Selected quad for the lemma: truth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	age_n	church_n	time_n	2,142	5	3.6322	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

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 B●shop Jewels Doctrine or Practice can they now over-rigidly exact●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

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. ●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 Sax●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 Confes●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 Sain●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 ●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