Rules and Directions concerning Suspention from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper in cases of Ignorance.

1. Of one God in three persons. ALL such persons who shalbe admitted to the Sacra­ment of the Lords Supper ought to know that there is a God, that there is but one ever-living and true God, maker of Heaven and Earth, and Governor of all things; That this only true God, is the God whom we worship; That this God is but one, yet three distinct Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, all equally God.

2. Of mans creation and fall. That God created man after his own Image, in know­ledge, righteousness, and true holiness; That by one man sin entred into the World, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned; That there­by they are all dead in trespasses and sins, and are by na­ture the children of wrath, and so lyable to eternal death, the wages of every sin.

3. Of CHRIST. That there is but one Mediator between God and man, the ma [...] Christ Jesus, who is also over all, God blessed for ever, neither is there salvation in any other; That he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, & born of the Virgin Mary; That he dyed upon the Cross to save his people from their sins; That he rose again the third day from the dead, ascended into Heaven, sits at the right hand of God, and makes continual intercession for us, of whose fulness wee receive all grace necessary to salvation.

4. Of Faith, Repentance, and holy Life. That Christ and his benefits are applyed only by Faith; That faith is the gift of God, and that we have it not of our selves, but it is wrought in us by the Word and Spirit of God.

That faith is that grace whereby we beleeve and trust in Christ for remission of sins & life everlasting, according to the promise of the Gospel, that whosoever beleeves not on the Son of God, shal not see life, but shal perish eternally.

That they who truly repent of their sins, do see them sorrow for them, and turn from them to the Lord, and [...] except men repent they shall surely perish.

That a godly life is conscionably ordered according to the Word of God, in Holiness and Righteousness, without which no man shal see God.

5. Of the Sacraments. That the Sacraments are seals of the Covenant of Grace in the blood of Christ; That the Sacraments of the New Testament are Baptisme and the Lords Supper; that the outward Elements in the Lords Supper are Bread and Wine, and do signifie the Body and Blood of Christ Cruci­fied, which the worthy Receiver by Faith, doth partake of in this Sacrament, which Christ hath likewise Ordained for the remembrance of his death, that whosoever eats and drinks unworthily, is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord, and therefore that every one is to examine himself, least he eat and drink judgement to himself, not discer­ning the Lords Body.

6. Of the souls and bodies of men after death. That the Souls of the faithful after death do immediate­ly live with Christ in Blessedness, and that the Souls of the wicked do immediately go into Hel torments. That there shal be a Resurrection or the bodies both of the just and unjust at the last Day, at which time all shal appear be­fore the judgement Seat of Christ, to receive according to what they have done in the body, whether it be good or e­vil; And that the righteous shal go into life eternal, and the wicked into everlasting punishment.

And it is further Ordained by the Lords and Commons, That those who have a competent measure of understand­ing concerning the matters contained in these Articles shal not be kept back from the Sacrament of the Lords Supper for Ignorance; And that the Examination and Judgment of such Persons as shal for their ignorance of the aforesaid points of Religion not to be admitted to the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, is to be in the power of the Eldership of every Congregation:

The Parliaments Rules and directions concerning Sa­cramentall knowledge, drawn into questions and answers, with an addition of Scripture-proofs and some briefe Directions for self-examination.

Directions for the Examina­tion of our selves before we come to the Lords Sup­per, added by the Author.

Q. YOu said even now that we must exa­mine our selves before we come to Gods table; tell me, how must we examine our selves.

A. The word [examine] in the Originall signifies to prove and try as the gold smith doth his gold, which he doth we know two wayes. 1. By his touchstone, whether it be tiue or counterfei [...]. 2. By the ballance whe­ther it be weight, or how much to ligh [...]. So must we try our selves by the touchstone and ballance of Gods Word. 1. Whether we be ChristiansREV. 3.1. only in name,2 COR, 13.5. or in deed, and it truth. 2. If in truth, then how we come short of what we should be.

More plainly we must examine our selves, 1. concerning our graces, and 2. concerning our sins.

Q. Of what graces must we examine our selves.

A. More especially of those which more immediatly concern our coming to Gods Table, as,

1 Of our knowledge, which is the eye of the soul to discern what we eat.

2 Of our faith, which is as the hand of the soul to receive Christ and all his merits as the chief nourishment of our souls.

3 Of our repentance which is as a sallet of sowre herbs to provoke our dul appetite to these heavenly dai [...]ies.

4 Of our love which is as the heat of the stomack to digest Christ and to convey him into all his members.

5 Of our reverence and godly fear of that divine majesty before whom we come and of the heavenly instructions we come about.

6 Of our thankfulnesse to the matter of the feast, who hath made us thus a feast of the flesh and blood of his own and only son.

Q. Wherein consists this examination of our selves concerning these?

A. According to the scriptures manner of [Page 12]speaking (which under words of knowledge comprehends affections and practise sutable) it consists in three things.

1 In an impartial search whether we have these graces of which is made up our wed­ding garment; which is a vesture of gold wrought about with divers colours, PSAL. 45.10. that is to say the garment of faith in­terwoven with divers other graces, 1 PET. 1.7. COL. 1.3.12, 13, 14.

2 If we find we have those graces, then the second thing is to prepare our selves; that is to say, to stir them up, and put them on as the b [...]de her ornaments against our coming; for it is not the bare having, but the having on our wedding garment that makes us welcome guests, MAT. 22.12. it is not the bare having of grace, but the present exercise thereof that makes us worthy recei­vers. The Corinthians had all graces, 1 COR. 1.4, 5, 7. but1 COR. 11.28.21.29. because they came not in the exercise of them (as of their love and godly fear) they were judged of God as unworthy receivers, as not discerning the Lords body, we must therefore quicken and revive our graces, before we come and so put on our wedding garment.

3 If we fear we have not these graces, [Page 13]then the third and last thing is to bewail our wants and to fly unto God and to beg them of him by hearty prayers, JAMES 1.5.

And finding our selves thus groaning under the sense of our wants, and hungring and thirsting after Gods grace, we may boldly come; for ChristMAT. 11.28. cals all such to come, and promisesMAT. 5.6. they shal be filled.

Q. You said we must also examine our selves concerning our sins; of what sins e­specially must we examine our selves?

A. 1. Of scandalous sins whereby we have not only offended God, and wounded our own souls, but also scandalized our brother; that is to say, grieved the stronger, and occa­sioned the weaker to sin by our example.

2. Of our wilful defects and decays in grace; arising either from our neglect of the means, or not using them so frequently and conscionably as we ought, or not approving the occasions of grace and our former expe­rience attained unto.

Q. Wherein consists this examination of our sins?

A. According to the former use of the Word it consists

1. In a careful and faithful searching out our sins with all their aggravations, as with [Page 14]how high a hand we have offended; against what light we have sinned; what offence to God and man we have incurred; and what wounds have followed on our own souls thereby.

2. In a diligent enquiry, how we stand af­fected to our sins? As,

1. Whether we judge our selves for them and grieve especially that we have offended God, grieved his good spirit, scandalized our brethren, and wounded our own souls.

2. Whether we earnestly desire to be freed, not only from the punishment, but also from the power of sin, and to be reconciled unto God.

3. Whether to this end, we fly unto Christ, that he may thus save us from our sins, and make our peace with God.

4. Whether we resolve fully with our selves to leave, by Gods grace, our sins for the time to come, and to lead new lives; and to this end, to use all means appointed by God, and to use them frequently, and consci­onably as we ought, and to improve all holy opportunities.

And they again who find it thus with them they may come with comfort; but as for those who are neither troubled with the want of Gods grace, nor with the burden of [Page 15]their sins, and coming to Gods Table, have no sense of what they come about; nor prepare their hearts to seek the Lord (2 CHRON. 30.18, 19.) such cannot be but unworthy receivers: and so eat judgement to themselves as not discerning the Lords body.