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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
work_n	bring_v	good_a	tree_n	9,027	5	9.0012	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A96917	A brotherly and friendly censure of the errour of a dear friend and brother in Christian affection, in an answer to his four questions lately sent abroad in print to the view of the world. Published according to order.	Walker, George, 1581?-1651.	1645 (1645)	Wing W355; Thomason E265_4; ESTC R212426	12,460	13

to a common Auditory is only a generall propounding of the word and promises to all not a particular applying of it to any especially that hear unprofitably for that were giving holy things to doggs therefore there is more danger and greater sinne in admitting unworthy receivers to the Lords Table A small errour in such an holy ordinance doth provoke the Lord to wrath who will be sanctified in them that come neere to him as appears in Aarons two sonnes Levit. 10. ● 2 3. Vzza● 2 Sam. 6. 7. Thirdly Preaching the Word to such as are openly knowne to be scorners of the Gospell and persecutours of the Preachers and doe more rage and are hardened thereby is a prophanation of an holy thing and a casting of pearles before swine which our Saviour expressely forbids Matth. 7. 6. Matth. 10. 14. Bids his Apostles turne from such and shake off the dust from their feet as a testimony against them and so Paul and Barnabas did Act. 13. 51. Fourthly In preaching the Word the Minister of Christ propounds the truth to many wicked men generally but doth not particularly apply any word of comfort or promise of blessing to any but profitable hearers and upon condition of repentance But in giving the Sacrament to known impenitent persons he preacheth most palpable lyes against his own conscience when he saith The body of Christ was broken for you and his blood wasshed for you And therefore the points urged in this Question are very dangerous and divers Scriptures herein quoted are wrested and grossely perverted Quest 4. The fourth Question upon that received truth That God only knows the secrets of mens hearts which Ministers doe not but mistake hypocrites for worthy receivers and more honest simple weak men for unfit Communicants would inferre That Ministers ought not to have power to judge or censure I● which reasoning First I finde grosse absurdity for what can be more ridiculous then to argue that because Ministers know not secret things which belong to God therefore they know not revealed and manifest things as open scandalous sins and impenitency professed in the face of the Church and by consequent may not judge and censure them by the Word of God which doth plainly reveal their wickednesse to them and the whole Consistory Secondly Observe how the Scriptures which forbid rash judgement concerning mens estate before God which is secret or concerning mens last end and the like as Matth. 7. 1. Luk 6. 37. Rom. 14. 4. are wrested to overthrow all judging and censuring in generall both civil and ecclesiasticall Thirdly How vainly the power of God is abused to prove that he will in the midst of a profane wicked act change notorious sinners hearts in a moment which if he should doe how shall these sinners manifest their repentance in a moment to the Church which they have offended that they may he admitted orderly and not rashly without just ground or satisfaction Fourthly The breaking of a bruised reed and quenching of smoking flax is most miserably applied to the suspending of proud refractorie impenitent sinners from the holy Sacrament between which two sorts of persons and actions there is as vast a difference as between heaven and hell light and darknesse For the bruised reed signifies men of broken heart and contrite spirit groaning under the burden of their sins and fleeing to Christ for ease And smoking flax signifies such as have a weak but true faith which like a spark in flax sheweth by smoking that there is fire striving to break forth and to shew light of holy life Now how contrary these are to proud scandalous impenitent sinners let reasonable men judge the first are such as the Publicans and sinners who came to Christ repenting and confessing their sins and by him were received cherished and comforted the latter are like those trees which brought forth no good but bad fruit unto the root of which the axe was laid to hew them down and cast them into the fire The not breaking nor quenching the first is a point of mercy and a work of Christ the tolerating of the other and cherishing and encouraging them in their scandalous sins by admitting them to the holy Communion of Christs body and blood is a point of great impiety and a diabolicall act of profanation Here therefore the Scriptures are dangerously abused and wrested where scandalous impenitent and refractory persons are confounded with humble penitent sinners breathing after comfort and communion with Christ Fifthly Here is a strange supposition that all bearing the name of Christians even scandalous impenitent sinners are invited to the Sacrament and are bound to come and receive it under pain of sin and contempt I am sure the French and our Liturgies before cited doe admonish all impenitent persons to abstain lest they eat and drink their own damnation And the Scriptures here quoted 1 Cor. 11. Heb. 10. 29. do shew that unworthy wicked sinners doe by unworthy receiving count the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing Therefore to inferre that no Minister in point of conscience can refuse to give the Sacrament to such is to conclude quidlibet ex quolibet But whereas it is added that Ministers may not refuse any Christian not actually excommunicated the Sacrament if he desires to receive it in case he professe sincere repentance for sins past and promise newnesse of life for the time to come this we embrace with all our hearts and if he obtrude on us no other but only such we will not be so uncharitable as to judge them unworthy neither need we fear to partake of their sin or suspect their unworthy receiving For our rule is to proceed with men according to that which manifestly appears whether it be in truth or in hypocrise if any so professing doth eat unworthily he eats damnation to himself not to the Ministers who therein doe nothing against their consciences but proceed according to the judgement of charity and he shall bear his own burthen The Ministers act of administration to them who professe sincere repentance is an holy and divine institution but to open scandalous impenitent persons it is a manifest profanation and they are partakers in the guilt and punishment The Conclusion being the result of the former arguments which are plainly shewed to be weak and of no strength doth of it self fall to the ground and vanish For I have shewed that unworthy hearing and unworthy receiving are equally sins in the hearers and receivers but in the Preachers of the Word and the givers of the Sacraments it is farre otherwise the Preacher doth onely propound the Word generally and not falsely apply the promises of blessing and life to any particular scandalous persons but upon condition of their beleeving repentance and obedience If he knows any in the auditory who are scorners of the Word and haters and persecutours of him and his doctrine he denounceth a curse from God against them and desires them to keep away and holds himself guilty of sin if he should cast the pearl of the Gospel before such swine when they are alone and separated from other hearers he will not wittingly be to any the savour of death unto death But the Minister who gives the Sacrament to open scandalous sinners in their impenitency doth wittingly profane Gods holy ordinance and lyeth against his conscience in saying that Christs body was broken and his blood shed for them and makes himself guilty of their blood while he gives them wittingly to eat and drink their own damnation as is before shewed Whatsoever power takes from Christs Ministers the lawfull and necessary liberty to exclude from the Lords table scandalous sinners openly impenitent that is such a transcendent arbitrary unlimited power as lordly Prelates sometimes exercised and no lesse then tyrannie and oppression of the consciences both of Ministers and their godly people And therefore here the Divines of the Assembly are charged most unjustly and calumniously who have humbly desired by way of Petition to both the honourable Houses of Parliament that their consciences may not have this yoke of oppression laid on them which will force them either to profane the Sacrament of Christs body and blood by giving it to unworthy persons or to decline their Ministery and administration of that holy ordinance chusing affliction rather then iniquity FINIS