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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
truth_n	church_n	profession_n	visible_a	2,188	5	9.1158	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A88870	The bramble berry: or, A briefe discourse touching participating in mixt assemblies at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, wherein is most full and cleare satisfaction given to every weak and doubting Christian, both by testimony out of Gods Word, and many invincible reasons and arguments for that purpose, grounded upon the same, wherein is first principally discussed and resolved these three maine questions following: I. Whether the Congregationall assemblies in England be true churches of Jesus Christ, yea or no? 2. Whether it be lawfull to participate at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper among carnall and prophane men? 3. Whether the admitting of ungodly men to the table of the Lord be sufficient warrant for ministers to desist the publike administration of the Sacrament, or for particular members to decline it, or separate themselves? Secondarily, briefe and satisfactory answers given to all the principall places of Scripture alleadged to maintaine a separation from our church assemblies, besides their arguments and allegations sufficiently resolved: set forth for the benefit of the tender conscience. By W. L. a faithfull petitioner and carefull practitioner for the peace and welfare of the church and people of God.	W. L., a faithful petitioner and careful practitioner for the peace and welfare of the church and people of God.	1643 (1643)	Wing L84; Thomason E56_8; ESTC R413	53,887	63

any thing deare Christ an have fallen from my pen distastefull to the tender conscience I desire it may be imputed to my weaknesse and want of time to make things more cleare rather then want of affection to give satisfaction to such a soule for as the meditations are irretoricall and broken so are the peeces a d patches of time spent upon them as my calling would permit And to the end thou maiest profit I desire thou wouldest have patience to reade it first once thorow by reason it is not so methodicall as I could wish it and afterward with more deliberation consider Secondly that thou wouldest not receive prejudice at the meannesse of the Author who intends thy good And lastly I desire the Lord to adde such a blessing as may tend to his glory the peace of his Church and also thy particular satisfaction and edification and I shall be encouraged to ingage my poore Talent for the like furture benefit Thine in the Lord Jesus W. L. A briefe discourse touching participating in mixt Assemblies at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper wherein is most full and cleare satisfaction and resolution given to every weake and doubting Christian concerning these three Questions following to such places of Scripture as seeme to maintaine a Separation from our Church Assemblies COnsidering there are many in this Kingdome and in these dayes of division and distraction that question the truth of the Church and Church Assemblies in England or at least the truth of the Church of England I have thought good by way of Introduction to that which I mainely intend to wit the second Question Whether it be lawfull to participate in and among prophane and ungodly men at the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to speake something to the first and onely so much as shall be requisite to make way to the second and third question which by Gods assistance I hope will satisfie the impartiall and indifferent Reader First then concerning the truth of our Church Assemblies that they are true Churches of Jesus Christ I lay downe this as an undeniable truth that that Church or Church Assembly wherein the fundamentall truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is truly taught the Sacraments and Ordinances of Christ dispense ●sufficient means offered to salvation obtained and had and a visible profession of obedience to the same that is a true visible Church of Christ notwithstanding there may be many corruptions in it both in Doctrine and Discipline and members thereof For the proofe hereof I propound the example of the Church of the Jewes the Apostolike Churches of Corinth Galatia and also the the 7. Churches of Asia spoken of by Saint John Revel cap. 1. vers 4. all which are confessed by all to be true Churches of Christ yet divers of them as corrupt as the Churches of England at this day both in Doctrine Discipline and members in one degree or other 1. For the Church of the Jewes Esa 56.10 Mat. 23.16 Mat. 23.3 Mat. 15.14 It was exceedingly corrupt in all three particulars their Priests were ignorant unlearned vicious and prophane blinde leaders of the blinde Christ therefore exhorts the people not to doe after their workes but after their sayings for they said and did not very hypocriticall binding heavy burthens upon others but not touching them themselves with their least fingers proud and ambitious loving the uppermost seates in the Synagogues and made broade their phylactaries all what they did was to be seene of men their callings was also corrupt for whereas the high Priest by the Law ought to have held his Office for his life Exod 29.5 E●ek 22.26 they chose 〈◊〉 every yeare and according to our best expositors they bought and sold the Office for money they were also principall violaters of the Law of God Secondly the people were generally notorious and prophane for at Nazareth they were so evilly disposed and so inraged against Christ that they all rose up to throw him headlong downe the hill whereon the City was built Luk 4 28. See Caparnaum Corazin and Bethsaida how the Lord Christ was against them for their impiety and infidelity Mat. 11.21 22. notwithstanding the great workes Christ had done among them and as for Jerusalem Luke 19.41 Christ beheld the City and wept over it saying Oh that in this thy day thou hadst knowne the things that belong to thy peace See also how they made havocke of the Lords Prophets beating them stoning them c. and as for their affection to the Lord Christ Luke 23.19 they preferre Barrabas a thiefe and murtherer before him Marke 7.8.9 Mat. 21.2 Thirdly for their worship it was filled with superstitious Ceremonies and Traditions and these they preferred before the commands of God the Temple also was prophaned and made a denne of theeves they bought and sold Oxen and Doves and made it an exchange for coyne John 9.12 Mat. 15.4 Mat. 5.21 Mal. 1.8 Deut. 14.2.3 29.10.11 12. 7.6.7 Esa 1.2 3 4 10. Lam. 4.6.22 Ezek. 16.46.47 Also their Discipline was exceedingly corrupt for if any man confessed Jesus to be the Christ he was cast out of the Synogogue their Doctrine also depraved for they made the fifth Commandement of no effect a man might neglect his Parents by giving to the Temple they forbad murther and adultery in the act but allowed them in the heart their Sacrifices also corrupted offering the blinde and lame which were not onely forbidden but hatefull to God in a word the same people that the Lord cals his peculiar and chosen ones he calleth also a stiffe-necked unwise and rebellious people a sinfull Nation yet all having right to the externall Covenant and all joyne together in the externall worship ordinances and service of God yet the scandalous infected not the better part though they had fellowship in externall communion therefore from hence we see a Church may be exceedingly corrupt and yet be a true Church 2. The Church of Corinth was corrupt in Doctrine and Discipline 1. In Doctrine some of them erred in fundamentals 1 Cor. 15.12 1 Cor 7.16 2 Cor. 12.20 21. denying the Resurrection of the dead 2. They held the Doctrine of single life yea Paul himselfe 3. There were amongst them fornicators uncleane and contentious persons 4. Divers prophane persons came to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper some comming hungry some drunke and many of hereticall and schismaticall spirits and opinions which are more hurtfull in the Church of God then prophane men by reason one is an evill that every man knowes the other being an errour to seduce the judgement is more hurtfull and dangerous 2. Corrupt in Discipline 1. Their Discipline was not put in practise for there was fornication among them not onely unpunished but unsorrowed for 2. These Schismes and Heresies continued in the Church and no course taken for the casting them out 3. Consider what the Churches of Asia were 1. Ephesus had lost

inwardly and outwardly not by extraordinary revelations and apparitions dreams and visions as formerly but by means of grace appointed ordained both for converting and building up to and in Jesus Christ they had the Temple their Sacrifices their Sacraments the same God and the same Christ that we have so we have our Temple our Altar our high Priest 1 Cor. 10.1 2 3 4. Mat. 28 19. Mat. 18.20 our Sacrifices our Sacraments all in a more substantiall and spirituall manner they had the Law we the Gospel they the promise of Gods presence so we they the promise of life and salvation by Christ so we upon condition of faith and repentance Acts 19.18 Acts 8. ●7 Marke 16.16 John 3.15 they served God under the Law we under Grace If God call a whole Nation to a visible and externall Covenant with him by the preaching of the Word the giving them the Ordinances of life and salvation by giving them hearts to make profession of obedience thereto as in England the Lord hath done I know nothing against it but that England may be as true a Nationall Church as the Church of the Jewes was and as lawfully called and constituted though very corrupt in Disciplin●●●d Doctrine and members also the Word may be preached to Heath●ns and Infidels for conversion as Paul did to the Athenians and to the blasphemous Jewes and yet had no externall communion with them as members of the same body Ans The Word may be preached to them that are without for their conversion to the faith to them that are within the Church by Baptisme and externall profession for their sound conversion unto God from particular sinnes and building forward in grace and godlinesse there is no communion with Heathens nor infidels because they are not of the Christian society but scandalous persons received in by Baptisme and not cast out by publike censure the Word is preached to them as members and not as unto bare hearers and they are admitted to the prayers of the Congregation as well as hearing of the Word being members of the externall Covenant to use one Ordinance and not another is to make a Schisme in the Church and as the preaching of the Word not the bare tender of the Word but the giving of it to dwell and abide with a people is a note of a true Church so is the hearing of the Word an act of communion with the Church And if the presence of wicked men at the Sacrament did defile the Ordinance to the beleever so their presence in hearing the Word would have the same effect to defile the Word also to the faithfull but the presence of the wicked defile not the ordinance to the worthy beleeving Communicant neither the Word to the prepared and sincere hearer therefore it is lawfull to participate in mixt Assemblies Object If this be all that declares a Church to be a true Church preaching of the Word administration of the Sacraments and visible profession thereunto of obedience then the Church of Rome may be a true Church Ans In the Church of Rome the Word of God is not truly taught the Ordinances and Sacraments of the Lord Christ are not dispensed therefore there can be no visible profession of obedience to them neither can it be a true Church For consider it is not the preaching of some one truth or other that is a marke of a true Church when fundamentall points upon which salvation or damnation dependeth are erroniously maintained and that by the whole Church as it is this day in the Church of Rome that cannot possibly be a true Church of Jesus Christ that maintaines universally fundamentall errors quite overthrowing the very being of Christ you may call such a Church if you will yea a true Church but let it be a true Church of Antichrist For consider 1. They permit not the word of God the Doctrine of salvation but in an unknowne tongue 1 Cor. 14. the whole chap. that people cannot understand quite contrary to the rule of the Apostle Paul 2. They will not suffer private men Lay men so much as to reade the Scriptures which is absolutely against the command of Christ and the salvation of mankind the Lord Christ saith Search the Scriptures for they testifie of me John 5.39 Acts 17.11 and in them yee thinke to have eternall life and see the men of Berea commended by Saint Paul for that the Pope prohibits upon paine of Inquisition 3. They preach and presse their owne tenets the Popes Decrees and their owne Traditions before the commands of God placing more infallibility and confidence in the Pope a sinfull mortall man then in the Scriptures themselves which is the word of truth 4. They are corrupt in such fundamentals both in Doctrine and Discipline that cannot stand with a true Church of Christ 2 Cor 5.14 Eph. 2.1 Luk. 17.10 Mat. 15.30 Hosea 4.6 2 Tim. 3.15 Mat. 9.3.4 5 6. Esa 42.1 Mat. 24.22.24 Luke 18.7 Rom. 9.11.11.15 Heb. 7.25 1. Tim. 2.5 Heb. 12.24 Heb. 24. Mark 5.36 Rom. 3.25.27 yea very contradictions to the Word of God and to the essence of Christ as the all-sufficient Saviour of all that beleeve maintaining the Doctrine of Freewill of merits of inherent righteousnesse maintaining also lawfull ignorance nay commending it for the Mother of Devotion which the Lord himselfe saith is the cause of perishing they hold also the Scripture is not sufficient to salvation but the Popes Canons must be added they also hold and maintaine confession of sinnes to Priests That the Pope and Popish Priests have power to forgive sinnes they can sell pardons for money They deny the Doctrine of Election and Predestination which the Word of God so fully holds out They maintaine prayer for the dead Eccles 11.3 Luke 16.22.27 Psal 49.8 9. They make more Intercessors and Mediators besides Christ who is and ought to be the onely Mediatour of our peace They overthrow the Doctrine of Gods free Grace and of justification by faith in Christ by the workes of super-erogation merit c. They worship Saints and Angels contrary to the Word and command of God ordain seven Sacraments five more then Christ ordained Esa 42.8 Col. 2 1● Rev. 19. ● Acts 10.25 26. Judg. 13 15 16. Mat. 4 10. Luk. 22.15 16 17 18 19 20. John 6.33 They also turne the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ to an Idoll Masse and maintaine that grosse and palpable errour of Transubstantiation which is quite against a cloud of witnesses John 6.53.54 55 56 57 58. John 6.63 John 16.7 the 17.10 11. 1 Cor. 10.16.17 1 Cor. 11.26 John 6.47 48 50. 2 Cor. 10.14 Matth. 24.23 and 26.11 Marke 16.19 Luke 24.2 3. John 16.28 Phil. 3.20 Heb. 8.1 and 10.12 Besides these and other fundamentall errours as the palpable Idolatry c. many other of lesse concernement as their Feast dayes Fast dayes Doctrine of single life to the Clergie Dispensations to sinne

though some will say but all this while they doe not their duty I say rather the Lord requires not that particular duty at that time because they have no opportunity or meanes to doe it Mr. Bal cap. 11. fol. 223. those that looke for further satisfaction herein I desire them to reade Mr. Bals booke a triall of the grounds tending to separation 2. Argument To have fellowship with them we are forbidden to have fellowship with all is sinne but godly men in the Sacrament have fellowship with prophane which is forbidden therefore they sinne This they labor to prove Num. 15.30 Deut. 17.3 both places improperly alleadged Answer Though we should grant the proposition that it is sinne to have fellowship with those we are forbidden yet we deny that Gods people have fellowship with wicked men in the Sacrament nor with the workes if they dislike and disallow of their actions labour with God and man for redresse so farre as they are able in the place God hath set them what fellowship have they with them as we said before in point of joyning so I say in point of fellowship it is not every occasionall or accidentall comming in wicked mens company that gives me fellowship with them or makes me guilty of their actions Have no fellowship saith the Apostle with unfruitfull workes of darknesse but rather reprove them intimating strongly that he that reproves or dislikes of the actions of others cannot be said to have fellowship with them nay a man may have no fellowship with them though he should not reprove them as appears by the word rather reprove them implying if he did not consent and sin'd with them though he reprove them not he had no fellowship with them it is our duty to show our dislike of their abusive comming to the Lords Table Gen. 4 4. Lev. 10. not to separate from the Ordinances What fellowship had Abell with Cai● both sacrificed together or Moses and Aaron with Nadab and Abibu or what fellowship had Elkanah and Hannah with Elies wicked sonnes 1 Sam. 1.3 who went up yearely to Shilo where they did minister their sinne was not charged upon them because they were in the company performing their duty What fellowship had our Saviour Christ with the Jewes Scribes and Pharisees What fellowship had the rest of the Disciples with Judas they kept him company after they knew he was to betray the Lord Christ or what fellowship had the beleeving Corinthians with the incestuous person before he was cast out and with those other disordered Corinthians that came with them to the Sacrament truly they neither had fellowship with them nor their evill actions neither was their sinnes charged upon the faithfull and godly worthy communicants If you say my presence among them approves of their sinne by the same reason ye may say my presence with them in hearing the Word approves of their sinne when as I said before there is a voluntary presence and a constrained presence indeed if I lived as they doe in profanenesse and followed their wicked practises I should then approve them but my abominating them in my life showing my dislike of them showes plainely I approve them not neither can their sinne be any way charged upon me 3. Argument They that have power given them to doe that that makes for Gods glory and the Churches good and doe not exercise it they sinne but the Church in not exercising its power to cast out offendors of this nature which would make much for Gods glory and the Churches benefit doth sinne this they labour to prove in that 18. Matth. 16.18 which speaketh of a particular offence betweene man and man how we should proceed in love and brotherly affection one with another and if this were meant of abuse in and about the Sacrament where they would have us after a second admonition and witnesse to tell the Church I have answered it sufficiently in the close of the first Argument in case of particular injury I ought before I come to the Sacrament to labour for reconciliation but if he will be causelesly offended I must not turne my back upon the Ordinances of God and in case the Church doth reprove him and he will not heare the Church let him be as a Publican or a profane person have no unnecessary familiarity with him but his incorrigible Condition must not cause me to decline my duty Secondly I answer what power the Church hath is one thing what particular members have is another if the Church be remisse in exercise of Discipline this gives me no warrant to separate for unlesse the neglect of Discipline give a nullity to the Church and take away the use and benefit of the Ordinances of God from me it is no part of my duty to separate but pray God to reforme the abuse and make me a worthy receiver for if it were so that the corruption in remissenesse of Discipline had given a nullity to the Church 1 Cor. 5.5 then the Church of Corinth had ceased to be a Church when the incestuous person was not cast out and ever after so long as those fornicators dunkards contentious and disordered persons were amongst them but we see by the text it was nothing so it was their sinne they sorrowed not and not their sinne they separated not themselves therefore the Apostle gives them admonition to examine themselves and so to come to the Table of the Lord. 4. Argument They that be Stewards and have rule given to walke by sinne in not walking by the rule it is required of a Steward that he be found faithfull 1 Cor. 4.1 but the Ministers and officers in the Church have rule given to walke by and if they doe not walke accordingly they sinne now if they exercise not the Discipline of the Church they walke not according to rule and so are sinfull Answ Though the Ministers and other officers in the Church doe sinne herein what ground doth this give me to separate yet that place alleadged hath no relation at all to the Discipline of the Church but that Ministers of God ought to be faithfull in dispensing the secrets and truths of God if they be faulty this is not to the matter in hand unlesse you would inferre because they sinne in declining the duty I must also sinne in declining mine by separating from the Ordinances of life and salvation see the case of Elies sons c. Elkanah and Hannah might have said Elies sons are wicked and they deale vilely with the Ordinances of God therefore we will not go up to Shilo to worship a very unsound conclusion 5. Argument Object That that offends the weake the strong Christian ought not to doe but comming to the Sacrament with wicked men offends the weake Christian therefore the strong Christian ought not to doe it Answ In cases of indifferencie the weake must not be offended though the thing we doe in it selfe be lawfull but we must

4.15 whilst Gods people by an even and peaceably walking following the truth in love and by keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace Ephe. 4.3 might adorne the Gospell and by their godly conversation incourage others to come in And now in all that I have said having declared my owne judgement which I shall ever carry in my hand and lay at the feet of him that shall give mee further light though I desire not to meddle with too many doubtfull disputations my time nor abilities affording it I beseech the Lord to perswade our hearts what is good and acceptable to him and how to walke in all well pleasing before him to whom be all honour and glory for evermore Amen A Postscript AMongst many friendly solicitations I had for the publishing this Treatise I met with one whom I made acquainted with my intentions that thought it not convenient at this time by reason as be conceived it would give some advantage to our wicked Malignants to cherish in themselves their evill thoughts of the Chur●h and people of God for their division by reason this booke also in diverse p●aces of it reprehendeth the like misdemeanours in the Church which the Papists and our prophane ones so much cast in the face of our Religion and truely before I brought it to the presse I debated the businesse with my selfe whether the premises considered I ought rather in conscience to bring it forth for the benefit of the Church and people of God or to conceale it for this supposed disadvantage and being very willing to remove all scruples from their tender conscience I thought good briefely to set downe the reasons and arguments which inforced the birth of that which otherwise had beene buried in oblivion First I considered many had laboured with mee to have it made publike and but one onely that objected any thing against it and that onely for the time present be thought not convenient Secondly I considered the fuller of distractions the Church and State is the more need is there to hasten forth such a subject as this is Thirdly that we ought to have a farre more high esteeme of the satisfying the conscience of the weake Christian and to have a greater care to settle the divisions which are in the Church then to trouble our selves with the evill constructions of the wicked Fo●rthly there is nothing made knowne herein either to Papists or Ma●ignants that they can take the least advantage but what they already know they know too well by our rents and schismes in the Church that wee are divided whether any man should indeavour the unitie thereof yea or no surely w●e should not be ashamed to make peace betweene neighbours though some others doe thereby take notice of the difference betweene them much lesse ought wee to neglect to indeavour the quiet of the Church and people of God although even hereby some men take notice of the distractions in it Fifthly the best way to convince the adversaries of truth is to side with them so farre as they speake the truth neither ought wee to bee ashamed to speake that which is a truth although the prophanest wretch in the world sh●uld speake the same for by the same reason because the Devill acknowledged Christ to bee the Sonne of God the Disciples should have denied him Sixthly men of prophane and malignant spirits never trouble themselves much with bookes of Divinity especially in these times wherein nothing sells but State matters I dare presume where there is one malignant buyes this Booke to abuse it twentie honest men will buy it for their benefit Seventhly the neglect of treating upon this and the like subject is a maine cause of the divisions of the Church there not being one of a hundred that spend their time in publike or private by word or writing this way and if the consciences of Gods people bee satisfied in this point there will consequently be more peace in the Church and lesse ground of scandall the cause being removed the effect must needs cease Eighthly if every man should be silent this way it would be a tacit justification of the preposterous proceedings of them that make such disturbances in publike assemblies which no honest man dare doe Ninthly whatsoever truth of Gods Word there is that concernes his glory and his Churches welfare to bee declared this ought not to be smothered for some seeming disadvantage 10. If we must write nor speak no truths that wicked men will carpe at and draw false conclusions from truely many precious truthes would lie in obscuritie as that of free Grace of Predestination and many other of like concernment nay wee see by experience in generall how the standing so much for a reformation hath caused many malignants to spend their wits wealth time and strength to oppose it 11. There is not a word of encouragement in all the Booke to countenance wicked men in their sinfull approaching the Lords Table although Gods people may warrantably participate notwithstanding 12. If Christians would rest satisfied in this point and waite upon God in the use of the meanes of grace till the Lord by a lawfull power perfect the worke of reformation this would be both a great forwarding to the worke and the best way to stop the mouth of the adversaries of peace and truth 13. So long as the divisions of the Church are continued and especially if countenanced by silence it gives the enemy cause to blaspheme the name of God and speake evill of his wayes farre more then such indeavours for peace as this is or any way can doe 14. The worst they can say or see from hence is that the Church is divided this they say and see too apparent the more neede of a speedy reconciliation 15. If bookes of this nature give advantage to Papists and malignants to cry out upon the divisions of the Church how much more those hundreds that maintaine a separation and so occasion division 16. If this Booke maintaine malignant Tenets so doth the Author and as farre as it doth and then it can be no scandall at all to the people of God it will be conceived the worke of a malignant but I see no cause if it have Jacobs voyce why it should have Esaues garment put upon it it may peradventure meete with the like entertainment from some particulars as the Sunne and Moone doth in their course there is a kind of bird that loves not the Sunne and a kinde of beast that will barke at the Moone yet the Planets themselves of admirable use to the whole Creation even so some one or other may bee offended hereat that is no true friend to light truth or peace but I am comforted in this what I have written is well bottomed upon God Word intended for his glory and the peace of his Church And I am confident of this that while wicked men like Serpents sucke poyson out of the purest grape Gods people like the Bee will draw bony out of this Bramble Berry for whose sakes I have published it the Lord make it successefull FINIS