THe businesse of Excommunication, and Sequestration from the Sacrament, now in publike Agitation, is a matter of great moment, much difficulty, and very circumspectly to be handled, established, to prevent Prophanation and Scan­dall on the one hand; and Arbitrary, Tyranicall, Papall Domineering over the Consciences, the spirituall Priviled­ges of Christians, on the other; which will necessarily follow, if it fall into indiscreet, over-severe, ambitious, passionate or revengefull hands, as we felt by wofull experience under the Papacy and Prelacy: (Nam paucis res illa tutò committi potest: Mox solet subrepere Dominandi studium, & sub praetextu Pietatis suunt paenas ob privata odia, aut Dogmata, vel Talia; as Theologiae Problemat, Lo­cus, 112. De excommunica­tione, p. 340. Aretius well observes; who debating this question; An hodiè restitui possit Excommunicatio? Resolves thus. Sunt qui disciplinam hanc etiam hodiè reducere velint, in eam (que) rem toti incumbant; Alii in eo videntur desperare: Et quanquam despera [...]dum non putem, tamen perquam arduum judico, nec non impossibile praesentibus moribus, col [...]a submittere ejusmodi disciplinae: For which among other reasons, he renders this. Accedunt exempla corum, qui idem conati, cum risu destitêre, aut quibus pessimè cessit: magno studio in Germaniae quibusdam ecclesiijs instituta fuit; sed cecidit in spongiam natus ridi­culus mus: as some feare it nay now do among us, unles it be setled with great wisdome, caution, moderation, certainty, and as little as possible herein left to any mans discretion; The serious consideration where­of hath induced me to propound these ensuing Questions to our Vene­rable Assembly, and all other moderate Christians, who ought in all things (especially in this) to avoyd Extreames, and the seeming affecta­tion of any greater lording power over the Consciences or Priviledges of their Christian Brethren, then of right belongs unto them; least they approve that in, or usurpe that to themselves, which they have so ve­hemently heretofore declaimed against in, denied to, and quite taken away from the Pope and Prelates.

1. Whether Mathew 18. 16. 17. Let him be to THEE, (not to the whole Church, and all others) as a Heathen, and a Publican, (meant only of per­sonall privat trespasses betweene man and man, not publique scanda­lous sins against the Congregation, as is cleare by v: 15. If thy Brother shall trespasse against THEE, &c. not the Church: and Lu. 17. 3. 4.) Or [Page] 1. Cor. 5. 5. 11. 1. Tim. 1. 20. To deliver such a one to Satan, &c. with such a one no not to eat, &c. be properly meant of Excommunication, or suspention from the Sacrament only? And what warrant there is in Scripture for Ministers or others to suspend men from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper only, and not from the Congregation and all other publique Or­dinances, together with it? since 1. Cor. 5 7. 9 13. Iohn 9. 22 32. 33 chap. 12, 42, chap. 16. 2. 2 Thes. 3, 14. 2 Iohn 16. 11. 3 Iohn 10. Numb. 12. 14. Deut. 23 1, 2, 3 with all other Scriptures alleaaged for the proofe or practise of Excommunication; speake only of putting, casting out, and excluding men wholly from the Congregation, Syragogue, and all publique Christian Commu­nion; but not one of them of excluding, or suspending men only from the Sacrament, and not from [...] publique Ordinances, as Prayer, Preaching, and the like: And since in the primitive times, (is is evident by Tertulians Apollogy: c. 39. De Paenitentia Lib. and others) scandalous persons, were ever excommunicated and wholy cast out of the Church (extra Gregem dati) not barely sequ [...]stred from the Sacrament: Whence all the Canonists and Schoole-men determine: [...] Excommunicatus non possit interesse divinis Officiis in Ecclesia, vel extra cum aliis: and define Ex­communication to be, An Ecclesiasticall censure, which deprives a man from the Communion of the Church, Sacraments, and all publike Ordinances: and A [...]etius defines it, to be, A [...]icuius professi Religionem nostram, à consortio fidelium, in sacris et prophanis rebus exclusio, &c. which excludes men totally from the Church, and all publique Ordinances, not from the Sacra­ment only.

2. By what Divine Authority or Scripture Text, can any Minister lawfully keepe backe any Christian from the Sacrament, (not actually Excommunicated and cast out of the Church for some notorious scan­dall upon a legal Conviction) who earnestly desires to receive it, though in his owne private judgment hee deemes him unfitting or un­worthy? since we read of no circumcised person in the old Testament, ever debarred from the Passeover by the Priests, that was willing or desirous to eat it, though perchance not altogether so prepared to ea [...]e it, as God requi [...]ed, Exod. 12. 3. 4. &c. 44, to 58. 2 Chron. 30. 13. to 21. Since Christ himselfe admitted Iudas to it, though he knew him to bee a Devill, a Traitor; Iohn 6. 70. 71. as is cleare by Math. 26 20. to 31 Mar: 14. 18. &c. Luke 22. 14 &c. Iohn 13. 31. And since Paul in the 1. cor. 11. 20. to 36: usurped no other Authority to himselfe, nor gave any power to others, to keep unworthy receivers from the Sacrament, but only admonished them of the danger of unworthy receiving, and thereupon advised every Re­ceiver, to examine HIM SELFE before hee came to receive? And whether the Minister by admonishing his Flock, of the danger of un­worthy [Page] receiving, and seriously dehorting such as hee deemes unworthy not to receive the Sacrament til they become more fit to participate, un­der paine of eating and drinking their owne damnation, and other judgments that will ensue thereon, hath not thereby discharged his full duty and conscience, as this text of the Corinths. Ezech. 33. 1. to 10. Acts 20. 26. 27. with the Liturgyes of our own and the French Churches, in their Exhortations before the Sacrament, both intimate and resolve?

3. Whether the unprofitable, and unworthy hearing of the word, be not as great, as dangerous, as damning a sinne, as the unworthy recei­ving of the Sacrament, as Math. 10. 14. 15. Mar. 16, 15, 16, Luk 8. 18 Heb 2 1, 2, 3. c. 3. 7, 8, 1 [...]. c. 6. 6. 7. 8: assert? Whether Ministers upon the selfe same grounds and pretences (of partaking of other mens sins, of being guilty of their damnations, of not giving holy things to Dogges and casting Pearles before Swine; Math. 7. 6. meant principally of preaching the Gospell to such as shall contemne it, not of the Sacrament, as is cleare by Math: 10, 14, Mar. 16, 15. 16. Acts 13 46, 51) may not as well keepe their people from preaching of the word, and refuse to preach unto them, leaft it should not profit them for want of faith, Hebr. 4 2. but increase, or aggravate their sins, and become unto them the Savour of death unto death, 2 Cor 21 5. 16 Iohn 12: 4 [...]. as from the Sacrament? And what substan­tial difference they can produce, warranted by Scripture, why they may not deny to preach the word to such Christ [...]ans whom they deeme unprofitable under, or unfit to heare it, as the Sacrament to those whom they judge unmeet to receive it?

4. Whether, seeing God only knowes the Secrets of all mens hearts, and who are his, 2 Chron. 6. 30. 2 Tim. 2. 19. not Ministers; who may oft times deeme those Worthy Communicants, who are not (as close Hy­pocrites, &c.) and those unworthy who are not, 1 Samuel 16. 5. to 14. S [...]eing hee can sodainly change notorious sinners hearts, lives, and bring them to repentance in a moment, before Ministers can take reall notice of it, Act. 9. 3. to 28. Seeing wee must not censoriously judge one another, because wee fall or stand to our owne Master, Matth. 7. 1. Luk. 6. 37. Rom. 14. 4. to 15. Seeing none must quench the smoking flax, nor breake the bruised Reed, nor discourage weake Christians by overmuch rigor, or indis­cretion, Matth. 12 20. Rom 14. Seeing every Communicant is bound to examine HIMSELFE, which he best knowes, (not others peremptorily to examine him) 1 Cor. 11. 27. 28, 29. 2 Cor. 13 5. Gal. 6. 4. 5. And every man is only to beare his owne sinne, not anothers, in which he is no partaker, Gal 6. 4. 5. Ezec. 33. 1. to 10. Ezec. 18 4 to 21. And seeing every Christian when he is invited to the Sacrament, is bound under paine of sin and contempt to receive it, 1 Cor. 11. Heb. 10. 29. Whether can any Minister in point of Conscience refuse any Christian, not actually excommunicated, the [Page] Sacrament, if he desires to receive it, in case hee professe his sincere repentance for his sins past, and promise newnesse of life for time to come, though in his own private opinion, he may chance to judge him a person unfit or unworthy to communicate? If yea, let him shew his charter for it in Scripture: This I am certain hee cannot doe: If he al­leage, hee cannot do it in point of Conscience, because hee should bee paraker of his sin, if he eate and drink damnation by unworthy receiving: The Apostle resolves the contrary; that hee eates and drinkes damna­tion only to HIMSELFE, not to the Minister, or the other Communi­cants; that he shall only beare his own burthen, and give an account of himselfe to God, Gal. 6. 4, 5. Rom. 14. 12. And the administration being onely the Ministers act, which is a holy and divine institution, the un­worthy participation the parties owne iniquity, (as is his unworthy hearing, praying &c.) not the Ministers; it can no more involve the Mi­nister in the guilt of it, then his unprofitable hearing; of which no Minister holds himselfe guilty, who with care and conscience faithfully dispenceth the Word unto his Auditors, Eze. 33. 1. to 10. Acts 20. 26. 27; which E [...]chi [...]di­an Contro. ver. [...]um Anabap. De Ecclesia. c. 6. Quaest. 3. Lucas Osiander proves at large against the Anabaptists.

Seeing therfore there is as much danger to peoples Soules in their unworthy, unprofitable hearing of the word, as receiving of the Sa­craments; and since Ministers are and may be unto God a Sweet savour of Christ, as well in them that perish, by unworthy receiving the Sacrament as in them that are saved, by worthy participation thereof; as they are in the preaching of the Gospell, 2 Cor. 2. 14, 15, 16. I cannot discerne any shadow of reason, why any godly Ministers should over-earnestly contest for such a large or unlimited Ecclesiasticall power, to exclude their Christian Brethren from the Sacrament (when not actually ex­communicated from the Church and other Ordinances) as some pre­tend to; much lesse, why any of them should resolve to give over their Ministery to which Christ hath called them, in case they cannot ob­taine such a power from the Parliament, as neither Christ, nor his Apo­stles, nor the Primitive Christians in the purest times did ever exercise; or why any shold forwardly seperate from our Church, in case such an unlimited arbitrary power be not established in our new Presbiteries, as our very Lordly Prelats never durst to claime. Moderata durant. Wherefore my earnest request to all Ministers and people shall be, to rest fully satisfied with such a limited Iurisdiction in this kind, as our Honourable, Parliament upon serious debate, shall in their Piety and Wisdom thinke meete to settle, for the prevention of scandall, Propha­nesse in the people, of Tyranny and oppression of mens consciences in the Presbytery; the only desirable boundary betweene these two Ex­tremities, which must be avoyded with all speciall care.