He addes y The Feast saith Mr. Harding is common all are invited They shall be received that are disposed and proved If this feast be common it must needs be common to very few for the provision is very little to serve many That all be called in the Latin Mass is a great and manifest untruth for neither the Priest nor the Deacon either by word or by gesture calleth them nor have they any preparation for them if they were called Yet are not these men ashamed to say They shall be received that are disposed and proved Every man ought humbly to prepare and dispose his heart before he presume to hear or receive any thing that toucheth God For God is Spirit and we are Flesh God is in heaven and we on earth Pythagoras being but an heathen was wont to say We ought not to speak of God without light that is without premeditation and good advisement who it is of whom we speak And the Pagans in their sacrifices were wont to remember their Priests with these words Hoc age the meaning whereof was Dispose thy mind it is God unto whom thou speakest The wise man saith z Before thou pray prepare thine heart and be not as a man that tempteth God Likewise in old time they that were called Catechumeni were warned afore-hand to prepare their hearts that they might worthily receive Baptism as it is decreed under the name of Clement a whose words be these Let him prepare himself in all things that after three Moneths ended upon the Holy day he may be baptized Also b St. Augustine exhorteth the Catechumeni likewise to dispose their minds against the time of their Baptism Thus ought every man to examine and prepare himself before he hear Gods word Before he presume to open his mouth to pray unto God Before he receive the Sacrament of Baptism and namely Before he come to the holy Communion And therefore the Priest giveth warning unto the people with these words Lift up your hearts which words as c St. Augustine saith were commonly used in the holy Mysteries But I think Mr. Harding here by these words prepare and dispose meaneth privy Confession which many have used as a rack of mens consciences to the maintenance of their Tyranny d Peter Lombard saith Without it there is no way to heaven e Innocentius the third commandeth That whosoever is not confessed neither be suffered to come into the Church being alive nor to be buried when he is dead f Hugo writeth thus I am bold to say whosoever cometh to the Communion unconfessed be he never so repentant and sorry for his sins certainly he receiveth unto his judgement So violent the late Writers have béen in exacting things of their own devices Otherwise the old Fathers notwithstanding they sometimes speak of Confession yet they require it with more modesty and many of them require no such thing at all g Chrysostom saith Let the Court where thou yieldest thy self guilty be without witnesse Let God alone see thee And again If thou be ashamed to shew thy sins to any man then utter them every day in thy heart I say not go confesse thy sins unto thy fellow servant that may upbraid thee with them but confesse them unto God that is able to cure them And again thus he imagineth God to speak unto a sinner Open thy sin privately to me alone that I may heal thy wound And Theodorus sometime Archbishop of Canterburie saith h Graci totus Oriens confitetur soli Deo The Greeks and all they of the East confess confess themselves only to God Thus much I thought good to touch hereof lest it should be thoughs there is none other way for a man to prove and dispose himself but only by Auricular Confession The meaning of these words of St. Paul i Let a man examine himself standeth in two points in Faith and Repentance Faith containeth the truth of our belief Repeâ—tance cencerneth the amendment of our life which kind of examining endureth all our life long But to say or think we are all examined and disposed one only day in the year and that of custom not of Holiness and not one day before nor one day after it is childish it is super stâ—tious it is Jewish it is no persâ—asion meet for the people of God If k Chrysostom were alive he would cry out O what presumption O what a custom is this And l St. Ambrose would say If thou be not worthy evry day to receive then art thou not worthy once in the year 2ly He hath these observable passages out of the Fathers and School-men concerning the community of the Lords Supper belonging alike to all the Church People Congregation present whence it is stiled the Communion and not to the Priests elect or truly regenerated alone and concerning the end use of the Sacraments to unite Christians together into one body and Christian Communion and prevent all Schisms Discords Separations in the Church m Christ himself hath already determined the case For albeit he hath appointed no certain number of Communicants yet hath he by speciall words appointed a number Take ye Eat ye Drink ye ALL Divide ye among your selves n Do ye this in my remembrance Ye shall set forth the Lords death These very words I say cannot be taken of one single man but necessarily import a number St. o Hierom saith Dominica Coena OMNIBUS debet esse communis quia ille omnibus Discipulis suis qui aderant aequaliter tradidit Sacramenta The Lords Supper must be common to All And that he proveth by Christs example because Christ gave the Sacraments equally to all his Disciples that were present p Iustin Martyr declaring the order of the Church in his time saith Of the things that be consecrated every man taketh part The same things are delivered to the Deacons to be carried to them that are away And q St. Ambrose expounding these words Waâ—t one for another saith thus That the oblation of many may be celebrated together and may be ministred unto All r Clemens Alexandrinus saith Asâ—◠〈…〉 as the manner is have divided the Sacrament they give every of the people leave to take part of it Å¿ St. Chrysostom plainâ—y deâ—cribeth the very order of the Communion that was used in his time by these words The spiritual and reverend Sacraments are set forth equally to rich and poor neither doth the rich man enjoy them more and the poor man lesse They have all like honor and like coming to them The Sacraments once laid forth are not taken in again until all the people have communicate and taken part of that Spiritual Meat but the Priests stand still and wait for all even for the poorest of them all Again t he haith There are things wherein the Priest differeth nothing from the people as when we must use the
Dignity hereby above the Dignity of their ordinary Lay Parishioners this New Papal Authority Tyranny Sacrilege being never claimed practiced by them before but only since their late pretended divine right and claim to their new Presbyterian Soveraign Authority to examine all their Parishioners visible worthiness fitnesse preparednesse to receive this Sacrament before their actual admission thereunto Wherby they have now altered this blessed Sacrament of Equality Unity to which all visible Members of every particular Congregation capable of Self-examination have an equal right and common interest as well as themselves or their new Presbyteries Triers and ought to receive it together with them as frequently as they shall receive it made it a Sacrament of Difference Dissention division separation and no Communion at all nor yet so much a Sacrament or Ordinance of Christ at all in many Churches but only in Notion and Dispute not actual publike Celebration according to Christs command m This doe in remembrance of me They having now metamorphosed our Saviours precepts Take ye Eat ye Drink ye ALL of this in Remembrance of me As OFT as ye eat this Bread and drink this Cup shew ye the Lords death till he come into This doe not Take ye not Eat ye not Drink ye not AT ALL in Remembrance of me Never once much lesse oft eat this bread nor drink this Cup nor shew ye the Lords death thereby till he come O my obstinate refractory Christian Brethren if I may be now deemed worthy by you to call you so who are guilty of this practice I advise you beseech you for the Honour of my blessed Saviour and this his holy Sacrament the Honour of our Protestant Church and Religion the Honour of your own Ministry and Function the comfort the Salvation the edification of your own your peoples Souls now at last most seriously to consider this your worse than Papal Romish impious Sacrilege Impiety Antichristian Pride Usurpation Tyranny Rebellion against Christs positive Precepts for I can truly give it no other better Terms than these with shame and confusion of Face Heart Spirit and then be n no more stiff-necked no longer Popish Romish in this and other forementioned particulars as you have hitherto been which render you more really scandalous if not impious than any you debarre from this Sacrament And o repute me not your Enemy nor a Rayler because I thus plainly impartially tell you the truth and have paralleld your late practices with Popes and Popish Priests exorbitances Sacrileges not minced your Crimes with diminutive termes but set them forth by their proper Titles in their Native Colours that you might the better discern their horrour avoid their danger and bee the more humbled for them before God and Men but p repute me your best your truest cordiallest Christian Friend q for discovering these your Iniquities and rebuking you sharply that you may be sound in the Faith r Remember therefore whence you are fallen repent and reform your late dangerous Errours and doe your first workes by discharging your Pastorall duties to your people in frequent publike common Celebrations of the Lords Supper together with them as your Ministerial and Parochial Functions Christs Precepts the Statutes Edicts of our Church and Realm oblige you And that upon this ensuing Consideration super added to the Premises 7ly That Å¿ Bishop Iewel and the Fathers Authors forecited by him resolve That one principal end of the holy Communion is to joyn and unite Christians together in Christian Communion unity amity as being all fed together and partakers of this one bread That by their common open receiving of this holy communion frequently together they do openly testifie and declare that they are all one in Christ Jesus and all one amongst themselves That this is the principal means to joyn keep them together and to prevent Schisms Divisions Sects Contentions amongst Christians It being impossible as t S. Aug. writes to conjoyn men together into any name of religion be it true or false unles they bejoyned together with some bond of visible Signe or Sacraments like confederated sworn Brethren Hereupon the later Confession of * Helvetia cap. 12. writes thus of this Holy Supper Moreover we are admonished in the celebration of the Supper of the Lord to be mindfull of the body whereof we are made Members and that therefore we be at Concord with all our Brethren that we live holily and not pollute our selves with wickedness and strange Religions but persevering in the faith to the end of our life give diligence to excell in holinesse of life With which accords the Former Confession of Helvetia in these words Also the Lords Supper is as a badge unto us for as one loaf and one wine are made of many grains and grapes so we being the whole multitude of the faithfull are gathered together to be one bread and one body By this we testifie in an outward profession that we are redeemed by the bloud of Christ and made the members of Christ to whom we give thanks in whom we are Confederates and do promise to perform mutual duties one towards another The Confession of Saxony thus seconds them God will have this publick receiving to be a Confession whereby thou maist shew what kind of Doctrine thou dost imbrace and to what company thou doest joyn thy self Also he will hereby that the members of the Church should have a Bond of mutual love among themselves * God would that these publick Meetings should be witnesses of the Confession and severing of the Church of God from the Sects and Opinions of other Nations John assembled his flock at Ephesus and taught the Gospel and by the use of the Sacraments the whole Company did declare that they embraced this Doctrine and did invocate this God who delivered the Gospel and that they were separated from the worshippers of Diana Iupiter and other Idols For God will be seen and have this Church heard in the World and have it distinguished by many Publike Signs from other Nations And the promises wherein God doth affirm he will preserve his Church ar included in the very words of the Supper where he commandeth the death of the Lord should be shewed forth and this Supper distributed till he come Therefore doubtlesse the principal and only means that Ministers or Magistrates can use to prevent the dangerous universal epidemical increase of Sects Schisms Separations from our Parish Churches and publike Assemblies to reclaim reduce re-unite their people in personal presence and affection to themselves their Churches and one another and to restore unity amity peace settlement to our miserably distracted dilacerated Church and Realms divided subdivided into so many Sects Factions one from and against another is to restore presse practise the frequent publike use of this Holy Communion every Lords day or Moneth at least and not to seclude any of their Parishioners from it
capable of self-examination but such alone who are actually excommunicated from all church-Church-Communion and all other publick Ordinances for their notorious sinnes demeriting such a censure The contrary Doctrine Practice derived from and asserted by the u Anabaptists but oppugned by Protestant Churches Writers heretofore though now asserted by Independents and x rigid Presbyterians That this holy Communion belongs only to the truly regenerate or to none but visible Saints not to any unregenerate Persons or Sinners who are all to be seclnded from it That none ought to be admitted to it but such who upon trial and due examination by their Ministers or Presbyteries shall be adjudged worthy Communicants and sufficiently qualified extraordinarily prepared to receive it And the discontinuing of this Communion in most Churches upon these false Principles for sundry moneths and years together having been the original fountain sourse and principal occasion of all those unhappy Schisms Divisions Separations Contentions Sects Disputes Differences which have rent our Churches Realms into so many Pieces and brought so much hatred scorn contempt upon our Ministers persons Functions Ministry in wise mens observations To put this out of question I shall desire all sadly to consider that the greatest rents schisms that have befallen the Church of Christ in these later ages of the world have proceeded from Errors Crntroversies touching the Sacraments which have severed it into irreconcilable Sects and Separations The Popish Error of Transubstantiation and the consequences of Adoration of the Hostia Masses c. arising thence with the Sacrilegious depriving the Laity of the Cup by the solemn y Decree of the Council of Constance was the original Ground the principal though not only cause of all Protestant Churches Separation from the Church of Rome as Mr. Fox his Acts and Monuments the French Book of Martyrs Bishop Jewel Bishop Morton and others in their learned Works heretofore Dr. Daniel Featly in his Grand Sacrilege of the Church of Rome Mr. John Daille his excellent Apologie for the Reformed Churches shewing their Necessity of Separation from the Church of Rome and others in their late Treatises of Schism at large demonstrate And had not the Council of Basil since the Decree of Constance granted the use of the Sacrament in both kinds and restored the Cup unto the kingdom of Bohemia and the Council of Trent since upon certain conditions granted the same to other Kingdoms and Countries they had all totally revolted from the Church and Popes of Rome and turned Protestants so much were they displeased with them for this Grosse Sacrilege Hence the Council of Basil in their Act of Concession of the Sacrament in both kinds to the Bohemians useth this observable Preface * In the name of God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ upon the Sacrament of whose most blessed last Snpper we shall intreat that he which hath instituted this most blessed Sacrament of Unity and Peace will vouchsafe to work this effect in us and to make us that we may be one in the said Lord Iesus our Head and that he will subvert all the subtilties of the devil which through his envious craftinesse hath made this Sacrament of Peace and Unity an occasion of Wars and Discord that whiles Christians do contend touching the manner of communicating they be not deprived of the fruit of the Communion Whereupon St. Augustine in his Sermon upon Infants in the Decrees De Consecratione Distinct 2. Quia passus saith thus So the Lord Iesus Christ certified us and willed that we should appertain unto him and consecrate the Mystery of our Peace and Unity upon the Table He that receiveth the Mystery of Unity and doth not keep the bond of Peace doth not receive a mystery for himself but against himself This we thought good above all things to be premised A clear testimony that the Popish Abuses in the Sacrament and this Sacriledge in depriving the people of the Cup was the original cause of all the Schisms Warres Discords then in and against the Church of Rome and between her the Bohemians and other Churches Kiugdoms Since this the a erronious Doctrine of Consubstantiation in the Sacrament hath totally and almost irreconcilably divided the Lutherans from the Calvinists and other Protestant Churches and set them at open variance hostility one against the other Moreover these erronious tenets of the b Anabaptists that none ought to be baptized before they can render an approved account of their faith and that none ought to be admitted to the Lords Supper but visible Saints who upon precâ—dent trial and examination shall be adjudged worthy to communicate That communicating with any other but Saints doth prophane this and other ordinances and defile those Saints who communicate with them hath occasioned them first to separate wholly not only from the Church of Rome but from all other Protestant Churches whatsoever whether Lutherans Calvinists Presbyterians or Independents and to communicate with neither of them The Independents c taking up the Anabaptists wicked erronious Principles against mixt Communions have thereupon separated themselves from the Presbyterians and our Parechial Churches and upon this foundation erected new gathered Churches and segregated conventicles of their own And some over-rigid Presbyterians unadvisedly swallowing down this Anabaptistical Drugg d founding their New Presbyteries Triers Trials of all Communicants worthinesse Suspensions of all ignorant scandalous persons from this Sacrâ—ment and unmixt Communions only of visible Saints thereon have thereby split themselves upon a double rock and manifold inextricable inconveniences to the total subversion and unexpected sudden frustration of their intended platform and elevated hopes First by closing with the Anabaptists and Independents in this Foundation of their Separation from all other Churches and Christian Congregations they have made most of their conscientious Parishioners to turn e Anabaptists or Independents and to desert both their Church and Ministry whereby their numbers are decreased and these their Opposites Churches Numbers infinitly increased in few years space beyond all belief 2ly By denying upon this Account to administer the Lords Supper to the generality of their Parishioners as unworthy of it and none other but Dogs or Swine and by not administring it in their Churches upon this ground for sundry moneths nay years lest any unworthy Communicants should presse unto it they have therupon incurr'd the general indignation hatred contempt reproaches and lost the affections of the residue of their people caused many of them to turn Ranters Quakers Achiests contemners neglecters of all ordinances for to resort to old Episcopal Clergy-men and those who will freely admit them to the Lords Table And so by this their Error sacrilege ambition neglect in and forbearing to celebrate the Lords Supper against Christs own precept the Custom of the Primitive and all other Churches to their Parishioners as formerly and endeavour to set up a New Judicatory or inquisition over their Persons Consciences to
A SEASONABLE VINDICATION Of Free-Admission and Frequent Administration of the HOLY COMMVNION To all Visible Church-members Regenerate or Vnregenerate From the Institution Precept President of Christ himself the Doctrine Practice of the Primitive Church Fathers Councils Christians the Confessions Articles Records Chief Writers of our own and other reformed Churches the dangerous Consequents Effects Schisms arising from the Disusage Infrequency Monopoly of this Sacrament to visible or real Saints alone and Suspension of all others from it till approved Worthy upon trial And that upon meer Anabaptistical and Papistical false Principles Practices here discovered unadvisedly embraced imitated asserted exceeded by sundry over-rigid reforming Ministers to our Saviours dishonour our Churches great disturbance their own their peoples prejudice and the Common Enemies and Seducers grand Advantage By Will Prynne of Swainswick Esq a Bencher of Lincolns Inne 1 Cor. 10. 2 3. 16 17. And did ALL eat the same spiritual meat and did ALL drink the same spiritual drink c. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not THE COMMUNION of the Bloud of Christ The Bread which we break is it not THE COMMUNION of the Body of Christ For we being many are one Bread for WE ARE ALL PARTAKERS OF THAT ONE BREAD Aug. Epâ—st 179. Non bonum est homini hominem vincere sed bonum est homini ut eum Veritas vincat volentem quia malum est homini ut eum Veritas vincat invitum Nam ipsa vincat necesse est sive Negantem sive Confitentem LONDON Printed by F. Leach for the Author 1656. To the over-sadly divided misguided Ministers of the miserably distracted undermined almost ruined Church of England especially such who in Theory or Practice have swerved from their Duties in casting off the Frequent Administration of the Holy Communion with their peoples Free-Admission thereunto and in other particulars of moment here briefly touched DEar reverend Christian Brethren whom I cordially honour for your a high and heavenly Calling give me leave with that Christian Liberty which becomes me without any fear or flattery to inform you that I have for many years by-past with a bleeding soul and mournfull spirit taken special Notice of some offensive Deviations from and Negligences in your Ministerial Function whereof many of you are guilty which have given great Advantages to your Common Romish and Sectarian Adversaries and just scandal to divers of your best-affected Friends some whereof I formerly endeavoured by seasonable timely b Publications to crush in the very shell and now deem high time to remind you of being grown Epidemical yea almost destructive to your very Ministry as well as perillous to our Church and Religion Not to inlarge upon your own manifold intestine c sad Divisions between and against your selves which have separated you into several Opposite Squadrons that I say not Factions and Battalioes of Presbyterians Episcopalists or Royalists Independents Interdependents openly secretly warring against and seeking to supplant each other by the extravagant power proceedings of illegal Arbitrary Committees and new coyned Orders Ordinances Covenants Engagements with other Machiavilian Devices whereby you have endeavoured to eject sequester suppresse vex ensnare ruine one another under our successive late publike Revolutions of Government By which you have now at last made your selves meer Tenants at will both in respect of your Benefices Tithes Ministry to every New upstart power a derision to your Popish a prey to your Anabaptistical and other Sectarian Adversaries who infinitely increase their Numbers Proselytes by these your unbrotherly feudes and have no special Committees to restrain eject suppresse them but are crept into most Committees and places of power to vex molest discountenance persecute eject sequester many of you at their pleasures and secretly encourage countenance abet our last insolent spreading Romish Sect of Quakers to disturb affront revile your persons Doctrine Ministry both in the Church Streets and all other places and to publish their most rayling scurrillous Invectives against you to accomplish your speedy extirpation by these Instruments of the Pope and Devil which they dare not immediately attempt by themselves In which prosecuted design of your utter speedy extirpation all Anabaptists Sectaries concurre and unite their forces with the Jesuites and Popish party as Iohn Canne demonstrates in his Second voice from the Temple p. 2. where he excites The Supreme Authority of the Nation the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England to whom he dedicates it utterly to extirpate the National Church Ministry Worship Government of England and to starve famish all the Ministers thereof whom he stiles Antichristian Idols by taking away the food and maintenance whereby hitherto and at this present they are â—ourished fed and kept alive In regard of which joynt desperate Coâ—federacy against you by these your combined common Adversaries I shall now exhort and advise you First of all To lay aside and abandon all private animosities factions feuds contests and persecutions against each other as not only unbeseeming the d Embassadors Ministers of the God Prince Gospel of Peace but as the most probable unavoidable means of your own speedy destruction as these two Gospel Texts will assure you Mat. 12. 25 26. And Iesus said unto them Every kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation and every City or House divided against it self shall not stand And if Satan cast out Satan or one Minâ—ster another of a contrary party he is divided against himself how shall then his kingdom or Christs where his Ministers are thus divided and cast out one another stand And Gal. 5. 15. But if ye bite and devour one another take heed that you be not consumed one of another Among all the evils that afflict the body politick of the Church or State there is none so pernicious as division especially amongst the Ministers and chief Officers thereof e because it strikes at the very foundation of their being and poisons the original of their life and strength Wherefore I beseech you most especially to avoid detest this destructive sin 2ly Seeing all Ministers and Christians are specially obliged by the f command and will of their Master and by their own welfare safety salvation to continue inseparably united one to another and all together to make up but one harmonious Body I shall exhort beseech advise you all to g live and love like Brethren h To be all of one mind and of one Spirit striving together for the faith of the Gospel i To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace k To manifest to all the world that you are Christs disciples by loving one another And to pursue this pathetical exhortation of the Apostle to cease the Contentions between the Minister and people in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that
appertaining to Christians though a chief part of the Churches foundation approved injoyned to be searched studied read by Christ himself and his Apostles in the New Testament Mat. 5. 17. 18. c 7. 12. c 22 40. c. 26. 56. Mar. 1. 2. Lu. 1. 70. c. 16. 26. 31. Acts 3. 18. c. 10. 43. c. 13. 15. 27. c. 26. 22. 27. c. 28. 23. c. 17. 2. 11. c. 18. 24. 28. Rom. 1. 2. c. 16. 26. Ephes. 2. 20. c. 4. 11 12. 13. 1 Pet. 1. 10 11. 2 Pet. 1. 19 20 21. c. 3. 1 2. with other expresse Gospel texts And is not this a grosse sinful Omission now fit to be repented of and reformed by you all having produced so many sad effects and complying too much with the Papists y and Mr. Harding who stiles the publike reading of the Scriptures to the people in their mother Tongue The instinct and work of Satan 4ly Many Minsters and Congregationt especially Independents and Anabaptists have wholly cast off the Singing as well as reading of Psalms Hymnes and Spiritual Songs not only contrary to the z precepts of God and Practice of the â—aints in the Old Testament but of Christ himself his Apostles Saints Church in the New Luke 1. 13 14. Mat. 26. 30. 1 Cor. 14. 15. Ephes. 5. 17. Col. 3. 1â— Heb. 2. 12. Iam. 5. 13. Rev. 15. 3. c. 5. 9. c. 14. 3. And is not this a sin fit to be redressed by those who are guilty of it unlesse they deem our present Oppressions Thraldom and publick Calamities such as deserve to turn all our Psalms into Lamentations and Songs into Howlings Amos 8. 10. Ezech. 26. 13. Iam. 7. 9. 5ly Whereas our Ministers heretofore by our Councils Canons Liturgies were obliged to Catechise and instruct their younger Parishioners in the Lords Prayer Creed ten Commandements and Principles of Christian Religion and made a Conscience to perform it on Lords dayes and other Seasons in the Church to the great edification and corroborations of their People against Heresies Sects Errors Vices The generality of Ministers of late years have either totally rejected or in a great measure neglected this part of their Ministerial duty contrary to Gal. 6. 6. Heb. 5. 15 16. c. 6. 1 2 3. Deut. 6. 1. to 10. and other expresse Scriptures Whereby Parents and Masters have for the most part given over this dutyin their Families and so the people being generally ignorant uninstructed unsetled ungrounded in the Principles of Religion are a tossed and carried to and fro with every wind of doctrine made a prey to all sorts of Sectaries and seducing Spirits and divided from our Churches into different separated Conventicles almost past hopes of reducing to the trâ—th and unity of the Gospel How necessary it is therefore for all peccant Ministers to reform this Sin let the Preface to Mr. Crooks Guide and others who have written of the Vtility and Necessity of Catechising inform them 6ly Some Ministers especially Independents have contrary to Luke 9. 62. Rom. 1. 1. Heb. 7. 23 24. b quite renounced their very Ministerial Ordination and Function preaching only now as gifted Brethren not as Ministers of the Gospel and others of them have either overmuch neglected or scrupuled the baptizing of Infants especially c of these who are not of their own independent Congregations Which how repugnant it is to the precepts and Presidents of Christ and his Apostles How scandalous to our Protestant Church and Religion how advantagious to our Papal Anabaptistical and other Sectarian Common Enemies let Mr. d Seaman Mr. Baxter Mr. Hall and others who have written largely on these Subjects of late times resolve them and themselves now reform with penitent hearts 7ly The thing I shall here principally charge upon the consciences of hundreds of Ministers guilty of this Sacrilegious Crime is their many years wilfull discontinuance of the frequent publike celebration of the Lords Supper to their Parishioners against the very essential duty and Office of their Function as Ministers of Christ and Incumbents of Parish Churches the Precept and President of Christ himself the Practice of the Apostles Primâ—tive Church Fathers Christians and all former Churches Ministers of Christ throughout the world the Canons Decrees Injunctions Laws Statutes of our own and foreign Churchâ—s States in all ages and the very Directory it self as I have e elsewhere and shall here more largely manifest By which Negligence and Omission I shall desire them now at last most sadly to consider 1. That they rob God himself of one chief publick Ordinance and part of his solemn worship 2. That they rob Jesus Christ himself of one of his instituted Sacraments whereby they should principally shew forth the benefits fruits and memory of his death till his Second coming 1 Cor. 11 25 26. 3. That they rob their Churches and people of the inestimable benefits comforts of Christs most blessed Supper Wherein they are more culpable sacrilegious and injurious to Christs Institution and their people than the Sacrilegious Popes and Popish Priests who administer this Sacrament to themselves in both kinds every Masse and give the People the Consecrated Bread in all places once a year at least and the Cup too in some places by special f dispensations whereas they deprive themselves and their people wholly of both parts of this Sacrament for sundry years and will not dispence it to them at their and others earnest intreaties 4. That herein they give as high as grosse as sinful a Non obstante to Christ himself the Primitive Church and Fathers in casting aside this Sacrament of the Lords Supper for so many years together as the g Council of Constance did when it took away the use of the Cup only from the Lay-people and hereby justifie imitate exceed this their Sacrilegious Antichristian practice 5. That hereby they sinfully neglect renounce one principal essential part of their Ministerial function and pastoral duty which they were purposely ordained Ministers and presented to their Parochial Cures and Benefices diligently to discharge as I have h elswhere manifested at large to wit to administer this Sacrament to their people 6. That they herein pointblank oppugn contradict the i constant practice of the Primitive Church Fathers Christians who usually administred the Holy Communion to all their visible Church-members every Lords day with the constant usage of all the Churches of God throughout the world in all former ages till this present who prescribed practiced the frequent celebration thereof as a necessary usefull and most comfortable duty 7. That herein they have in a great measure imitated the tyranny and practice of Pope Innocent the 3d. and the Popish English Clergy under him who interdicting the whole Realm of England Anno 1208. by reason of differences then risen between King John the Archbishop of Canterbury and other Prelates for 6 years 3 moneths and 14 days space thereupon through the Clergies obstinacy
which made Elyes sons and their Ministry to be lightly esteemed and brought ruine on them and their families and caused God to translate the Priesthood from them unto Samuel Yea you cannot but take notice of Mal. 2. 1 2 8 9. And now O ye Priests this commandement is for you If ye will not hear if ye will not lay it to heart to give glory unto my name saith the Lord of hosts I will even send a curse upon you and will even curse your blessings yea I have cursed them already because ye do not lay it to heart Behold I will corrupt your seed and spread dung upon your faces c. Ye have departed out of the way ye have caused many to stumble at the Law ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi saith the Lord of hosts Therefore have I also made you contemptible and base before all the people according as you have not kept my wayes but have been partial in the Law And may you not then conclude from these two Scriptures That your kicking against the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and casting this offring quite aside which Christ commanded you frequently to celebrate with your departing out of the way in all the forementioned particulars which hath caused many to stumble at the Law are the principal causes that have moved God to make yo thus contemptible and base before all the people Yea hath not your casting off the Lords Supper for so many years occasioned many of the people to cast off all other Ordinances Sacraments encouraged the Anabaptists to cast off Infant-baptism and thousands to reject both your Ministry Churches and to turn Anabaptists Seekers Quakers Ranters Independents Papists and some professed Atheists I shall therefore apply that wholesom advice of our Saviour to the Angel of the Church of Ephesus unto you at this season Rev. 2. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do thy first works or else you may justly fear what follows I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of its place unless thou repent Now because Christs own institution practice and the practice of his Apostles recorded in the word is the x only rule you ought to follow in the admission of your Parishioners and people to this Sacrament and your administration thereof unto them give me leave to propound these Observations to you from them which through Gods blessing may rectifie both your Erronious judgements consciences practices in secluding others from the Sacrament without any Gospel grounds 1. It is clear that y Iesus Christ himself secluded none from this Sacrament of his body either for ignorance or scandal but admitted all his disciples to it at first without any pre-instructions that we read of either of its nature or use but what is recorded in the very institution it self done sodenly after the passeover as they sate at Table That all his disciples were then ignorant of the Article of his resurrection from the dead and would not believe that he was risen within 4. dayes after he administred this Sacrament to them though he * oft foretold them he should rise again the third day and the Prophets also predicted it as is clear by Mat. 28. 17. Mar. 16. 11 13 14 where Christ himself appeared to the eleven and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardnesse of heart because they believed not them that had seen him after he was risen upon their double testimony to them whose words seemed unto them as idle fables and they believed them not Lu. 24. 11 12. 21 22 c. 37 41 46. John 20. 24 25. to 30. Yet he admitted them all to his Supper though thus ignorant and unbelieving And as he admitted all his Disciples though thus ignorant so he likewise admitted Iudas himself though a z Devil a Thief a Traytor a Seller of him to the Iews for money a Son of perdition yea cast away and Christ then knew him to be such a wretch 2ly It is most evident that a all those whom Christ admitted to eat the Passover with him he likewise admitted to receive this Sacrament of his last Supper without secluding any of them But all circumcised Persons whatsoever as well unregenerate ignorant or scandalous as the most regenerate knowing and holy Saints if not totally cut off from the Congregation and legally not morally unclean were admitted to eat of the Passover Exod 12. 3 4. 43. to 50. Deut. 16. 2. c. Josh. 5. 10. 2 Kings 23. 21 22. 2 Chron 30. 1. to 26. c. 35. 1. to 20. Ezra 6. 19 20 21. 1 Cor. 10. 11. 3 4 5 Therefore all such Christians and Church members if not actually cut off by Excommunication from the Church ought by Christs own practice to be admitted to the Lords Supper 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 18. 3ly We read of no special Preparation Sermon made by Christ to fit his Disciples to receive this Sacrament of no Classis or Presbytery appointed by him to examin their faith knowledge graces preparation worthinesse fitnesse before they were admitted to it or to seclude them from it if adjudged unworthy ignorant or scandalous by them Of no such extraordinary preparation prescribed to them ere admitted to receive it as is now b peremptorily exacted prescribed as absolutely necessary ere men must approach or be admitted to receive it and no other preparation or self-examinanation then was requisite for the receiving of the Passover or other daily holy duties All which our Saviour no doubt would have absolutely prescribed at his first institution and celebration of this Sacrament for a pattern to all succeeding ages if so absolutely necessary as â—ome over-rigid Ministers now wiser holier and more scrupulous than Christ himself the Author of this Mystery now affirm in Presse and Pulpit without any precept or president from their Lord and Master Jesus Christ but their own fancies 4ly It is apparent from the 1 Cor. 10. 16 17. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not the Communion of the Bloud of Christ The Bread which we break is it not the Communion of the Body of Christ For we being many are one bread For we are all partakers of that one Bread That all the believing Corinthians and Members of the visible Church of Corinth except the c incestuous Corinthian excommunicated from the Church and all other Ordinances as well as this did receive the Lords Supper usually together Yet many of them were very ignorant yea meer babes in Christ whom the Apostle fed with milk and not with strong meat being not able to bear it and some of them denyed the resurrection of the dead or were ignorant of it 1 Cor. 1 2. 3. c. 7. 10 11. c. 14. 38. c. 15. 12 13. c. Others of them were in a great measure scandalous 1 In going to Law with their Brethren before unbelievers for which he reprehends them 1 Cor. 6. 1. to 8.
Lords Table and of that one bread which is the Communion of the Body of Christ Which argument is thus seconded enforced in the 2 Cor. 6. 14 15 16. Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship hath righteousnesse with unrighteousnesse and what communion hath light with darknesse or what concord hath Christ with Belial or what part hath he that believeth with an Infidel And what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols For ye are the Temple of the living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and I will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you c. A full Exposition of and Commentary on this former Text Therefore by the Apostles own argument and resolution the most scandalous Church-members if not actually excommunicated not only may but must yea ought to be admitted to the Lords Supper and not secluded from it and their participation thereof ought to be thus enforced on them by Ministers as the strongest argument and most prevailing reason motive to reclame them from their scandalous Sins which have no rational fellowship communion concord part agreement or consistency with such a sacred Ordinance but ought to be abandoned as most incongruous unsuitable and repugâ—ant thereunto and to their Christian profession Which is more agreeable to the will mind of Iesus Christ and will be far more effectual upon the Souls Consciences lives of scandalous Sinners than their many years sinfull seclusion from this Sacrament which doth but harden them in their scandalous sins and cause them to have more fellowship with Devils in their works of darkness than ever they had before their seclusion from the Lords Supper 3ly That all visible Church Members as visible have an equal external right of admission to this Sacrament and ought all equally to receive it in common without any seclusion when administred being that wherein their common Christian communion principally consists and is testified unto the world whence it is stiled * The Communion and no other Ordinance but it so termed Therefore there is no Classis Presbytery or other Church Officer appointed by Christ or his Apostles to suspend or seclude any Church-member from it but rather if any such Classis or Officers there be to incite and invite them to it when negligent to receive it Isay 55. 1 2. Iohn 7. 33. Rev. 22. 17. 4ly h That though preparation Sermons to the Lords Supper to instruct and prepare the people for the more devout and diligent receiving are commendable profitable usefull especially where the people are ignorant carelesse and backward to receive it And although an extraordinary self-examination preparation humiliation and repentance be very profitable advantagious comfortable to such who have time and means sufficient before they approach to this Supper of the Lord yet they are not so absolutely necessary as i many now assert them in print and Discourse nor the want of them a sufficient cause for any persons to debar themselves or for Ministers or Presbyteries to seclude others from this Sacrament There being no other no greater preparation qualification or higher degree of faith love charity repentance devotion and other Christian graces required in our approaches thereunto than unto other publike and private Ordinances of Gods worship for ought appears by Scripture And that self-examination required of Christians when they receive this Supper by the Apostle in the 1 Cor. 11. 28. is required of all Christians at other times and seasons by the same Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 5 6 and of all Saints long before this Sacrament instituted as a constant and daily duty especially in times of affliction and approaches to God in other holy duties Lam. 3. 39 40. Psal. 4. 4. Ps. 119. 5â— Hag. 1. 5. Prov. 6. 6. Jer. 8. 6 7. Eccles. 5. 1. 5. k That the Ministers administring the Sacrament to an ignorant scandalous or unworthy Communicant who eats and drinks judgement or damnation to himself thereby doth no wayes make him guilty of his sin or unworthy receiving for then Christ and the Ministers of Corinth should have been guilty of Judas and the Corinthians unworthy receiving The reasons are apparent 1. Because the administration of it is the l Ministers bounden duty and the receiving the receivers but the unworthy receiving his own Sin alone and personal crime to which the Minister is no party or accessory no more than the rider guilty of his horses halting stumbling or the Musician of his instruments jarring or Schoolmaster of his Scholars blots or misframing of his Letters or the Physician or Chirurgian of their Patients distempers or disorders which hinder the good operation of his wholesom medicines Or the Minister guilty of the peoples unprofitable hearing when m the word becomes unto them the savour of death unto death and a means of their obduration by their own defaults 2ly Because the good successe of the Sacrament and all other means of Salvation n depends not on the Minister but Gods blessing on them and the peoples due receiving of them 3ly Because the Ministers are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish as well in administring the Sacraments as preaching the Gospel 2 Cor. 2. 14 15 16. they being both ordained by God and Christ himself as well to be o savours of death unto death in a secondary and accidental respect to magnify his justice towards those who unworthily receive abuse or contemn them as to be a savoar of life unto life to them who receive them worthily to the magnifying of his free grace towards them Wherefore there can be no real ground or scruple of conscience left for Ministers not to administer it freely unto all Church members but only meer design to erect a new Iurisdiction and Presbytery to seclude men from this Sacrament only under a pretext of conscience 5ly That p no scandalous sin whatsoever doth directly and properly of it self debarre Christians from the Sacrament or any other publike Ordinances or private duties the best ordinary means prescribed by God to cure and heal their sins convert and reclame them from them but only consequentially when they are actually and judicially excommunicated or cut off from the Church and publick Assemblies for them q for the terror of others the prevention of infection by their Society the shaming punishing of themselves for their scandalous sins and bringing them to repentance for them That excommunication it self doth not formally specially and intentionally seclude men from this Sacrament as most ignorantly fancy no more than from any other publick Ordinance but only consequentially and indirectly by secluding them for a time from the * Church it self and Communion Society of all the faithfull where the publick Ordinances and Sacraments
and undervalue Christs death and passion represented therein than those who in obedience to his Institution make conscience externally to receive it when administred and do neither externally nor internally Sacramentally nor spiritually receive the body of Christ when as the others who receive unworthily receive it externally and Sacramentally at least in the Elements Which Judas likewise did as Bishop Iewel there asserts out of two Quotations in i St. Augustines writings 3ly Consider that when our Saviour sent forth his Apostles and Ministers who succeed them to preach he gave them this Commission Mark 16. 15 16. Go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every creature He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved BVT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED Which is likewise seconded John 3. 18 36. 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. If then the damnation of those who believe not the Gospel preached authorizeth not Ministers or Presbyteries to seclude any unbelieving Christians or other unprofitable hearers from hearing the Word and Gospel read or preached in the Church or elsewhere then by the self-same reason this danger of eating and drinking damnation and being guilty of the Lords body and bloud can be no sufficient Authority Ground or Commission for any Classiâ— Presbytery or Minister whatsoever to seclude any visible unexcommunicated Church-member from the Lords Supper no more than from the Word preached read prayer or any other sacred Ordinance which * God commands them to frequent which no mortalsâ—may or can without the highest presumption usurpation juridically enjoyn them to abstain from or neglect Seeing we ought herein to obey God rather than men as the Apostle themselves have twice resolved Acts 4. 17 18 19 20 29 30 32. c. 5. 20 21 28 29. c. 42. and Daniel long before them Dan. 6. 5. to 18. All which particulars with what else I shall subjoyn in this Vindication duely considered together with that Commission which every Minister publikely received heretofore at his Ordination when he had this power conferred on him Be thou a faithfull Dispenser of the Word of God and OF HIS HOLY SACRAMENTS Take thou Authority to preach the Word of God AND TO MINISTER THE HOLY SACRAMENTS IN THIS CONGREGATION where thou shalt be so appointed And that solemn promise he then openly made k I will by the help of the Lord GIVE MY FAITHFVL DILIGENCE ALWAYS SO TO ADMINISTER THE DOCTRINE AND SACRAMENTS OF CHRIST AS THE LORD HATH COMMANDED AND THIS REALM HATH RECEIVED THE SAME according to the commandements of God will I hope through Gods blessing on them resolve and determine all those distracting needlesse Controversies touching Suspension of particular Persons or whole Parishes from the Lords Supper and remove all New-erected Bars and Rayles to keep the people from Free-admission and accesse to the Lords Table in all plaees where of late years they have been injuriously sequestred from it and restore the frequent Celebration thereof in remembrance of our Saviours Passion And so much the rather because the very Directory it self as well as our old Common Prayer Book in the Section Of the Celebration of the Communion or Sacrament of the Lords Supper resolves thus in the very first lines The Communion or Supper of the Lord is †frequently to be celebrated But how often may be considered and determined by the Ministers and other Church-Governours of each Congregation as they shall find most convenient for the comfort and edification of the people committed to their charge After which it directs When the day is come for administration the Minister shall make a short Exhortation expressing the inestimable benefits we have by the Sacrament together with the ends and use thereof setting forth the great necessity of having our Comfort and Strength renewed thereby in this our Pilgrimage and Warfare which being the things I plead for I cannot but hope all Ministers of the Church of England will henceforth cordially pursue notwithstanding all former Books Cavils Scruples to disswade them from their duties herein * If there be therefore any consolation in Christ if any comfort of love if any fellowship of the Spirit if any bowels and mercies fulfil ye my joy that ye be like minded having the same love being of one accord of one mind herein * Finally brethren whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest whatsoever things are just whatsoever things are pure whatsoever things are lovely whatsoever things are of good report if there be any virtue if there be any praise think on these things Those things which ye have both learned received and heard seen in me do the God of Peace shall be with you The Grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you all Amen So prayes your unfeâ—gned Christian Friend and Brother in the Lord WILLIAM PRYNNE Swainswick Sept. 1. 1656. A Seasonable Vindication of the frequent Administration of the Holy Communion to all Visible Church-members Regenerate or Vnregenerate HAving heretofore in a several Publications from Divine and Humane Authorities of all sorts largely evinced That the holy Communion of the Lords-Supper belongs equally to all and every visible Member of every particular Church capable of self-examination not actually cut off from it by a legal Excommunication be he regenerate or unregenerate That it ought to be now frequently administred in publick to all congregations as it was in the Primitive Church That it is a powerfully Converting as well as a Confirming Ordinance That Christ himself admitted b Judas to it though a Devil Theef Traytor Covetous wretch selling Christ for money to his Crucifiers at its original institution as well as the holiest Apostles That all Ministers are bound by their Office Duty Christs command to administer and all their people of age of discretion often to receive it That none may or ought to be secluded from it but such as are for their Notorious sins actually excommunicated from Church-Communion and all other Ordinances That sole Suspension from this Sacrament by way of Church-censure with free admission to all other publick Ordinances and Examination by Ministers or Presbyters of other mens fitness by way of Jurisdiction before their admission to the Lords Supper are not warranted by any precept or president in Gods word That neither the Ministers who deliver this Sacrament to unworthy Receivers presenting themselves humbly and earnestly to receive it nor such who receive together with them are guilty of their unworthy receiving but themselves alone nor any wayes partakers with them in their sins Answering likewise all Objections to the contrary Which Mr. John Humfrey in his Sermons Vindications of Free-admission to the Lords Supper and Rejoynder to Dr. Drake hath acutely judiciously solidly backed vindicated since with John Timson in The Barre removed and Answer to Mr. Collings and Mr. Saunders And having newly in my Legal resolution of two Important Quaeres of General presâ—nt concernment clearly demonstrated
from our Statute Common and Canon Lawes the bounden Duty of Ministers or Vicars of Parish-Churches to administer the Sacraments as well as Preach to their Parishioners with the Legal Remedies to reclaim them from or punish or remove them for their wilfull obstinacy in denying the Sacraments to them A Theam not formerly handled by any of my Profession generally unversed in such Law-points Which Remedies doubtlesse may will be put in execution against such Anti-Communion refractory sacrilegious Ministers who wilfully rob their Parishioners of their Sacramental Bread and Wine being herein far worse than Popish Priests who deprive their Laicks only of the Cup but freely admit them to the Sacred Bread in the eating of whith alone they likewise misinstruct them c that they also drink Christs Cup and Sacred Bloud And though they oft preach unto their people when they injuriously detain their Tithes Dues Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the Ox that treadeth out the corn Deut. 25. 4. 1 Cor. 9. 9. that so they and theirs may have bread to eat at their own Tables yet themselves against this and other Divine commands still muzzle the mouths of those Oxen their Parishioners whose Tithes and Duties they receive which not only tread out but sow and provide them corn and keep them thus muzzled sundry Moneths nay Years together from eating any Bread at the Lords own Table though he d invites commands compels them by his Word precepts and the presidents of all former ages frequently to resort thereto To prevent which Prosecutions by their injured offended people and reclaim them from this their Sacrilegious obstinacy by all Christian friendly means or else to leave them exposed to the Justice Penalties of our Laws without any colour of Excuse or Plea in bar in Law or Conscience I thought it convenient by way of Corollary to all my former Publications of this subject to recommend to them and others some Passages touching the Lords Communion and it s oft celebration distribution to ALL Church-members in our peerless Bishop Jewel and shining Thomas Becon with certain Observations of my own deduced from them which through Gods blessing may rectifie their erronious Judgements Consciences Practices wherein now they ignorantly act the Parts imitate exceed the extravagances promote the designs of Papists Anabaptists and other Sectaries and by building blindly or unadvisedly upon their Foundations increase their Numbers Churches and decrease subvett their own as we all find by sad experience and themselves will most repent of if now they will not reform their Errors when it will be over-late I shall therefore beseech all such Ministers to lay aside all obstinacy self-interests Prejudices Parties Combinations By respects whatsoever and with sincere unbiasâ—ed docible Spirits to pursue Solomons divine advice Prov. 8. 33. Hear instruction and be wise and refuse it not lest Poverty and shame befall them as they doe those who refuse instruction Prov. 13. 18. and lest they sin wilfully without hope of pardon e Post inspirationem vero et revelationem factam qui in eo quod erraverat perseverat prudens sciens sine venia ignorantiae peccat praesumptione atque obstinatione superatur as S. Cyprian resolves It is a memorable saying of f S. Ambrose touching the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Indignus est Domino qui aliter Mysterium celebrat quam ab eo traditum est Non enim potest devotus esse qui aliter praesumit quam datum est ab Authore Which had those Ministers I now deal with duly pondered they would never have presumed to advance their own new Crochits above the Precept against the express President of the very Author of this Mystery Which how great a Crime it is that old blessed Martyr g St. Cyprian will inform them in these positive words Not to doe that thing that the Lord did what is it else but to cast off his word and to despise his Discipline and to commit not worldly but SPIRITUAL ROBBERY AND ADULTERY while as a man from the truth of the Gospel STEALETH AWAY BOTH THE SAYINGS AND DOINGS OF THE LORD and corrupteth and defileth Gods Commandements And is not their peremptory denyal to administer the Communion to their people year after year their stealing away the Body Bloud Bread Cup Table whole Supper of the Lord himself from their Parishioners and corrupting wresting defiling sundry Scriptures to justifie this their practice a casting off his Word a despising of his Discipline a committing not of worldly but spiritual Robbery Adultery yea a stealing away of the sayings and doings of the Lord worse than that of the h Aquarâ—i of whom he writes who did oft consecrate the Sacram. and deliver it to the people Yet vel ignoranter vel simpliciter in Calice Dominico sanctificando ET PLEBI MINISTRANDO non hoc faciunt quod Jesus Christus Dominus Deus noster hujus Sacrificii Author Doctor fecit docuit consecrating and ministring water to the people instead of wine And if St. Cyprian might well write this against the Hereticks called Aquarii which in the holy ministration would use no wine but instead thereof did consecrate water and ministred it unto the people MUCH MORE MAY WE SAY THE SAME AGAINST OUR ADVERSARIES WHICH CONSECRATE AND MINISTER UNTO THE PEOPLE NO CUP AT ALL writes venerable Jewel as these now do consecrate minister to them no Sacrament at all which is far worse I shall desire these Sacrilegious novellizing Ministers for the most part unacquainted with Antiquity seriously to ponder what this imcomparably learned most judicious pious Bishop Jewel in the name and defence of the Church of England after all his sufferings and exile for Religion hath written of the Holy Communion c. against Mr. Harding in his i Reply Article 1. of Private Masse where he informs us in positive terms 1. * That the holy Communion was so OFTEN so GENERALLY FREQUENTED AMONGST ALL CHRISTIANS IN THE PRIMITIVE CHURCH IN ALL THEIR ASSEMBLIES and CONGREGATIONS that at length the very company and fellowship of them was called COMMUNIO taking name of that action which was most solemnly used among them at their meetings which he there proves by sundry instances out of S. Aug. k S. Hierom and others which l Aug. like as also m S. Hier. and others witnesseth the whole people DAYLY RECEIVED TOGETHER n Hugo Cardinalis saith further Vel aicâ—tur Communio quia in Primitiva Ecclesia populus communicabat quolibet die It is called the Communion for that the people in the Primitive Church DID COMMUNICATE EVERY DAY In the primitive Church they in their health RECEIVED DAILY and in their sicknesse o had the Sacrament sent home unto them From whence he thus objects against Mr. Harding his Private Masse and censures the negligence of the Priests in the Church of Rome in administring the Communion and in not exciting
the people to the frequent reception of it p Mr. Harding granteth that the people in the Primitive Church RECEIVED THE HOLY COMMUNION EVERY DAY when they looked hourly to be caught and done to death in the persecution of Paynims that they departed not hence sine viatico without their voyage provision and so consequently unawars he confesseth that in the Primitive Church was no private Masse which as he saith came in afterward BY THE NEGLIGENCE AND UNDEVOTION OF THE PEOPLE in not repairing so frequently to the Communion as at first It is great pity so good a thing as it is supposed should have no better beginning One special principle of these mens Doctrine is to imbar the people from reading and understanding of the Scriptures to suffer them to know nothing for that as some of them q have said THEY BE DOGS SWINE AND THERFORE SHOULD NOT PRECIOUS STONES BE LAID BEFORE THEM yet now must their negligence be the rule of Christs Religion This is laid as the ground and foundation of the whole cause Charity say they is cold and the people carelesse But therefore hath God appointed Pastors and Ministers to oversee and controul the people and not to suffer them to perish in their negligence Were it a matter of tithes or other payment the people should be called upon and not suffered in any wise to be negligent neither should their negligence stand for excuse how much lesse should it be suffered when the case toucheth God The Bishops and Fathers in the second Council r holden at Bracara in Spain decreed thus If any man resort unto the Church and hear the Scriptures and FOR NEGLIGENCE OR WANTONESSE WITHDRAWETH HIMSELF FROM THE COMMUNION OF THE SACRAMENT and in the reverend mysteries does break the rule of discipline we decree that such a one be put out of the Catholick Church until he have done penance and shewed the fruits of his repentance that having obtained pardon he may be received again to the holy Communion Thus the godly Fathers in old times did not flatter and favour the peoples negligence in this Case as Mr. Harding and his fellows doe but exhorted warned reproved rebuked them called them MALAPERT and IMPUDENT THAT WOULD BE PRESENT AND NOT RECEIVE AND EXCOMMUNICATED THEM FOR THEIR NEGLIGENCE But these men contrarywise turn away their faces from their Brethren and suppresse their voice and will not be heard c. and find no fault with the people but rather make them believe that they receive for them and apply Christs death unto them by their Mass that the very hearing thereof is sufficient for them and meritorious and thus as much as in them lyeth THEY INCREASE THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE PEOPLE AND DISCOURAGE THEM FROM THE HOLY COMMUNION The people is taught nothing they understand nothing they see nothing neither comfort nor memory of Christ nor benefit of his passion And this is the cause of their Negligence therefore they stand thus back and withdraw themselves Howbeit what needeth Mr. Harding to charge the people with negligence and undevotion THE POPE HIMSELF AND HIS CARDINALS DOE SCARCELY COMMUNICATE ONCE IN A YEAR BUT ARE AS NEGLIGENT AND AS UNDEVOUT THEREIN AS THE MOST PART OF THE PEOPLE Now let us view the weight of Mr. Hardings reasons The people is negligent and undevout Ergo The Priest may say Masse alone This Argument is very weak So might Mr Harding say The people will not hear the word of God Ergo The Priest may goe into the Pulpit and preach alone For Christs Supper as Å¿ St. Aug saith IS A SERMON and the Priest therein PREACHETH AND VITERETH THE DEATH OF THE LORD c. As for the people they are not so negligent nor undevout as Mr. Harding here chargeth them they are Gods people glad to be instructed and desirous to follow and wheresoever the Gospel is received glad to give testimony thereof to increase the same BY THE HOLY COMMUNION OF CHRISTS BODY AND BLOOD IN GREAT COMPANIES AND WHOLE CONGREGATIONS ALL TOGETHER But what ill luck is this that they whom Mr. Harding so often condemneth for Hereticks CAN BE SO DEVOUT AND HE AND HIS CATHOLICKS THUS REMAIN WITHOUT DEVOTION Let the people be taught let them hear the holy ministration in their own tongue that they may understand the holy mysteries and feel comfort and sweetness in the same let them see examples of diligence in the Clergy then will they be no longer negligent then should M. Hard perforce give over his private Mass as seeing the whole right of his cause hangeth only of the negligence and mis-doing of the people t The Church saith Mr. Harding hath charged and ordered that no man who is worthy and disposed shall be refused O Miserable is that Church whereas NO MAN NO NOT SO MUCH AS ONE IS WELL DISPOSED Here in few words he condemneth the whole Church of Rome even the whole College of Cardinals amongst whom as he saith there is not one well disposed and worthy and therefore they all withdraw themselves from the Communion But u Chrysostom saith If thou be not worthy to receive the Communion then art thou not worthy to be present at the Prayers Therefore Mr. Harding should drive his unworthy people from the Church and not suffer them to hear his Masse They imagin that any man be he never so great a sinner may pray to God and have free accesse to the throne of Majesty Only they think a sinner may not receive the holy Communion But it is written x Let him depart from his wickednesse whosoever calleth upon the name of the Lord Whosoever is a member of Christ and may boldly call God his Father may also be bold to receive the Communion If Mr. Harding wish indeed that the people would prepare themselves and communicate with the Priest as he pretendeth why doth he not provide for them Doubtless there are many godly men among the people and oftentimes more virtuously disposed a great deal than the Priest Neither is it of their unworthiness that they abstain so often nor of their worthiness that they receive once a yeac but only of custom But if the People be slack yet must the Priest doe the daily Sacrifice saith Mr. Harding that is He must offer up Christ unto his Father for the sinnes of the world Herein appeareth the wanton folly of this people That they may do and are commanded to do they will not do but that they cannot do that they will needs doe c. Christs death must be kept in remembrance Ergo the Priest is bound to say daily Masse yea although there be no man to receive with him Alas How holdeth this poor argument Or how may we make it good Is there no other mean to remember Christs death but only by saying private Masse Or is not every one of the people bound to remember the same as deeply and as often as the Priest c.
fearful Mysterieâ— for we are all of one worthinesse to receive the same u Ignâ—tius saith One bread was broken for all and one Cup was divided to all In the x Canons of the Apostles it is decreed That if any man resort unto the Church and hear the Scriptures and abstain from the Communion he stands excommunicate as one that troubleth the Congregation The y like Decrees are found under the names of Calâ—xtus Anaclâ—tus Martinus Hilarius and others by which it is certain that the whole Church received together This Latin word Missa in the time of Tertullian and St. Cyprian signified a dismission or a license to depart and was specially applied unto the Communion upon this occasion that I must here declare They that were then named Catechumeni that is to say Novices in the faith and not yet christened were suffered to be present at the Communion untill the Gospel was ended Then the Deacon commanded then forth pronouncing these words aloud z Catechumeni exeunto or thus Ite Missa est Goe ye forth Ye have license to depart Of this dismissing or departing forth of the Catechumeni and others the Service it self was then called Missa The rest remained still in the Church and received the Communion together with the Priest Further the breaking of the bread which even now is used in the Masse it self signifieth a distribution of the Sacrament unto the people as a St. Augustine saith unto Paulinus Ad distribuendam comminuitur It is broken to the end it may be divided Surely one b Lorichius a Doctor of Mr. Hardings own side saith thus Ipsius Sacramenti Institutio vult ut omnes una manducemus et bibamus The very instuâ—tion of the Sacrament willeth that we all eat and drink together After which c Bishop Iewel adds It appears by that place of d St. Cyprian the hâ—ly Communion was thought so necessary to all the faithfull that children and infants were not excluded And it appeareth by St. Hierom e St. Augustine and other old Writers That they that were baptized as well children as others immediately received the holy Mysteries in both kinds f St. Hierom speaking of one Hilarius saith thus Non potest Baptisma tradere sine Eucharistia He cannot administer Baptism without the Sacrament of Thanksgiving Therefore all that were admitted to and though worthy of one Sacrament were freely admitted to and thought worthy of the other in the Primitive times g Vident haec Sacramenta Pauperes Spiritu et hoc uno contenti ferculo omnes hujus mundi delicias aspernantur possidentes Christum aliquam hujus mundi possidere supellectilem dedignantur He further addes in another place It is h granted of all without contradiction that one end of all Sacraments is to joyn us to God Another end is to joyn us all together And so likewise writeth S. Paul i All we are baptized into one body And therefore saith k St. Augustine In nullum nomen Religionis coagulari c. Men cannot be brought into any name of Religion be it true or false unless they be joyned together with some bend of visible signes or Sacraments And as touching the later of these two ends the same l Dionysius Areopagita writeth thus That holy common and peaceable distribution of one and the same bread and common Cup preacheth or prescribeth unto them a heavenly unity as being men fed together And Pachymeres the Greek Paraphrast expounding the same place hath these words For that common diet and consent bringeth us into the remembrance of the Lords Supper St. Cyprian ad Magnum saith With what love and concord all faithfull Christians are joyned together the Lords Sacrifice doth declare These words do sufficiently declare both the common receiving of the Sacrament and also the knitting and joyning of many together Without all question the effect that Dionysius meant standeth in this that the people prayeth and receiveth the Holy Communion together and thereby doth openly testifie that they be all one in Christ Jesus and all one amongst themselves And therefore m Chrysâ—stom saith For that cause in the Mysteries we embrace one another that being many we may become one But n St. Cyprian saith The whole Church is but one House in which the Lamb is eaten The Communion or fellowship of the Church standeth in sundry respects For we communicate together either in consent of mind as it is written of the Apostles o They had all one heart and one mind Or in knowledge of God as Christ prayeth for his Apostles unto his Father p That they may be one as thou and I be one And St. Paul to the Philippians q I thank my God alway that ye are come to the Communion of the Gospel Or in one Christ as Paul saith r There is now no bondman there is now no freeman but all are one in Jesus Christ To be short we communicate in Spirit in Prayers in Love we are all washed with one Bloud we are all fed with one body we have all one hope of our vocation and all together with one heart and one voice be we never so far asunder do glorifie God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ And this is that only House whereâ—n the Lamb is eaten grounded upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets In this House we dwell here we waâ—â— together with consent here we eat the Lamb of God being all Brothers and Members of one Body and all One in Christ Jesus God restore you Mr. Harding once again into the same House that you may open the eyes of â—our heart and see from whence you are fallen Å¿ Cyrillus saith They that receive the mystical benediction are one body with Christ and also between themselves Whereunto agree these words of t St. Hierome spoken in the behalf of Christ Blesse thine inheritance which thouhast gathered together in thy Church by the Mysterie of my Body and Bloud And u Anselmus a man of later years We break and divide the bread into many parts to declare the unitie of the love of them that receive it Here note This description of unitie standeth in receiving the Sacrament and not only in the Communion The whole Church of God is but one house and all the Members of the same doe communicate together in Faith and Spirit Hereof we may form the Major Every particular Church ought to be a resemblance of the whole Church and this particular Communion ought to be a resemblance of that General Communion That General Communion is common to all and every Member receiveth his part Ergo the particular Communion ought to be ministred commonly unto all and every Member to receive his part Or thus The Ministration of the holy Communion representeth the Conjunction and fellowship that we have in Faith And as x St. Cyprian saith That Christian men are
joyned together in unseparable Charity the Lords Sacraments do declare But Christian people being assembled in one Church do communicate in faith all together Ergo being so assembled they ought to communicate in Sacraments all together But Mr. Harding of the nature of this word Communio seemeth to fashion out * far other arguments It is called Communio saith he Ergo it may be private It is called Communio Ergo it may be received of one alone It is called Communio Ergo the Priest may receive it without Communicants Mr. Harding weigh your Argnments better before you send them thus abroad You shall lesse offend God and your own Conscience you shall lesse deceive your Brethren and children shall take lesse occasion to wonder at you y Now to adde a little more hereunto touching the nature of this word Communio wherein you so uncourteously charge all others with ignorance and lack of learning as it pleaseth you to do throughout your whole Book I think it not amisse to shew you what certain Writers both old and new have thought and written in that behalf I need not here to allege the words that St. Paul useth touching the holy Communion z We are all one Bread all one body as many as do communicate of one Bread Neither that a Saint Hierom saith The Lords Supper must be Common Neither that b St. Chrysostom The thing that is the Lords they make Private But the Lords things are not this Servants or that Servants but common to all Neither that c St. Augustine saith He would have us to understand that this Meat and Drink is the Fellowship of his Body and of his Members Neither that d Chrysostom saith What shall I call the Communication or Communion we are all one self-same body What signifyeth the Bread The Body of Christ And what are they made that receive it The Body of Christ Although these Fathers by these words do manifestly declare That the holy Mysteries in their time were divided commonly to the whole people yet will I take no advantage thereof for that Mr. Harding will reply They come not precisely to the nature of this word Communio Therefore I shall note one or two others and such as Mr. Harding cannot deny for that they speak directly to the matter e Pachymeres a Greek Writer the Paraphrast upon Dionysius hath these words Therefore saith he hath this Father Dionysius called it The Communion for that there all they that were worthy did communicate of the Holy Mysteries And all then were reputed worthy and received daily in the Primitive Church but persons excommunicate and injoyned to Penance who upon great and notorious crimes could not be suffered to communicate with the rest of the faithfull sometimes during their whole life but only when they should depart the world This extremity was used for terror of others and such reconciliation was thought necessary at the end for solace of the party that he should not utterly be swallowed up in despair but might perceive he was received again amongst the faithfull by sending the Communion to him at his death and so depart comfortably as the Member of Christ as * Bishop Jewel writes and proves in the next page f Haymo writing upon Saint Pauls Epistles saith thus The Cup is called Communication which is as much as participation because all do communicate of it g Hugo Cardinalis saith thus Afterwards let the Communion be said which is so called that we should all communicate h Gerardus Lorichius Dicitur Communio quia concorditer de uno Pane et uno Calice multi participamus c. Is is called Communio because we being many do communicate together agreeably of one Bread one Cup And this word Communio is as much as participation or receiving of parts i Micrologus Non potest proprie dici Communio nisi plures de eodem sacrificio participent It cannot justly be called a Communion unlesse many do receive of one Sacrifice If Mr. Harding will not believe us yet I hope he will believe some of these They be all his own It were much for him to say they be all ignorant and unlearned and not one of them understood what he wrote Certainly their age will give it them they are no Lutherans 3ly k Whereas Mr. Harding in defence of Private Masse puts this case What if 4. or 5. of sundry houses in a sickness time being at the point of death require to have their rites cre they depart the Priest after that he hath received the Sacrament in the Church dineth and then being called upon carrieth the rest a mile or two unto the sick He doth what he is required Doth he not in this case communicate with them c. Else if this might not be counted a lawful and good communion and therefore not be used one of these great Inconveniences should willingly be committed That either they should be denied that necessary victual of life at their departure hence which were a cruel Injury and a thing contrary to the examples and godly ordinances of the Primitive Church Or the Priest rather for companies sake than of devotion should receive that holy meat after he had served his stomack with common meats c. Bishop Jewel amongst other solid Answers hereunto returns this But if the people would now communicate every day as they did then in the Primitive Church or at least oftner than they do now then should not this matter seem so necessary at the end as is here pretended And so had Mr. Harding lost another Argument To these 3. passages of Bishop Iewel I shall annex that of his learned coetanean and fellow Exile for Religion Thomas Beacon a burning and a shining light in his Catechism Vol. 1. of his Works f. 462 463. where after he hath proved by sundry Scriptures and Authorities That the Lords Supper in the Apostles times Primitive Church was commonly received every day or Lords day at the least Adding That among the Greeks even at this day if any man absent himself from the Lords Table by the space of 14. dayes except he 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 Kingdoms under that most puissant King Precious John the holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of the Lord hath from the beginning been daily administred unto the people and yet is at this present day as Histories make mention He then censures this as a grosse Popish innovation and abuse contrary both to Scripture and Antiquity That whereas the Lord Christ Iesus would have the holy Communion of his blessed Body and precious Blood to be oft times received of the faithfull for a remembrance of his death and passion and for the worthy earnest diligent consideration of that inestimable Benefit which we have obtained of God
the Father through the Son his passion and death The custom of the Popes Church is that the people receive the Sacrament usually but once a year that is to say at Easter By which â—eans the Commandement of Christ is broken the Sacrament neglected the death of Christ not so earnestly remembred the people become unthankfull Dissolution of life breaketh in Vice increaseth Virtue decreaseth From these with sundry other like Passages of Bishop Iewel and Thomas Beacon incomparably eminent both for their Learning and Piety it is irrefragable 1. That in the Apostles days as some from Acts 2. 46 47. c. 20. 7. 11. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 21. c. 11. 17. to 34. resolve and in the l Primitive Church for many hundreds of years next after the Apostles and among the Greeks and Christians under Precious Iohn at this day all Christians and visible Members of the Church of years of discretion to examine themselves constantly received the Communion all together every day or Lords day at the least when ever they met to pray hear the Word or perform any other publike Duties of Religious Worship unto God and that out of meer duty piety devotion zeal and love to Christ m Bishop Iewel in his Defence of the Apology of the Church of England proves this more fully by the confession and testimonies of sundry Popish Authors Thomas Aquine saith In Primitiva Ecclesia quando magna vigebat devotio Fidei Christianae Statutum suit ut fideles quotidie communicarent In the Primitive Church when great Devotion of the Christian Faith was in strength it was ordained that the faithfull should receive the Communion every day n Durandus saith In the Primitive Church all the faithfull daily received the Communion o Hugo Cardinalis saith In the Primitive Church All as many as were present at the Canon of the Masse did daily communicate and if they would not they departed out of the Offertory If ye think these Authorities are not sufficient p Iohannes Cochlaeus saith Omnes olim c. In old time both all the Priests and all the say people received the Communion with the Minister that had made the Oblation as is plainly perceived by the Canons of the Apostles and by the Books of the antient Doctors of the Church c. Likewise saith q Iodocus Clichthovius In Primitiva Ecclesia c. In the Primitive Church the faithful received the Communion every day Likewise it is noted in the Margin upon the Apostles Canons Omnes olim qui intererant communicabant In old time all that were present did communicate In the Council of Antioch Can. 2. Concil. Aquisgran cap 70. Omnes c. All that come into the Church of God and hear the Holy Scriptures and refuse the receiving of the Lords Sacrament let them be put from the Church These Decrees reach not only to the Ministers of the Church but to the whole People r St. Ambrose saith Munus oblaâ—um totius populi fit c. The oblation offered is made the whole peoples For that in me bread all are signified For in that we are all one we must all receive of one bread In imitation hereof the Protestant Churches in forein parts did frequently receive the Lords Supper all together witness the Å¿ Former Confession of Helvetia Artic. 22. Of the Lords Supper We do therefore use the holy meat oftentimes because that being admonished hereby we do by the eys of faith behold the death and bloud of Christ crucified and meditating upon our salvation not without a tast of heavenly life and a true sense of life eternal we are refreshed with this spiritual lively and inward food with an unspeakable sweetnesse and we do rejoyce with a joy that cannot be expressed with words for that life which we have found and we do wholly and with all our strength pour out our thankssgivings for so wonderfull a benefit of Christ bestowed upon us And this t Confession of Sweveland of their practise Our men do often times with as great reverence as they may receive the Sacrament to be the lively food of their souls and to stir up in them a gratefull remembrance of so great a benefit The which thing also useth now to be done among us much more often and reverently than heretofore was used to wit in times of Popery With the u Confession of Auspurg in these words Therefore the Masse to wit the celebration of the Lords Supper must be used to this end that there the Sacrament may be reached unto them that have need of comfort As Ambrose saith Because I do alwayes sin therefore I ought alwayes to receive a medicin And seeing the Masse is such a Communion of the Sacrament we do observe one common masse every Holy-day and on other dayes if any will use the Sacrament when it is offered to them which desired it Neither is this custom newly brought into the Church With what * hearts of adamant browes of brasse searedness not tenderness of Conscience then can or dare any Protestant Ministers Parsons or Vicars now who have Cure of Souls obstinately deny peremptorily refuse to deliver the Lords Supper to themselves or any or all of their Parishioners and Church members when they earnestly desire it at their hands not only for sundry dayes weeks months but years together and that under a new monstrous x pretext of extraordinary Zeal Piety Devotion Sanctity tendernesse of conscience transcendent Love to Christ his Sacraments their own and their peoples souls Or with what colour will such Pastors be able to justifie or excuse themselves before any Tribunals of God or men when legally accused convicted for this notorious detestable Sacrilege and Apostacy from the custom of the Primitive and Protestant Churches if they presently repent not of it with confusion of face and redemption of their former wilfull neglect herein by constant frequent publike Communions henceforth delivered to all their people in Common without future seclusions of any unexcommunicate persons from it who unfeignedly desire it 2. That the Apostles Primitive Christians Fathers Authors with these two most judicious Divines believed asserted both by their preaching writing practise y That the Sacrament belonged to and ought to be administred to every visible Christian and Church-member alike to all the whole Congregation in common and that none ought to be secluded suspended from it but persons actually z excommunicated from church-Church-communion and all other publike Ordinances for notorious scandalous offences That upon this ground and its frequent common reception by all it was stiled The Communion both by the Fathers Primitive and Modern Christian Church-writers of all sorts This is the express doctrine of the whole Church of England confirmed by a Parliament and subscribed assented to by all true Ministers Pastors of the Church of England admitted to any Pastoral Charge Article 30. The Cup of the Lord is not
neglectful of due preparation when they repair to the Lords Table but to stirr all up to a like conscientious holy preparation in all their publike or private approaches to God in other duties to rectifie this common superstitious epidemical errour that most think they are unworthy unprepared for the Lords Supper only even then when they deem themselves not so for all or any other sacred publike duties and thereupon approach not to it when it invited or so frequently as they ought and that henceforth none may deem themselves only worthy to receive the Lords Supper once or twice a year but unworthy at all other seasons they being not worthy to receive it once a year if they be not worthy every day according to St. Ambrose doctrine Who writeth thus of the custom of the Latine Church in his time as d Bishop Jewel records his words e Every week we must celebrate the oblation although not every day unto strangers yet for the Inhabitants yea sometimes twice in the week who then as frequently received the Communion as they heard the Word or prayed and deemed the self-same preparation sufficient for all three Ordinances then conjoyned as unseparable in point of usual practice The reason why Christ instituted the Sacrament of this Supper in the most common daily Elements of Bread and Wine was that so they might be commonly and frequently received by all at his Table for the spiritual nourishment of their Souls as well as daily and frequently received for the nutriment of their bodies at their private Tables 4ly That Christ himself his Apostles the Primitive Fathers Christians with all others who thus pressed practised the daily administring and receiving of the Lords Supper reputed it a converting as well as confirming Ordinance f begetting quickning grace in unregenerate as well as confirming inoreasing Grace in regenerate Christians as the Word read and preached doth This g St. Augustines forecited words For Christs Supper is a Sermon and the Priest therein preacheth and uttereth the death of the Lord with sundry others who stile it a visible Word a means of quickning and begetting Grace c. sufficiently manifest and I have h elsewhere proved at large How dare then any Novellers Ministers or others deny it to any unconverted unregenerated Christians as a meer deadly poyson only to them being the most probable effectual lively means of their humiliation compunction regeneration conversion unto God prescribed as the chiefest balsom cordial to heal their wounded sin-sick Souls and support their despairing languishing Spirits Or how dare any such Souls Spirits Christians though laden heavy laden with the greatest Crimes abstain from this most Soveraign Medicin to effect and perfect their Spiritual cure upon pretence of their own unfitness unworthiness unpreparedness when as the more dangerous more desperate mortal their Wounds Maladies are the more more speedily they need the fitter they are for this Spiritual Basilicon this heavenly Electuary which they i then most deferre neglect when they need it most and would first be healed cured by some other means before they resort to this most precious healing Physick which most effectually applies Christs passion bloud merits to their despairing dying Souls of all other Ordinances whatsoever If all in desperate corporal wounds diseases resort presently to the most effectual healing Medicaments why not then in Spiritual likewise but be enjoyned perswaded enforced under pain of damnation to defer and forbear them 5ly That it k was the constant practice duty of the Primitive Fathers Bishops Pastors and of the Protestant Churches Ministers in the beginning of Reformation to invite excite and stirre up all their people when backward negligent undevout to the frequent constant recâ—ption of the Lords Supper reputing all such who neglected this duty to be malapert impudent unworthy of Christian Communion and rebuking censuring excommunicating them as such till they repented of this sinne as the premises largely manifest together with that pathetical Exhortation in our Book of Common Prayer prescribed by the whole Church Parliament of England to be used by all Ministers * and read in Churches when they shall see the people negligent to come to the Holy Communion which I shall desire all our Ministers and Negligent Communicants oft to read ponder at their leisures for their better information and conviction With what consciences reason equity Piety then can any who professe themselves the only true faithful orthodox Ministers of Jesus Christ yea the holiest and devoutest Zealots of all others now make it their chiefest busines their greatest glory praise the argument of their ferventest zeal and devotion by preaching writing disputing not to exhort provoke encourage invite compel their people to but to dehort deter sâ—quester debar their Parishioners others from the Lords Table and their holy Communion with Christ and one another in this Ordinance for whole moneths yea years together l advising them to abstain fly from it as a most certain deadly poison damnation to their souls and instead of discharging their Pastoral duties in excommunicating all such who prophanely neglect to repair to it seclude excommunicate themselves and all their Parishioners from it though they earnestly importune them to be admitted to it month after month year after year against all Lawes of God and Man and by most absurd unchristian unreasonable whimsical conceits and pervertions of Scriptures endeavour to justifie in Presse and Pulpit this their most sacrilegious unchristian impious Papal Antichristian practiâ—e before all the world m censuring all others as professed Enemies to Reformation Christs Covenant and Kingdom Prophane Licentious Libertius Erastian Hereticks Men of loose Principles void of piety devotion holinesse c. who either concurre not with or publikely oppose them in these their irreligious Innovations and tyrannous usurpations diametrically contrary to the Doctrine Practice of all former Christian Bishops Pastors Ministers Churches from the Apostles dayes till this day The Lord now convince rebuke humble them for these their scandalous Practices Publications and reclame them for the future for their poor oppressed peoples spiritual welfare and our Churches future peace and settlement in these distracted times 6ly Bishop Jewel and Thomas Beacon in their forecited passages charge these particulars on the Church and Clergy of Rome as antichristian Papal Practices Innovations Errors Crimes contrary to the institution doctrine Practice of Christ his Apostles the Primitive Church Fathers Christians and of all reformed Protestant Churches Ministers in which most of our Anabaptistical and Independent Ministers yea many Presbyterians now imitate equal and farre exceed them 1. That the Custom of the Popes Church and Popish Clergy is usually to administer the Lords Supper to the People but once or twice a year by which means the commandement of Christ is broken the Sacrament of Christ neglected the death of Christ not so earnestly remembred the people become unthankefull dissolute in life vice
increaseth virtue decreaseth But how many Ministers now amongst us not only neglect but peremptorily refuse to administer the Sacrament to their Parishioners people so oft as once or twice every year at certain times but not so much as once in two three or four yeares space or more together whereby all the forementioned sins and evils are more multiplied amongst us of late years than formerly in times of Poperie Herein therefore they are more inexcusable and blame-worthy than the Papists whom they exceed in this exorbitancy 2ly That the Pope and Popish Priests made the peoples negligence and undevotion in not resorting daily and frequently to the Lords Supper the rule of Christs religion and Ground-Work of their private Masses And instead of controuling rebuking the people for not repairing constantly and daily to this Sacrament they suffered them to persevere and perish in this their negligence yea increased their negligence and discouraged them from the holy Communion whereas were it a matter of Tithes or other payments they should be called upon and not suffered in any wise to be negligent neither should their negligence stand for excuse And do not our Anabaptistical Independent Ministers crept into many Parish Churches and some Presbyterians likewise make the peoples negligence ignorance unpreparednesse undevotion the very Ground-work of their casting off and discontinuing all publike Communions in their Churches there formerly celebrated every Month or quarterly at least and to set up private Communions in their Conventicles and private Meetings to some few selected Proselites like so many private Masses yea instead of exciting their Parishioners to the frequent constant receiving the Lords Supper and reprehending them for their undevotion backwardnesse in resorting to it do they not foster incourage them in their Non-approaches thereunto nay use all possible strained Arguments to disswade deter debar them from the least accesse unto it though strict and diligent in calling on them for their own Tithes dues wherein no negligence or plea must be admitted O then do they not fully imitate equal yea exceed the Popes and Popish Priests herein who force all to communicate once a year at least under pain of Excommunication under pretext of avoiding Popery and prophanenesse The Lord set this home upon their Spirits that they may reform it without delay 3ly That the Popes and Popish Priests debarred the people from reading the Scriptures c. upon this ground that they be Dogs and Swine and therefore should not such precious stones be laid before them And do not many of our Minsters upon this very Ground debar all their people from the Lords Supper and justifie it in a Print and Pulpit from Mat. 7. 6. Give not that which is holy to Dogs nor cast ye your Pearls before Swine lest they trample them under their feet and rent you Which was certainly never intended of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper not then instituted nor of such who earnestly desire frequently to receive this Pearl this holy thing and are ready to rent their Ministers for not delivering it unto them whereas they would highly love honour them did they constantly give it to them as they ought by Christs injunction and the Primitive Fathers practice But rather of heavenly admonitions reprehensions Instructions given to excommunicated obstinate Sinners who would be more exasperated than reformed by them as I have b elsewhere proved at large and c others very lately And are they not then direct Popes Papists herein fighting with their Arguments against their own People and Christs own sacred Communion And here let me inform these Censorious Ministers who term and deem all those baptized Christians whom they judge unregenerate Doggs and Swine that these are no Scripture Gospel or Christian terms or Epethites becomming their Lips or Pens but meer Anti-Scripture ungospel unchristian Reproaches Revilings unbecoming their ministerial Function and Profession of Christianity diametrically contrary to Gods Christs the Holy Ghosts the Prophets and Apostles language in holy Writ Which in the Old Testament stiled all the circumcised Israelites and seed of Abraham joyned unto him by external federal Covenant and profession though for the most part really void of saving Grace and inward spirituall holines◠d Holy men A Kingdom of Priests and an holy Nation a peculiar people an holy people unto the Lord thy God a chosen special people unto himself above all the Nations which are upon the face of the earth the holy seed the holy people the redeemed ones e Gods people the Lords people the Lords portion and inheritance his own people the sheep of his pasture the people of the Lord of Hosts and that not only when they kept themselves pure frō Idolatry false worship other wickednes but even when they were polluted with idolatry false worship all manner of pollutions impieties plagued by God punished and carried away captive for their sins as the marginal Texts with sundry others testify So all their Priests Levites Cities especially Jerusalem are stiled holy most holy to the Lord the holy Court though many of them were polluted prophaned defiled with all kind of wickedness and idolatry Exod. 30. 29. Levit. 11. 44. c. 21. 6 7 8. Isa. 52. 1. c. 64. 10. c. 1. 21. Neh. 11. 1. 18. Dan. 9. 24. Mat. 4. 5. and other Scriptures Thus all the converted Jews and Gentiles under the Gospel externally professing embracing the faith of Christ and baptized into Christ are stiled Gods people my people by God himself in the Old Testament Ps. 110. 3. Hos. 2. 23. Zech. 13. 9. and likewise in the New Rom. 9. 25. Holy Holy Brethren Saints Saints by calling a holy Generation a Royal Priesthood a peculiar people 1 Cor. 7. 14. 1 Thes. 5. 27. Hebr. 3. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 5. 9. Rom. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 1. c. 13. 13. Eph 1. 1. 15. c. 6. 18. Col. 1. 2. 26. Philem. 5. yea they are said to be in Christ as branches in the vine Iohn 15. 1. to 9. sanctified with the bloud of the Covenant Heb. 10. 29. To be redeemed by Christ 2 Pet. 2. 1. yea reputed Members of the visible Churches of God and of the Saints though the major part of them be not really sanctified defiled with manifold sins 1 Cor. 1. 2. c. 14. 17. to 34. c. 14. 23. 33. Acts 20. 28 29 30. 1 Thess. 1. 1. c. 5. 14. 2 Thess. 1. 1. c. 3. 6. to 16. Rev. 2. 4 5. 14 15. 20. c. 3. 1. c. 4. 14 15 16. compared together to omit many other like Texts And such as these even when they fall into scandalous sinnes are to be restored with the spirit of meeknesse and to be admonished as Christian BRETHREN and not reputed Enemies Dogs or Swine Gal. 6. 1 2. 2 Thess. 3. 6. to 16. being still our Brethren in Christ till either actually apostatized from the Profession of Christ or actually cast out of the Church by
communicating with him contrary to the nature and institution of the Communion than suffer the party to die in discomfort and be swallowed up in despair without it But many of our Ministers are now so cruel and hard-hearted to their Parishioners that they will upon no terms or intreaties daily frequently or yet at all deliver the Communion publikely to them in the Church in their healths that so they might not stand so much in need of it in their sickness as i Bishop Jewel adviseth to prevent this Popish Mischief and the Primitive Christians Fathers practised Neither will they administer or send it privately to them at their deaths as the Primitive Fathers did even to excommunicate persons on their death-beds to comfort their hearts strengthen their faiths and keep their souls from sinking in despair In this therefore they are more uncharitable injurious tyrannical than the very rigidest Popish Priests and Popes unto their People 9ly That k the Popes and Popish Priests having discontinued the daily Communion of the Lords Supper with the people have instead thereof set up Private Masses wherein the people stand by only as Gaâ—ers and Spectators onely of the Priests eating and drinking but yet must not eat drink or communicate with them at the Altar or Lords Table they â—either calling them thereto by words or gestures nor having any preparation for them if called making them believe the hearing and seeing of what they do is sufficient whereby they increase the Negligence of the people and discourage them from the Holy Commnion Which Practice though meerly Popish and Antichristian l contrary to the precept and practice of Christ and his Apostles the Custom Doctrine Canons of the Primitive Fathers Churches the m Confessions Articles of all forein Churches and of the n Church of England professedly condemned declamed against by the Exhortation prescribed in the Book of Common Prayer ratified by sundry Acts of our Protestant Parliaments by Bishop Jewel and all former Protestant orthodox Writers Yet Dr. Drake in his Antiquaeries Preface p. 6. and his Boundary to the holy Mount p. 160 161 c. herein plays the down-right Pope Popish Priest not only in imitating but thus justifying pleading for this Practice as fit to be introduced in all our Protestant Churches Scandalous Persons yea Heathens may be present at the Lords Supper and all Sacramental actions and that with a great deal of profit The fruit of the visible and audible Word may here be attained by bare presence c. But they must not be admitted to but debarred from the participation of the Sacramental Bread and Wine Mark his reason By presence benefit may be gained but the Danger of eating and drinking unworthily cannot be incurred without actual receiving A better solider Argument for Private Popish Masses if true than any produced by Mr. Harding Bellarmine or any Romish Pope or Priest In which passage he proclaims open war against the o Institution Practice Doe this c. of our Saviour who instituted this Sacrament not to be Gazed upon but eaten and drunken by all present admitted no bare Spectators but Gave it to ALL his Disciples Yea he therein bids defiance to the Holy Ghost and St. Paul himself 1 Cor. 10. 2 3 4. 16 17. c. 11. 22. to 34 to the p Ite Missa est Qui non communicat det locum Custom Doctrine of the whole Primitive Church Fathers Christians as Bishop Iewel will at large instruct him and more particularly to the 25 Article of the Church of England The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon or to be carried about but that we should duly use them And this Exhortation Resolution in our English Liturgy Whereas you offend God so sore in refusing his holy Banquet I admonish exhort and beseech you that unto this unkindnesse you will not adde any more Which thing you shall do let this Doctor and others mark it well if ye stand by as Gazers and lookers on those that do communicate and be not partakers of the same your self this makes the fault much greater and is a further contempt having the Mysteries of Christ in derision Is it not said Take ye and eat Take and drink ye all of this With what face then will ye hear these words Will not this be a neglecting despising and mocking the Testament of Iesus Christ c Wherewith other * Protestant Churches in their very confessions accord And St. Chrysostom long before them ad Epheâ—â—oâ— Hom. 3. Whosoever standeth by refusing to communicate is wicked and shameless and unworthy to be partaker of the Prayers Thou wilâ— say I am unworthy to be partaker of Christs Mysteries thou art then unworthy to be partaker of the Prayers Thou maisâ— no more stand here thâ—n one of the Catechumeni or Novices that was never Christened Thus Dum stulti vitia vitant in contraria currunt This New Doctor will on no means admit ignorant scandalous or unregenerate Christians to receive the Sacrament for fear they should eat and drink their own damnation but yet defines they may be present at it and all the Sacramental actions without receiving and that too with a great deal of Profit What I pray To make their fault much greater to commit a further contempt than if they unworthily received them by having the Mysteries of Christ in derision and neglecting despising and mocking the Testament of Jesus Christ as our whole Church resolves against this his Popish Whimsy contradictory to it self For if they may see and hear the Sacramental actions and administrations worthilâ— and with a great deal of profit no doubt they may also receive it with much more profit and comfort too and it will Nonplus this grand Rabbi to resolve us how any can be a fit a worthy a profitable Auditor and Spectator of this Sacrament and yet an unfit unworthy unprofitable yea damned Receiver Let him therefore not disown retract this his Popish Dotage Contradiction Absurdity to which he is driven to avoid the dint of my q former Arguments against his absurd new-found Suspension and excommunication of men by way of Church censure for notorious Scandals only from the actual reception of the Lords Supper but not from being Spectators at it and freely admitting them as unexcommunicate true Churchmembers to all other Ordinances without the least seclusion from them For which Mr. Iohn Humfrey hath since sufficiently schooled him in his Rejoynder to his Boundary 10ly That the Popish Priests having abolished daily weekly frequent Communions together with their people in the Church who ought to receive the Sacrament and remember the death Passion of our Saviour as often as the Priests themselves do yet to keep a perpetual remembrance of Christs death oblige themselves to say Privase Masses daily communicate alone without the people and offer up Christ daily in sacrifice to his Father wherein appeareth their wanton folly that they
examin their fitnesse and suspend them from the Communion they have by divine retaliating Iustice or Providence at least and I desire them to observe it sodeinly unexpectedly beyond all humane probability by an unparalleld sacrilege lost most of their Church revenues Tithes Duties either seised or detained from them by their people from whom theâ— detain this Sacrament yea lost both their intended Presbyterial Government Classes Iudicatories Reputations Credits Reverend esteem the love and affections of the Generality of their Parishioners and rendred their Persons Function Ministry generally odious contemptible opprobrious throughout the whole Nation as themselves experimentally feel complain of and all intelligent men observe Which being an undeniable experimental truth there can be no better speedier means used to regain their former honor love respect and reduce their straying flocks from their several Schisms Sects Conventicles unto their Parochial Congregations Assemblies Ministry but to renounce those Anabaptistical Errors Practices they have unadvisedly taken up and strenuously defended to restore the frequent weekly monthly use at least of the holy Communion the principal bond of Christian Amitie Peace Vnity * serving instead of ANOATH to bind them all together in the true Profession of Christianity to re-gather their people together and re-unite and keep them close to themselves and one another and to grant a free admission unto all visible Church members able to examine themselves to the holy Communion as well as to all other Ordinances as Christ his Apostles the Primitive Fathers Christians did and the premises undeniably manifest they are bound to doe and to endeavour by preaching writing exhortations and all good Christian means to prepare and excite all persons capable to the frequent participation of this Sacrament and not dehort deterre any such from it as they have done of later years and thereby driven them both from their Churches and Ministry Remember what f Bishop Jewel in his forecited words replies to Mr. Harding O miserable is that Chdrch wherein no man no not so much as one is well disposed and fit to communicate at the Lords Table What conscientious zealous Christian can with comfort continue in such a Church or what Minister with comfort or conscience continue in his Pastoral charge over it and not remove or separate from it to some other Church and people better qualified for Christian Communion at Christs heavenly Feast Such Churches these Ministers declare their own to be by their practice to whom they pretend they cannot dare not administer the holy Communion at all as having no right unto it to the peoples scandal and their own And how many such Parochial Churches have we now in England who have had no Sacrament of the Lords Supper publikely administred in them for divers years last past though the more sinfull and worse they are the more they need this Soveraign Medicine this Sinne-clensing Soul-recovering Antidote to cure their Spiritual Maladies and diseased Souls the with-holding whereof from them instead of working their Spiritual cures hath f but only lengthned increased their diseases and made them more sinfull obstinate vicious irreligious sacrilegious prophane undevout atheistical neglectful contemptuom of this and all other sacred Ordinances than before and banished the serious frequent meditation of Christs precious bloudshed and benefits of his passion quite out of their remembrance As therefore the h Anabaptists and Independents seclude none from their Sacraments whom they deem visible members of their selected refined gathered Congregations upon this account That none are or ought to be members of their Churches but such who have an equal right and free admission to all Gods Ordinances So let our Presbyterian Ministers now upon the same account either separate from their Churches as no true visible Churches of Christ or else admit all the visible actual Members of their Parochial Congregations to this holy Communion as well as to all other Ordinances wherein they have all an equal interest as Church-members lest all their people withdraw and separate from them as many thousands have lately done and will do must else doe more and more till this Sacrament be restored to them That being no true visible Church of Christ nor true Christian Congregation wherein the Sacraments are not duly frequently administred as well as the Gospel preached as all i Protestant Churches Confessions Writers unanimously resolve And those Churches must needs be full of Schisms factions Contentions Animosities hatreds void of Christian love unity and in a most desperate sad condition where the Supper of the Lord the k sign and bond of the love peace unity amity that Christians ought to have amongst themselves and Sacrament of their redemption by Christs death is wholly cast aside kept from them by their Ministers Which the Lord give all such obstinate Church-distracting Church-destroying Ministers grace now timely to consider reform for their own their peoples the Churches benefit union Peace and future Settlement upon serious perusal of all the premises compiled published for this much-desired end alone For a close of all I shall desire all proud Pharisaical supercilious over-severe Ministers and other Christians puffed up with such a swelling conceit of their own transcendent Holinesse worthinesse and most others unworthinesse that they think them altogether unworthy to communicate with them at the Lords Table to consider seriously with themselves these few particulars which may abate this their spiritual pride and uncharitablenesse and reform their erronious practices in this kind 1. Advisedly ruminate upon Christs own parable of the boasting Pharisee and humbled sinfull Publican who went both up together into the Temple to pray and which of these two Christ himself justified Luke 18. 9. to 15. Which Parable he spake unto certain who trusted in themselves as being righteous and despised others v. 9. This alone methinks should at least abate if not fully cure this their overweaning self-conceit Compared with those Isay 65. 5. Which say to others stand by thy self come not near to me FOR I AM HOLIER THAN THOV These are a smoak in my nose a fire that burneth all the day Behold it is written before me I will not keep silence even recompence into their bosoms Let all such pure Justiciaries take heed they come not within the verge and censure of Prov. 30. 12. 13. There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes and yet are not washed from their fillhinesse O how lofty are their eyes and their eye lids are lifted up with spiritual pride Withall let them remember that of Jam. 4. 5. and 1 Pet. 5. 5. Yea all of you be cloathed with humility for God resisteth the proud and giveth grace unto the humble With that of Phil. 2. 3. Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory but in lowlinesse of mind let each esteem other BETTER THAN HIMSELF And then they would seclude none from the Lords Table especially before a legal conviction trial and sentence of
quae ad eos qui in bello capti sunt pertinent To these I might adde the like phrases and passages of St. Basil St. Hierom St. Ambrose St. Augustine Isychius Prosper Primasius Eucherius and others collected by the [Å¿ Century Writers where you may peruse them at leisure With that of t Faustus Rhegiensis Episcopus Illis ipsis qui graviter apud nos delinquunt nullam tristiorem nullam acerbiorem possumus invenire sententiam quam ut A corpore Congregationis abscissi sine pace discendant And infinite other Testimonies in all succeeding ages proving excommunicated persons for scandalous offences to be * totally secluded and cut off from the Church of God and all publike Ordinances therein Whatsoever and not suspended only from the Communion Which utterly subverts that New-found Excommunication only from the Lords Table introduced exercised and so much contested for by our Novellizing Ministers of late years against the practice of the Church and people of God in all former ages to the dishonor of Christ and his Sacrament and the great prejudice grievance offence scandal of their people which I trust they will now reform upon this Discovery and Conviction of their Error Finally let all such remember That Iesus Christ himself the only u Author instituter of this Sacrament for a perpetual remembrance of his death and passion till his second coming in the clouds invites and calls all Christians good and bad for whom he died and shed his bloud though the greatest vilest worst of sinners and unworthiest of all others to come unto this Sacrament as a most effectal means to heal cure convert comfort ease refresh sanctifie confirm save them as the forecited Passages out of Luthers Catechism the Practice of Piety all Liturgies and most Writers of this Sacrament accord inviting none thereto but such as confesse themselves most grievous Sinners standing in need of his free pardon cure grace mercy which they there expect to receive and get sealed to their souls Whereupon they are all bound under pain of contempt of the greatest mercy highest sin and severest judgemeet to resort unto it when they are thereunto invited as well as to other Ordinances their sinfulnesse unpreparednesse being no discharge or exemption from this their bounden duty which is a greater Crime to forbear than receive unworthily as being a total and higher wilfull contempt undervaluing of this Ordinance That Christ himself at its original institution * admitted Judas himself unto it though y a Devil Theef Covetous wretch a Traytor to and seller of him to his malicious crucifiers together with Peter whom z he then foretold should within few hours after thrice together most shamefully deny him as he did and the other Apostles who a all soon after forsook him fled and were all of them then b ignorant and uncredulous of the Doctrine of his resurrection and ascension as I have c elsewere proved at large And that purposely to manifest that this Sacrament which is but a visible word belongs equally to all visible Members of every visible Church whether good or bad regenerate or unregenerate though it be a favour of life unto life to the one and of death unto death to the other as well as the word preached and a converting as well as confirming Ordinance from which no Churchmembers professing Iesus Christ may or ought to be secluded Wherefore if the Disciple be not above his Master nor the Servant above or greater than his Lord as the d Lord of this Sacrament assures us then no Minister of Christ may can or ought under pain of highest Antichristian Insolency Pride Tyranny and affront to Christ himself his Kingdom Power and Soveraign Authority to seclude or keep back any from his sacred Table whom himself hath called invited admitted thereunto upon any pretexts whatsoever Let every one therefore henceforth e bow and submit to Christ herein and no longer stubbornly stout it out against him f lest he tear them in pieces suddenly and there be none to deliver and seclude them for ever from his g Table Kingdom in Heaven for suspending his invited guests from his Supper here on earth without his Commission or command I shall close up all with h St. Cyprians words recorded likewise by i Bishop Iewel which I wish all our Ministers to lay to heart Religioni nostrae congruit et timori et ipsi loco et officio Sacerdotii nostri custodire Traditionis Dominicae veritatem et quod prius apud quosdam videtur erratum Domino monente corrigere ut cum in claritate sua et Majestate Caelesti venire caeperit inveniat nos tenere quod monuit observare quod docuit facere quod fecit And his words to Cornelius the Pope registred in the k Harmony of Confessions out of the Confession of Auspurg How do we teach or provoke the people to shed their Bloud in the Confession of Christs name IF WE DENY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST TO THEM WHO ARE IN THIS WARFARE Or how shall we make them fit for the Cup of Martyrdom IF WE DO NOT FIRST ADMIT THEM BY THE RIGHT OF COMMUNICATION TO DRINK IN THE CHURCH THE CUP OF THE LORD FINIS ERRATA Epistle page 4. l. 34. yea r. in p. 5. l. 6. r. First Whereas p. 13. l. 5. these 〈◊〉 p. 22. l. 7. experience expedience Margin p. 9. l. 10. bending blazing Page 2. l. 23. or r. and p. 4. l. 10. superatus p. 9. l. 25. year p. 13. l. 17. saith p. 23. l. 2 ae forecited Authors p 24. l. 13. backs p. 25. l. 18. ground p. 28 l. 3. dele it p. 38. l. 19. formerly r. frequently p. 41. l. 13. on by l. 37. not now p. 49. l. 3. Sacraments p. 48 l 35. into p. 53. l. 21 as a. p. 54. l. ult and p. 55. l. 1. dele 7ly l. 14. Signs p. 6. l. 15. â—or or p. 61. but then p. 64 l. 2. but will recompance even Margin p. 38. l. 3. Praebendae p. 54. l. 3. Gal. 4. 16. a Rom. 1. 1. c. 10. 15. 2 Cor. 5. 20. c. 6. 1. c. 8. 23. b In my 4. and 12. Serious Questions â— and Seasonable Vindication of them My 16 Important Questions Suspension suspended Independency examined A full Reply to brief Observations c 1 Cor. 3 3 4. d Rom. 10. 15 Hâ—br 13. 20. Isay 9. 6. Eph. 2. 14. to 22. e See Mr. John Daille His Apology for the Reformed Churches ch. 2. f John 13. 34 35 c. 17. 20 21 22. Eph. 4. 3. to 17. g Psal. 133. 1. h Phil. 1. 27. i Ephes. 4. 3. k Joh. 13. 3â— 35. l Hab. 2. 1. m Phil. 1. 27. Jude 3. n Ezech 2. 6. Mat. 10. 26. 28. 31. o Rom. 3. 8. p 2 3 E. 6. c. 1. 5 6 E. 6. c. 1. 1 Eliz. c. 2. q See Dod Downham Bp. Andrews Elton and others on the commandâ—ments r
are administred whence it is stiled and defined A casting or putting a scandalous Sinner out of the Church A cutting him off from the Congregation and a delivering him over unto r Satan but never a Suspension from the Lords Supper or other publike Ordinances being only the consequence nor form or essence of Excommunication so much of late contested for and so little understood by those who are most eager to introduce it 6ly I humbly conceive that no greater measure or degree of knowledge faith profession of Christ Confession of sinne and repentance is necessarily required by God or to be exacted by Ministers to enable men now to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper than in the Primitive Church was exacted by Christs own Apostles and Ministers in persons of ripe years newly converted to Christianity upon their admission to Baptism they being both Sacraments and Seals of the Covenant of Grace alike and requiring the self-same qualifications Hence our learned Å¿ Bishop Iewel writes It appeareth by St. Cyprian St. Hierom t St. Augustine and other old Writers That they that were baptized as well Children as others immediately received the holy Mysteries in both kinds St. u Hierom speaking of one Hilarion saith thus He cannot administer Baptism without the Sacrament of Thanksgiving x St. Cyprians words touching this matter be these Ubi solennibus adimpletis c. After the solemnity of the Consecration was done and the Deacon began to administer the Cup unto them that were present and among others there received the childs turn being come by the power of the divine Majesty she turned away her face c. Here by the way we may well gather That like as the Priest the Deacons and the people received even so the child received too without any manner of innovation or difference This Custome of administring the Lords Supper as well to infants as others immediately after their Baptism in the Primitive times proceeded as I conceive from the very practice of the Apostles Acts 2. 38. to 42. where the 3000. Converts so soon as they believed and were baptized were immediately admitted into the Apostles fellowship and to the breaking of bread which most interpret of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper comparing it with Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 2 3. 16 17. Now a very * small measure of instruction knowledge faith repentaece confession of sin and acknowledgement of Christ was reputed sufficient in the Primitive Church by the Apostles and Ministers of Christ to qualifie and admit converts of ripe years to the Sacrament of Baptism as is clear by Mat. 3. 5 6. Acts 2. 38 41 42 46 47. c. 8. 12 13 16. 36 37 38. c. 9. 17 18. c. 10. 47 48. c. 11. 16 17. c. 16. 15. 30. to 35. c. 18. 8. c. 22. 16. where all were instructed converted believed baptized in one and the very self-same day and made profession of the faith of Christ upon the first Sermon they heard without any further delay or Suspension of them from Baptism Therefore they and all other baptized Christians of ripe years immediately upon their baptism and conversion ought now to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper upon the self-same terms and qualifications and not secluded from it under a pretence of ignorance or unfitnesse to receive it 7ly Whereas some Ministers most insist upon the 1 Cor. 11. 27 29. Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall â—e guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not to the Minister or other Communicants not discerning the Lords body as the prime ground and reason to suspend ignorant and scandalous persons in their judgement from this Sacrament I beseech them to observe 1. What the Antient Fathers and y Bishop Iewel out of them concludes against the Papists who object it to prove a Transubstantiation in this Sacrament Even so z St. Augustine writeth of the water of Baptism Baptismus valet alâ—is ad Regnum aliis ad judicium Again he saith a Baptismum multi habent non ad vitam aeternam sed ad poenam aternam non bene utentes tanto bâ—ne Verily b Saint Augustine saith Reus erit non parvi pretii sed sanguinis Christi qui fornicatione et adulterio violat et commaculat animam Christi sanguine et Passione mundatam Againe he saith c Adultter reus erit aeternae mortis quia vilem in se habuit sanguinem Redemptoris d Athanasius saith Adorantes dominum neque ita ut dignum est ei viventes non sentiunt se reos fieri Dominicae mortis e And St. Cyprian saith Impiis in morte Christi nullus superest quaestus sed justissime eos beneficia neglecta condemâ—ant If then * Baptism be received by some unto judgement and everlasting pain as well as the Lords Supper If Fornicators and Adulterers by defiling their souls made clean by the Passion and bloud of Christ be guilty of the bloud of Christ though they receive not this Sacrament If those who worship the Lord in prayer or any other sacred Ordinance as well as this and yet live not so as is meet for the Lord are thereby made guilty of our Lords death If wicked mens despising of the benefits of Christ doth justly condemn and make Christ death ungainfull to them as well as unworthy receiving this Sacrament Then this Text can afford no Jurisdiction or ground at all to our Ministers or others to seclude any from the Lords Supper no more than from Baptism or any other sacred Ordinance upon this Account â— 2ly Observe what Exposition f Bishop Iewel in the same place gives of this Text This therefore is St. Pauls meaning that the wicked resorting unworthily to the Holy Mysteries and having no regard what is meant thereby DESPISE THE DEATH AND CROSSE OF CHRIST and therefore are guilty of the Lords Body and Bloud that are represented in the Sacrament To come nearer to the purpose St. Augustine saith Habeant foris Sacramentum corporis Christi sed rem ipsam amittunt intus cujus est illud Sacramentum ET IDEO SIBI JUDICIUM MANDUCANT ET BIBUNT Here Saint Augustine saith they are guilty NOT BECAUSE THEY RECEIVE BUT BECAVSE THEY RECEIVE NOT THE BODY OF CHRIST Mark well these words Mr. Harding and let others mark them now they are effectual The wicked by St. Augustines judgement are guilty NOT BECAVSE THEY RECEIVE but BECAVSE THEY RECEIVE NOT THE BODY OF CHRIST And if so then I hence inferre That those who willfully neglect to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper or keep off others from it who desire and presse to receive it are more guilty of the body and bloud of Christ than those who unworthily receive it because they h more neglect contemn despise