A Reexamination of the Five Articles Enacted at Perth in 1618, Section 1 · Introduction
The Introduction.
MAster …nox, one of the first and chiefe instruments of reformation of religion within this Realme, was called before the Counsell of England in the dayes of King Edward the sixt, anno 1553 and demanded, Why the kneeled not at the receaving of the Sacrament. He answered, Christs action was perfite, that it was with sitting and without kneeling, that it was surest to follow his example. After hote reasoning, it was said unto him, That he was not called before them of any evil minde, yet they were sorrie to finde him of a contrary minde to the common order. He answered, I am sorrie that the common order is contrarie to Christs ir…stitution. This I finde in one of his manuscripts. Within a yeare after, being exiled after the death of King Edward, Admonition pag. 35.in his Admonition d…rected to England, which was printed anno 1554, he ranketh kneeling at the Lords table among the superstitious orders; which prophane Christs true religion, and censureth the English reformation for retaining of it. When some of the English in the English Church at Frankford, where …ee was Minister, contended for the receaving of the English Liturgie, he opposed stoutly to it. And when the contention was like to grow to some hight, hee and his Collegue Master Wittingham, with some others, drew forth of the English booke a plat in Latine, and sent it to Master Calvin. Howbeit the description of the corruptions was favourably set downe, yet kneeling at the receaving of the elements is noted up among the rest in that extract. Among his letters which are extant in writ, we finde one dated the yeare 1559 at Deep, and directed to Mastresse Anna Lock, where he calleth the crosse in Baptisme, and kneeling at the Lords table Diabolicall inventions.
After his return to his native country, he ministred the Communion according to the order of the English church at Geneva, where he had been last Minister. This order was observed in all the reformed congregations, before the reformed religion was established by authority of Parliament, and is yet extant before the Psalmes in meeter, with addition of the treatises of fasting and excommunication, some prayers, the forme and manner of the election and admission of Superintendents. In the con…ession of faith prefixed and approved by our Church, we have these words, Neither must wee in the administration of the Sacraments follow mans phant…s…s, but as Christ him selfe hath ordained, so must they be ministred. In the order of celebrating the Lords supper wee have these words, The exhortation being ended, the Minister commeth downe from the pulpit, and sitteth at the table, every man and woman likewise taking their place as occasion best serveth. And againe, The Minister breaketh the bread, and delivereth it to the people, who distribute and devide the same among themselfes, according to our Saviours commandment: And likewise giveth the cuppe.
In the second head of the first b…oke of discipline drawne up in the first yeare of publike and universall reformation, wee have these words, The table of the Lord is then rightly min…stred, when it approacheth ne…rest unto Christs owne action. But plaine it is that at Supper Christ Jesus sate with his disciples; and therefore doe we …udge that sitting at a table is most convenient to that holy action. And againe, That the M…nister break the bread and distribute the same to these that be next to him, commanding the rest, every one with sobrietie and reverence to break … other, we think it nearest to Christs action and to the perfite prac…ice. Yee see our first Reformers preferred … kneeling, but also to standing, and … none of them approached so … When they rejected standing … man judge what they thought of kneeling. … ye may perceive that they rested upon …, …o only for a time, because of the abuse of kneeling, …, because most agreeable to the paterne.
It was ordained in the generall assembly holden the year 1562, That the order of Geneva be of served … ministration of the Sacraments. By the order of Geneva was meant the order which was observed in the English Church at Geneva, where Master Knox had beene of late Minister, which order is called in the first booke of discipline, The order of Geneva, and The book of Common order. This order, as I have already said, is set downe before the Psalmes in meeter. In the assembly holden anno 1564 Ministers are referred to the order set do, … before the Psalmes, which is a renewing of the former act. In the Parliament holden the yeare 1567 it was declared, that whosoever refused to participate of the Sacraments, as they were then publikely administred in this reformed Church, were not to be reputed members of this Church. An act was likewise made concerning the Kings oath to be given at his coronation to maintain the religion then professed, and in speciall the due and right administration of the Sacraments then receaved. This act concerning the Kings oath was ratified again by acts of Parliament in the yeare 1581, and againe in the yeare 1592. In the yeare 1572 it was ordained by act of Parliament, that such as did not communicate, and partake of the Sacraments as they were then truly ministred in the Church of Scotland, if they continue obstinate and disobedient, shall be reputed infamous, and unable to sit or stand in judgement, persue, bear office, &c. When in the second confession of faith, which is commonly called the Kings confession, we professe that we detest the ceremonies of the Roman Antichrist added to the ministration of the Sacraments, we professe we detest kneeling in the act of receaving the sacramentall elements of bread and wine.
The order of celebrating the Lords supper, which hath beene receaved and observed since the beginning of reformation, and acknowledged both by generall assemblies and Parliaments, to be the due and right order, was perverted by a number of noble men, Barons, Ministers, and pretended Bishops conveened at Perth, in the yeare 1618, either having no lawfull commission, or terrified with threats, or corrupted one way or other. They in their full and pretended assembly to please King James, made this act following, as it is extant among the acts of Parliament:
Since we are commanded by God himself, that when we come to worship him, wee fall downe and kneel before the Lord our Maker, and considering withall, that there is no part of divine worship more heavenly and spirituall, then is the holy receaving of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: Like as the most humble and reverent gesture of the b…dy in our meditation and lifting up of our hearts best becometh so divine and sacred an action, therefore (notwithstanding that our Church hath used, since the reformatio… of religion, to celebrate the holy Communion to the people sitting, by reason of the great abuse of kneeling used in the idolatrous worship of the Sacrament by the Papists, yet now, seeing all memorie of by-past superst…tion is past) in rev…rence of God, and in due regard of so divine a mysterie, and in remembrance of so mysticall an union, as we are made partakers of▪ the assembly thinketh good, that that blessed Sacrament be celebrated hereafter meekly and reverently upon their knees.
This act, if the lying parenthesis were culled out, which is insert onelyonly to deceave, may passe among Papists and Lutherans. It is untrue that all memory of bypast superstition is past, and untrue that the abuse of kneeling among the papists was the onelyonly occasion that moved our first reformers to make choice of sitting, but the paterne of the first supper at the institution was the chiefe cause. And therefore they not only rejected kneeling, but also standing and taking in passing by, as wee have shewed before.
We shall first defend the communicants sitting, and next impugne their kneeling in the act of receiving the sacramentall elements of bread and … we shall prove it first to be warrantable; next, … downe our reasons whereupon wee … instituted.