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prayer_n hear_v lord_n sin_n 8,407 5 4.7998 4 true
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ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A94213 Satisfaction concerning mixt Communions: in answer to the doubts of some, who abstain from the sacrament of the Lords Supper; because wicked persons are present. 1643 (1643) Wing S726; Thomason E59_16; ESTC R23250 7,952 16

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SATISFACTION CONCERNING Mixt Communions In Answer to the Doubts of some who abstain from the SACRAMENT OF The Lords Supper BECAUSE Wicked persons are present I Approve this Book intituled Satisfaction concerning mixt Communions as sound in doctrine and profitable in use for these times Iohn Downame LONDON Printed by John Raworth for Samuel Gellibrand and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Church-yard at the Brazen Serpent 1643. July 8. Satisfaction concerning Mixt COMMVNIONS BEfore I proceed to answer your Doubts I must premise a word or two that I be not mistaken and supposed to maintain that which I oppose 1. I say not that wicked persons ought to come 2. Nor that they ought not to be kept away For in this I agree with you that they ought not to come unfit though they might be admitted neither ought they to be admitted by those who have power to keep them away though they would dare to come 3. But I say their undue coming is no sufficient ground for me or you to keep away Again I propose it to be well considered That the Omission of an undoubted Dutie is not excused by my mistake concerning some circumstances And therefore the Celebration and Participation of the Lords Supper being undeniably my Dutie which I may not decline at least constantly or even for any long time without a just impediment It is not a sufficient excuse for Omission that I think my self bound in Conscience to abstain because of such an Impediment unlesse that Impediment be really sufficient For it is not a Supposed Impediment but a Reall Impediment that will warrant my Omitting a Duty commanded Uzzah no question thought himself bound in Conscience to stay the Ark rather then to let it fall But yet his thinking himself bound in Conscience did neither excuse the Action from being a Sin nor the Person from being Punished The like must be said in case a man should abstain from Prayer from Hearing from Confes●ing his Sins to God from Humiliation for sins from Sanctifying the Lords Day or the like because he thinks himself bound in conscience not to do it as suppose he think himself bound in Conscience not to hear such a Minister whom he conceives to be a wicked man and therefore rather then hear him he will never come to Church at all or that he think himself bound in Conscience not to Pray daily but onely as the Spirit moves that he ought not confesse his Sins or be humbled for them because he thinks there is no use of such Duties in the time of the Gospel or the like I say his thinking himself bound in Conscience not to perform such Duties doth not make these cease to be Duties nor excuse his Omission of them For if my Conscience be in an Errour in so judging it is a Sin in me to Omit the Duty whether I think it so or no. Ignorantia juris non excusat Ignorance doth not absolve from Dutie This I propose because people are so apt to be satisfied presently in abstaining from the Sacrament if they can say They think themselves bound in Conscience not to come for such and such reasons as if they were then out of all danger of sinning in staying away and bound in Conscience so to do And never consider in the mean time that if their Conscience be in an Errour they sin notwithstanding For it is not my Opinion or what I think my self in Conscience bound to but the Truth of the thing that makes an Action Lawfull or Sinfull And therefore though I think my self bound in conscience to stay away yet if I think amisse I sin in so doing This being premised I proceed to answer your Doubts We may not you say Communicate at the Lords Table with profane persons Your reasons 1. They discern not the Lords Body 2. Nor have right to it 3. It 's a Spirituall Banquet onely for the Saints 4. Christ said It is not meet to take the Childrens Bread and give it to Dogs Answer All this concludes well that Profane persons ought not to come or if they do come they ought not to be admitted by them that have power to keep them away But it doth not prove that another private person in such a case ought not to receive They discern not the Lords Body What then Therefore they ought not to come True But ought not I to come neither Must not I partake of the LORDS Table because another discerns not the Lords Body They have no right to it True And therefore ought not to intrude We grant it But because another hath no right may not I challenge mine It 's a Spirituall Banquet onely for Saints True But what follows Therefore the wicked should be kept away I grant it But in case I cannot keep Them away must I stay away my self It is not meet to give the Childrens Bread to Dogs True though doubtlesse Christ when he spake it never intended to restrain that speech to the case of receiving the Sacrament and therefore the Dogs ought to be kept away But in case the Dogs be not shut out of the room but catch a piece must the Children therefore leave their Bread If Dogs be suffered to snatch some of the Childrens Bread yet the Children must not leave their parts and run from the Table much lesse forbear to come to their meat because there be some Dogs in the room who will catch a part or some will be given them The Arguments conclude well That profane persons if known ought to be kept from it by those that have authority Which if the people should have together which I do not now dispute yet certainly not every private man or woman much lesse alone The sin of their Admission is theirs and onely theirs who have authority if they know them such or theirs who can prove them such and do not which is hard to do though one be certain of it in his own minde Even Authority must not censure without just proof This then is nothing to private persons who are no otherwise guilty of the neglect of Ecclesiasticall Authority omitting to Censure then they may be guilty of the neglect of Civill authority omitting to Punish and yet none hold themselves bound to depart out of Civill Society meerly because some evil doers are not duly punished No not a Justice of Peace to go off the Bench because some of his fellow-Justices are corrupt Besides the businesse is first to worship God and Christ and to remember and shew forth his Death How dare I forbear this when his Children are met to do it because some others thrust themselves in who pretend to worship him too and joyn rather with me though unwarrantably in regard of their sinfulnesse then I with them Mark this difference it is very materiall You say and say truly That the Sacrament is a spirituall Banket only for Saints that is Christ will only bid them welcome I say it also And