverend and Beloved Brethren LEt it not offend you if after so many years distraction and contention to find out a Reformation of things in the Church I mind you to return again to your selves and enter into serious consideration how little good we have done in that and with what ill success we have managed our undertakings whereby through our manifold divisions we have brought contempt upon our persons almost to the levelling of the Ministerial function disolv'd the Unity and defaced the Beauty of the fairest of all the Reformed Churches even in the judgement of * Florētissima Anglia ocellus Ecclesiarum peculium Christiani singulare c. Horrore toti concutimur ad versam hanc pulcherrimam Ecclesiae inter vos faciem c. in the Letter penned by Dr. Deodate to the late Assembly of Divines 1 Cor. 11. Geneva from whence we were to take our pattern exposed the essential marks of the Church to be shot at and beaten down The Doctrine which was pure obscured with many errors The Sacrament which were rightly and duly administred to be many ways abused and disused even those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 those reverend mysteries as the antients tearmed the Elements in the Eucharist to be undervalued and vilified by some as Christs bloud and the chalices given by Constantine were by that unhappy Foelix which God avenged with vomitting bloud night and day until he dyed These things as they cannot but sadly afflict the Souls of all good Christians so should they excite all faithful Ministers in their several places to endeavour their Reformation according to the Primitive pattern and institution more particularly for redress of things amiss in and about the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper which is the subject of this ensuing discourse to look to the first Institution as St. Paul did in the same case of our Saviour wherein he straightly charged his Apostles and their Successors hoc agere to do this in remembrance of him In which word he gave us a Commission for two things Immitation and Intention Imitation of all his Sacrament alactions blessing taking breaking giving eating and drinking the Bread and Wine and the Intention to do these in remembrance of him or to continue a memorial of his death and passion This was our Lord and Saviours last Will and Testament at his death thus to give himself body and bloud to poor hungry and thirsty Souls under the figures of Bread and Wine and shall we his Ministers take on us to be his Executors and not perform the will of him that dyed profess our selves his Stewards of whom as St. Paul says it is required that they be men faithfu and not dispense the Bread he gave to his family in due season 1 Cor. 4.2 Or shall we take on us to be Christs Amanuenses his Secretaries to draw the Articles of the Covenant betwixt him and his people which we do in our daily Preaching and not confirm it to their souls and consciences if we administer the Gospel without the Sacraments which are the Seals as too many do we give the hand-writing of the Covenant cancelled and defraud the people of their right This they do which follow not the example of his Sacramental actions And besides these others fail in the main Intention Christ bids do this in remembrance of him or of his death and passion which they simply do not which give the Sacrament to none but Proselites of their own Schism and faction and so use the Seal of the Covenant as a badge or cognizance to distinguish the members of their own gathered Churches or Conventicles If both the one and the other he that fails in the action and he that diverts the intention would impartially communicate this holy mystery of Christs Body to the Body of Christs Congregation our rents and Schisms would be sooner drawn up together and the people return to a better union in points of Religion which is the chief scope and endeavour of this following tractat which I present you with to peruse and submit to your impartial censure besecching him that gave the encrease to what Paul planted and Apollos watered to crown your studies with such happy success that you may by them knit the peoples hearts again in the union of Religion and the Communion of Christian love and affection that the Doctrin every where may from the leven of error and Heresy be refined the Sacraments to the right use and administration be restored the rod of Discipline may like Aarons blossom again and be replanted and the face of the Church which is now clouded and obscured may appear again in perfect beauty and be presented without spot or wrinckle at the day of our Lord and Masters second comming to whose Grace at that great day and always he commends you who is Your Brother in all Christian service and love Tho. Marshal The Bridegrooms Invitation to a Wedding Supper c. Matth. 22.8 And he said unto his servants Truly the wedding is ready but they that were bidden are not worthy THE word of God comes to us in Parables 1 Kings 14 3. like Jeroboams wife to the Prophet Ahijah with Cracknells and Hony But disguised and hard to be known There is in them sweetness of Speech but difficulty of Sense So that as none could expound Sampson's Riddle 14 Judges 18. but they that had plowed with his Heifer so it is given to none to expound Christs the antityped Sampsons Parables but them which have set their hand to his plough from which a looking back makes unfit for the Kingdom of God 13 Mat. 11 13. To you saith he it is given to know the Mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven but to them all things are spoken in Parables that seeing they may see and not perceive Now by the general sentence of them that expound these Mysteries 1 Tim. 1 17. The Parable of the King that made a marriage-feast for his Son is this The immortal invisible and only wise God is the King His Son
Ministry by the Holy Ghost it appears by the words whereto I have called them and yet he saies Separate them for the work which was done accordingly in the next verse 4. They fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them and so sent them away Where you see the orderly proceeding of the Holy Ghost in making the Ministers of the Gospel when he appoints them that were internally called by him to receive an external Calling by the hands of Men. For a Man then to run from his Shop and rush into the Pulpit to leave the Cart and leap into the Chair of Moses to live by the Sword of War and handle the Word the Gospel of Peace and that without Authority is such a presumption as was scarce heard of in the Primitive times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For Laymen to preach saith a Bishop in Eusebius is a thing not heard of before and yet he spoke it of Origen a Man of extraordinary gifts and learning and some judge and that not without cause his many Errours to be Gods just judgement upon him for that his presumption No marvel then if illiterate Idiots Men and Women in our times become the Broachers of so many blasphemous Errours and Heresies usurping that holy Function in which without a lawfull Calling none can expect a blessing I have been long going through the entry of my Text The second partition of the Text. but you see what crouds of Opposites stood in my way which now having passed I shall bring you to the Dining-room the second Partition where are Nuptiae Paratio the Quality of the Feast a VVedding and the fitting and making it ready for the Guests He said unto his Servants The Wedding is ready And first of the Quality of the Feast The Quality of the Feast A Wedding which he intimates in the Wedding more plainly explicates in the fourth verse saying I have prepared my Dinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek the best thing that I have and that is the sacrifice of Christ's Body sometimes called the Paschal Lamb and the fatted Calf in the Parable of the Prodigal here figured by his Oxen and Fatlings that were made ready for in the sacrifice of these things was Christs death shadowed under the Law So that Christ crucified is all that is here understood and made a Feast for our Souls he being in the Sacrament both Sponsus Convivium Bridegroom and Feast as he was at his Death both Sacerdos Sacrificium both Sacrifice and Priest But before we come to the Dinner How the Bride and Bridegroom were coupled Eph. 5.12 Christus ex purissimis sanctissimis Virginis sanguinibus copulavit sibi carnem animatam anima rationali per Spiritum Sanctum creans Pet. Lomb. lib. 3. dis 3. c. 1. Hos 2.19 it is meet I speak first of the Marriage and shew how the Bride and Bridegroom were coupled together and that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St. Paul saies a great Mysterie for I speak of Christ and his Church Jesus Christ the onely begotten and dearly beloved Son of God is the Son of the great King as you heard He came forth as a Bridegroom out of his Chamber of Heaven and took to VVife the Catholick Church here on Earth Of which mystical Match and matchless Union that Royal Preacher King Salomon made that Nuptial Song of the Canticles The sanctified VVomb of the Virgin was the Chappel where the Matrimonial Knot was tyed The Holy Ghost the Priest that joyned them together by uniting to the Son of God the Humane Nature This his Conception was the inception of the Wedding The Communion betwixt Christ and his Church the Continuation which lasts with his Spouse so long as the World endures I will marry thee to me in faithfulness saith he and in righteousness loving-kindness and mercy And at the end of the World shall be the Consummation of this Marriage when Christ shall come again and take his Bride home to his Fathers house to live with him for ever in Heaven And then it shall be said Let us be glad and rejoyce Rev. 19.7 for the marriage of the Lamb is come and his Wife hath made her self ready For this Wedding great feasting was made in Heaven and on Earth The Marriage feasts publick and private The Angels the Friends of the Bridegroom held a Festival of Joy and Gladness in Heaven when they saw this Match go forward Luk. 2. and sung that Nuptial Hymn Glory be to God on high on Earth peace and good will among Men. At the Conversion of a Sinner which to the Bridegroom is the uniting of a Member to his Church Luk. 15. Rev. 3.20 Salmeron tract 23. de parab hac Hic est sensus literalis hujus parabolae quae ad coenam Eucharistiae ad quam vocati sunt omnes pauci acccdunt extendi potest Orig. Euthym. Author imperfecti operis c. sec undum Terinum in Iocum Luk. 14.16 1 Cor. 11.10 1 Cor. 11.24 Do this in â—ememâ—rance of â—e â—ev 19.7.8 is merry chear in Heart and in Heaven Joy in Heaven among the Angels over one Sinner that repenteth and joy in the heart of the penitent Sinner which is that the Bridegroom meaneth when he saies He stands at the door of the heart and knocks by the Finger of his Spirit and if any will open to let him in he will sup with him bringing good chear with him even the comfort that comes of the free pardon of his sins In Heaven and in Heart this Chear is made but the Marriage-feast of my Text may best be applyed to the spiritual refreshing of Souls by means of the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments of the Gospel in the Temple And that chiefly of the Eucharist by the consent of many Interpreters the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood exhibited under the signs of Bread and Wine to nourish our Souls to Everlasting Life This is the Feast of Fat things full of Marrow and of VVine upon the Lees which the Lord promised to make to all People in the Mountain of the Lord of Hoasts which is his Church Isa 25.9 St. Luke calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a great Supper and St. Paul the Supper of the Lord because first instituted and administred by the Lord himself at Supper-time Of which he gave a special charge to his Apostles and their Successors to act over the mysterious rites thereof for a memorial of him till his coming again at the end of the World when he shall take his Bride and lead her in a Triumphant manner into the Bridechamber of Heaven where the marriage-feast of the Lamb shall be consummated To which the Bride shall dress her self with fine white Linnen which is the Righteousness of the Saints and all the Congregation of Heaven shall sing Allelujah and say Let us 〈…〉 of the Lamb is come and his VVife hath made her self ready But
in their Doctrine and fellowship breaking of bread and praiers Christs sufferring once is sufficient for ever Once he appeared in the end of the World to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself Heb. 9.26 But his Supper that signifieth his suftering is often to be iterated The Sacrifices under the Law were the daly Figures of his Death to the people till he came into the World So ought this Sacrament to be since he suffered till he comes again at the end of the World 2 Cor. 11 26. As oft as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord you shew the Lords death till he come Where 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as oft implies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an often and not a seldom receiving This did the Apostles daily at first make ready this Feast for their Congregation Acts 2.12.46 For they continued daily with one accord in the Apostles Doctrine Communion breaking of Bread and Prayers where breaking of bread is not meant of Common but consecrated Bread by the common consent of Interpreters Calvin's Reason amongst the rest gives good satisfaction St Luke here relates those things saith he quibus publicus Ecclesiae status continetur Acts 2. wherein the publique state of the Church consists Imo hic quatuor not as exprimit ex quibus vera genuina facies Ecclesiae dijudicare queat Nay here the Evangelist fets down Four Markes or Notes whereby the true genuine Face of the Church may be discerned that is Apostolicall Doctrine Communion among the Members the breaking of Bread in the Sacrament and publike praiers in the Church Hic nobis ad vivum depicta est Ecclesiae imago Here is set out to the life the Image of Christ's Church What face of a Church is there then in all Conventicles and many Congregations where the essential marks of Apostolical Doctrine and Sacraments are wanting Acts 20.7 These two as they met at often in the week-day as to their daily bread so chiefly on the Lords-day as to their Sundaies meal Upon the First day of the week which is the Lords-Day when the Disciples met together to break Bread St. Paul preached unto them The two principall duties of Religion wherewith a Christian Sabbath is Sanctified we find they there exercised the ministry of the Word and the administration of the Sacrament The primitive Christians after them in times of persecution made their breakfast of this bread wine every morning call'd it their Viaticum their wayfaring fâ—re to strengthen the inward man for the long journey in case they chanced that day to die and depart this World into another This Sacrament saith Tertullian commanded of God to all Decoron-Militis we take in antelucanis coetibus in our meetings before Day at the hands of none but the President of the Congregation In Epist And in times of Peace they made it their Sunday dinner and took it every Lords-Day St. Basill saith they communicated in his time foure daies in the week 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Lords Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Wednesday 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 on the Friday and on the Saturday which was the Jews Sabbath however before his time he saies they received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 every Day in the Week St. Augustine's judgement upon the Case of often communicating is worthy to be followed Quotidie Eucharistiam accipere nec laudo nec vitupero to receive the Holy Eucharist every day I neither praise it nor dispraise it Omnibus tamen diebus Dominicis communicandum hortor But I advise that there be a Communion every Lords-Day Qui vero in Natali Domini in Paschate Pentecoste non communicaverint vix catholici credantur But they which shall not communicate at Easter Pentecost and Christmas are scarce to be counted good Christian Catholickes Our Protestant Church of England following the steps of the Primitive had formerly a Communion service for every Lords day in the year and injoyned every Communicant to appear before the Lord at his Table 3 times a year at least in most great Congregations it was made ready 12 times a year and so held as a monethly Feast Monthly Weekly Daily in former ages and better times it was made ready And great reason is there for the frequent participation Reasons if we consider hut the Prerogative of this Feast and the Privileges we have by it First for Prerogative it is above all Feasts Civil Legal or Evangelical that ever were being all way since the first institution accounted the highest and holiest part of Divine service in the Church and had in greatest Honour and Reverence of all Christians for that it sets forth unto us the great Mystery of our Redemption lively representing before our eies that great and effectuall Sacrifice whereof all legal Offerings before were but types and shadows even the suffering of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ upon the Crosse for our sins The breaking of whose Body there is figured in the breaking of Bread here and the effusion of his Blood there expressed in the pouring out of the Wine here His Death and Passion all wholly represented in the Sacramental actions To which to be admitted though upon our knees we eat it is greater honour than to sit at meat with a King or Emperour The high prerogative of this Feast is one special motive to stirre up the devout servants of the great King to prepare it another is the happy Privileges we have by it As first the neerest Communion with God the King and his Son Jesus Christ and the Saints and Angells that can be here on Earth Contemplare obsecro adstat mensa Regia adest Rex ipse adsunt Angeli ministri tu oscitabundus adstas Consider and behold the Royall Table is before thee God the King is there present with thee the Angells waiting on him and thou poor hungry Soul art admitted to eat among them O cogita quali sis insignitus honore quali mensa fruaris O do but think then what honour thou hast to be admitted to feast at a Table with Jesus Christ Secondly Diet for our dying Souls My Flesh is meat indeed and my Blood is drink indeed saith our Saviour and he that eateth my Flesh Iohn 6.55 and drinketh my Blood shall live for ever And there is no such ready way to do that as to eat and drink in this Sacrament where the outward Elements are not only Figures to present but also Instruments which the Lord hath ordained to convey the things signified Christ and all his benefits Thirdly a renewing the Copy of our Pardon We daily sin and had need of a Pardon and that is here offered to be signed and sealed to our Souls and Consciences by the Blood of Jesus Christ Fourthly increase of Grace Faith is here strengthened Hope enlarged Charity confirmed Patience relieved Temperance prooved Chastity corroborated and all other vertues
Si res aliena reddi potest non redditur poenitentia non agitur sed fingitur He that repents before he receives and restores not if he have it in his power is no true Penitent but an Hypocrite and cannot without danger of damnation to his Soul take that holy Sacrament But if we had power to examine them as they would others 3 Their chiefest reason for the cause of their Discipline answered and search the depth of their hearts for the cause of their suspension of the Sacrament all this while from the People we should find it is for the promoting of their intended Discipline Of which they would beget such a reverend esteem in the hearts of Men while they delay it till their Lay Elders be elected and their Classes erected as if the right Administration of this Sacrament depended onely on that rigid Government and all Christians for 1500 years together and more were in some errour to follow Christ's first Institution before Geneva found out this new Invention And how false a Supposition that is will plainly appear if we examine all those Texts in the New Testament wherein the Administration of the Sacrament is recorded without the least mention of this pretended Discipline We have the first Institution of it by our Saviour Matth. 26.26 27. Luk. 22.16 17. where none will say any needfull rite was wanting for the more effectual receiving and we find the Master and his Disciples there with a precept to do this in remembrance of him but no Lay Elders to take the Disciples into examination And yet it may be supposed some there had need to be searched and by the strict rules of their ruling Elders to be secluded for their ignorance as was before intimated and their ambition and emulation This was a pattern for all succeeding Administrations and yet we find neither expression in the Text nor collection from the Text of any Elders doing this office either of admission of any to or of suspension of any from that Sacrament If they have any unwritten Tradition for it they may produce it and we will promise them for affinities sake in Doctrine to be more inclined to credit it than those proofs of that nature which our Adversaries of Rome sometimes make their refuge when they are hard put to it in Disputation From the first go along to the second from the Master's first Institution to the Apostles his Ministers first Administration set down Act. 2.42 They continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Fellowship in breaking of Bread and in Prayer Where breaking of Bread by the common consent of Expositors is not understood of Common but Bread consecrated And now the Apostles had a full Congregation of 3000 Souls newly converted ver 41. in which number there was choyce enough for such Church-Officens if their Examination and Approbation had been so absolutely necessary before the Communion a but we find not a word there to make good their Assertion who suspend the Sacrament for want of a setled Eldership to prove and approve of them that are fit to receive it No nor in the third place Act. 20.7 where the first day of the week seems to be set apart for this service of the Sacrament Vpon the first day of the week the Disciples met together to break Bread which is there mentioned tanquanâ— opus diei in die suo as the proper business of the day and yet not a tittle that inferrs a censure passed before by the Elders upon the Receivers The Evangelist tels how upon that day the Disciples came together to break Bread but saies nothing of ruling Elders that appoint who shall eat it And lastly if we consult the faithfull Apostle more copious in 1 Cor. 11.20 than any of the Evangelists in this Mysterie we find him silent in this Office of Eldership for which he had been blame-worthy undertaking as he doth ver 23. to make a true relation of that he had received from the Lord Jesus Christ touching this holy Communion if he had left out so needfull a preparative as that of the Elders whereon the whole Administration dependeth Nay I shall say more it is apparent from that Epistle that there was then no such order in the Church For there was an Incestuous person suffered to come into their Assemblyes 1 Cor. 5.4 5. till St. Paul sent out his Excommunication against him which they were to put in execution in a full Congregation 6.1 There were Contentious persons that went to Law before Infidels Sectaries 1.12 that cryed up their several Teachers Idolaters 8.10 that eat in the Idols Temple Hereticks that denied a Fundamental of Faith 15. the Resurrection of the Body And an instance there is of some overtaken with Drunkenness one of their great exceptions not that fell through infirmity into that sin at some time before but even when they came to that reverend Mysterie 11.21 Some come hungry and some come drunken Now where were the Lay Elders whose Office it is to keep the Door and prevent such prophanation None appear in the Text no nor were at all in that time which makes the Apostle take another course to redress these abuses and apply the remedy to the Conscience of every Communicant 11.28 saying Let every Man examine himself before he eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. He advises not the Ministers in this mixture of many unworthy Receivers to suspend the Sacrament altogether till the Congregation be purged by the assistance of Elders in a Court of Judicature but puts the Case over to the Court of Conscience wherein every Communicant is to censure himselfe and upon his repentance and purpose of amendment take that holy Sacrament Every word in holy Writ that sounded but that way they wrest to maintain their Covenant and if there were any such Warrant the Pulpits would ring on 't to defend their denial of this Sacrament But no Text of Scripture is found for Ministers to deprive their People of this Sacrament for want of Discipline no more than for Parents to withhold Bread from their Children till they have made ready for them a Rod to their minds But though Scripture they have none yet Reasons they have devised some to defend their Supposition which when they are removed there will be no Bar to the Lord's Board but they must come and dispence this Sacrament as well as we And the chiefest of their Reasons I have met with may be reduced under three heads for they are either ex parte Sacramenti ex parte Ministri vel ex parte Convivarum They have relation either to the Sacrament or to the Giver or to the Receivers To the Sacrament lest that should be prophaned to the Giver lest he should be prejudiced to the Receivers which are of two sorts worthy and unworthy lest the one should be scandalized and the other be condemned All which mischief they make account would