A Quench-Coal, Inquiry 2 · Part 1 – Part 12

A Quench-Coal · Inquiry 2 · Part 1 – Part 12

p. 248The Antiquity of this bovving.

The first Antiquity J finde that may probablie be objected for bowing to Altars, is thexxDe Bibliotheca Patrum Colon… Agrip. 1618 p. 14 15. Masse of S. Iames the Apostle, the brother of the Lord, if we dare beleive it: Wherein among other things, I finde a Prayer prescribed to the Preist, to be sayd, A fo…bus usque ad Alta…e, from the Church-dore to the Altar, which hath these words in it: We shake and …remble comming to thy holy Altar. After the Preist is gon in to the Altar, the Deacon cryes; Let us bow our heads to the Lo…d; And then the Preist kneeling downe, sayth this prayer: Tho… who only art the Lord, and a m…rcifull God; Inclinantibus cernices suas CORAM SANCTO ALTARI, &c. To all that bow then neckes b…fore thy holy Altar, & ask speciall gu…fisfiō there, sen… fo…th p. 249thy good grace, and … dictions, which cannot be taken away from u, &c.

ANSWER.

To which I answer; First, that this Liturgie is but a me…re late Popish forgery (brought in many hundred yeares after Christ.

yyDescriptor: Eccl. A… 34.Bellarmine andzzAnnal: Tō. 1. An. 63 nu 17. Baronius, being so ingenious to confesse, that there are so many additions to it of late times, as it is not easy to judge what part it had S. Iames for the Au…hour.

But if he were Authour of any part, yet doubtlesse not of this, asaaCensura scriptorum veterum: p. 9 10. Mr. Cooke proves sufficiently; To whom I shall referre you.

Secondly, here is not a word of the Preists bowing to or towards the Altar, nor yet of the peoples; But only a bowing their necke to the Lord.

Thirdly, this bowing their neckes before the Altar, was not with any relation to the Altar, but to God, and only a bowing of the body in prayer to the Lord.

Therefore this spacious forged Antiquity, hatched but of late yeares, makes nothing for this Ceremonie.

The Second Antiquity.

The second, is that ofbbEccles. H…era…h. l. c. 5. Dionysius Arcopagita, who writes: That a Bishop when he is to be consecrated, utroque genu flexo ante Altar…a, kneeling on both his knees before the Al…tar, hath the Gosple delivered by God, layd upon his head and hand: That a Preist kneeling before the Altar on his knees, hath the Bishops right hand layd upon him; That the Deacon kneeling only on one knee before the Altar, hath the Bishops right hand imposed.

After which he observes, that accesse to the Altar, inflexio genuum, the bowing of the knees, and laying on of p. 250hands, &c. is common to all three, and that their accesse to the Altar, and bowing of their knees, and all the spirituall Graces in them to God, &c.

To which I answer:

First, that this Antiquity is but some late Counterfeite Noveltie, as Mr. Cooke ccCensura: p. 50. 52. 54.hath shewed at large, and the very Ceremonies of Ordination here mentioned prove, which came not in, till at least 600 yeares after Dionysius dayes, asddD… Divin…s Ossicijs. Alcumirus witnesseth.

Secondly, admitt the Authour genuine, not forged, yet here is nothing but a kneeling downe before the Altar on both knees, to receive Imposition of hands, not any bowing of the knee or body to or towards the Altar, the thing which should be proved.

The third Antiquity.

The third, is that ofeeDe Paenitentia, lib. Edit. Rhenani. Tō. 2 p. 46. Tertu…n, where his Panitence, among other things, is prescribed. Aris Dei adgenicular…: To bow the knee to Gods Altars.

This some thinke an unanswerable Antiquity.

I answer, first: That ffSee Cooke Censura p. 70. Rhenanus in argumento … libriErasmus and divers others thinke this to be none of Tertullians, in regard of its phrase, and because Altars (as I have proved) were not then in use.

Secondly, I answer: That the true Coppy reades it, CHARIS, not ARIS DEI; as La Cerda the I…su…e in his Edition of Tertullian, and Annotations, proves at large; And the anteced…nt & subsequent words do manifest.

Plerumque v…ró je…uni…s p…eces alere, ingemiscere, lacrymari & mugire d…es …octesque ad Dominum Deum …uum, P…aesbyteris advol…, & A…is (for Charis) Dei adgeniculars, & omnibus fratribus p. 251legationes depricationis suae injurgere.

After which, some few …nes, it …o…owes by way of recitall: Ergo cum te ad fratrum g…nua protenais, Christum contrecta, Christum exo as: Which last words prov…s that, & A…s, …mistaken, and put in for Charis; ET be…g here a pla… bodge, absurdly thrust in for Ch… Which added to arts, makes Charis.

This, the placing of it between Presbyteris advolui, and omnibus fratribus, &c. warrants to be the true sence and reading; And that for three reasons.

First, because the parties that were thus to prostrate themselves to the Elders and Saints of God wereggRhenanus & La Cerda l…idem: Tripart. Hist. l. 9. c. 35. Paen…tents, or men excluded and excommunicated from the Churth and Sacraments for some hainous sim…s, which they were thus to lament: This bowing and prostration therefore of themselves, could not be Aris Dei, to the Altars, from which they were excluded; But Charis Dei, to the beloved Saints of God, to whom they might have private accesse for comfort and counsell.

Secondly, because the end of this bowing to the Elders and Brethren was only to aske them pardon for their scandals and offences against the whole Church and them; And to deprecate their crimes, as the last words, omnibus fratribus legationes depraecationis suae injungere, manifest: Or elsehhSee Tripart. Hist. l. 9. c. 35 to desire them to pray, greive and lament to God both with and for them; As the following clauses.

Quid consortes casuum tuorum ut plauso…es fugis? Non potest corpus de unius membri vexatione laetum agere: Condole at universum, & ad remedium conlaboret, necesse est, &c.

Now, it were absurd for them thus to bow and kneele dovvne to the Altar of God, for either of these tvvo causes; Therefore it vvas questionlesse to the Saints of God, and must so be rendred.

Thirdly, because the Tripartite History, Ierom, Cyprian, with others, quoted by Rhenanus and La Cerda, touching the p. 252manner of the Ex…logesis (Con…ession) in the primative times, make no mention at all of any bowing to Altars, used in this kinde of discipline, by Pae…tence; But only a bowing to the Saints of God, who bedewed these Paenitents with their teares.

This bowing therefore only to Gods Saints is no proofe of the Antiquity of bowing to Altars.

Thirdly, admit it were Aris Dei, yet it makes nothing to the purpose: For this was not any precise bowing to or towards the Altar such as is now used, but only a kneeling or prostration in prayer before it, as the text doth manifest.

Besides it is Aris Dei adgeniculari, in the Passiue, not adgeniculare in the Active verbe; Therefore no voluntary genuflexion to the Altar, but an enjoyned and enforced prostration of a pae…itent by the Altar; So that this grand authority well examined vanisheth into smoke, extending only to paenitents, not any other.

The fourth Antiquity.

The fourth is that ofiiAdversus eos qui hummae in Christ… &c. p. 565 Athanatius. Quid? quòd & hodiè qui ad Sanctum Altare accedunt, idque amplectuntur, ac cum metu ac laetitia salutant, non in lapidibus & lignis, sed in gratia per lapides & ligna nobis raepresentata adhaerent.

I answer, first, that this is notkkCookes Censura 93. &c. Athanasius his genuine worke.

Secondly, that this was only a coming up unto, and embracing and kissing of the Altar, which our Novellers now use not when they bow to it, or before it; And that out of Superstition, rather then any true Christian devotion, as is manifest.

p. 253Thirdly, it is spoken only of such who came to receive the Sacrament, …nd at the time of their receiving, not of others.

The fift Antiquity.

The fift, is that of Gorgonia, who being dangerously sicke (asllOratio 25 p. 443. Nazianzen in his Oration in her praise records) and dispairing of Mans helpe, went secretly in the darke night unto the Church; Ad Altare cum fide procumbit; Casts herself downe with faith by the Altar, calling him to witnesse who is worshipped upon it, with a loude voyce, &c. And moving her head to the Altar with the like crie, and abundance of tea…es, threatned shee would not remove from thence, till sh… had recovered her health, and so continued praying and weeping at the Altar, till by Gods goodnesse shee was miraculously recovered.

To which I answer:

First, that here is no mention of any bowing to or towards the Altar, but only of a kneeling downe, and a prostration at it, to pray and weep to him that is worshipped on it; Which proves no more the use or practice of bowing to Altars, then our Ministers kneeling downe and praying at the Lords Table, when they consecrats the Sacrament, or marry any man, warrants or proves a custome to bow to or towards the Lords Table, never in use till now of late. See the Common Prayer-Booke, the Rubricke before Communion and Mariage.

Secondly, this is alleadged as an extraordinary example only of one, and shee a woman (who in ancient times might not come neare the Altars, nor touch the Altar-clothes by the Canons; (Gratian. de Consedratione Distinct. 1. Rodulphus Tungrensis de Canonum observantia: Bibl. Patr. Tom. 4. p. 254. B.) in an extraordinary case, at an extraordinary time of the p. 254night when none were present in the Church: This swallow therefore makes no Summer, proves no generall practise or custome then, but the contrary.

The sixt Antiquity.

The sixt, is that of Eutropius the Eunuch (Socrates Scholast, Eccl es. Hist. l. 6. c. 5.) who incurring the Emperour Arcaaius displeasure, tooke the Church for his Sanctuary, and lay along at the foote of the Altar.

I answer:

That there is no prostration to or towards the Altar to adore it, but to be secured by it, a flying to it only as a Sanctuary by a guilty person fearing death, not a voluntary adoration of it, or bowing to it, by an innocent person …n no danger of his life.

Therefore impertinent, our bowers not lying downe along at the feet of our Altars, as they did.

The seaventh Antiquity.

The seaventh, is the example of Paulus the Novatian Bishop of Constantinople, who perceiving his Church to be in great & imminēt danger of burning, by reason of a fearce fire, fell prostrate before the Altar, referring unto God in his prayer the preservation of his Church, and so by his uncessant earnest prayers miraculously preserved the Church from burning. Socrates l. 7. c. 39. in the Booke 38. in the English Nicephorus, Eccles. Hist. l. 14. c. 41.

I answer:

That here was no prostration or bowing to or towards the p. 255Altar, but only a prostration in prayer before it; Which proves nothing.

Besides, Nicephorus makes no mention of the Altar, but only relates, that Paulus went into the Sanctuary, and there prostrated himselfe in prayer.

Finally, this case is extraordinary, upon an extraordinary occasion: Neither doe the Historians mention it to prove any reverence then given to the Altar, but only to shew the force and fruite of prayer, which can quench even the most raging flames of fire.

In a word; We reade here of a bowing and prostration in prayer before the Altar, but not of any bowing or prostration to the Altar without any prayer; The thing only in dispute; For which there is not one example in any Authour till above 500 yeares after Christ.

The eighth Antiquity.

The eight, is that of Rusticus, a Cardinall Deacon of Rome, about the yeare of our Lord 550. Contra A…ephalis Disputatio. Bibl. Patrum, Tom. 6. Pars 2. p. 225. G. 229. E. where he writes thus: Wee all adore the Crosse, and by it, him whose Crosse it is, yet wee are not sayd to coadore the Crosse w…h Christ, neither by this is there one nature of the Crosse and of Christ. Similiter adorare Altare, …oadorare Altari Trinitat… non dicimur, sed potius per Altare. Nec enim Tabernaculum in Erem…, nec Arca, nec Templum, nec Altaria ab antiquis coadorabantur & concolebantur & neque una est Dei & horum facta Natura. Hae verò creaturae non coadorentur Trinitati, sed per eas Trinitas adoretur. Nec non & clavos quibus fixus est, & lignum venerabilis Crucis, omnis per totum p. 256m…rdum Ecclesia absque …lla contradictione adorant, &c.

To which I answer:

First, that this is one of the Papists new forged Fathers, not heard of in the Church till now of late; Besides, they branded him for a Schismaticke, and a man then deprived by the Pope, and cannot certainly define whether this be his work. See Biblioth. Patrum before his workes.

Secondly, this worke must not be so ancient, or else the Authour is a great lyar, it being that the vniversall Church did not adore the Crosse and Nay es universally in that age, nor adore God and Christ in, by, and through Altars, Crucif…x…s, and Images, nor yet in 50 yeares after, as is apparant by Pope Gregory the first; (Registr. lib. 7. Epist. 109 & l. 9 Epist. 9.) No, nor yet in 300 yeares after witnesse the Councell of Constantinople Anno 754. Mathew Westminster H…: 793. Houeden Annal. pars l. p. 405. The Councell of Paus An. 824. Agobardus his booke de Picturis & Imaginibus: Our owne Homilies aganst the Perill of Idolatrie, together with Zonarus in his Annals, N…celus in his Annals, Eutropius in his Romane History, and the other Centurie writers witnessing as much.

This Authour therefore being either a bastard or a lyer, will not stand them much in stead.

Thirdly, I answer, if our Novellers will take advantage of this authority, which I have quoted for them, let them take him all, or none.

That I presume they will not doe, for then they must adore the Crosse, the Crucifix, and Nayles wherewith our Saviour was pearced, and that they will not doe (I suppose) as yet: If therefore they disclaime him in this, why not in that of adoring the Altar.

p. 257Fourthly, he writes expresly, that they did adore the Altar, and not coadore the Trinity with it, but rather adore the Trinity by or through it.

Now thus to adore the Altar, or God with, or by, or through it, is no lesse Idolatrie, by our owne Homilies … and all our writers resolution; Whereupon Dr. Duncombe in his determination at Cambridge, disclaimed utterly any worshipping or adoring God by or through the Altar, even in his defence of bowing to or towards it.

This Idolatrous adoration of the Altar and President will not stead them, but quite spoyle their cause.

The ninth Antiquity.

The ninth that may be objected, is that ofmmBibl: Patrum Tom. 10. p. 415. 416. E. c. Stephanus Edvensis, a Bishop An: 950. Cap. 12. de Sacramento Altaris, Where he writes: That the Preist coming to the Altar in his Massing-v…st…ents, osculatnr Evangelium & Altare, kisseth the Bible and the Altar, signifying him thereby, who with the kille of his meare nation hath made both one in the incaruation of the Iewes and Gentiles.

He holds or stands at (Tenet dexteram partem Altaris) the right hand-side of the Alta…, because Christ was promised in the Law to the Jewes, before he preache… to the Gentiles. After that the Gosple is removed from the right hand or corner of the Altar to the left by the Deacon or Preist, the right hand is attributed to the Iewes, for the veneration of the Law, the left to the Gentiles for their execrable Idolatrie.

The Gosples Doctrine committed to them, was first repulsed by the Iewes; Whence the Gosple ought to be read on the left side of the Altar towards the North, &c. (O profound reason and divinity!)

After the Preist, inclinans seante Medium Altaris, bowing himselfe or kneeling downe before the middest of the Altar, prayes p. 258to God the Father to give him the spirit of humility, &c. Which I have cited more at large, to shew the ridiculous grounds of Popish Ceremonies.

I answer:

First, that in all this there is not one word of bowing to or towards the Altar, which certainly would here have been mentioned among other Ceremonies, had it been then in use.

Secondly, the last words mention only a kneeling downe at the Altar (and that by the Preist, at the time of Consecration) to pray, but no kneeling or bowing to the Altar, either before, after, or without any prayer, the Ceremony now contended fore. This therefore is not home.

The tenth Antiquity.

The tenth, is that of nnBibliot…. Patrum Tom. 12. pars 1. p. 1054.Honorius Augustodunensis de antiquo ritu M…ssarum, l. 3. c. 30. De Inclinationibus.

Dam Ecclesiam ingredientes ad Altare inclinamus, quasi regem milites adoramus. Aeterni quippe Regis Milites sumus, cui semper in precinctu specialis militiae assumus. Cum autem ad Orientem & Occidentem inclinamus, Deum ubique praesentem nos adorare monstramus. Quem it a rationali motu ab ortu nostrae nativitatis usque ad occasum mortis sequi debemus, sicut coelum ab Oriente in Occidentem naturali revolutione ferri videmus. Quod Monachi expressius designavit, qui se toto corpore ab Oriente in Occidentem girant.

p. 259To which I answer:

That this Authour lived 1120 yeares after Christ, and is the first undoubted writer that makes mention of bowing to the Altar at the en…ring into the Church, which I have met with all; Which Ceremony, as is likely, began in his dayes. But yet observe.

First, he sayth, they bowed To, not towards the Altar only; Which many of our Novellers deny they doe.

Secondly, that the ground and reason of bowing to the Altar then, is farre different from those reasons alleadged for it now.

They bowed thus: Only to restify that they were Gods Soldiours, ready at all times to doe him service; Not, from any reasons drawne from the Altar; But wee forsooth must bow to it, because it is Gods mercy seat, the place of Christs speciall presence on Earth, his Chaire of state, to testify ou… Communion with the faithfull, because it is the principall part of the Church; And if all these faile, because it is used in Cathedrall Churches; Which reason they never dream'd on then.

Thirdly, that as they then bowed to the Altar, so likewise they bowed themselves both East and West, to testify, that God whom they worshipped was every where alike present.

But our men will only bow Eastward, and have all Altars so situated, not Westward; And confine Gods speciall presence to their Altar, and the East end of the Church, as if he were not every where present alike; Which is directly opposite both to their practise and reason here alleadged to the contrary.

Fourthly, they bowed only to the Altar at their first entrance into the Church, ours now, not only at their coming in, but every time they passe by it, towards it, repaire to it, retire from it, and at their going out of the Church besides.

Fiftly, this, in that age, was the practise only of Monkes when they went to their houres of prayer (for of them he speakes, as is p. 260evident by the precedent and subsequent chapters) with reference to these houres. Therefore it is no proofe for Ministers or Laymens practise of it then, or now.

The eleaventh Antiquity.

The eleaventh, is that ofooBiblioth. patr. Tom. 14. p. 252 A 254. B. C. 256. B. Rudolphus Tungrensis, florishing about the yeare of our Lord 1380. De Canonum observantia propositio 23. Who as he informes us in direct tearmes, that Sixtus the second Anno 261 ordained;

That the Masse should be celebrated upon an Altar, QUOD ANTEA NON FIEBAT, which before that time was not done, (a cleare proofe that Christians for 261 yeares after Christ had no Altar in use) so he writes: That the Preist in that age read the Gosple at the left corner of the Altar, according to the Roman Order, that on the Right side he might be the readier to receive oblation, and performe sacrifice. That the Roman Order prescribes, that incense with a Tapor should be caried before the Gosple, when it was caried to the Altar or Readers seate. And then relating divers Ceremonies about the Masse, he sayth: Sacerdos autem humiliationem Christi usque ad mortem Ctucis nobis indicat, quando se usque ad Altare inclinat, dicendo habe igitur ohlationem. Et statim in sequentibus narrationem de Dominica passione orditur; Quam usque ad supplices te rogamus, observat; Quosque juxta Altare se inclinans, Christum in Cruce inclinato capite spiritum tradidisse signat.

To which I answer:

That this is no bowing to or towards the Altar; But a p. 261bowing of the Preist, as low as the Altar, and by …r besides the Altar, not out of any respect or reverence to it, but to sh…w forth Christs humiliation unto the death of the Crosse (as i… the Sacrament (1 Cor. 11. 24. 25. 26) instituted for that purpose, and then celebrated, were not sufficient for that, without this idle Ceremonie, to shew that Christ bowed his head, when he gave up the Ghost, (as if Christ himselfe at his last supper, or his Apostles after him, could not have prescribed such Ceremonies for these ends, had they thought them necessary:) T…erefore its no warrant or proofe of any bowing or inclination to or towards the Altar (especially for other ends) which is not so much as mentioned in this writer, there being non Canon extant for it in his age.

The twelveth Antiquity.

The twelveth, is that of Eugenius Roblesius (Bibl. Patrum Tom. 15. p. 761. G. H.) de authoritate & ordine Officij M…rzabarici, among the Gothes. Where J find no mention of the Preists genuflection to the Altar before the ordinary Mas…e, or in it; But these passages after it: Absoluta Missa, Sacerdos genubus flexis juxta Altare recitat, salve regina. D…nde deosculato Altare, convertit se ad populum: But in the Lenton Masses, immediately after the Psalmes, Sacerd…s genust xo supragradus Altaris recitat quasdam preces, &c. Hinc ante sacrificium & oblationom, Sacerdos genu flexo ad Altare, recitat. alias preces, &c.

But all this proves only a kneeling and genuflection in prayer at the Altar, not any bowing or incuruation to or tow…rds it, and that all the time of the Consecration by the Preist alone, not by other at other seasous.

These are all the cheife Authorities I have hitherto observed, which seem to give any colour to this bowing to or towards Altars, which Ceremonie I cannot finde prescribed in any Bookes of Divine Offices, Canonists, Missals, Caeremonials, p. 262Primers, Psalters, Liturgies, Masse-Bookes, or Masses (no not in the Popish Churches, much le…e at home) that have hitherto come unto my hands: A strong argument and evidence in my judgement, that it was never used in former times as now it is of late: The fore-cited Authorities (two only excepted, and those late Popish writers) making nothing at all either for the lawfulnesse of this Ceremonie, though many ignorant superstitious persons are deluded by them.

Most of these Authorities, I confesse, are not cited or objected by the opposites, but least they might object or pervert them hereafter, J have here propounded and answered them by way of anticipation, and all others of this nature, in answering these.