Selected quad for the lemma: england_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
england_n	woman_n	world_n	year_n	105	3	4.3552	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65074	Sermons preached upon several publike and eminent occasions by ... Richard Vines, collected into one volume.; Sermons. Selections	Vines, Richard, 1600?-1656.	1656 (1656)	Wing V569; ESTC R21878	447,514	832

Church should afford her Communion to all at all adventures to what scandal and contempt should she prostitute her self and the Ordinance there would be no wisdom in making her Communion like that of a common Inn where known and unknown are all alike Nor would there be charity to suffer blind folks to run into an open pit and rush on the sword-point You may observe how willingly a patient will answer a Physician questioning him about his bodily estate And a clyent his counsellour questioning him about his title or cause because both are in order to advise and help of them that cannot help themselves and such is this if it were so well interpreted but misrepresentation and prejudice judges otherwise for men lo●k upon it as a dominion over their faith not a help to their weakness especially if they see a distance kept and authority assumed They look upon it as an arraignment and take themselves to come to a Bar or Tribunal to be examined upon delinquency which kinde of distances I like not in such a business as tends to society and communion where poor and rich are all one in Christ Jesus And if any man through mistake have conceived That this doth but set up a Tribunal upon him to dive into h●s breast to extort his secrets like an auricular confession I blame him not of his backwardness to appear for so should I for I abhor both that tyranny and that superstition but if no more be but that the Church would know my faith or help my ignorance I see not but I may conclude with Mr Hooker a man I know of reverence with you in his fifth book of Ecclesiastical Polity when in answer to Mr Cartwright upon this point hath these words The Examination of Communicants when need requireth for the profitable use it may have in such cases we reject not And so Paraeus Examen publicum aut privatum non respuimus 1 Cor. 11. modo absit so as tyranny and superstition be kept out Give me leave upon those words of Mr Hooker to infer and say 1. To them that ask for a direct precept or injunction for this in the New Testament I answer That 't is a point of order not of faith It 's of profitable use saith Hooker not of absolute necessity for then I must be examin'd too and it would extend to all the world as well as us and yet you exact it not at Ministers hands nor men of known sufficiency Therefore it 's not of absolute necessity but of order I mean not of necessity to worthy receivers 3. In some cases profitable and I must tell you we were in a singular and particular case here in England for you know men and women had been by Law compell'd to receive the Sacrament so oft in a year which compulsion to discover Recusancy with the neglect of catechizing brought in a world of people blinde and unworthy the Remedy and Reformation of which inveterate abuse and the prevention of Separation from our Churches had no order been appointed which must have universally followed by the necessity of the thing and instigation of them that lay on the advantage were such reasons as could enforce no lesse Nor do I know how possibly otherwise the matter could be remedied or r●drest not intended to despise any that had right before and had been long admitted 3. The principal thing is that the end of this Examination be obtained though the form or manner be not punctual as namely That a man have competent knowledge of this Ordinance and be so known to have whether by good testimony of others that are able or by our acquaintance or by conference or he is a learned man a knowing man a Minister of the Word which may be justly presumed to have due knowledge as Paul presumed that Agrippa believed the Prophets I say in these cases the end of Examination is attained Nay if one should come and declare himself by confession of his Christian faith and purpose of life without any Question propounded or asked I should not so dote upon Questions and forms of Examination as not to passe such a one for a knowing man because I have attained the end of all Examination which is I know that he hath knowledge competent not that I would encourage any man to break a wholsom order or establishment for the Scripture requires and the Apostle enjoyned to see order in the Church Col. 2. 5. But that I would principally intend the thing it self above the form not denying the right which he hath by his knowledge and profession nor thrusting him upon a separation meerly upon a form except in one case that a man intend to break a publick order and to destroy it by his example As if a man tear my hedge upon a just occasion I take no offence but if he purpose to let all the Swine into my corn I should oppose him 4. I could wish that all Examination were bounded and limited to such Questions as are of necessity to this Sacrament There were printed some few Questions and Answers as the rule and bounds of it some five or six years since For I dare not trust the discretion of all men without a gage And if any man should ask me such a Question as is not necessary or for a Scholar to know or to pry into my secr●ts I should though I could answer crave excuse I am afraid of and terribly hate auricular confession I love no step toward it and therefore I would not answer upon my own liberty 5. Though some will say I can declare my self to my Minister but not otherwise I confess the Pastour hath the greatest account to make of his people and is most concerned But what if the Church will not trust him with that report as all Ministers are not to be trusted with it such is their loosnesse in this point and too much facility And were I to chuse I had rather do it under the eye of witnesses especially in conversing with women who though in one regard their modesty hinders to speak before others yet in other regards is matter of occasion to them that are ill minded which must needs be avoided providing things honest not before God but men 6. Lastly Let men lay conscience to the point and set by passion and prejudice both examiner and examined and in humility and meeknes deny themselves to keep up some face of order in these broken times Let your thirst to this Sacrament carry you thorow a thorn-hedge and I on the other hand shall stoop low rather than a thirsty soul should want the Sacrament or be thrust on the Rock of Separation and so we shall meet at the end though differ in the way It should be a very sorry answer indeed that I would not make the best of and I hope you would not make the worst of any errour or infirmity in me I know Order in an Army as he sayes