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
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
to be denyed to the Lay-people For both the parts of the Lords Sacrament by Christs Ordinance and Commandment ought to be ministred to all Christian men alike A universal affirmative admitting all unto and sequestring no unexcommunicated Christian from both or either parts of the Lords Supper Which the Confession of the Protestant Churches in Saxony thus back b Article 22. Of the Sacraments The Church also is discerned from other Gentiles by certain Signs and Ceremonies instituted of God and usually called Sacraments as are Baptism and the Lords Supper Which notwithstanding are not only Signs of a Profession but much more as the antient fathers said Signs of Grace that is they be Ceremonies added to the promise of the Gospel touching Grace that is touching the free remission of sins and touching reconciliation and the whole benefit of our redemption the which are so instituted that every man may use them because they be pledges and testimonies which declare that the benefits promised in the Gospel do appertain to every one For the voice of the Gospel is general this use doth bear witness that this voice doth appertain to every one which useth the Sacraments What other Protestant Churches Confessions affirm to this purpose you may read at large in the Harmony of their Confessions Sect. 10 11 12 13 14 15. With what colour of Piety Iustice Equity Conscience Zeal Prudence Christianity Charity then dare any of our Independent Presbyterian or other Ministers seclude debar not only pretended ignorant scandalous unregenerate Visible Church-members nor actually or legally excommunicated but even true regenerate godly Christians and their whole Churches Parishes if not some whole Towns Cities from this holy Supper and Communion from month to month yea year to year upon false pretences that it belongs not to them that they shall prophane the Sacrament cast pearls before Swine give holy things to dogs damn poyson their own and their peoples souls if they give the Bread Cup of the Lord unto them and make visible and real Saint ship fitness worthinesse the sole rule ground of right interest in and admission to this Sacrament against the professed Doctrine Practice of all former ages Churches And all in truth to erect a more than arbitrary Ecclesiastical Papal Tribunal over Christs own Sacraments and their Parishioners consciences persons to admit to or seclude all and every of them from the Lords Supper at their pleasures upon their own terms and times alone the sole true round of this impious sacrilegious unchristian antichristian Innovation for it deserves no better Epithites 3ly That the Apostles Primitive Church Christians Fathers freely and usually admitted all visible Christians whatsoever to the Communion of the Lords Supper of discretion to examine themselves whom they freely admitted to Baptism Prayer hearing of the Word or any other publike Ordinances of Gods worship b enjoyning them all under pain of Excommunication when ever they heard the Word or met together in publike to receive the Lords Supper likewise in common together and excommunicating such who communicated not in this sort as men working the trouble and disorder of the Church That they required exacted no other no greater no solemner self-examination preparation fitness visible worthiness or real graces in the when they came to receive the Lords Supper but the very same they demanded expected from them when ever they came to be baptized pray hear read the Word or converse with God in any other sacred Ordinances of his worship God himself requiring the like examination qualification preparation fitnesse in all other holy duties and approaches to him in his word as in this duty as is evident by Eccles. 5. 1 2. Lam. 3. 40 41. Psal. 26. 6. Isay 1. 16 17 18. 1. 15 16. 2 Chron. 30. 17 18 19 20. Exod. 12. 48. 2 Cor. 13. 5. Jam. 1. 5 6 7 21. Mat. 22. 12. 1 Pet. 2. 1 2. Hebr. 12. 1. 1 Tim. 2. 8. Heb. 4. 2. 2 Pet. 1. 5. to 19. Luke 8. 18. Mar. 4. 24. Rom. 14. 23. and other texts compared with 1 Cor. 11. 28 29. and Christs c sodain institution and celebration of this Sacrament at his last Supper without giving any previous Notice of it to his Disciples to prepare themselves for its worthy reception their former preparation fitnesse to eat the Paschal Supper and hear Christs heavenly instructions given them Iohn 13. 14 15 16 17. being deemed by Christ himself a sufficient preparative to communicate with him at his Table Upon what true ground of conscience piety justice reason or religion then can any Ministers now seclude all or any of their baptized Parishioners of sufficient capacity to examine themselves whom they freely constantly admit to communicate with them in baptism prayer preaching singing Psalms hearing reading Gods word and other ordinary or extraordinary publike duties of Gods worship from the Communion of the Lords Supper only or deem them unprepared unqualified unworthy to communicate in this Ordinance alone when as they deem them sufficiently qualified prepared worthy to converse with God and the most regenerated Saints in all or any other publike Ordinances but this Or by what divine warrant from Gods own Word our Saviours his Apostles the Primitive Fathers Christians the * Protestant Churches or Bâ—shop Jewels Doctrine or Practice can they now over-rigidly exactâ—a more transcendent serious diligent special examination preparation qualification worthinesse fitnesse holinesse in their people when they resort to the Communion of the Lords Supper than when they come to hear read the word fast pray receive the Sacrament of Baptism give thanks or sing praises unto God or else seclude or deem them for unworthy Receivers who can eat or drink nothing but their own damnation Yea with what conscience reason justice can any Communicants neglect refuse delay to receive the Lords Supper upon this pretext alone that they are wholly unworthy unfit unprepared only for this duty when publikely administred in the Churches whereof they are members and they there present at all or any other sacred publike Ordinances in which they then repute themselves not unfit unworthy unqualified unprepared to converse with God and communicate with other Christians but in this duty alone Doubtlesse the serious consideration of Bishop Jewels St. Ambrose and St. Augustines words forecited touching due preparation to all holy duties with that of Chrysostom If thon be not worthy to receive the Communion then thou art not worthy to be present at Prayers and of the Primitive Christians daily communicating as well as hearing and praying will rectifie this common received Error both in Ministers and People now made the principal plea in barre excuse justification by the one magisterially to sequester repell their Parishioners from the Lords Table and by the people voluntarily to withdraw debar themselves from it against Christs own precept and their bounden duties to the prejudice if not peril of their souls Which I write not to make any carelesse or
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
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 Å¿ without any articles hearing conviction and before any judicial Suspension Excommunication by any Classis or Ecclesiastical â—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 ordinariâ— 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 Grâ—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 seâ—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 iâ— 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 Bernaâ—d saith of Baptism Lavemur sanguine ejus Let us be washed with his bloud b Lâ—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
all the world preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth the Gospel preached and is baptized shall be saved he that believeth not shall be damned To which he superaddes Mat. 20. 14 15. c. 11. 20. to 25. Mar. 6. 11. And whosoever will not receive you nor hear your words when ye depart out of that house or City shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the Land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgement than for that City 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in preaching the Word as well as administring the Sacraments in them that are saved as in them that perish To the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other we are the savour of life unto life By which it is apparent that there is as much danger judgement damnation incurred by every man by his unworthy receiving of Baptism and unprofitable hearing and contemning the Word preached as by his unworthy receiving the Lords Supper as also by his unworthy praying which is an abomination unto the Lord and turned into sinne Psal. 109. 7. Prov. 28. 9. Isa. 66. 3. Upon which account all unregenerate ignorant impenitent scandalous persons should be totally secluded from Baptism preaching hearing of the Word and Prayer as well as the Lords Supper by our Ministers So this Erroneous Popish opinion refuted at large by Dr. Ames in his Bellarminus Enervatus Tom. 3. l. 1. c. 4. De Saramentorum Comparatione hath severed the ordinary daily use of the Lords Supper used in the Primitive times from the ordinary publike Prayers and preaching the Word which it alwaies accompanied in the best and purest times and ingendred a world of unnecessary unchristian Controversies Schisms Sect in the Church of God especially in our own of later times And therefore ought now to be duely considered reformed exploded as well as that Monster of Transubstantiation which originally introduced these fond superstitious Popish Errors that now so much intoxicate the brains perplex the consciences both of Protestant Ministers and People and are like to prove our Churches ruine The Church of England in her 13 Article with our Protestant Writers Divines doe all Generally condemn the Popish doctrine of Merit of Congruity Yet most of them now really embrace justify preach teach print it in their extraordinary Preparations for the Lords Supper They all generally now teach and exact a visible or real worthinesse as absolutely necessary for every Communicant without which he must in no wise approach to the Lords Supper for then it will certainly prove meer poyson to him and he shall only eat and drink thereat his own damnation But if he be so really so visibly worthy and prepared as they prescribe and require hiâ— to be then he may certainly assure himself that God will accompany this ordinance with his special presence Grace blessing so as he shall assuredly reap much Grace encrease confirmation of his Faith Ioy Peace Assurance and all other Graces by it Whether this be not the Popish Schoolmens meriting Grace of Congruity and tying of Gods Grace Spirit to our Worthinesse Merits Preparations for our own inherent Worthinesse and Preparation sake let all judicious Protestants resolve Verily when I seriously ponder that Memorable Passage of Martin Luther in his Greater Catechism i That this Sacrament was not institnted for those that are worthy and purely clensed from their sins but clean contrary even for miserable and wretched sinners sensible of nothing but their own unworthinesse Therefore let such a one say Lord I would very willingly be worthy of this Supper but yet I come unto it induced by no worthines of mine own but trusting on thy Word alone because thou hast commanded me to come c. For the Sacrament is not to be looked on as an hurtfull thing from which we should run with both our feet but as a saving and wholesome Medicin which may heal thy diseases and give life both to thy Soul and Body Why then do we so shun it as if it were a Poison which being received would bring present death unto us Yea but some may say I am not so sensible of my sins and unworthinesse as I should be To such as are in this condition I can give no better advice than to look into their own hearts and to see whether they be not flesh and blood and may not say with Paul Rom. 7. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no thing that is good In summe by how much lesse sensible thou art of thy sins and defects the more reasons thou hast of comming and frequent seeking Help and Physick And when I consider these Passages in the Practice of Piety so much approved by all our Divines and pious Christians concerning the due manner of Practicing Piety in receiving the Holy Supper of the Lord k That no man living is of himself worthy to be a Guest at so holy a Banquet The Rules there prescribed How to consider and perceive our own unworthinesse by examining our lives according to Gods Commandement With these ensuing Meditations prescribed to every Communicant to ponder both before and at this Sacrament l Ponder then with what face darest thou offer to touch so holy a body with such defiled hands Or to drink such precious blood with so lewd and lying mouths Or to lodge so blessed a Guest in so unclean a Stable For if the m Bethshemites were slain for but looking irreverently to the Ark of the Old Testament what judgement maist thou justly expect who with such impure eyes and heart art come to see and receive the Ark of the New Testament in which n dwelleth all the fullnesse of the Godhead bodily c. If John Baptist the holiest man that was boru of a woman thought himself o unworthy to bear his shooes O Lord how unworthy is such a prophane wretch as thou art to eat his flesh and to drink his precious bloud If the blessed Apostle St. Peter seeing but a glympse of Christs almighty power thought himself p unworthy to stand in the same boat with him How unworthy art thou to sit with Christ at the same Table where thou maist behold the infinitenesse of his Grace and Mercy displayed If the q Centurion thought that the roof of his House was not worthy to harbour so divine a Guest What room can there be fit under thy Ribbs for Christs Holinesse to dwell in If the r bloud-issued sick woman feared to touch the hem of his garment How shouldest thou tremble to eat his flesh and to drink his All-healing bloud Yet if thou comest humbly in Faith Repentance and Charity abhorring thy sins past and purposing unfeignedly to amend thy life henceforth let not thy former sins affright thee for they shall never be laid to thy charge and
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
Others of them guilty of Adulterie lasciviousnesse fornication ch. 6. 18 19. c. 10. 8. 2 Cor. 12. 21. Others of them spiritually proud and puffed up with their knowledge who did eat things sacrificed to Idols in Idols Temples and scandalized their weak brethren ch. 8. 1. 2 7 8 c. c. 10. 22 23 28 29 30 32 33. Others of them withheld due maintenance from Paâ—l himself those other Ministers who instructed them ch. 9. 6. to 20. Besides their men and women were very disorderly in their publike assemblies and came together not for the better but for the worse for which he reprehends them ch. 11. 3. to 34. and ch. 14. throughout More particularly when they came to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper they were very disorderly in not receiving it all together and tarrying not one for the other in despising and not relieving their poor Brethren and not eating with them yea some of them were drunken when they came to receive and they were also full of schisms contentions factions some being for Paul others for Apollos others for Cephas c. 1 Cor. 11. 16. to 34. 1 Cor. 3. 1 2 3. Yea the Apostle writes expresly that he could not speak unto the generality of them as unto spiritual but unto carnul even as unto babes in Christ being carnal and walking as men chap. 3. 1 2 3 4. Yet notwithstanding all these disabilities siâ—s scandals they were then freely admitted to the Lords Table and not secluded from it And though the Apostle reprehends them in this Epistle for their ignorance these other vices sins and disorders in their meetings yet he gives no order to their Ministers or Presbyteries to seclude them from the Sacrament till better instructed prepared and reformed in their lives but only admonisheth them to reform those their abuses themselves to judge and examine themselves before they eat and drink of the Lords bread and cup because otherwise they shall eat and drink Judgement to themselves and bring Gods temporal Iudgements of sicknesse and death upon them yet no way dehorts them from constant and frequent reception of this Sacrament by reason of this danger of unworthy receiving which they must take care to reform 1 Cor. 11. 33 34. but in no case omit the duty being Christs prescribed Ordinance to shew forth his death till â—e come Verse 25 26. From which only Texts and Presidents in Scripture relating to this Sacraments institution and reception it is most clear to my judgement and conscience 1. That Ignorance in Church-members and baptized Christians of years of discretion is no sufficient â—ause to debarre them from the Lords Supper no more than from the preaching of the word The reason is most clear because Christs Supper as d Augustine e Bishop Iewel f Thomas Beacon and others resolve is both a visible and audible Sermon Word and the Priest therein preacheth and declareth the death of the Lord with the fruits and benefits of his passion to the Communicants to instruct teach edifie them thereby as he doth by his other Sermons reading and preaching of the word at other seasons Therefore the best and readiest way to instruct and reform the peoples ignorance is frequently to call presse and admit them to this holy Sacrament that they * may be thereby edified instructâ—d comforted inlightned by it and not to seclude them from it year after year which doth but continue and increase their former ignorance and harden them therein 2ly That no scandalous sins crimes unregeneracy or want of spiritual saving graces ought to seclude any external Christians or Church-members from the Lords Supper no more than from hearing of the word prayer thanksgiving fasting reading the Scriptures or any other publick or private duties of Gods worship Because they are peremptorily g commanded to perform this duty in remembrance of Christs death and thereby to shew forth his death till he come as well as to hear read pray fast praise God and the like from which no sin nor unpreparednesse may exempt or excuse any man yea it is a far greater and more dangerous sinne wilfully to neglect omit contemn the performance of this or any other holy duty than sinfully to perform and set about it there being a total disobedience in the one but a partial obedience at least through a failing in the due manner of peformance in the other Which I wish all Ministers and Christians would now sadly consider And so much the rather because the Apostle and Spirit of God in this Epistle pointblank against Dr. Drakes Mr. Collins and others conclusions thence make the Corinthians scandalous sins forementioned their resort to and eating meats offered to Idols and Devils in their Temples a more scandalous crime than any English Christians are now guilty of not a ground to seclude them from the Lords Table Supper Temple as unfit to communicate with other Christians but presseth their frequent participation of the Lords Table and resort to his Temple his Ordinances as the strongest argument to disswade reclame them from these scandalous sinnes Witnesse these expresse words 1 Cor. 10. 14. to 24. Wherefore my dearly beloved flee from Idolatry I speak as to wise men judge ye what I say 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 hread For we are all partakers of that one bread Behold Israel after the flesh are not they which eat of the Sacrifices partakers of the Altar What say I then that the Idol is any thing or that which is offered in sacrifice to Idols is any thing But I say that the things that the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to devilâ— and not to God and I would not that ye should have fellowship with Devils Mark this inference and that which follows Ye cannot drink the Cup of the Lord and the Cup of Devils Ye cannot be partakers of the Lords Table and of the Table of Devils c. In which clause the word cannot is not taken physically or naturally for they did actually eat drink of the Table Cup of the Lord and Devils for which he reprehends them nor of a moral or spiritual cannot as some interpret it that is You cannot lawfully or spiritually of right drink of the Lords Cup or be partakers of the Lords Table but ought to abstain or be secluded from them so long as ye partake of the Cup and Table of Devils which is clearly contradicted as false by the 16 17 and 20 verses but of a rational and logical * cannot That is You cannot in reason duty justice convenience experience drink of the Cup and partake of the Table of Devils or go to Idols Temples but flee from Idolatry and not have fellowship with Devils because you all drink the Cup of the Lord and are all partakers of the
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
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.
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
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
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-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
excommunication for grosse scandalous Crimes as the New Testament ever stiles them Let them therefore henceforth beware how they stile any Christians who frequent the publick Ordinances and professe the faith of Christ externally as well as themselves Dogs or Swine or use them as such by secluding them from the Sacrament though they joyn with them in all other sacred ordinances as their Christian Brethren and fellow Members of the Church of Christ 4ly That 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 And are not many of our Ministers now more negligent and undevout herein than the Pope himself and his Cardinals or most part of the Popish people under them in that they do scarcely communicate not only once in a year but scarce in many years together in publike in their Churches And that not out of bare negligence as they which is bad but out of meeâ— design to debaâ—re all their people from the Lords Supper likewise lest they should participate with them at the Lords table which is far more impious detestable both to God and Man 5ly That the Pope and Popish Priests think that any man be he never so great a sinner may pray to God and resort to other Ordinances only they think a Sinner may not receive the Holy Communion And is not this the very Doctrine Opinion thought of many of our Ministers now who deny debar their people the Lords Supper and yet admit them freely to all other Ordinances of Prayer Preaching c Yet this must be no Popery forsooth in them but new Evangelical light sent down from heaven of late into their hearts 6ly That Mr. Harding and the Popish Priests write professe That the feast of the Lords Supper is common all are invited but they only received to it those who are disposed and proved that is after they have been examined by and made an Auricular Confession to their Priests and been adjudged by them worthy to communicate But yet many of our Parish Priests and Ministers now are far worse than these Popish Priests herein For many of them f deny this Feast to be common but peculiar only to the true regenerate Saints they invite not all unto it but such alone who have saving faith and grace within them Yea they invite not such of their Parishioners to this feast for whole years together but deny them their portion in this heavenly banquet for fear some unregenerate ones should thereby intrude into this feast together with them Neither will others of them admit any to this feast unlesse they on their now Presbyteries g first examine them touching their lives faith knowledge Graces visible worthiness and adjudge them upon trial to be well disposed and provided to eat of this heavenly feast for which they have neither precept nor president in Scripture but only from these Popish Priests whose language practice they imitate And such as will not subject themselves to this their Tyranny as Bishop Jewel terms it must no wayes be admitted but secluded from Christs Table by these Servants though their Lord himself invites commands them to resort thereto Yea which is a strain beyond all Popish Tyranny of this kind Some Ministers have refused to try or examin those Parishioners who have freely offered to put themselves upon their strictest Inquisition and Scrutiny or administer the Sacrament to them or to those they every way thought fit worthy to receive it peremptorily denying it to them moneths after moneths and year after year though importuned by all Christian means to administer it upon this most unrighteous untheological unchristian ground That if they should admit them to the Sacrament which was of right due unto them then others of their unregenerate Parishioners would croud in amongst them and claim it likewise as their due Thus the children must be kept from this their daily monthly sacred bread because the Dogs as they prophanely term all other Christians at large should h not so much as gather up any of the Crumbs that fall from the Lords Table Yea most of our Anabaptistical and Independent Ministers who have got into our Parochial Cures of purpose to enjoy the Glebes Tithes though they disavow Parochial Congregations as unevangelical and antichristian which then in conscience they should not accept for filthy Lucres sake alone and willingly resign to others are so transcendently peccant and super-tyrannical herein that they will upon no terms or intreaties whatsoever administer the Lords Supper to the best the holiest Saints of God whose graces they cannot but approve nor yet baptize their Infants for the most part unlesse they will first new-mould themselves into their Anabaptistical Societies or Independent Church-models the neglect or refusal whereof alone I know not by what warrant from Christ or his Apostles they make a sufficient ground for ever to debarr them from this Sacrament though never so worthy so prepared otherwise to receive it * Hear O Heavens Hearken O Earth and blush tremble at these monstrous Sacrilegious Impieties these super-transcendent Papal Tyrannies and worse than Antichristian Exorbitances which have rendred many who professe themselves the eminentest Protestaâ—t Ministers and Saints of the highest Classis more injurious undevout unrighteous uncharitable and tyrannical herein than Popes * In illis quae vâ—lâ— est ei proratione voluntas and that there is no other reason to be yielded of his doings but only this Quâ—a ipse voluit being now verified of them as well as formerly of the pope or Popish Shavelings The serious consideration whereof should make them execrate these their Popish Exorbitances and repent in dust and ashes for theâ— 7ly That Popish Priests from the Name and Nature of the Communion argue thus point-blank against both It is called Communio Ergo it must be private Ergo it may be received of one alone c. And do not many of our Ministers now argue thus or more absurdly than they It is called Communio because formerly received by all Christian Congregations together in Common Ergo It may it must now be wifully discontinued and laid aside for sundry years together Ergo none but Saints and segregated Conventicles must receive it together in private Ergo none that are not of our private Church-way or Congregation must receive it from or with us Ergo neither the Parish Priests nor any whole Parochial Congregations may or ought of right to receive it all together in the publick Church now as they did heretofore 8ly That the Popish Priests though they administer this Sacrament but commonly once a year to the people yet dâ—â—m it a Cruâ—â— injury a thing contrary to the examples and godly Ordinances of the Prâ—mitive Church to deny the Lordâ— Supper to private persons on their death or sick beds who desire it And therefore would rather deliver it alone to the sick person without the Priests
this Sacrament shall seal unto thy Soul that all thy sins and the judgements due unto them are fully pardoned and clean washed away by the bloud of Christ For this Sacrament was not ordained for them who were perfect or worthy but to help penitent sinners unto perfection Christ Å¿ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance And he saith The whole need not a Physician but they that are sick These hath Christ called and when they came them he ever helped witness the whole Gospel which testifieth that not one sinner who came to Christ for Mercy went ever away without his errand Bath thou likewise thy sick soul in this Fountain of Christs bloud and doubtlesse according to his promise Zech. 13. 1. thou shalt be healed of all thy sinnes and uncleannesse Not Sinners therefore but those who are unwilling to repent of their sinnes are debarred from this Sacrament c. t I am in a word a u carnal creature whose very soul is seal'd under sin a wretched man compassed about with a body of death Yet Lord seeing thou x callest here I come and seeing thou callest sinners I have thrust my self in among the rest and seeing thou callest All with their heaviest loades I see no reason why I should stay behind O Lord I am sick and whether should I go but unto thee the Physician of my Soul Thou hast cured many but never didst thou meet with a more miserable Patient c. And why should I doubt of thy Good will c With this further passage y But then thou wilt say It were safer to abstain from comming to the holy Communion than to resort unto it Not so For God hath * threatned to punish the wilfull neglect of his Sacraments with eternal damnation And it is the commandement of Christ z Take eat doe this in remembrance of me and he will have his Commandement under the penalty of his Curse obeyed And seeing this Sacrament was the a greatest token of Christs love which he left at his end to his Friends whom he loveth to the end therefore the neglect and contempt of this Sacrament must argue the b contempt and neglect of his Love Bloudshedding than which no sin in Gods account can seem more haynous Nathing hinders why thou maist not come freely to the Lords Table but because thou wouldest rather want the love of God then leave thy filthy sins O come then but come a Guest prepared for the Lords Table Seeing they are c blessed who are called to the Lambs Supper And when I further observe the several passages of like nature in others of our Writers touching this Sacrament with this Confession of our sinnes in our English Liturgy And this acknowledgement We do not presume to come unto this thy Table O Lord trusting in our own worthinesse but in thy great and manifold Mercies we are unworthy O Lord to gather up the crumbs under thy Table c even then when we approach unto this Supper With those passages prescribed in the Exhortation before this Sacrament to be used by all our Ministers to their People when they see them negligent to come to the Holy Communion When God calleth you be not you ashamed to say I will not come c I for my part am here present and according to mine Office I bid you in the Name of God I call you in Christs behalf I exhort you as you love your own salvation that ye will be partakers of this Holy Communion c. I can no wayes approve the forementioned Doctrin and Opinion of visible or real worthinesse pre-required by our c New Doctors as the only rule of their admitting men to this Sacrament as Orthodox or solid but reject it as erronious Popish and meer merit of Congruity Disclaim that General received opinion That there is another sublimer Fitnesse Holinesse Examination Preparation required of all men in their addresses to this Sacrament than to any other of Gods Ordinances And cannot but conclude it a most damnable impious dangerous unchristian practice for any Ministers to dehort debar prohibit any of their unexcommunicated Parishioners from it who desire to receive it whiles they freely admit them to all other Ordinances since God himself both thus calls and commands them under pain of the highest sinne contempt and damnation to repair constantly to this Sacrament as the chiefest medicine to cure comfort refresh their sin sick drooping despairing Souls And upâ—n unpassionate serious second thoughts of what is here premised I doubt not they will all subscribe to my Opinion herin though they may deem it a strange Novelty at first reading and admit all freely to this Sacrament as well as to other Ordinances 12ly Our Reverend f Bishop Jewil the Harmony of Confessions sect. 14. with all Protestant Churches and Divines justly chargeth the Church of Rome and Romish Priests with Grand Sacrilege Church-robbery wickedness injury impiety in the highest degree for denying prohibiting the Cup of the Lord to the Lay people in the administration of this Sacrament contrary to Christs own institution and practice the practice of the Primitive Church Fathers Christians in former ages all other Christian Churches in the world for certain reasons best known to themselves and more especially for this very reason as g Iohn Gerson a principle member of the Council of Constance privy to its secrets records That if Lay-men should communicate under both kinds as Priests Dignitas Sacerdotis non esset super dignitatem Laicorum The Dignity of Priests should not be above the dignity of Lay-men Whence Gabriel Biel extolleth the dignity of the Priest above our Lady and all other Saints because he may communicate under both kinds and they cannot And so have they altered the Sacrament of aequality and unity and made it a Sacrament of difference and dissention as h Bishop Iewel truely observeth Now I appeal to the Judgements Consciences of all judicious Protestants and i Pope Gelasius himself who justly condemned this practice as most wicked injurious impious Sacrilege in the Popes and Priests of Rome whether it be not a farre greater worser execrabler Sacrilege for any of our Protestaut English Ministers contrary to our Saviours precept president the custom doctrine practice of the Apostles Primitive Churches Fathers Christians and all other Churches in the world yea to the Councils Canons Injunctions Articles Liturgies Homilies Writers of our English Church and k Statutes of our Realm obstinately wilfully to detain not only the Sacred Cup but Bread and whole Lords Supper from all their Parishioners for sundry Moneths Years together as no wayes due or belonging to them And that onely upon no other real Ground but this alone l to erect a new Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction in themselves and their intended Presbyteries over the Lords Sacrament it self and all their people and to advance their own Sacerdotal or Presbyterial
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 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
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
Excommunication judicially passed against them as unworthy to bear them company being as good or better than themselves in the judgement of true Christian Charity and Humility if they pursue this Apostolical precept 2ly Let them Ponder our Saviours own precept Mat. 7. 1. Luke 6. 37. Judge not that ye not judged Condemn not and ye shall not be condemned With that of Rom. 14 4 10. c. Who art thou that judgest another mans servant to his own Master he staudeth or falleth But why dost thou judge thy Brother or why dost thou set at nought thy Brother yea count call him a meer Dogg or Swine and seclude him from Christs Table as such before any legal trial or conviction of him as such We shall all stand before the judgement sent of Christ c. So then every one of us shall give an account of himself to God LET VS NOT THEREFORE IVDGE ONE ANOTHER ANY MORE Compared with 1 Corinth 4. 3 4 5 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you or of mans day or judgement yea I judge not my self but he that judgeth me is the Lord Therefore IVDGE NOTHING BEFORE THE TIME until the Lord come who will both bring to light the hidden things of darknes wil make manifest the counsel of the hearts then shall every man have praise of God Jam. 2. 12 13. So speak and so do as they that shall be judged by the Law of Liberty For he shall have judgement without mercy that hath shewed no mercy and mercy rejoyceth against judgment John 7. 51. Doth our Law judge any man before it bear him and know what he doth Which texts duly weighed would take off all rash censorious private illegal judgements passed upon whole Parishes hearts and spiritual estates and suspensions of them from the Lords Table upon bare surmises before any judicial hearing trial conviction of their scandalous Crimes and Offences deserving such a severe unchristian censure by those who have no divine nor humane Authority to inflict it as now they doe 3ly Let such remember that as Christ himself never erected any private Consistory in himself his Apostles Ministers or Presbyterian Classis for the trial examination of any mans knowledge preparation worthinesse Graces before they came to the hearing of the Word Prayer or other publike Ordinances of his worship but injoyned every man only to examine prove himself and search try his own heart wayes Lam 3. 40 41. Psal. 4. 4. 2 Cor. 13. 5. compared with Ier. 8. â—6 c. 31. 18 19. and to judge himself not others whose hearts states he cannot certainly know 1 Cor. 11. 28. 31. Rom. 14. 3. to 14. So in our approaches to the Lords Supper he gives no Commission to any Classis Minister in or by his word to try or examine any others fitnesse ere they be admitted to the Lords Supper but only commands every man to * examine and judge himself alone not any other The reason is there rendred For he tkat eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh judgement ordamnation to himself alone not to any other For if we would judge our selves we should not be judged v. 31. The Fathers with other Commentators generally on from this Text presse all to examin themselves before they receive this Sacrament And the Churches of * Helvetia Bohemia Belgia Saxâ—ny in their publike Confessions and Church of England in her publike Liturgy from this Text Exhort all Communicants diligently to examine themselves before they eat the Sacramental Bread or drink of that Cup but injoyn not their Ministers or Classes juridically to examin or approve them as worthy Communicants before they admit them introduced originally by Popish Priests who called their people to * Auricular Confesâ—ion and shrift before they would admit them to the Sacrament which the Fathers in the Primitive times exacted not as Bishop Jewel formerly manifests And this will still their Polypragmatical Humor of * playing the Bishops in other mens Dioceses and Popes in other mens consciences instead of examining their own Hearts Lives Actions Consciences Faith Love Repentance and other Graces especially their own Charity Humility Gentlenesse and Long-suffering towards their Brethren whom they thus seclude from the Sacrament without any legal Commission from God or Man which will hardly consist with that true Christian brotherly love charity humility gentlenesse meeknesse and forbearance which is required in all worthy Communicants as they deem themselves 4ly Let such Divines and others who make the truth of Grace or real visible Saintship the onely condition qualification of rightfull admission of any to the Lords Supper consider these sad inevitable consequences of this their Error 1. That no Minister person whatsoever without immediate revelation from God can x certainly or infallibly know the hearts or truth of any Parishioners Graces and therefore by this rule he neither can nor dares administer it to any de fide because y God only knows their hearts and truth of Graces 2ly That many who appear and seem to be real Saint for a time appear at last to be wicked z Hypocrites and many thousands who appear not outwardly to be Saints even to the most eminent a inspired Prophets of God are yet real Saints in truth and Gods esteem Rom. 11. 3 4 5. If this then should be the only rule of admission to the Sacrament many false Hypocrites should be admitted to and thousands of real Sainâ—s secluded from it 3ly All new converted or tender-hearted humble doubting Christians labouring under the burthen of their corruptions or Sathans temptations not fully assured of the truth of their â—eal conversion Graces should then necessarily sequester themselves from this Sacrament when they need it most though their Ministers should deem them fit and worthy because unresolved of the truth and reality of their own saving Graces and so unworthy to communicate in their own resolutions 4ly If truth of Grace be necessarily requisite in all Receivers then much more or at least equally requisite in all Ministers who consecrate and administer to as well as receive it first of all with their Parishioners And then if the Parishioners doubt * deny or have no certain assurance of the truth of Grace in their Ministers by this rule they neither may can nor will receive at all And so Ministers having no certain infallible assurance of their Parishioners true conversion or Graces nor they of their Ministers this Sacrament must be wholly exploded and laid quite aside Upon which Consideration the Church of England in the 26. Article and the Protestant reformed foreign Churches in their b Confessions resolve That the unworthinesse of the Ministers doth not hinder or take away the efficacy of Gods word Sacraments Ordinances which are effectual because of Christs institution and promise although they be ministred by wicked men which will be ever mingled with the good in the visible Church
5ly I desire such Ministers who have preached printed cryed up this false rule of admission to and administration of this Sacrament sadly to consider the retaliating justice of God upon them arising from this their error and neglect of administring it That whiles they have peremptorily debarred their Parishioners and people from the Lords Supper and laid it quite aside as denying or doubting their real Sainâ—ship many of their people have upon their own principles turned Anabaptists Independents Quakers Seekers yea publikely in their Churches Pulpits c Writings proclaimed them to be no real Saints or Ministers of Christ at all but Baals Priests Seducers of the people false Prophets Hirelings Hypocrites Deceivers Impostors Antichrists fit only to be cast forth unto the Dunghil trodden under foot of men deserted both their Church assemblies Ministry and withheld their Tithes I beseech them sadly to ponder how God hath thus repaid them in their own false coin and to acknowledge his justice on them in it 5ly Let them consider this notable passage of d Abbot Theon about 530 years after Christ That mens sins ought not to deterre them from but excite them to the frequent participation of the Lords Supper and that those who deem themselves worthy receivers as these supercilious secluders of their Parishioners from the Sacrament doe are most unworthy Nec tamen ex eo debemus nos a Dominica Communione suspendere quia nos agnoscimus peccatores sed ad eam magis ac magis est et propter animae medicinam et purificationem Spiritus avidè festinandum veruntamen ea humilitate mentis ac fide ut indignos nos perceptione tantae gratiae judicantes remedia potius nostris vulneribus expetamus Aliâ—quin nec anniversaria quidem dignè est praesumenda Communio ut quidam facunt qui in Monasteriis consistentes ita Sacramentorum coelestium dignitatem sanctificationem ac meritum metiuntur ut aestiment ea non nisi sanctos immaculatos debere praesumere et non Potius ut sanctos mundosque nos sua participatione perficiant Qui profectò majorem arrogantiae praesumptionem quam declinare sibi videntur incurrunt quia vel tunc cum ea percipiunt dignos se ejus perceptione dijudicant Multo enim justius est ut cum hac cordis humilitate qua credimus et fatemur illa sacrosancta mysteria nunquam pro merito nos posse contingere singulis ea Dominicis diebus ob remedium nostrorum aegcitudinem praesumamus quam ut vana persuasione cordis elati vel post annum dignos eorum participio nos esse credamus Wherefore as the blessed antient Martyr e Ignatius in his Epistle to the Ephesians thus exhorts them to the frequent reception of the Eucharist Date itaque operam ut crebrius congregemini ad Eucharistiam et gloriam Dei Quando enim saepius in idem loci convenitis labefactantur vires Satanae et ignita illius ad peccatâ—m jacula irrita resiliunt which f Joannes Câ—â—machus likewise seconds pressing the frequent reception of the Eucharist upon these and other Grounds which the primitive Christians daily and frequently received in common as the marginal g Authors besides those forecited and Eusebius De Demonstratione vangelica lib. 1. c. 10. p. 300. inform us So let our rigid Innovators now imitate this their practice for the future lest they increase the power kingdom of Satan their own and their Parishioners sins and damnation by debarring them from this spiritual balm and soveraign means of their Salvation instead of making them more worthy and prepared to receive it or lesse sinfull by their Suspension from it 6ly Let them ponder that the Primitive Fathers and Christians though they were over-rigid to such as fell away to Idolatry through fear in times of persecution yet upon their repentance they admitted them to receive the Lords Supper at home in private when they lay sick upon their death-beds though they stood actually excommunicated from the Church and all publike Ordinances to the end they should not be swallowed up utterly in despair but die comfortably as the Members of Christ as h Bishop Iewel proves at large by the story of Serapion and Concil. Carthaginense 6. Can. 13. With what hearts faces consciences then can these Cathari and Novations deny this Sacrament now to their Parishioners who earnestly desire and long after it both in their healths sicknesses and at their very deaths though never actually excommunicated nor guilty of such Grosse Apostacy to Idolatry when as they freely admit them to their Church-assemblies and all other publick Ordinances contrary to the practice of the Primitive Churches Fathers who cast all such as were excommunicated for any scandalous sins crime or heresie ont of their Churches debarred them from their Congregations and all Christian Communion with them in prayer or any other publike Ordinances as well as in the Lords Supper which is most apparent by the Excommunications and presidents of i Serapion k Numerianus l Philip and m Theodosius the Emperors n Apoiinarius and o Arius the Hereticks with others recorded in Ecclesiastical Histories By this pregnant Testimony of Tertullian in his Apology Summumque futuri judicii praejudicium est si quis ita deliquerit ut a Communione orationis et Conventus et omnis sancti commercii relegetur By these phrases of p St. Cyprian whereby he expresseth the nature and use of Excommunication in his age Arcere cohibere ejicere excludere pellere rejicere ab Ecclesia Seperare a Christi corpore c. By these expressions of q Origen Ab Ecclesiae corpore desecari per Ecclesiae Praesides Auferatur è populo Dei eradicetur et tradatur Satana Is qui praesidet populo regit Ecclesiasticam disciplinam ejicit eum de Congregatione fidelium In Ecclesiis Christi consuetudo tenuit talis ut qui manifesti sunt in magnis delictis ejiciantur ab oratione Communi c. By this phrase of r Gregorius Thaumaturgus Bishop of Neo-Caesaria against covetors plunderers of Captives and other mens goods for filthy gain whom he resolves to be a Dei Ecclesia abdicati which Theodorus Balsamon Patriarch of Antioch thus expounds Ecclesia abdicatus id est ejectus et alâ—onus dicuntur enim abdicati filii quando propter aliqua crimina ab haereditate paterna alienantur In tempore autem talis calamitatis existimare aliorum calamitatem esse sui lucri occasionem est impiorum hominum et Dei invisorum et qui omnem improbitatem superant Unde visum est eos abdicare pro eo quod est aperte Ecclesia expellere et a sidelium multitudine separare ne propter ipsos Dei ira ad omnes veniat c. Which I wish the plundering Covetous Saints of our age would consider being all ipso jure excommunicated persons Qui ea rapiunt
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