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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	christian_n	effect_n	great_a	107	3	2.1585	3	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A91267	A seasonable vindication of free-admission, and frequent administration of the Holy Communion to all visible church-members, regenerate or unregenerate. From the institution, precept, president of Christ himself; the doctrine, practice of the primitive Church, fathers, councils, Christians: the confessions, articles, records, chief writers of our own and other reformed churches: the dangerous consequents, effects, schisms arising from the disusage, infrequency, monopoly of this sacrament, to visible or real saints alone; and suspension of all others from it, till approved worthy upon trial. And that upon meer Anabaptistical, and papistical false principles, practices, (here discovered) unadvisedly embraced, imitated, asserted, exceeded by sundry over-rigid, reforming ministers; to our Saviours dishonour, our Churches great disturbance, their own, their peoples prejudice; and the common enemies, and seducers grand advantage. / By Will: Prynne of Swainswick Esq; a bencher of Lincolns Inne·	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1656 (1656)	Wing P4070; Thomason E495_3; ESTC R203285	81,072	108

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 rec●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 s●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 practi●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

A SEASONABLE VINDICATION Of Free-Admission and Frequent Administration of the HOLY COMMVNION To all Visible Church-members Regenerate or Vnregenerate From the Institution Precept President of Christ himself the Doctrine Practice of the Primitive Church Fathers Councils Christians the Confessions Articles Records Chief Writers of our own and other reformed Churches the dangerous Consequents Effects Schisms arising from the Disusage Infrequency Monopoly of this Sacrament to visible or real Saints alone and Suspension of all others from it till approved Worthy upon trial And that upon meer Anabaptistical and Papistical false Principles Practices here discovered unadvisedly embraced imitated asserted exceeded by sundry over-rigid reforming Ministers to our Saviours dishonour our Churches great disturbance their own their peoples prejudice and the Common Enemies and Seducers grand Advantage By Will Prynne of Swainswick Esq a Bencher of Lincolns Inne 1 Cor. 10. 2 3. 16 17. And did ALL eat the same spiritual meat and did ALL drink the same spiritual drink c. The Cup of blessing which we blesse is it not THE COMMUNION of the Bloud of Christ The Bread which we break is it not THE COMMUNION of the Body of Christ For we being many are one Bread for WE ARE ALL PARTAKERS OF THAT ONE BREAD Aug. Ep●st 179. Non bonum est homini hominem vincere sed bonum est homini ut eum Veritas vincat volentem quia malum est homini ut eum Veritas vincat invitum Nam ipsa vincat necesse est sive Negantem sive Confitentem LONDON Printed by F. Leach for the Author 1656. To the over-sadly divided misguided Ministers of the miserably distracted undermined almost ruined Church of England especially such who in Theory or Practice have swerved from their Duties in casting off the Frequent Administration of the Holy Communion with their peoples Free-Admission thereunto and in other particulars of moment here briefly touched DEar reverend Christian Brethren whom I cordially honour for your a high and heavenly Calling give me leave with that Christian Liberty which becomes me without any fear or flattery to inform you that I have for many years by-past with a bleeding soul and mournfull spirit taken special Notice of some offensive Deviations from and Negligences in your Ministerial Function whereof many of you are guilty which have given great Advantages to your Common Romish and Sectarian Adversaries and just scandal to divers of your best-affected Friends some whereof I formerly endeavoured by seasonable timely b Publications to crush in the very shell and now deem high time to remind you of being grown Epidemical yea almost destructive to your very Ministry as well as perillous to our Church and Religion Not to inlarge upon your own manifold intestine c sad Divisions between and against your selves which have separated you into several Opposite Squadrons that I say not Factions and Battalioes of Presbyterians Episcopalists or Royalists Independents Interdependents openly secretly warring against and seeking to supplant each other by the extravagant power proceedings of illegal Arbitrary Committees and new coyned Orders Ordinances Covenants Engagements with other Machiavilian Devices whereby you have endeavoured to eject sequester suppresse vex ensnare ruine one another under our successive late publike Revolutions of Government By which you have now at last made your selves meer Tenants at will both in respect of your Benefices Tithes Ministry to every New upstart power a derision to your Popish a prey to your Anabaptistical and other Sectarian Adversaries who infinitely increase their Numbers Proselytes by these your unbrotherly feudes and have no special Committees to restrain eject suppresse them but are crept into most Committees and places of power to vex molest discountenance persecute eject sequester many of you at their pleasures and secretly encourage countenance abet our last insolent spreading Romish Sect of Quakers to disturb affront revile your persons Doctrine Ministry both in the Church Streets and all other places and to publish their most rayling scurrillous Invectives against you to accomplish your speedy extirpation by these Instruments of the Pope and Devil which they dare not immediately attempt by themselves In which prosecuted design of your utter speedy extirpation all Anabaptists Sectaries concurre and unite their forces with the Jesuites and Popish party as Iohn Canne demonstrates in his Second voice from the Temple p. 2. where he excites The Supreme Authority of the Nation the Parliament of the Commonwealth of England to whom he dedicates it utterly to extirpate the National Church Ministry Worship Government of England and to starve famish all the Ministers thereof whom he stiles Antichristian Idols by taking away the food and maintenance whereby hitherto and at this present they are ●ourished fed and kept alive In regard of which joynt desperate Co●federacy against you by these your combined common Adversaries I shall now exhort and advise you First of all To lay aside and abandon all private animosities factions feuds contests and persecutions against each other as not only unbeseeming the d Embassadors Ministers of the God Prince Gospel of Peace but as the most probable unavoidable means of your own speedy destruction as these two Gospel Texts will assure you Mat. 12. 25 26. And Iesus said unto them Every kingdom divided against it self is brought to desolation and every City or House divided against it self shall not stand And if Satan cast out Satan or one Min●ster another of a contrary party he is divided against himself how shall then his kingdom or Christs where his Ministers are thus divided and cast out one another stand And Gal. 5. 15. But if ye bite and devour one another take heed that you be not consumed one of another Among all the evils that afflict the body politick of the Church or State there is none so pernicious as division especially amongst the Ministers and chief Officers thereof e because it strikes at the very foundation of their being and poisons the original of their life and strength Wherefore I beseech you most especially to avoid detest this destructive sin 2ly Seeing all Ministers and Christians are specially obliged by the f command and will of their Master and by their own welfare safety salvation to continue inseparably united one to another and all together to make up but one harmonious Body I shall exhort beseech advise you all to g live and love like Brethren h To be all of one mind and of one Spirit striving together for the faith of the Gospel i To keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace k To manifest to all the world that you are Christs disciples by loving one another And to pursue this pathetical exhortation of the Apostle to cease the Contentions between the Minister and people in the Church of Corinth 1 Cor. 1. 10. Now I beseech you Brethren in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that ye all speak the same thing and that

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 Pa●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 si●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 ●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 ●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 instruct●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 devil● 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

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 hi● 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