The Worthy Receiving the Lords Supper, Title page – To the reader
AN INTRODVCTION TO THE WORTHY RECEIVING THE SAcrament of the Lords SVPPER.
By that late learned Minister of Gods holy Word, WILLIAM PEMBLE, of Magdalen Hall in Oxford.
Published since his death by his friend.
Qui discordat à Christo, nec manducat carnem eius, nec sanguinem bibit, etiamsi rei tantae Sacramentum ad iudicium suae praesumptionis quotidie indifferenter accipiat. De Consecrat. Dist. 2. c. 65. Qui discordat. Ex Aug. in li…. Sent. c. 339.
Vt quid puras dentes & ventrem? Crede & manducasti. Ibid. c. 47. Vt quid. Ex Aug. tract. 25 & 26. in Ioan.
LONDON▪ Printed by I.B. for Iames Boler, and are to be sold at the signe of the Mary gold in Pa…s Church-yard. Anno D… ▪ 1633.
TO THE WORSHIPfull his worthy good friend, JOHN BAKER Esq. at Mayfield in Sussex, Grace and Peace.
SIr, to erre in speculative Doctrines, chiefly where the soveraigntie and sufficiency of the Scripture is maintained (as it is with us) is not so frequent nor so easie, as to mistake in matters practicall: Errors in doctrine are more dangerous, but corruptions in practice are more often, by reason that our practice flowes immediatly from more various and weake principles in us, than our speculations doe. Hence we see that in matters divine amongst us, where the Scriptures are in force and have their due place, there are few errors in the doctrine, many faults in the practice. For an instance wee need goe no further than the Sacrament of the Supper: the doctrine whereof, is, by the blessing of God, out of question for the Orthodoxie of it in our Church. But where Satan cannot taint the Doctrine, there hee will corrupt the Practice all hee can: so we finde that in S. Pauls time the a1 Cor. 11.21, …2.Practice of this Sacrament was rather growne faultie, than the Doctrine; a type of our dayes, wherein we see the people growne carelesse, remisse, and prophane for the practice in the receiving of this Sacrament, so verie few prepare themselves in a b1 Cor. 11.25.discerning manner. In matters morall and divine (contrarie to what we see in things naturall) we leape from one extreame to another sine medio, from superstition to prophanenesse, from bad to worse. cMaldon in Iohn 6.Papists and wee agree that this Sacrament is not to bee given to children, who cannot examine themselves: dAug de merit. peccat. l 1. c. 24 & passi… alibi. Tert. l. 4. adver Marcion. Amb. l 3 Sacr. c … followed by some in Bohemia Chry. praelect Chron. & Russia. O dorbard de Relig. Rus.we all say, that to this Sacrament there is required a personall and a praeviall disposition in the receiver, an opus operantis, and yet wee finde our people come to the Lords Table, though not children in yeares, yet in understanding, Nay do we not heare the very best complaine much this way? their griefe is, that this Sacrament doth them little good: and where one complaines of his unprofitable hearing the Word, many bemoane their uncomfortable receiving of this Sacrament. What may bee thought the cause? are they not both the verie ordinances of God? Yes, I know that Sacraments have a certaine eExod. 4.8.voyce, and that they are a kinde of visible words; yet there is not that fHieron. Paulino.viva vox in the Sacrament administred, as is in the Word preached. Now this gLatens. foreign. Ibid.force which is in the lively voyce of the Preacher, doth helpe much to qualifie the Hearer. Let this then goe for a truth, that amongst some other reasons of this difference, one maine cause why wee say and feele that we profit lesse by this Sacrament, than by the Word preached, is, for that as we should prepare more, so wee doe prepare lesse before-band to the receiving of this Sacrament. The way then to cure this disease, is to prepare and fit our selves better; and to that end is this booke, serving rather to prepare the Communicant in the practice, than to defend the doctrine of this Sacrament. A good booke, and in our dead and unsavourie times very needfull: which I now dedicate to you (to say nothing of mine owne respects) for reasons taken from the deceased Author. Were he alive, and say hee would print this booke, you are the man whose name it should beare; you supported the vine that bore this, and many other excellent grapes: his studies had shrunke and withered, even then when they were about to knit, had it not beene for you and your exhibitions. To tell you what great charge you bestowed on him, I need not: to tell the world in print, is a thing you desire not; onelyonly I would men of quality would stay their hands from their excesses upo… unprofitable creatures, and learne of you to shew their bounty, in watering such plants as this was; and then they neede not repent of their excesses, but rather rejoyce with you for their expences: And I could wish, that every Gentleman of ranke, could say, as you can, that in his time hee hath raised up an able Schollar, a learned Divine, a well studied Artist, a skilfull Linguist, and, which is the soule of all, a verie godly Minister. Had hee lived, you had enjoyed him, and he you; but hee is gone to enjoy the Lord, and in reading of this his booke, you may in some sort enjoy him. And such as read this and the rest of his labours, if they profit not by them, let them blame themselves: if they doe (as I am certaine many doe) next unto the Lord, let them thanke you, and blesse God for him and you, to whom I commit both you and yours, and remaine
Yours in the Lord Christ, RICHARD CAPEL.
To the Reader.
COurteous Reader, if any other print this book according to any notes, I thought good to give thee notice, that this is according to the Originall, under the Authors owne hand; left unto me, when he departed this world: and therefore take this as the onelyonly, true, and genuine Copy. And so farewell.
R. CAPEL▪