Selected quad for the lemma: sin_n
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A75468
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An antidote against foure dangerous quæries, pretended to be propounded to the reverend Assemblie of Divines, touching suspension from the Sacrament.
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1645
(1645)
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Wing A3493; Thomason E265_3; ESTC R212428
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8,985
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Gospell and the promises therof to all ingenerall for their conversion yet they may not apply promises of â—he remission of sin of Christs satisâ—action and of eternall life to any in perticular but only to such as professe faith repentance and holynes of life Yea if any be found like swine who when the pearle of the Gospell is cast before them doe scorn contemne tread it under foote and persecute and teare the preachers they must turne a way from them shake of the dust from their feet and not cast holy pearles before them any more as our Saviour taught his Apostles Math. 10.14 And they put in practise Acts. 13 51. Obj. 1 Whereas it is obiected first that no circumeised person was debarred from the Passover that was desirous to â—at it Ans To this I answere that legall uncleannesse did debar men women from eating of the passover every other holy sacrifice as doth manifestly appear Levit 7 20. and 22.3 and Num 9.10.11 And therfore much more doth the uncleannes of scandalous sin which is wors debar men from the holy communion of the Lords supper which farr exceeds legall holy sacrifices Obj. 2 Secondly it is objected that our Saviour admitted Iudas whome he knew to be a devill and a traytor to the holy sacrament and therfore such may not be suspended Ans I answere that Iudas made profession of faith and holynes and was out wardly so unblameable that none of the Apostles did descern him to be the traytor which our Saviour salâ— should betray him but they suspected rather every on himselfe but we speak not in this question what men are indeed in secret devils hypocrites and the like but of them that are openly scandalous and give offence are infectious Secondly it is manifest John 13 30. That Judas immediatly went out when he had received the â—op which was given him before the supper was fully ended But our Saviour ordained the Sacrament after supper Luk 22 20 and 1 Cor. 11.25 Yea it is manifest that he made that long â—ermon which is set down Iob. 13.31 to the end of the 17. Chapter after Iudas was gone out and that prayer and thanksgiveing with which he concluded and wherein â—e prayes for that union and come munion of the faithfull with him Chap. 7. whereof this Sacrament is a seale seemes to me to be the blessing of the bread and wine So this obiection is a mere mistake and vaine imagination Obj. 3 The third objection is A minister is discharged if he give warning of the danger to them that come unworthily as Paul did 1 Cor. 11. For giving of warning frees him Ezech. 33.4 Acts. 2.26 Ans I answer that admonition is a part but not all the duty of the minister Paul being absent could write of the danger but not put any back unlesse he had been present it was enough to make the pastors in Corinth to suspend scandalous sinners in that he told them that the unworthy receiver did eat judgment to himselfe and profained the Lords body and that every man must first sift and examine himselfe and then come and eat which scandalous impenitent sinners do not and therefore are not to be admitted In this case it is not enough for Ministers to warne men of sin danger unless they haveing power to keepe them back doe use it and hinder them at least from open acting of sin It is not enough for a man to tell one that is desperate that if he runs upon the drawne sword which he holds before him in his hand it will kil him but he must pull back his sword and not thrust it into his bowels when he sees him running upon the point of it and must put him by with all his might or else he is guilty of murther And so it is in this case the Minister that gives to a scandalous impenitent sinner that which he knowes to be deadly poyson to his soule is guilty and pertaker of his sin Obj. 4 The Gospell is a Holy thing and is to many the Savour of Death and yet must be Preached unto all men even to them whom it hardens to distruction Ans It is true that out of Charity Ministers propound the Gospell to all in hope to prosit them and to convert them but if it appeares to them that any are past hope and the word is deadly to them they ought not any longer to preach to them as I have before proved by our Saviours owne words In breife this Objection is an Arrow shott against Christ himselfe For he saith give not holy things to doggs But this Objector affirmes that preaching of the Gospell is the holy thing of which Christ there speakes And that we must preach it to wicked men who are doggs so called for their uncleanesse And therefore we must not in this command obey Christ that is the issue of this Objection but I have cut this knot asunder before and so leave the shame to the Objector I adde onely one word more that by extraordinary Revelation and speciall warrant from God Moses and Aaron did speake Gods word to Pharâ—â—h and Isaiah to the Iewes which the knew would harden them Ex. 7.3 Isa 6.10 This is no warrant for us unlesse we have like Revelation Obj. 5 God onely knowes the secrets of mens hearts and Ministers cannot judge certainely who are worthy receivers Therefore they must not usurpe power to determine mens unworthinesse to receave the Sacrament God may change mens hearts in a moment before Ministers can take notice Ans It is true that Hypocrites may deceave Ministers by seeming holinesse and may be admitted not by the fault of the Ministers who are not bound to search into Gods secrets nor to judge of the hidden disposition and state of mens soules But an open scandalous sinner is knowne to all who beleeve Gods word to be unworthy worthy and judged unworthy of the holy Communion and kept from it while he is openly incorrigible In this case we are not to dispute of Gods power but what is Gods will and that is not to give holy thing to such as are manifestly uncleane like doggs as all scandalous impenitent sinners are for the present It is hard to be beleeved that God will blesse a gracelesse and presumptuous act of sinne with an holy change of heart in a moment If men do murther their soules and drinke their owne damnation they shall beare their owne burden But if Ministers put this damning cup into their hand and bid them drinke of it their bloud shall be required of them because they imbolden them and act with them in this profanation Object 6 But what if sinners being invited and injoyned to receive the Sacrament under paine of contempt do offer themselves shall they not be admitted in case they professe sincere repentance and promise newnesse of life for the time to come Answer No Minister of Christ will in this case judge or deem sinners
will perhaps argue before the yeer be out Upon the same ground against the high prerogatives and priviledges of Parliament and the power of Civill Magistrates Judges and Courts of Justice That it is a matter of great danger to give them legislative power lest they make Laws as in the times of Popery for the advancing of Tyranny Idolatry superstition and punishing and persecuting of men for true piety Religion and godlinesse and compelling them to submit to Popish traditions Liturgies and superstitious ceremonies And to leave the expositions of Laws in the breasts of Judges lest they pervert Justice and judgement and to wrest the Law to justifie Tyranny and oppression and to overthrow the Liberty of the Subjects as we felt by wofull experience in the latter times of domineering Prelats who made their will and lust Law For my part I dare not be so suspicious nor intertain any such thoughts into my heart but am confident that a strict Discipline according to the Rules of Christ and the practice of the pure primitive Apostolicall Church once set up and backt confirmed and established by civill authority there will be no place for Judges and Rulers civill nor domineering and ambitious revengefull Governours Ecclesiasticall to tyrannize over the consciences of Christians If any scandalous persons creep into Pastorall charges there will be a plain and easy way to cast them out If a Congregationall Consistory offend grosly through indiscretion superior Presbyteries will correct them and there will be appeales to Provinciall Synods from erring unjust sentences of Presbyteries The Gospell powerfully preached by godly and faithfull Ministers set up in all places of the Land encouraged with double honour of liberall maintenance and due reverence will work a great Reformation and increase of knowledge grace and godlinesse in the Peers and Commons of the Realme and in Judges Magistrates and Lawyers Judges will be taught that they judge not for man but for the Lord who is with them in the Judgement People will grow more peaceable and free from continuall contentions Lawyers shall not get the wealth of be Land into their hands by fishing in troubled waters encouraging men in unlawfull and quarrellous suâ—â—es pleading wicked causes for large fees prolonging suites and making men spend in â—ong â—uite unto twice the value of their just right debt for which they sue by taking treble fees keeping them though they faile their client and be imployed at other 〈◊〉 when his cause is to be pleaded Godlinesse and true Religion being increased by faithfull preaching and godly Disciplineâ— In the hearts of men will make the Common-Wealth free from the necessity of many Lawyers which the learned Philosopher held to be a plaâ—ue in a State and Kingdom and an evidence of the miserable condition thereof And therefore it is no marvell that the corrupt ones of that prosâ—ssion are deadly Enemies to the maintenance honour and other incouragements of the Ministers of the Gospell But not to trouble my adversary any longer with this unpleasing Discourse which his importune and unseemly speeches have occasioned I proceed in the proof of the main point in hand and argue from the holy Scriptures That scandalous impenitent persons are not in any wise to be admitted to the holy Communion at the Lords Table untill they confesse their offences and professe godly sorrow and repentance and promise amendment to the utmost of their power and endeavour And my second Argument is this That person from whom every faithfull Member of the Church and every Professor 2. Arg. whether Pastor Elder or private person is commanded to withdraw himself and to have no fellowship with him may not nor can without sin and offence of God be admitted by the Ministers Elders and whole Congregation to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper To deny this is to rebell against the light of Common reason Every sinner openly scandalous either in corrupt life or in falle opinions and doctrine walking disorderly and causing divisions which are not according to godlinesse which he in pride maintains and delights in perverse disputations for them and the like is such a person as appears 2 Thess 3.6.14 1 Tim. 6.5 Rom. 16.17 18. 1 Cor. 5.11 2 Joh. 10.11 Where the Apostle injoynes Christians yea commands them in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ to mark such as cause divisions scandols offences and to withdraw themselves from every Brother that is a drunkard or unclean person or extortioner or walketh disorderly or obeys not the Word nor consenteth to wholsome words and sound doctrine but is proud doâ—ing about questions and strife of words which cause envy strife railings and evil surmises and perverse disputations of men of corrupt minds and destitute of the Truth And with such though yet not Excommunicated and cast out but called a Brother not to company nor to eat nor to bid him God speed lest they be partakers of his evill deeds The conclusion therefore necessarily follows that such openly noted and convicted scandalous sinners are not to be admitted to eat with godly Christians nor to have Communion with them nor company with them at the Lords Table My third Argument is grounded on our Saviours Commandment Mat. 7.6 Give not that which is holy to the dogs 3. Arg. By holy thing is certainly meant that which is consecrated and set apart for the holy use of them that are Saints By dogs are meant unclean impure and noted scandalous sinners whom Gods Miâ—isters cannot offer and commend to God as holy Members of Christ neither can they offer themselves souls and bodies to the Sacrament and to the Lords 〈◊〉 but as unclean even as dogs being unclean beasts were abomination in the offerings of the Law By giving to dogs is meant not a bare propounding or shewing or offering that which is holy to al in general who can and wil rightly receive it as we do in preaching the Word to every creature to all even heathen Nations to see and trye if God will convert them But a giving to them holy things as having already a true right in them as Children have in the bread which their Father hath provided for them as for example applying to them the promises of eternall life and the righteousnes and satisfaction of Christ which belong only to men who doe repent and professe true faith in Christ as preachers do to them that are called to belively members of the true Church and hunger and thirst after more coÌ„munion with Christ And giving of the sacraments which are feales of regeneration remission of sinns and communion with Christ to infidells and to scandalous and impenitent sinners This giveing of holy things to uncleane and vnworthy persons is that which our Saviour here forbidds and therfore to such persons as are like dogs in uncleannes by reason of scandalous sinns and impenite cie the holy Sacraments are not to be given Though ministers may preach and propound the