Suspension Suspended, Title page – Dedication
SUSPENTION SUSPENDED.
OR, The Divines of SYON-COLLEDGE late claim Of the Power of ſuſpending Scandalous Perſons, from the LORDS SUPPER (without ſequeſtring them from any other Publicke Ordinance, or the ſociety of Chriſtians) and that by the very Will and Appointment of JESUS CHRIST (not by vertue of any Ordinance of Parliament) from whom they receive both their Office and Authority; briefly examined, diſcuſſed, refuted by the Word of God, and Arguments deduced from it; and the contrary Objections cleerly Anſwered.
Wherein; a bare Suſpention of Perſons from the LORDS SUPPER onelyonly, without a Secluſion of them from other Ordinances, is proved to be no Cenſure or Diſcipline appointed by JESUS CHRIST in his Word: That ſome Texts commonly alledged for proof of ſuch a Suſpention and of Excommunication, doe really warrant neither.
That the Lords Supper is frequently, not rarely to be Adminiſtred as well to unregenerate Chriſtians to convert them, as to regenerate to confirme them: Whether it be a Seale of Grace or not, and in what ſenſe? debated; and ſome common miſtakes therein rectified.
By WILLIAM PRYNNE of Lincolnes Inne, Eſq.
JER. 14. 14.
Then the Lord ſaid unto me; the Prophets propheſie lyes in my name; I ſent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither ſpake unto them: they Propheſie unto you a falſe viſion and divination, and a thing of naught, and the deceit of their heart.
1 JOHN 4. 1.
Beloved, beleeve not every Spirit, but try the Spirits whether they be of God; becauſe many falſe Prophets are gone out into the world.
LONDON: Printed by T. B. for Michael Sparke at the ſigne of the Blew-Bible in Green Arbour, 1646.
To the right Honourable HENRY Earle of Kent, and the reſt of the COMMISSIONERS for the Great Seale of England.
RIGHT HONORABLE,
THE Lords Supper being commonly tearmed by Divines, both in their Writings and Sermons (though never by the ſpirit of God in ſacred Writ) a Sacrament, and a Seale; yea, Gods GREAT SEALE of Grace, and of the Covenant of Grace; wher of our Syon Colledg Miniſters now preted themſelves the divine LORD KEEPERS, aſſerting that by the will and appointment of Jeſus Chriſt himſelf, they have both Commiſſion and Authority to ſuſpend al ſuch whom they ſhall deem Ignorant or Scandalous from this SEALE (though they earneſtly thirſt & hunger after it, and be not actually excō municated from any other publicke Ordinance, or the ſociety of Chriſtians:) I conceived I could not ſo fitly Dedicate this Briefe Examination and Refutation of their Divine claim and new Inſtitution of ſole ſuſpention from the Sacrament (ſo much contested for) to any others, as to Your Honors, the preſent Commiſſioners for the Cuſtody of THE GREAT SEAL OF ENGLAND; to whoſe Noble Patronage I humbly recommend it, ſo farre forth onelyonly as it ſhall appear to be conſonant to the Word of Truth.
My little Treatiſe, intituled, The opening of the Great Seale of England, was, through Gods bleſſing on it, one ſpeciall meanes of paſſing the firſt Ordinance for the New great Seale of England, which hath ever ſince continued in your keeping; and I have ſome good hopes, that by the like divine Benediction on this ſmaller Pamphlet, the Lords Supper (the GREAT SEAL OF HEAVEN, as many ſtile it) ſhall be opened, and communicated to many poore ſoules cordially deſirous to receive it, who otherwiſe might have moſt injuriouſly (by colour of the pretended Will and appointment of Jeſus Chriſt) been ſuſpended from it.
Where this Will and Appointment of Chriſt is to be found in Scripture, it rests on the Divines of Syon-Colledge to demonstrate; for my part, after many diligent inquiries to find it out either in the old or new Teſtament, I alwayes returned with a Non eſt inventus: only this I have obſerved in my reading, that when ever any matters of Eccleſiaſticall or Pontificall Juriſdiction have come to be debated, the Clergy in all Ages have made very ſtrange Interpretations and perverſions of Scripture to maintaine their pretended Divine Authority. What ridiculous Inferences the Popes of Rome, with their Paraſites have publiſhed in print to ſupport their uſurped Antichriſtian ſupremacy over all Biſhops, Churches and Kings themſelves, from, Thou art Peter; ariſe Peter kill and eat; Lanch out into the deep; Feed my ſheepe; God made two great lights; Behold, here are two ſwords: Ye ſhall find an Aſſe and a Colt tyed, looſe them and bring them hither: Tell it to the Church, &c. is known to all who peruſe their Books of this controverſie; Whether ſome of our Divines have not incurred the like ſoleciſmes, and made almoſt as groſe Miſapplications of Scripture as they, in maintenance of their new Church-government and Diſcipline, I ſubmit to the determination of ſuch who without partiality have peruſed their la…e Diſcourſes of that ſubject: For my part, having neither any private intereſt nor Deſign to misbyas my judgment,2 Cor. 3. 8 I a can (I dare) do nothing againſt the Truth, but for the Truth in this preſent controverſie. My impartiall debate whereof, though it may diſpleaſe ſome, will I truſt conduce much to the ſettlement of our publike peace (which the unhappy controverſies about Church-government have disturbed) and find acceptance with all lovers of Truth in generall, and your Honours in particular, from the hands
Of your Devoted Servant, WILLIAM PRYNNE.