Appendix to a Vindication of Free Admission to the Lords Supper, Title page
AN APPENDIX TO A SEASONABLE VINDICATION OF FREE-ADMISSION, TO, AND FREQUENT ADMINISTRATION OF THE Lords Holy Communion, To all Viſible Church-members, Regenerate or Unregenerate.
By William Prynne Eſquire, a Bencher of Lincolns Inne.
Auguſtin. in Pſal. 48. Enar. Concio. 1. Tom. 8. pars 1. p. 535. Manducant illi et adorant; manducant isti et ſaturantur, tamen Omnes manducant. Exigitur de manducante quod manducat; non prohibeatur manducare a Diſpenſatore; ſed moneatur timere Exactorem. Audiant ergo iſta Peccatores et Justi; Gentes et qui habitant orbem, terrigenae et filii h…minum, ſimul in unum dives et pauper, non diviſi, non ſeparati: Tempus Meſſis hoc faciet, manus ventilatoris hoc poterit. Nunc ſimul in unum audiant Dives et Pauper, Simul in unum paſcantur Haedi et Agni, donec veniat qui ſegreget alios ad dextram, alios ad ſiniſtram. Simul in unum audiant docentem, ne ſegregati ab invicem audiant judicantem.
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1657.
An Appendix to a Seaſonable Vindication of a Free—Admiſsion to, and Frequent Adminiſtration of the Lords Holy Communion, &c.
HAving at large demonſtrated the conſtant practice of the Primitive Church in the frequent adminiſtration of the Holy Communion to all Viſible unexcommunicate Church Members, by the teſtimony of Fathers, Councils, & other Writers of all ſorts, with the continuation, approbation of this laudable Practice in our own and other reformed Churches, till of late years; I cannot but with much grief of heart, behold the diſcontinuance and diſuſage of it in ſundry of our Churches for divers years together, as a ſad ſymptome both of the Corruption, Degeneracy, Apoſtacy, unzealouſneſs of our Church and Miniſters in theſe reforming times; It being aIn his Catechiſm, Vol. 1. f. 463.Tho. Beacon his true obſervatior; That when the Church of Chriſt was most pure, the Sacrament of the body and bloud of Chriſt was most often received of the Chriſtians. Therefore the rare uſing, ſuſpending, and quite caſting aſide of this Sacrament for ſundry years together in many Churches, is an undoubted evidence, not of the reformatiō, but corruptiō, apoſtacy of thoſe Churches (eſpecially of their Miniſters, the chief Authors of it through ambition, faction, deſign, Anabaptiſtical, or Popiſh principles: which I hope thoſe who profeſs themſelves Judges of the Law will now take care publikely to redreſſe, upon the peoples *See My Legal Reſolution of two Important Quaeres.ſad complaints of their Miniſters neglects herein, on the one hand, as well as to give them relief for their Tithes, when or where injuriouſly detained, on the other hand. For their better incouragement herein, I ſhall for the Honor of the Profeſſors of the Law of that honorable Society of Lincolns Inn, whereof I am a Member, preſent the world with ſome Memorable Orders, made by the Benchers of that Society in the Reigns of Q. Eliz. K. James, and K. Charls, for the frequent receiving of the Lords Supper in the Chapel therof, by every Member of the ſame; and expulſion of all ſuch out of the Society as unworthy to be Members, who refuſed frequently to receive it; or forbore to Communicate in the Chapel there; (according very well with the Diſcipline of the Primitive Church and times) now fit to be revived in the ſaid Chriſtian Society, where two or three Sacraments for many years paſt have been, and ſtill are conſtantly adminiſtred every Term, to give good Example to all other Churches, Chapels throughout the Nation, and convince all preſent Members of that Society, who negligently, or obſtinately forbear to repair to the Ordinances, and Sacrament there adminiſtred in this age, how well they deſerve to feel the rod of the antient Diſcipline of the Society, inflicted upon ſuch delinquents in former times, compriſed in theſe following Orders entred in the Black Books thereof for that end, and the benefit of Poſterity.
bLib. Niger 5. f. 111, 112.Ad Concilium ibidem tentum in fest. AſcentionisLincolns Inne. Anno 12. Reginae Elizabethae, in praeſentia of 12. Benchers, this Letter from the Lords of the Queens Council was read and entred in the Black Book.