The Lords Supper Briefly Vindicated, Title page – To the reader
THE LORDS SUPPER BRIEFLY VINDICATED; AND Clearly demonſtrated by Scripture and other Authorities, to be a GRACE-BEGETTING, SOUL-CONVERTING, (as well as confirming) ORDINANCE; againſt all falſe, vain, abſurd, irreligious Cavils, Objections, Whimſies, Deluſions of thoſe Novelliſts, who have lately contradicted it, both in Preſs and Pulpit: here ſatisfactorily refuted, retorted, diſſipated.
By William Prynne of Swainſwick Eſquire; a Bencher of Lincolns Inne.
1 Cor. 10.16. The Cup of bleſſing which we bleſs, is it not the Communion of the Bloud of Chriſt? The Bread which we break, is it not the Communion of the Body of Chriſt?
Synodus Senonenſis: 1528. apud Laur. Bochellum, Decret. Eccleſ. Gallicanae. l. 2. Tit. 1. c. 34. p. 153. Quis autem Vivificum eſſe neget Euchariſtiae Sacramentum quod tam apertis teſtimoniis Scripturae comprobatur? Calix enim Benedictionis, cui benedicimus, nonne Communicatio Sanguinis Chriſti eſt? &c. Quibus luce clarius conſtat, Euchariſtiae Sacramentum Gratiam conferre.
LONDON, Printed, and are to be ſold by Edward Thomas in Green Arbor, 1658
To the Reader.
CHriſtian Reader, I here preſent thee with a Brief (yet full, Satisfactory) Vindication, and clear Demonſtrations from Scripture and other Authorities, That the Lords Supper, is not only a meer confirming, but likewiſe a Grace-begetting, Soulconverting Ordinance: Wherein I have truly propounded, ſatisfactorily refuted, retorted, and (I hope) for ever diſſipated, all the falſe, vain, abſurd, irreligious Objections, Cavils, Whimſies, Deluſions of thoſe Novelliſts, who have lately contradicted it both in Preſs and Pulpit; and upon this falſe Account, moſt irreligiouſly, if not antichriſtianly refuſed to administer it to their people for ſundry years together, and that by a ſecret Combination, to carry on their own Self-intereſts, against the very Intereſt and Inſtitution of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt. The Occaſion of penning this Publication, was a late Act-Queſtion, and a Sermon which I heard this laſt Vacation; The principal motive exciting me thereunto, was this ſad Obſervation, That though ſundry Miniſters in moſt parts of England have most audaciouſly, frequently, earnestly in their Pulpits and Publications decried, impugned the Grace-ingendring, Soul-inlivening power of the Lords Supper, (and other Sacraments) againſt the ſacred Scipture, the reſolutions of Fathers, Councils, Schoolmen, Proteſtant Divines, the Articles, Chief Writers of our Church, and the Directory it ſelf, to juſtifie their debarring the people from it year after year; yet few or none of our Miniſters, of a contrary judgement, (Mr. Humfryes with ſome one or two more excepted) have dared openl, to refute, write or preach againſt this their moſt dangerous ſpreading Error, and diſuſage of this Sacrament grounded on it, to reclaim them from it, or undeceive their ſeduced Auditors, Readers; ſuch being their general luke warmneſs, or rather key-coldneſs in this common cauſe, for fear of diſcontenting thoſe their over-rigid Presbyterian and Independent Brethren; or impairing that now Claſſical Juriſdiction which they have long attempted to erect, oft ſuſpending their Pariſhioners from the Lords Supper at their pleaſures; that unleſs ſome Lay-men (as John Timſon, Mr. Morrice, and my Self) had publikely oppoſed, refuted them in printed Diſcourſes (having no command of their Pulpits) this their Anti-Sacramental, abſurd, impious Paradox had paſſed for Orthodox truth, without controll; and totally deprived the people in all or moſt places, both of the frequent uſe of the Lords Supper, and of their Chriſtian liberty and free acceſs thereto in any place, unleſs they firſt ſubmitted their necks to a Claſſical examination both of their knowledge, lives, and ſaving Graces; or new-modelled themſelves into an Independent, or Anabaptiſtical congregation: Which miſchiefs though our Books (through Gods bleſſing on them) have in a great meaſure prevented; yea converted ſome, & quite ſilenced others of the Oppoſite party, yet ſuch is their obſtinacy, ſuch their unchriſtian, uncharitable deportment towards us, that the generality of the Presbyterial and Independent Miniſters ſecretly backbite, maligne, and ſome of them openly revile us for our pains, as croſſing their ſelf-deſigns, though they cannot refute, nor deny thoſe Truths we have defended, out of meer zeal to Gods Glory, Christs Sacraments, and the peoples Chriſtian liberty, Converſion, Edification, Conſolation, Salvation: Now the Lord convince them all throughly of, and convert them from this their ſin, error, by his effectual bleſſing on our former Labors, and particularly on this Brief Vindication; from which if thou ſhalt receive any Spiritual benefit or ſatisfaction in the points therein debated, give God the whole Glory of it, and me only a ſhare in thy daily Prayers.
William Prynne. Swainſwick, 24 Auguſt 1657.