Selected quad for the lemma: death_n
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A27412
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A disswasive from error much increased a perswasive to order much decayed / by Joseph Bentham.
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Bentham, Joseph, 1594?-1671.
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1669
(1669)
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Wing B1909; ESTC R25276
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73,061
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94
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also not to come is a disobedience to Christ's command Do this which is divine And 1 Cor. 11. 23. St. Paul saith I have received of the Lord that which I delivered unto you And v. 26. As often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup Which as often implies often as the Apostles and primitive Christians understood it yea and the not comers neglect the memory of Christs death by which we are redeemed in his way They neglect also the communication of Christ's body and blood and shew themselves none of Christ's Disciples not obeying him his Sheep hearing his voice in this nor imitating him whom we are to follow who did eat the Passeover a type of his Passion as to put an end to it so to honour his Ordinance and to shew us our duty what we are to do to shew his subjection to the Law as our pattern and example But alas what are we come unto whither shall we go If in some places where are hundreds of families and not one hundred to communicate if some who are married if some of thirty if not forty years of age were never at the Communion if in populous places and Congregations the most turn their backs upon this Ordinance Is this for edification is this order Obj. 1 I dare not come saith one lest I come unworthily Answ 1. And why will you come unworthily why will you prefer your sinful lusts before Christ and salvation Repent amend 2. To come unworthily is sinful not to come may be as great if not a greater sin He who comes doth what he is enjoyned although he fail in the manner and so may shew a neglect the other who comes not shews contempt of Christ's command Do this so contempt of the memory of Christ's death by which we are redeemed and shews himself none of Christ's Disciple and surely contemners sin fearfully To neglect to come therefore is a gross sin where a man in coming as well prepared as he can he doth his duty and humbly commits himself unto God's mercy Obj. 2 I cannot come saith another because of the company many being admitted to come who are bad and with such St. Paul saith I must not eat and if I may not eat with them then not come to the 1 Cor. 5. 9 10 11 12. Lords Table with them Answ 1. I may not be his familiar his companion therefore I may not communicate with him not go to the Church with him is weak and frivolous for to eat at home is an indifferent action left to my choice and I may not chuse evil To eat at the Sacrament is part of Gods service not to be omitted without sin it being his and my duty Although I must separate from him in civil familiarity which is common and unnecessary where I have liberty not else 1 Cor. 7. 13 14. yet I may not in sacred society and the service of God which is his duty and mine if he be not cast out of the Church by excommunication As I am to avoid the least partaking of other mens sins so am I bound to the greatest partaking with them in duty and yet I may eat with him if occasionally I be cast upon the same Inn Ordinary and Table c. 2. Scriptures enjoyning separation from wicked men command to depart or separate from their ill courses their sins not from being with them in Gods Ordinances Should a sick man say I will not accompany such who are sick to a Physician and be healed is he not guilty of his own death for so doing 3. Sure it is an error to imagine that communicating with wicked men is a sin in the worthy Communicant or a being polluted by their company since the keeping company with them in such sacred meetings is only an acknowledgement that they are in the number of them whom Christ came to redeem and so saith St. Peter It is only a joyning with 2 Pet. 2. 1. them in Christian profession and a confederating with them to lead Christian lives all which are Christian acts and tokens of humility unlike the Pharisee who condemned and triumphed over the Publican whereas it would be better to look more at home to our own wayes and works and leave judging of others than to deprive our selves of so sacred an Ordinance for other mens coming since St. Paul reproves not the giver nor the worthy receiver at Corinth only the unworthy comer since upon such grounds of separation there will be no resting and since to forbear because of other mens unworthiness is a new-found groundless fancy not in our Saviours time when Judas came nor in St. Pauls time when many came unworthy 1 Cor. 11. Obj. 3 We cannot touch pitch and not be defiled we encourage them in their sins by our presence whom we must reprove Answ It hath already been shewed that it defileth not to do a good duty with a sinful man as the Pharisee did not scruple to go to the Temple with the Publican Luk. 18. Obj. 4 But we cannot communicate with that Church which hath no discipline Answ Discipline there is although perhaps not of that kind which some desire yet such as the Church hath stood and flourished under since the Apostles time until the last Century And such as hath made as good Christians in this Nation and as zealous Martyrs as any in the world And if this discipline be not executed it is the sin of those unto whom Augustin cont parmâ—n l. 3. c. 2. it is committed unless as it often happens the multitude of offendors or the difficulty of the times impede the same Obj. 5 We would come might we receive it as we would Answ You would obey might you disobey and your disobedience doing as you list go for obedience Obj. 6 Oh no We desire to receive in a Gospel way in which we may imitate Christ which we do not if we kneel Answ Very good you desire to imitate Christ then kneel for we who do kneel desire to and do imitate Christ for our Saviour at the Passeover did conform to the Passeover gesture enjoyned by and practised in the Church wherein he lived we therefore kneeling according to the practise of the Church wherein we live do imitate Christ Obj. 7 What Christ did we must do Answ Prove that Christ did not kneel and that he forbad us to kneel That Christ did sit and commanded us to sit and we He did sit what Christ did not do we must not do He did not kneel what Christ did we must do Whoso reads seriously the Evangelists will not take Christs example as a rule to guide the Church in all circumstances in administring and delivering the Eucharist for must we deliver it upon Maunday Thursday in a chamber not in a Church only to twelve at once those only men and Clergy men Must we deliver it to them lying or leaning upon one anothers bosom not in the morning but at night
not fasting but after supper and must the deliverer wash the receivers feet 2. Christ did not make his example our pattern in such circumstances of time Communicants gesture c. but left his to be guided by his Church in all matters of comeliness and order We read of St. Pauls setting things in order yea seeming to cross the order of Christ forbidding the Corinthians to sup before 1 Cor. 11. 21. And the Church in St. Augustines time did receive the Communion fasting Epist 18. Chap. 6. he saith the whole Church the world over received it fasting that Christ left the manner of receiving to the Apostles that they appointed it to be received fasting and that the altering of the receiving of it after supper to take it fasting was the Ordinance of the holy Ghost for the honour of the Sacrament to have it enter before any external meat Object Christ did sit Mat. 26. 20. Answ Christ did not sit as we do but according to the custom of those Eastern Countreys did administer as the Passeover so his Supper lying on the floor upon couches Esth 1. 6. Mr. Beza from Josephus concludes that they did lye upon couches that one lay upon his next fellow with their feet laid outward And the Greek word shews as much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 26. 20. Macc. 14. 18. Joh. 13. 23. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to sit upon a bed to take meat after the ancient custom And in Luk. 22 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifying to lye along to lye down The posture was therefore leaning or lying along not sitting besides the gesture was changed from God's appointment Exod. 12. 11. Obj. What Christ did not we must not do Christ did not kneel therefore we may not Answ Christ did not give it in the morning nor to Lay-men to no women not in a Church Christ did not give nor the Apostles receive it standing nor sitting as not kneeling therefore he left such particulars to the wisdom of the Church to order are agreed since what Christ did and commanded us to do we must do 2. What Christ did not we must not do what not baptize not communicate with women What Christ did we must do what take after Supper with a Lamb only with twelve 3 Some things Christ did as God some as Mediator some as man and as man he did many things necessary for us to follow him and he did some actions as man indifferent left free not for our imitaion 4. Churches who understand the duty and gestures used by Christ better than such objectors leave all Churches to their liberty not particular members in them to theirs and hence it is that some take it standing some kneeling and some as the Church of Poland either standing or kneeling but not allowing sitting because the wicked Arrians receive it sitting as implying their equality with Christ as man or at least derogatory from his divinity as God Our Rubrick shews there is no adoration of the Elements and it is manifest that adoration came not in amongst the Papists until after Transubstantiation which came in about 1215. and adoration about 1226. nor did Honorius appoint adoration to be used in the act of receiving but at the elevation and when carried about I pray suppose a Malefactor may have his pardon sealed with many priviledges to boot provided he will take it upon his knees not else and he will rather die than take it so because some take it on horse-back others sitting would not men condemn his stubbornneâ—s and say he justly perished Apply it I pray Oh my beloved brethren shall we deprive our selves of this sign to present this seal to confirm and this means to convey Christ and his benefits to us for we know not what for an harmless gesture savouring of humility in our selves and obedience to Governours which Mr. Beza calls a shewing Epist 12. opusc tom 3. pag. 2â—0 of holy Christian adoration Is this our thankfulness to God for planting us in the most flourishing Church in the world Is this our respect we bear to our first Reformers who sealed the Reformation with their blood and to such who have happily defended it Is this the care and love we have to our selves to quarrel at and deprive our selves of God's Ordinances for an harmless gesture Is the Communion a badge of Christianity and shall we be ashamed of Christianity so of Christ Is it a means to feed and nourish our souls spiritually and shall we slight it as not needing such nourishment Are we to receive to testifie our thankfulness for the death of Christ for which we can never be sufficiently thankful and shall we think much to do it Is our coming to the Lord's Table to testifie our Communion with God with Christ with his Spirit and Church and to increase the same that we may live more in unity love and concord and shall we neglect it 5. The Church enjoyns all to come to the prayers of the Church decently and in order And this is agreeable to all reformed Churches who have their forms To the ancient Church of the Jews meeting solemnly at their hours of prayers and to the directions of God Numb 6. 23. Deut. 26. 3 5. Mr. Calvin hath his reasons for set forms in publick an help for the weak to keep uniformity c. In Epist ad Protector Angliae yet alas we have with us who say they are abominable stumbling blocks walking with crutches c. yet such were appointed by God and our Saviour and used by the Prophets and Apostles Consider whether is better to pray with consideration or without whether he doth best who deliberates or he who doth not whether we can pray beter than Scripture prayers Although we may enlarge and vary them to make them more particular and pertinent to our personal occasions Whether he who prayes devoutly the Lord's prayer doth not pray with the Spirit since Christs Spirit taught it whether it is not as fit to offer ex tempore preaching to the people as ex tempore prayer to God See Mr. Durel pag. 64 184. And as for the prayers of our Church we have the approbation of the Reformed Churches And I have read that Gilbertus a German propounds ours for a sample of the forms of the ancient Chuâ—ch We have also the approbation of an Army of Martyrs Mr. Sanders in a Sermon affirms that the service set forth by King Edward was good because according to God's Word and the order of the primitive Church Dr. Tayler saith that that book was so fully perfected according to the Rules of Christian Religion that no Cristian conscience could be offended with any thing therein contained Bishop Ridley a little before his Martyrdom hearing that Mr. Knox did fault the Common-Prayer-Book said Alas that brother Knox could not bear with our Common-Prayer a man of parts and wit as he is may produce popular arguments against it yet I suppose