A Dispute Upon Communicating at our Confused Communions, Chapter 3
CHAP. 3. Of confuſion of two Actions in the time of celebration.
Two exerciſes ar confounded in the aſſemblie by the want of the old forme of distributing.THe ſecond innovation is a confuſion of two actions, and parts of Gods worſhip in one aſſemblie and one time. The Reader is reading, the congregation hearkening to the Reader, or following him in ſinging of Pſalmes in the meane time, when the Miniſter hard beſide is ſpeeking to the communicants, and delivering the Elements. If the like were done at the ſolemnization of mariage, it would be thought an intollerable abuſe. Yee will ſay, the people will otherwiſe wearie, and the action become graceleſſe, and cold. It is true, and late experience hath let men ſee this inconvenience. But the right way to amend it, is not to bring in confuſion. For that is to cure a diſeaſe with a remedie worſe then the diſeaſe. Of the two the firſt ſtandeth better with reaſon. For there is no reaſon, that when the Miniſter is ſpeaking,De rebus eccleſ. cap. 22. another voice ſhould be heard in the aſſemblie Walafridus Strabo ſayeth, Wee beleeve that of old, the holie Fathers did offer and communicate with ſilence, which we yet obſerve vponupon the holie Sabboth (or Saturday) of Eaſter. Chanting was brought in afterward to keepe the people from wearying. So now it is reſtored to the ſame end.
To returne againe to the right way entereth never in Mens hearts. Forward they will goe, notwithſtanding of anie inconvenience which rancountereth them, till the angel of the Lord meete them in the way, as he did Balaam. The like remedie is uſed in other Kirks, where the want of this manner of diſtribution is, wherunto they never attained. And therefore cannot ſerue for a pretence againſt us, and that comfortable manner of celebration, which we had. Chriſts manner, which we practiſed, needed not ſuch remedies. The hearts of all the hearers were ſtirred up by comfortable exhortation, and ſpeeches of the Miniſter, and together, as it were with one heart, they applied themſelues to the meditation of that which was ſpoken joyntlie to all, whereas by this deliverie in ſeverall, mens mindes are withdrawen, and loſe that fervencie, and conſtancie in the word of apprehenſion, and meditation, as Master Fenner hath well obſerved, in his treatiſe of the Sacrament. Yee are guilty of this confuſion. in that yee are partaker in both the actions.
There is yet further to be conſidered, by reaſon of this confuſion the publike communion is turned into a private.The publike communion is turned into a private by cō founding two actions, The exerciſe of the congregation is publike, but the exerciſe of the Miniſter with the communicants is private. For it is not ynough to make an action publike to performe it in a publike place, or in ſight of the congregation. If a man kneele down at a pillar to his prayers in ſight of the people, his prayers are never the leſſe private. Yea the congregation is not bound to behold, when they can not heare diſtinctlie, what is ſpoken, but are bound to ſing or hearken to the reader. The miniſter may as wel go to the end of the kirk, as I know ſomewhere is done, or to ſome cloſe Ile, or Conſiſtorie houſe neere by. Yea it were farre more decent then to communicate in the bodie of the Kirk, where the one action can not but diſturbe the other. Ye are not onlie guiltie of the confuſion by partaking in both the actions, but alſo your communicating is onlie a private communicating where there is ſuch confuſion.
The vtilities of distributing by the communicants.Put the caſe Chriſt had not recommended the diſtributiō which we practiſed, but had left it indiff…rēt, yet ſhould that order of diſtributing better agree with the general rules, whereby thing indifferent ought to be ruled, order, decencie, edification, and avoiding of ſcandall. For ſo neither confuſion of exerciſes on the one ſide, nor tediouſnes on the other ſide, nor ſuperſtitious conceits of the Miniſters deliverie nor private communions would have pla…e. It would be a barre alſo to hould out kneeling. For religious kneeling in adoration, and dividing of the elements cannot conſiſt together, where as now by this communicating in ſeverall, there reſteth no more, but to perſwade thee, or compel thee to kneel. But ſuppoſe kneeling were never to be feared, yet the abuſes, & corruptions before mentioned are ſufficient matter to moue thee to ſtand to the libertie of this kirk, if thou hauehave anie ſpoonk of zeale to Gods glorie, to the puritie of his worſhip, and the beautie of his houſe. If any kirk in Europe had enjoyed this precious libertie, as long as we hauehave done, would they hauehave quite it ſo eaſilie, as we are like to doe. It is defection in us to deſcend, although not in them who never aſcended to this degree of perfection. The queſtion is not now, whether we ſhall quite the libertie, or quite the benefite of the ſacraments for ever. There is no ſuch tyrannie profeſſed. Quite not a certaine libertie for an uncertaine daunger, doe that which is required on your part, and commit the event to God. The grace of God is not tyed to the ſacraments. The Lord promiſed to be a little ſanctuarie to the godly remnant of his people, when they ſhould be ſcattered in other countries, and want the benefit of the temple, and worſhip appropriated to that place. Ezeck. 11.16. It is not the wante of the ſacrament, but contempt that maketh a man guiltie, ſayeth Bernard: Non poteſt autem videri ſacramenta contempſiſſe, Epist. 77.cui non licet ea ita percipere uti ſunt a Domino conſtituta, & abſit ut ullos neceſſitatis caſus imaginemur, in quibus liceat ordinationem Domini violare, ſayeth Beza in duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page duplicate page his confeſſion: that is, he cānot be ſaid to hauehave contemned the ſacraments,Cap. 4. to whom it is not permitted to partake them, as they are eſtabliſhed by the Lord, & far be it from us to imagine anie caſes of neceſſitie, by the which we may violate the Lords ordinance. But what needeth all this feare: for I am ſure, three, or four yeeres abſtinence would conſtrain them to reſtore unto us our libertie again, & to ſuffer the communion to be celebrated after the old forme, rather then the people ſhould be defrauded of it. This is the leaſt duty we owe. But we are bound further to defend, and oppone, if we did profeſſe as we avow in the confeſſion of our faith. The meaneſt profeſſor in the kirk o… Scotland is bound to maintain this libertie, & poſſ…ſſion Otherwiſe if he quite, & r…er himſelfe, he is a deſerter of Chriſts cauſe.