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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	day_n	time_n	work_n	11,850	5	5.5870	4	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

joyned together in unseparable Charity the Lords Sacraments do declare But Christian people being assembled in one Church do communicate in faith all together Ergo being so assembled they ought to communicate in Sacraments all together But Mr. Harding of the nature of this word Communio seemeth to fashion out * far other arguments It is called Communio saith he Ergo it may be private It is called Communio Ergo it may be received of one alone It is called Communio Ergo the Priest may receive it without Communicants Mr. Harding weigh your Argnments better before you send them thus abroad You shall lesse offend God and your own Conscience you shall lesse deceive your Brethren and children shall take lesse occasion to wonder at you y Now to adde a little more hereunto touching the nature of this word Communio wherein you so uncourteously charge all others with ignorance and lack of learning as it pleaseth you to do throughout your whole Book I think it not amisse to shew you what certain Writers both old and new have thought and written in that behalf I need not here to allege the words that St. Paul useth touching the holy Communion z We are all one Bread all one body as many as do communicate of one Bread Neither that a Saint Hierom saith The Lords Supper must be Common Neither that b St. Chrysostom The thing that is the Lords they make Private But the Lords things are not this Servants or that Servants but common to all Neither that c St. Augustine saith He would have us to understand that this Meat and Drink is the Fellowship of his Body and of his Members Neither that d Chrysostom saith What shall I call the Communication or Communion we are all one self-same body What signifyeth the Bread The Body of Christ And what are they made that receive it The Body of Christ Although these Fathers by these words do manifestly declare That the holy Mysteries in their time were divided commonly to the whole people yet will I take no advantage thereof for that Mr. Harding will reply They come not precisely to the nature of this word Communio Therefore I shall note one or two others and such as Mr. Harding cannot deny for that they speak directly to the matter e Pachymeres a Greek Writer the Paraphrast upon Dionysius hath these words Therefore saith he hath this Father Dionysius called it The Communion for that there all they that were worthy did communicate of the Holy Mysteries And all then were reputed worthy and received daily in the Primitive Church but persons excommunicate and injoyned to Penance who upon great and notorious crimes could not be suffered to communicate with the rest of the faithfull sometimes during their whole life but only when they should depart the world This extremity was used for terror of others and such reconciliation was thought necessary at the end for solace of the party that he should not utterly be swallowed up in despair but might perceive he was received again amongst the faithfull by sending the Communion to him at his death and so depart comfortably as the Member of Christ as * Bishop Jewel writes and proves in the next page f Haymo writing upon Saint Pauls Epistles saith thus The Cup is called Communication which is as much as participation because all do communicate of it g Hugo Cardinalis saith thus Afterwards let the Communion be said which is so called that we should all communicate h Gerardus Lorichius Dicitur Communio quia concorditer de uno Pane et uno Calice multi participamus c. Is is called Communio because we being many do communicate together agreeably of one Bread one Cup And this word Communio is as much as participation or receiving of parts i Micrologus Non potest proprie dici Communio nisi plures de eodem sacrificio participent It cannot justly be called a Communion unlesse many do receive of one Sacrifice If Mr. Harding will not believe us yet I hope he will believe some of these They be all his own It were much for him to say they be all ignorant and unlearned and not one of them understood what he wrote Certainly their age will give it them they are no Lutherans 3ly k Whereas Mr. Harding in defence of Private Masse puts this case What if 4. or 5. of sundry houses in a sickness time being at the point of death require to have their rites cre they depart the Priest after that he hath received the Sacrament in the Church dineth and then being called upon carrieth the rest a mile or two unto the sick He doth what he is required Doth he not in this case communicate with them c. Else if this might not be counted a lawful and good communion and therefore not be used one of these great Inconveniences should willingly be committed That either they should be denied that necessary victual of life at their departure hence which were a cruel Injury and a thing contrary to the examples and godly ordinances of the Primitive Church Or the Priest rather for companies sake than of devotion should receive that holy meat after he had served his stomack with common meats c. Bishop Jewel amongst other solid Answers hereunto returns this But if the people would now communicate every day as they did then in the Primitive Church or at least oftner than they do now then should not this matter seem so necessary at the end as is here pretended And so had Mr. Harding lost another Argument To these 3. passages of Bishop Iewel I shall annex that of his learned coetanean and fellow Exile for Religion Thomas Beacon a burning and a shining light in his Catechism Vol. 1. of his Works f. 462 463. where after he hath proved by sundry Scriptures and Authorities That the Lords Supper in the Apostles times Primitive Church was commonly received every day or Lords day at the least Adding That among the Greeks even at this day if any man absent himself from the Lords Table by the space of 14. dayes except he can render a reasonable cause of his absence he is excommunicate and put from the Company of the faithfull and that in all those mighty large populous Kingdoms under that most puissant King Precious John the holy Communion of the Body and Bloud of the Lord hath from the beginning been daily administred unto the people and yet is at this present day as Histories make mention He then censures this as a grosse Popish innovation and abuse contrary both to Scripture and Antiquity That whereas the Lord Christ Iesus would have the holy Communion of his blessed Body and precious Blood to be oft times received of the faithfull for a remembrance of his death and passion and for the worthy earnest diligent consideration of that inestimable Benefit which we have obtained of God

may do and are commanded to do they will not doe but that they cannot do that they will needs do And is not this the wanton folly of our Anti-Communion Ministers now That they may lawfully and are commanded to do to administer the Communion frequently constantly to all their people they will by no means do but argue plead preach r write against it But that themselves confesse they cannot nor ought to doe that they will needs do in despight of God and Men even Pope like ſ without any articles hearing conviction and before any judicial Suspension Excommunication by any Classis or Ecclesiastical ●udicature against all or any of their Parishioners excommunicate and keep back all or the Major part of their Parishioners from the holy Communion for sundry months years together by their own lawlesse Arbitrary Tyrannical usurpations without any lawfull Authority from God or Man and will neither receive it alone themselves as the Popish Priests do nor suffer their people to receive it with them to keep a perpetual remembrance of Christs death thereby incurring that Censure of Tertullian de Resurrectione carnis Haretici ex conscientia infirmitatis suae nihil unquam tractant ordinari● yea that just Wo and Censure denounced by our Saviour Mat. 23. 11. Luke 11. 52. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharises Hypocrites for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men for you neither go in your selves neither suffer ye them that are entring to go in or them that were entring in ye hindered and forbad as Luke renders it The Lord give them now Gr●ce to discern and reform this their perverse Pharisaical Pride Hypocrisie and Tyranny yea Enmity against the Memorial of our Saviours passion for it deserves no milder Titles being such in reality 11. That the Popish Priests require a more extraordinary transcendent holinesse worthinesse examination confession of sins preparation and qualification in such Christians as they admit to the Lords Supper than they exact from them in their approaches to God in any other holy Ordinances and Duties of his worship be it Prayer hearing or reading of Gods word Fasting Thanksgiving singing of Psalms Baptism and the like And that upon this conceit t that it is more sacred and divine than any other Ordinance whatsoever For there it is Hoc est Corpus meum there we eat and drink say they the very Body and Bloud of Christ it se●f and so converse more immediately with Christ and God himself than in any other Ordinance Which ridiculous Popish dream of Transubstantiation as it u ushered i● their elevation Adoration of the Sacrament prostration kneeling bowing to it and their Altars with other various Papal Superstitions and Idolatries so it first introduced this Suspension Excommunication of Christians from the Lords Table only now so eagerly contested for by Anabaptists Independents and over-rigid Presbyterians though freely admitted to all other Ordinances of Gods publike worship and that extraordinary transcendent special Worthinesse Holinesse Self-examination Preparation Fitnesse which they appropriate to this Ordinance alone to make men worthy Receivers yet never presse upon them to make them worthy Petitioners Hearers Readers Thanksgivers Meditators introduced first by Popish Priests after Transubstantiation as an appendent or consequent of it but not known practised in Christs Church before in the primitive purest times as the premises evidence when they received the Lords Supper every day when they met together to pray or hear the word Which as it hath bred a strange Schism between the Sacrament and Ordinances of God themselves as if the Lords Supper were far holier and Christ more really immediately and in another manner present therein than he is in Baptism Prayer or the Word preached when as in truth Gods Sacraments Ordinances are all of equal holinesse and God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost equally present with us and as immediately conversed with by us in them all as in the Lords Supper as is undeniably evident by Eccles. 5. 1 2. 1 Cor. 10. 2 3 4 Mat. 28. 19 20. Acts 10. 33. 44. 47. Iohn 6. 29. to 66. compared with 2 Chr. 6. 19. to 42. Ps. 16. 11. Ps. 27. 4 8. Ps. 17. 5. Ps. 65. 4. Ps. 84. Ps. 95. 2. Psal. 100. 1 2 4. Ps. 105. 4. Ps. 132. 14. Ps. 140. 13. Isay 26. 8 9. c. 6. 3 5. c. 64. 1. 5. Jer. 30. 21. Mat. 7. 6. 1 Cor. 9. 13. 2 Tim. 3. 15. Rom. 6. 3 4 5. c. 1. 16 17. Gal. 3. 1 2. 27 28. By these passages of the Fathers cited by x Bishop Iewel against Harding who charged him with too Grosse an Errour in making the presence of Christ in Baptism like to his presence in the Supper y Saint Augustine saith Habes Christum in praesenti per Baptismatis Sacramentum Thou hast Christ in the time present by the Sacrament of Baptism z St. Chrysostom saith In the Sacrament of Baptism we are made flesh of Christs flesh and bone of his bones a Saint Berna●d saith of Baptism Lavemur sanguine ejus Let us be washed with his bloud b L●o saith Thou art washt in the bloud of Christ when thou art baptized in his death By these few writes Iewel it may appear That Christ is present at the Sacrament of Baptism even as he is present at the holy Supper unlesse ye will say We may be made Flesh of Christs flesh and be washt in his bloud and be partakers of him and have him present without his Presence Therefore Chrysostom when he hath spoken vehemently of the Sacrament of the Supper he concludeth thus Sic et in Baptismo Even so it is also in the Sacrament of Baptism The Body of Christ is like wise present in them both And for that cause c Beda saith Nulli est aliquatenus ambigendum tunc unumquemque fidelium Corporis Sanguinisque Dominici participem fieri quando in Baptismate Membrum Christi efficitur No man may doubt but every faithfull man is then made partaker of the Body and Bloud of Christ when in Baptism he is made the Member of Christ And whereas Mr. d Harding and others advanced the Dignity of the Lords Supper above Baptism and the Word and seclude those from it whom they admit to the other upon this Ground That those who eat and drink the Lords Supper unworthily eat and drink judgement to themselves not discerning the Lords body Thereto Bishop Iewel replyes St. e Ierom saith Dum Sacramenta violantur ipse cujus Sacramenta sunt violatur When the Sacraments be misused God himself whose Sacraments they be is misused And St. Augustine saith Qui indigne accipit Baptisma Iudicium accipit non Salutem Who so receiveth Baptism unworthily receiveth Iudgement or Damnation not Salvation as well as he who receives the Lords Supper unworthily Yea Christ himself when he sent forth his Disciples to preach and baptize Mar. 16. 15 16. said unto them Go ye into

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

there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joyned together in the same mind and in the same judgement 3ly l Stand constantly upon your watch and m unite all your studies endeavours together against the manifold plots policies of Satan and your Iesuitical Popish Sectarian common Enemies who seek nothing but the speedy ruine of your persons Ministry and of our Protestant Religion Church State being more active subtle and successfull of late years in this design than ever in former ages And let their present joynt attempts combinations against you be a prevailing argument to unite your affections endeavours studies to countermine them 4ly Avoid all carnal Machivilian Policies all sordid Compliances and n base Fears of any Mortals how great or powerful soever And never o act nor consent to any evils error unrighteous impious Projects or hypocritical designes yea hope that any good may come thereby but rather part with your lives liberties and all worldly enjoyments than with a good conscience and the truth or Ordinances of God intrusted to your care 5ly Take Notice of some particular late failings and scandalous sinfull Omissions or Neglects in the discharge of your Ministerial Office in which divers of you have been and still are very peccant Whereas by our former Liturgies confirmed by p sundry Acts of Parliament yet in force the Decalogui or Ten Commandements of God himself q asserted by all or most of you to be Moral and Perpetual as they are a rule of Life and Obedience were to be publikely read in all Churches as heretofore was usual once every Lords day and when ever the Lords Supper was administred to the end the people might the better remember and observe them in their lives and conversations This godly custom hath for sundry years together been universally neglected and cast aside by all or most of you By which means the elder sort of people have quite forgotten these Commandements the younger sort are alltogether ignorant of them and generally know not whether there be any such Decalogue for them to learn know observe their Parents Masters not instructing them in them in their private families as formerly since discontinued publikely in our Chnrches The number of Antinomians is hereby augmented confirmed in their Error the Knowledge Sence Conscience of sinnes against these Precepts almost quite obliturated And these Laws of God with all other good Laws of the Realm quite cast aside slighted scorned violated in the highest degree by many professed Saints of the highest Orb like Old Almanacks quite out of date or force especially the 5 6 8 and last of them Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house c. nor any thing that is his now turned into an affirmative or quite expunged out of the Decalogue of too many English Protestants as well as the r second Commandement heretofore out of the Papists And whether this omission be not a sinne against Deutr. 6. 1. to 10. c. 18. 18. to 22. c. 4. 9 10. Acts 13. 15. Psal. 1. 2. Iosh. 1. 8. and other Scriptures fit henceforth to be reformed let your own Consciences with all Protestant Commentators on these Texts and the Decalogue resolve you 2ly Whereas the Summary Heads of the Christian Faith comprised in antient Creeds made Å¿ used in the Primitive Church and continued in all Christian Churches as most useful necessary ever since were usually repeated by the Ministers and people in all our Churches heretofore when ever they assembled to worship God on Lords-dayes and other Festivals or times of Devotion This Godly profitable Christian practice hath been generally disused and set aside by most of you for sundry years together whereby the old Principles of our Christian Faith and Creeds are quite forgotten or neglected by the ancienter sort and unknown to the younger people not instructed to learn or repeat them by heart as formerly by their Parents and Masters since disused in our Churches by Ministers and a world of New Faiths Heresies Blasphemies Errors have been set up and vented in opposition thereunto destructive to the very Foundations of our Religion Now whether this Omission be not a great Misdemeanour or Oversight in you repugnant to the 1 Cor. 15. 1. to 8. Hebr. 5. 12 13. c. 6. 1 2 3. 2 Pet. 1. 12 13 15. c. 3. 2. and other Texts let all Old and New Expositors on the Creed determine and your own Consciences judge 3ly Whereas by the Laws of our Land confirming the Book of Ordination and the Liturgies of our Church all our Deacons Ministers formerly on Lords dayes and other times of publike Divine Service were specially obliged to read certain Psalms with one Chapter of the Old Testament and another out of the New in the Church for the peoples better edification and instruction in the Scriptures and incouragement to read them diligently in their Families and private Closets yet now of late years contrary to their Solemn Promise at their t Ordinations diligently to read the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to the people assembled in the Church and contrary to Exod. 24. 7. Deut. 6. 1. to 10. c. 11. 18. to 22. c. 31. 11 12 13. Josh. 8. 34 35. 2 Kings 23. 1 2 3. 2 Chron. 34. 29 30 31. Neh. 8. 1. to 19. c. 9. 1. 3. c. 13. 1. Isay 34. 16 Ier. 36. 6 10 c. c. 51. 61 62. Luk. 4. 16 17. Acts 13. 15. c. 15. 21. 31. 2 Cor. 1. 13. Eph. 3. 4. Col. 4. 16. 1 Thess. 5. 27. Rev. 1. 3. c. 5. 4 5. 2 Cor. 3. 14. 1 Tim. 4. 3. contrary to the practice of Gods own people the Iews of Christ himself and his Apostles of the Primitive Fathers Councils Church Christians as u Bishop Iewel proves at large of all x Protestant Churches in foreign parts the Practice Canons Rubricks and Liturgies of our English Church and command of God himself in the forecited Texts most of our Independent Ministers have wholly cast off the reading of all Psalms Chapters of the Old and New Testament in their Churches and Meetings more particularly in Pendennis Castle in Cornwall where there was not one Chapter Psalm either sung or read during my near two years close imprisonment in their Meeting-house there yea many Presbyterians and other Ministers have overmuch failed herein reading only either one Chapter out of the Old Testament or New and somtimes only one Psalm without a Chapter now and then on Lords dayes and other Publick Dayes of worship By which ill president the generality of their people especially such who cannot read are become wholly ignorant of the Scriptures and made a prey to every seducer the constant reading of the Scriptures in privat is much neglected the Scriptures themselves much slighted yea many turned professed Anti-Scripturists rejecting the Old and New Testament both together and others who retain the New Testament have quite rejected the old as nothing

are administred whence it is stiled and defined A casting or putting a scandalous Sinner out of the Church A cutting him off from the Congregation and a delivering him over unto r Satan but never a Suspension from the Lords Supper or other publike Ordinances being only the consequence nor form or essence of Excommunication so much of late contested for and so little understood by those who are most eager to introduce it 6ly I humbly conceive that no greater measure or degree of knowledge faith profession of Christ Confession of sinne and repentance is necessarily required by God or to be exacted by Ministers to enable men now to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper than in the Primitive Church was exacted by Christs own Apostles and Ministers in persons of ripe years newly converted to Christianity upon their admission to Baptism they being both Sacraments and Seals of the Covenant of Grace alike and requiring the self-same qualifications Hence our learned ſ Bishop Iewel writes It appeareth by St. Cyprian St. Hierom t St. Augustine and other old Writers That they that were baptized as well Children as others immediately received the holy Mysteries in both kinds St. u Hierom speaking of one Hilarion saith thus He cannot administer Baptism without the Sacrament of Thanksgiving x St. Cyprians words touching this matter be these Ubi solennibus adimpletis c. After the solemnity of the Consecration was done and the Deacon began to administer the Cup unto them that were present and among others there received the childs turn being come by the power of the divine Majesty she turned away her face c. Here by the way we may well gather That like as the Priest the Deacons and the people received even so the child received too without any manner of innovation or difference This Custome of administring the Lords Supper as well to infants as others immediately after their Baptism in the Primitive times proceeded as I conceive from the very practice of the Apostles Acts 2. 38. to 42. where the 3000. Converts so soon as they believed and were baptized were immediately admitted into the Apostles fellowship and to the breaking of bread which most interpret of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper comparing it with Acts 20. 7. 1 Cor. 10. 2 3. 16 17. Now a very * small measure of instruction knowledge faith repentaece confession of sin and acknowledgement of Christ was reputed sufficient in the Primitive Church by the Apostles and Ministers of Christ to qualifie and admit converts of ripe years to the Sacrament of Baptism as is clear by Mat. 3. 5 6. Acts 2. 38 41 42 46 47. c. 8. 12 13 16. 36 37 38. c. 9. 17 18. c. 10. 47 48. c. 11. 16 17. c. 16. 15. 30. to 35. c. 18. 8. c. 22. 16. where all were instructed converted believed baptized in one and the very self-same day and made profession of the faith of Christ upon the first Sermon they heard without any further delay or Suspension of them from Baptism Therefore they and all other baptized Christians of ripe years immediately upon their baptism and conversion ought now to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper upon the self-same terms and qualifications and not secluded from it under a pretence of ignorance or unfitnesse to receive it 7ly Whereas some Ministers most insist upon the 1 Cor. 11. 27 29. Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord unworthily shall ●e guilty of the body and bloud of the Lord For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and drinketh damnation to himself not to the Minister or other Communicants not discerning the Lords body as the prime ground and reason to suspend ignorant and scandalous persons in their judgement from this Sacrament I beseech them to observe 1. What the Antient Fathers and y Bishop Iewel out of them concludes against the Papists who object it to prove a Transubstantiation in this Sacrament Even so z St. Augustine writeth of the water of Baptism Baptismus valet al●is ad Regnum aliis ad judicium Again he saith a Baptismum multi habent non ad vitam aeternam sed ad poenam aternam non bene utentes tanto b●ne Verily b Saint Augustine saith Reus erit non parvi pretii sed sanguinis Christi qui fornicatione et adulterio violat et commaculat animam Christi sanguine et Passione mundatam Againe he saith c Adultter reus erit aeternae mortis quia vilem in se habuit sanguinem Redemptoris d Athanasius saith Adorantes dominum neque ita ut dignum est ei viventes non sentiunt se reos fieri Dominicae mortis e And St. Cyprian saith Impiis in morte Christi nullus superest quaestus sed justissime eos beneficia neglecta condem●ant If then * Baptism be received by some unto judgement and everlasting pain as well as the Lords Supper If Fornicators and Adulterers by defiling their souls made clean by the Passion and bloud of Christ be guilty of the bloud of Christ though they receive not this Sacrament If those who worship the Lord in prayer or any other sacred Ordinance as well as this and yet live not so as is meet for the Lord are thereby made guilty of our Lords death If wicked mens despising of the benefits of Christ doth justly condemn and make Christ death ungainfull to them as well as unworthy receiving this Sacrament Then this Text can afford no Jurisdiction or ground at all to our Ministers or others to seclude any from the Lords Supper no more than from Baptism or any other sacred Ordinance upon this Account ● 2ly Observe what Exposition f Bishop Iewel in the same place gives of this Text This therefore is St. Pauls meaning that the wicked resorting unworthily to the Holy Mysteries and having no regard what is meant thereby DESPISE THE DEATH AND CROSSE OF CHRIST and therefore are guilty of the Lords Body and Bloud that are represented in the Sacrament To come nearer to the purpose St. Augustine saith Habeant foris Sacramentum corporis Christi sed rem ipsam amittunt intus cujus est illud Sacramentum ET IDEO SIBI JUDICIUM MANDUCANT ET BIBUNT Here Saint Augustine saith they are guilty NOT BECAUSE THEY RECEIVE BUT BECAVSE THEY RECEIVE NOT THE BODY OF CHRIST Mark well these words Mr. Harding and let others mark them now they are effectual The wicked by St. Augustines judgement are guilty NOT BECAVSE THEY RECEIVE but BECAVSE THEY RECEIVE NOT THE BODY OF CHRIST And if so then I hence inferre That those who willfully neglect to receive the Sacrament of the Lords Supper or keep off others from it who desire and presse to receive it are more guilty of the body and bloud of Christ than those who unworthily receive it because they h more neglect contemn despise

He addes y The Feast saith Mr. Harding is common all are invited They shall be received that are disposed and proved If this feast be common it must needs be common to very few for the provision is very little to serve many That all be called in the Latin Mass is a great and manifest untruth for neither the Priest nor the Deacon either by word or by gesture calleth them nor have they any preparation for them if they were called Yet are not these men ashamed to say They shall be received that are disposed and proved Every man ought humbly to prepare and dispose his heart before he presume to hear or receive any thing that toucheth God For God is Spirit and we are Flesh God is in heaven and we on earth Pythagoras being but an heathen was wont to say We ought not to speak of God without light that is without premeditation and good advisement who it is of whom we speak And the Pagans in their sacrifices were wont to remember their Priests with these words Hoc age the meaning whereof was Dispose thy mind it is God unto whom thou speakest The wise man saith z Before thou pray prepare thine heart and be not as a man that tempteth God Likewise in old time they that were called Catechumeni were warned afore-hand to prepare their hearts that they might worthily receive Baptism as it is decreed under the name of Clement a whose words be these Let him prepare himself in all things that after three Moneths ended upon the Holy day he may be baptized Also b St. Augustine exhorteth the Catechumeni likewise to dispose their minds against the time of their Baptism Thus ought every man to examine and prepare himself before he hear Gods word Before he presume to open his mouth to pray unto God Before he receive the Sacrament of Baptism and namely Before he come to the holy Communion And therefore the Priest giveth warning unto the people with these words Lift up your hearts which words as c St. Augustine saith were commonly used in the holy Mysteries But I think Mr. Harding here by these words prepare and dispose meaneth privy Confession which many have used as a rack of mens consciences to the maintenance of their Tyranny d Peter Lombard saith Without it there is no way to heaven e Innocentius the third commandeth That whosoever is not confessed neither be suffered to come into the Church being alive nor to be buried when he is dead f Hugo writeth thus I am bold to say whosoever cometh to the Communion unconfessed be he never so repentant and sorry for his sins certainly he receiveth unto his judgement So violent the late Writers have béen in exacting things of their own devices Otherwise the old Fathers notwithstanding they sometimes speak of Confession yet they require it with more modesty and many of them require no such thing at all g Chrysostom saith Let the Court where thou yieldest thy self guilty be without witnesse Let God alone see thee And again If thou be ashamed to shew thy sins to any man then utter them every day in thy heart I say not go confesse thy sins unto thy fellow servant that may upbraid thee with them but confesse them unto God that is able to cure them And again thus he imagineth God to speak unto a sinner Open thy sin privately to me alone that I may heal thy wound And Theodorus sometime Archbishop of Canterburie saith h Graci totus Oriens confitetur soli Deo The Greeks and all they of the East confess confess themselves only to God Thus much I thought good to touch hereof lest it should be thoughs there is none other way for a man to prove and dispose himself but only by Auricular Confession The meaning of these words of St. Paul i Let a man examine himself standeth in two points in Faith and Repentance Faith containeth the truth of our belief Repe●tance cencerneth the amendment of our life which kind of examining endureth all our life long But to say or think we are all examined and disposed one only day in the year and that of custom not of Holiness and not one day before nor one day after it is childish it is super st●tious it is Jewish it is no pers●asion meet for the people of God If k Chrysostom were alive he would cry out O what presumption O what a custom is this And l St. Ambrose would say If thou be not worthy evry day to receive then art thou not worthy once in the year 2ly He hath these observable passages out of the Fathers and School-men concerning the community of the Lords Supper belonging alike to all the Church People Congregation present whence it is stiled the Communion and not to the Priests elect or truly regenerated alone and concerning the end use of the Sacraments to unite Christians together into one body and Christian Communion and prevent all Schisms Discords Separations in the Church m Christ himself hath already determined the case For albeit he hath appointed no certain number of Communicants yet hath he by speciall words appointed a number Take ye Eat ye Drink ye ALL Divide ye among your selves n Do ye this in my remembrance Ye shall set forth the Lords death These very words I say cannot be taken of one single man but necessarily import a number St. o Hierom saith Dominica Coena OMNIBUS debet esse communis quia ille omnibus Discipulis suis qui aderant aequaliter tradidit Sacramenta The Lords Supper must be common to All And that he proveth by Christs example because Christ gave the Sacraments equally to all his Disciples that were present p Iustin Martyr declaring the order of the Church in his time saith Of the things that be consecrated every man taketh part The same things are delivered to the Deacons to be carried to them that are away And q St. Ambrose expounding these words Wa●t one for another saith thus That the oblation of many may be celebrated together and may be ministred unto All r Clemens Alexandrinus saith As●● 〈…〉 as the manner is have divided the Sacrament they give every of the people leave to take part of it ſ St. Chrysostom plain●y de●cribeth the very order of the Communion that was used in his time by these words The spiritual and reverend Sacraments are set forth equally to rich and poor neither doth the rich man enjoy them more and the poor man lesse They have all like honor and like coming to them The Sacraments once laid forth are not taken in again until all the people have communicate and taken part of that Spiritual Meat but the Priests stand still and wait for all even for the poorest of them all Again t he haith There are things wherein the Priest differeth nothing from the people as when we must use the

the Father through the Son his passion and death The custom of the Popes Church is that the people receive the Sacrament usually but once a year that is to say at Easter By which ●eans the Commandement of Christ is broken the Sacrament neglected the death of Christ not so earnestly remembred the people become unthankfull Dissolution of life breaketh in Vice increaseth Virtue decreaseth From these with sundry other like Passages of Bishop Iewel and Thomas Beacon incomparably eminent both for their Learning and Piety it is irrefragable 1. That in the Apostles days as some from Acts 2. 46 47. c. 20. 7. 11. 1 Cor. 10. 16 17 21. c. 11. 17. to 34. resolve and in the l Primitive Church for many hundreds of years next after the Apostles and among the Greeks and Christians under Precious Iohn at this day all Christians and visible Members of the Church of years of discretion to examine themselves constantly received the Communion all together every day or Lords day at the least when ever they met to pray hear the Word or perform any other publike Duties of Religious Worship unto God and that out of meer duty piety devotion zeal and love to Christ m Bishop Iewel in his Defence of the Apology of the Church of England proves this more fully by the confession and testimonies of sundry Popish Authors Thomas Aquine saith In Primitiva Ecclesia quando magna vigebat devotio Fidei Christianae Statutum suit ut fideles quotidie communicarent In the Primitive Church when great Devotion of the Christian Faith was in strength it was ordained that the faithfull should receive the Communion every day n Durandus saith In the Primitive Church all the faithfull daily received the Communion o Hugo Cardinalis saith In the Primitive Church All as many as were present at the Canon of the Masse did daily communicate and if they would not they departed out of the Offertory If ye think these Authorities are not sufficient p Iohannes Cochlaeus saith Omnes olim c. In old time both all the Priests and all the say people received the Communion with the Minister that had made the Oblation as is plainly perceived by the Canons of the Apostles and by the Books of the antient Doctors of the Church c. Likewise saith q Iodocus Clichthovius In Primitiva Ecclesia c. In the Primitive Church the faithful received the Communion every day Likewise it is noted in the Margin upon the Apostles Canons Omnes olim qui intererant communicabant In old time all that were present did communicate In the Council of Antioch Can. 2. Concil. Aquisgran cap 70. Omnes c. All that come into the Church of God and hear the Holy Scriptures and refuse the receiving of the Lords Sacrament let them be put from the Church These Decrees reach not only to the Ministers of the Church but to the whole People r St. Ambrose saith Munus obla●um totius populi fit c. The oblation offered is made the whole peoples For that in me bread all are signified For in that we are all one we must all receive of one bread In imitation hereof the Protestant Churches in forein parts did frequently receive the Lords Supper all together witness the ſ Former Confession of Helvetia Artic. 22. Of the Lords Supper We do therefore use the holy meat oftentimes because that being admonished hereby we do by the eys of faith behold the death and bloud of Christ crucified and meditating upon our salvation not without a tast of heavenly life and a true sense of life eternal we are refreshed with this spiritual lively and inward food with an unspeakable sweetnesse and we do rejoyce with a joy that cannot be expressed with words for that life which we have found and we do wholly and with all our strength pour out our thankssgivings for so wonderfull a benefit of Christ bestowed upon us And this t Confession of Sweveland of their practise Our men do often times with as great reverence as they may receive the Sacrament to be the lively food of their souls and to stir up in them a gratefull remembrance of so great a benefit The which thing also useth now to be done among us much more often and reverently than heretofore was used to wit in times of Popery With the u Confession of Auspurg in these words Therefore the Masse to wit the celebration of the Lords Supper must be used to this end that there the Sacrament may be reached unto them that have need of comfort As Ambrose saith Because I do alwayes sin therefore I ought alwayes to receive a medicin And seeing the Masse is such a Communion of the Sacrament we do observe one common masse every Holy-day and on other dayes if any will use the Sacrament when it is offered to them which desired it Neither is this custom newly brought into the Church With what * hearts of adamant browes of brasse searedness not tenderness of Conscience then can or dare any Protestant Ministers Parsons or Vicars now who have Cure of Souls obstinately deny peremptorily refuse to deliver the Lords Supper to themselves or any or all of their Parishioners and Church members when they earnestly desire it at their hands not only for sundry dayes weeks months but years together and that under a new monstrous x pretext of extraordinary Zeal Piety Devotion Sanctity tendernesse of conscience transcendent Love to Christ his Sacraments their own and their peoples souls Or with what colour will such Pastors be able to justifie or excuse themselves before any Tribunals of God or men when legally accused convicted for this notorious detestable Sacrilege and Apostacy from the custom of the Primitive and Protestant Churches if they presently repent not of it with confusion of face and redemption of their former wilfull neglect herein by constant frequent publike Communions henceforth delivered to all their people in Common without future seclusions of any unexcommunicate persons from it who unfeignedly desire it 2. That the Apostles Primitive Christians Fathers Authors with these two most judicious Divines believed asserted both by their preaching writing practise y That the Sacrament belonged to and ought to be administred to every visible Christian and Church-member alike to all the whole Congregation in common and that none ought to be secluded suspended from it but persons actually z excommunicated from Church-communion and all other publike Ordinances for notorious scandalous offences That upon this ground and its frequent common reception by all it was stiled The Communion both by the Fathers Primitive and Modern Christian Church-writers of all sorts This is the express doctrine of the whole Church of England confirmed by a Parliament and subscribed assented to by all true Ministers Pastors of the Church of England admitted to any Pastoral Charge Article 30. The Cup of the Lord is not

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