Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	blood_n	body_n	jesus_n	12,126	5	6.1739	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91267	A seasonable vindication of free-admission, and frequent administration of the Holy Communion to all visible church-members, regenerate or unregenerate. 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·	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1656 (1656)	Wing P4070; Thomason E495_3; ESTC R203285	81,072	108

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 ●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.

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 Classi● 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 mortals●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 unfe●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 pres●nt concernment clearly demonstrated

fearful Mysterie● for we are all of one worthinesse to receive the same u Ign●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 Cal●xtus Anacl●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 instu●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 h●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 Chrys●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 where●n the Lamb is eaten grounded upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets In this House we dwell here we wa●● 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 ●our heart and see from whence you are fallen ſ 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

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 ſ 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 ●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 al●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 b●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 condem●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 ● 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

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 unbias●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 Aquar●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 aic●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

may do and are commanded to do they will not doe but that they cannot do that they will needs do And is not this the wanton folly of our Anti-Communion Ministers now That they may lawfully and are commanded to do to administer the Communion frequently constantly to all their people they will by no means do but argue plead preach r write against it But that themselves confesse they cannot nor ought to doe that they will needs do in despight of God and Men even Pope like ſ without any articles hearing conviction and before any judicial Suspension Excommunication by any Classis or Ecclesiastical ●udicature against all or any of their Parishioners excommunicate and keep back all or the Major part of their Parishioners from the holy Communion for sundry months years together by their own lawlesse Arbitrary Tyrannical usurpations without any lawfull Authority from God or Man and will neither receive it alone themselves as the Popish Priests do nor suffer their people to receive it with them to keep a perpetual remembrance of Christs death thereby incurring that Censure of Tertullian de Resurrectione carnis Haretici ex conscientia infirmitatis suae nihil unquam tractant ordinari● yea that just Wo and Censure denounced by our Saviour Mat. 23. 11. Luke 11. 52. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men for you neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in or them that were entring in ye hindered and forbad as Luke renders it The Lord give them now Gr●ce to discern and reform this their perverse Pharisaical Pride Hypocrisie and Tyranny yea Enmity against the Memorial of our Saviours passion for it deserves no milder Titles being such in reality 11. That the Popish Priests require a more extraordinary transcendent holinesse worthinesse examination confession of sins preparation and qualification in such Christians as they admit to the Lords Supper than they exact from them in their approaches to God in any other holy Ordinances and Duties of his worship be it Prayer hearing or reading of Gods word Fasting Thanksgiving singing of Psalms Baptism and the like And that upon this conceit t that it is more sacred and divine than any other Ordinance whatsoever For there it is Hoc est Corpus meum there we eat and drink say they the very Body and Bloud of Christ it se●f and so converse more immediately with Christ and God himself than in any other Ordinance Which ridiculous Popish dream of Transubstantiation as it u ushered i● their elevation Adoration of the Sacrament prostration kneeling bowing to it and their Altars with other various Papal Superstitions and Idolatries so it first introduced this Suspension Excommunication of Christians from the Lords Table only now so eagerly contested for by Anabaptists Independents and over-rigid Presbyterians though freely admitted to all other Ordinances of Gods publike worship and that extraordinary transcendent special Worthinesse Holinesse Self-examination Preparation Fitnesse which they appropriate to this Ordinance alone to make men worthy Receivers yet never presse upon them to make them worthy Petitioners Hearers Readers Thanksgivers Meditators introduced first by Popish Priests after Transubstantiation as an appendent or consequent of it but not known practised in Christs Church before in the primitive purest times as the premises evidence when they received the Lords Supper every day when they met together to pray or hear the word Which as it hath bred a strange Schism between the Sacrament and Ordinances of God themselves as if the Lords Supper were far holier and Christ more really immediately and in another manner present therein than he is in Baptism Prayer or the Word preached when as in truth Gods Sacraments Ordinances are all of equal holinesse and God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost equally present with us and as immediately conversed with by us in them all as in the Lords Supper as is undeniably evident by Eccles. 5. 1 2. 1 Cor. 10. 2 3 4 Mat. 28. 19 20. Acts 10. 33. 44. 47. Iohn 6. 29. to 66. compared with 2 Chr. 6. 19. to 42. Ps. 16. 11. Ps. 27. 4 8. Ps. 17. 5. Ps. 65. 4. Ps. 84. Ps. 95. 2. Psal. 100. 1 2 4. Ps. 105. 4. Ps. 132. 14. Ps. 140. 13. Isay 26. 8 9. c. 6. 3 5. c. 64. 1. 5. Jer. 30. 21. Mat. 7. 6. 1 Cor. 9. 13. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 6. 3 4 5. c. 1. 16 17. Gal. 3. 1 2. 27 28. By these passages of the Fathers cited by x Bishop Iewel against Harding who charged him with too Grosse an Errour in making the presence of Christ in Baptism like to his presence in the Supper y Saint Augustine saith Habes Christum in praesenti per Baptismatis Sacramentum Thou hast Christ in the time present by the Sacrament of Baptism z St. Chrysostom saith In the Sacrament of Baptism we are made flesh of Christs flesh and bone of his bones a Saint Berna●d saith of Baptism Lavemur sanguine ejus Let us be washed with his bloud b L●o saith Thou art washt in the bloud of Christ when thou art baptized in his death By these few writes Iewel it may appear That Christ is present at the Sacrament of Baptism even as he is present at the holy Supper unlesse ye will say We may be made Flesh of Christs flesh and be washt in his bloud and be partakers of him and have him present without his Presence Therefore Chrysostom when he hath spoken vehemently of the Sacrament of the Supper he concludeth thus Sic et in Baptismo Even so it is also in the Sacrament of Baptism The Body of Christ is like wise present in them both And for that cause c Beda saith Nulli est aliquatenus ambigendum tunc unumquemque fidelium Corporis Sanguinisque Dominici participem fieri quando in Baptismate Membrum Christi efficitur No man may doubt but every faithfull man is then made partaker of the Body and Bloud of Christ when in Baptism he is made the Member of Christ And whereas Mr. d Harding and others advanced the Dignity of the Lords Supper above Baptism and the Word and seclude those from it whom they admit to the other upon this Ground That those who eat and drink the Lords Supper unworthily eat and drink judgement to themselves not discerning the Lords body Thereto Bishop Iewel replyes St. e Ierom saith Dum Sacramenta violantur ipse cujus Sacramenta sunt violatur When the Sacraments be misused God himself whose Sacraments they be is misused And St. Augustine saith Qui indigne accipit Baptisma Iudicium accipit non Salutem Who so receiveth Baptism unworthily receiveth Iudgement or Damnation not Salvation as well as he who receives the Lords Supper unworthily Yea Christ himself when he sent forth his Disciples to preach and baptize Mar. 16. 15 16. said unto them Go ye into

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. Ep●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 ●ourished fed and kept alive In regard of which joynt desperate Co●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 Min●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

capable of self-examination but such alone who are actually excommunicated from all 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 prec●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 Sacr●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

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 [ſ 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. ●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 ● 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 H●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. 3● 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 command●ments r