A Reexamination of the Five Articles Enacted at Perth in 1618, Section 1 · Part 4 · Chapter 5

A Reexamination of the Five Articles Enacted at Perth in 1618 · Section 1 · Part 4 · Chapter 5

p. 83CHAP. V.

Kneeling in the act of receaving the sacramentall elements of the supper is idolatrie.

WE prove it to be idolatrie, first considering it, as it is enjoyned by the act of that pretended assembly holden at Perth, next as the action is considered simply in it selfe.

We are directed by the act of Perth to kneel in reverence of the sacrament, The act of Perth intendeth idolatry.which is idolatri…, as L. confesseth, if we do so. But we are directed to kneel in due regard of so divine a mysterie, pag. 70.to wit… as is the sacrament, or as is the receaving of the body and bloud of Christ, to wit, in the sacramentall manner. Wee will examine the act by parts, according to L. his analysis, howbeit wee acknowledge him not for the authentike interpreter of it.

The first reason for kneeling in the narrative, The first reason of the act examined.is set downe in these words, Since wee are commanded, by God himselfe, that when wee come to worship him, we fall downe and kneel before the Lord our maker. Relative to this reason, we have in the conclusion this inference. Therefore in reveren…e of God, the assembly thinketh good, that the sacrament be celebrated to the people meekly, and reverently p. 84…ling upon their knee…. For the confirmation of this reason is alledged, Psal. 35. vers. 7. out of which verse the words are taken. By this reason, Christ and his Apostles, and all that have communicated sitting, or standing, or passing, since the dayes of Christ, have sinned. For if wee be commended by God to kneel, wee sinne if we kneel not. Next, the word translated worship, Psal. 95. 7. is taken, not generally for any action, or service divine, or religious expressed by the word Cul…us in Latine, as it is taken here in the act, for then wee should sinne, if we kneel not, when we bear the word read or preached, but it is taken more strictly for a speciall kinde of worshipping of God, to wit, adoring God by the gesture of prostration. And so wee shall bee commanded to prostrat our body with our hands and feet spread upon the ground, and not to kneel only. For the people of God under the law used foure kindes of gestures in signe of honour: First, a bending, or bowing downe of the head or face only, which was the least degree, and is expressed by the word Cadad: next, a bending or bowing of the superiour …uk of the bodie expressed by the word Carang: the third, kneeling, expressed by the word Barach: the fourth, prostrating the bodie with hands and feet spread, as I have said, expressed by the word Histachaveh. The last three are all mentioned in the verse alledged. Thirdly, we have not here a commandement from God, but David his exhortation, or invitation to the godly, not to kneel or fall downe before the Lord, when they come to worship him, or as the word beareth to prostrate themselfes, for that were as much as to desire them to fall downe and kneel, when they come to fall downe and kneel; but p. 85he exhorteth and inviteth them to come and prostrate themselfes, bow and kneel before the Lord their maker in token of thanksgiving, that is, in the temples where the arke was, and where the Lord was present in a wonderfull manner sitting betweene the cherubims. It is grosse ignorance to inferre hereupon, that wee should, or are commanded to kneel at the receaving of the sacrament, more then at the hearing of the word, or at any of them, unlesse they think the sacrament the Lord their maker.

The second reason in the narrative, The second reason of the act examined.saith the Doctour, is this, And considering withall, that there is no part of divine worship more heavenly and spirituall, then is the holy receaving of the blessed bodie and bloud of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Relative to this reason we have in the conclusion these words, And in regard of so divine a mysterie, the assembly thinketh good, that that blessed sacrament be celebrated to the people humbly, (or as the act ratified in parliament hath, meekly) and reverently upon their knees. We have here no other description of receaving the sacrament in the narrative, but the receaving of the body and bloud of Christ, which smelleth strongly of the reall presence. For the like, and some other phrases hath Master Prinne discovered Doctour Cou…ins to be popish in the survey of his privat devotions. Then all that communicate, receave the body and bloud of Christ in at their mouth good and bad. This shall please the Lutheran and Papist full well.

But by mysterie, L. p. 72, 73.saith the Doctour, is no meant the elements, nor is it said mysteries, but mysterie. It may well be the elements are not meant, because it may be, they thinke the elements vanish away, and nothing remaine p. 86but the accidents, or that Christs body and bloud are substantially present with the elements, or some other unknowne way, as the Doctour hath beene mutering in privat. And that is a mysterie indeed. But by mysterie must be meant the sacrament: for in the narrative we have no other phrase to expresse the sacrament, but the receaving of the body and bloud of Christ, which is relative to this word mysterie. And in the conclusion, the word sacrament both preceedeth and followeth: So the words in the same sense may be framed thus, Considering, there is no part of divine worship more heavenly and spirituall then is the holy receaving of the blessed sacrament, therefore the assembly thinketh good in regard of so divine a mysterie, or in regard of so heavenly a pa…t of Gods worship, that that blessed sacrament be celebrated, &c. Whereas he saith, the word is mysterie, not mysteries in the plurall number, howbeit we finde it so in the first copies, let it be mysterie; The Doctour himselfe in his solutions for kneeling, useth sometime the word mysteries, sometime mysteries. Casaub. exercit. pag. 550.Casaubone speaking of this sacrament, saith, It is called sometime m…sterie, sometime mysteries. Dicitur autono masticè foreign, aut numero multitudinis foreign. Dionysius Areop…git a entituleth the chapter of the Lords supper, The mysterie of the syna…is or holy communion, Ambrose saith, Ambrose in 1 Cor. 11. Hieron. in Psal. 147. Oecumen…us in 1 Cor. 11.1 Cor 11Ps 147Indignus est Domino, qui aliter mysterium celebrat, quàm ab eo institutum est. Hierome saith, Licet in mysterio possit intelligi, tamen veriùs corpus Christi & sanguis ejussermo scripturarum est, Oecumenius saith, That the Apostle calleth the mysterie of our Master, the Lords supper. A number of testimonies might be cited to this purpose. The reason of such speach is, because both the sacramentall signes are referred to one p. 87Christ. It is but one action the celebration of the supper. Further, we receave the bodie and bloud of Christ, when we heare and beleeve the promises of the Gospel, read, Origen in num. Homil. 23. & 16.exponed, or rehearsed. Origen saith, Hoc quod modo loqu mur, sunt earnes Christi, that which we are presently speaking to you is the flesh of Christ. And in another place, We are said to drinke the bloud of Christ, not only by the rites of the sacraments, but also when we hear the word. Hierome, as ye heard before, That more truly the speach of the scripture is the body and bloud of Christ. If then in the narrative, be no me …o me…nt then the spirituall receaving of Christs body and bloud, it is no more a reason for kneeling at the receaving of the sacrament, then at hearing of the promises of the Gospel read and exponed. The words therefore must bee meant of the sacramentall manner of receaving, and the words relative in the conclusion, In regard of so divine a mysterie; must meane, In regard of the mysticall o… sacramentall receaving; and so the Communicant is directed to kneel, in regard of the sacrament.

The third reason in the narrative, The third reason examined. L. p. 74.is the correspondence betweene the outward gesture of our body, and then meditation, and lifting up our hearts, whe… wee remember, and consider the mysticall union betwixt Christ and us, and among our selfes, whereof we are made partakers by the receaving of Christs body and bloud. He shunneth to set downe the words of the narrative, and of the conclusion answerable to them, as he did in the former two reasons, because he perceaved they could not be framed to his purpose. For there is no mention made in the narrative of mysticall union, nor is it said in the narrative, that the most humble and reverent gesture p. 88of the bodie, well becommeth the meditation, and lifting up of our hearts, when wee remember and consider the mysticall union betwixt Christ and us, but that the most humble and reverent gesture of our body in our meditation and lifting up of our hearts, becommeth well so divine and sacred an action, to wit, as is the receaving of the body and bloud of Christ. Wee are not directed by the act to meditate and lift up hearts, but to use that kinde of gesture, which becommeth meditation and the lifting up of the heart; nor is kneeling a gesture well becomming meditation. Wee meditate sitting, lying, walking. Kneeling is a gesture well becomming prayer, but not meditation. By lifting up the heart, no necessity to meane prayer: for the minde and heart may be lifted up by faith and contemplation, without prayer. And to this lifting up the Communicants were exhorted of old with sursum corda, least their hearts and mindes should be groveling and onelyonly bent upon the elements. And so the lifting up of the eyes may be a signe of lifting up of the heart and minde, in token that wee looke confidently to have our desires granted by God, who dwelleth in heaven, as the casting downe of the eye as a token of humiliation for sinne. Suppose by lifting up of the heart prayer should be meant, yet kneeling is not the humblest gesture for prayer, but prostration. Then we should prostrat our selfes when wee receave the sacrament. Next, if the Communicant shall pray mentally, when hee receaveth the sacrament, and in that regard kneel, he shall be exercised other wayes then the act of receaving requires. Further, a secret mentall prayer shall be commended to him in publike without a vocall, and the signe of it the humble gesture of kneeling, whereas p. 89the signes of secret and mentall prayer in publike should be concealed, so farre as may be. The minister, when he delivereth the elements, is not directed to use a vocall prayer to be followed by the Communicant. And wee see, the Conformitants are not uniforme among themselfes in the words uttered at deliverie of the elements. If we may sit, or stand, or kneel in time of prayer, then kneeling is not enjoyned in regard of prayer, but some other thing intended. But, as I have said, we are not direct, by the act to lift up our hearts or pray; and therefore I need not, as yet, to insist upon this pretext. Giving, that in the conclusion these words, In remembrance of so mysticall an union, …e answerable in the narrative, the meditation and lifting up of our heart; then by meditation and lifting up of the heart, is meant not prayer, but remembrance. And what is that, to say, to kneel in remembrance, that were to kneel for a memoriall. But suppone it were thus, when we remember, and as he addeth consider, to remember and consider is not to pray. Shall we kneel, whensoever we are put in minde of that mysticall union? And what is meant by this mysticall union? It may meane as well a materiall conjunction, as they call it, or corporall union of the body of Christ, with the bodies of the Communicants, by touch in the mouth, swallowing downe to the stomack, and mixture with the bodies of the communicants, as spirituall with the soule. O Lord, let thy bodie which I have taken, and bloud which I have drunken, c…eave uut… my guts and en…rals, saith a Romane missall. But the spirituall eating of Christs flesh, and drinking of his bloud, and the mysticall union between Christ and us wrought by it, is as well done out of the sacrament, as in it, saith p. 90Master Downe, pag. 46.Wee are not united with Christ by receaving his flesh into our mouthes, but by faith, which may be done without ever participat…ing the sacr…ment.

That the Reader may perceave the better, how the act is contrived, let him read it without the two lies closed within the parenthesis, seeing the act is whole, and entire without them, and he shall see, that it may passe among Papists and Lutherans, not one word or syllable sounding against a reall presence in the signes, and that we are directed to kneel not in regard of any prayer, but in due regard of so divine an action or mysterie, as is the sacrament, or sacramentall receaving of Christs bodie and bloud.The intent of the church of England in kneeling.

Wee may also consider the intent of the Church of England, or rather of their prelats and adherents, that wee may take up the better the intent of our act. For conformitie with them is intended. At the first, Kneeling was left free in the dayes of King Edward the sixt. The Papists making a stirre for want of reverence to the sacrament: at the second reviewing of the booke of common prayer. Kneeling was enjoyned upon this reason, That the sacrament might not be prophaned, but holden in a holy and reverent estimation; this was done by the directours and contrivers of the booke, partly to pacifie the Papists, partly, because their judgement was not cleare in this point. They could not see every thing throughly at the dawning of the day. Yet it was not altered, but by a sta…ute 1. Elizabeth, that second booke of King Edwards was confirmed. D. B. of kneeling, p. 30.Doctour Burges bringeth in a passage to explaine the matter, which, saith he, is left out by negligence of the printer. But it is more likely, that it hath beene done of purpose by such as were p. 91directours. Doctour Mortoun saith, That their Church thought it fit by outward reverence in the manner of receaving the eucharist, to testifie their due estimation of such holy rites, to stop the mouths of blasphemous Papists, vilifying the sacrament with the ignominious names of bakers bread, vintners wine, profane elements, ale-cakes. But Doctour Ames, in his reply to Doctour Mortoun, Reply 2. part pag. 50.answereth, That it was not so much for the stopping of the mouths of Papists, but that some close dissembling adversaries did hinder the worke of reformation so much as they could, and that they have done so ever since, and do so still to this day. It may be such pretended the scoffing of Papists; bu… what matter of any glosse, if kneeling be directed, that the sacrament be not prophaned, but hold in reverent estimation. Then the sacrament is prophaned belike, if wee either sit, or stand, and kneel not. Master Hu…ton saith, They kneel to put a difference betweene the ordinarie bread and wine, and these sacramentall, to which they give the more reverence, because it is more then ordinarie bread and wine. What more plaine? They say not, they kneel to God that the sacrament may not be prophaned, but holden in reverence, &c. But simply, they are enjoyned to kneel, that the sacrament be not prophaned, &c. And suppose they were, it were no better shift then the Papists use, when they say they dedicate temples to God in honour of this or that Saint. And yet wee kneel not to God, but in prayer and thanksgiving, which are not compatible with the act of receaving, eating and drinking, of which more afterward. A bare kneeling can not be presented without some signe of extraordinarie presence, or apparition.

p. 92Some of their formalists pretend, The pretence of prayer examined.they kneel, because of the prayer u…tered at the deliverie of the elements, The body of our Lord Jesus Christ, which was given for thee, preserve thy body and soule unto everlasting life. I answer, That it is already proved, that kneeling is enjoyned for the sacraments fak…. Next, Christ prayed not at the deliverie of the elements, but in an enunciative forme uttered the word of the promise, This is my body, This cuppe is the new testament. 2. The word of promise is the speciall clause of the charter. The sacramentall signes, are like seales hanging at the charter. If at any time therefore the word of promise should be uttered, then specially when the seales are delivered. The Evangelists Matthew, Mark, Luke, and the Apostle Paul, repeat precisely and constantly that word, so that any man may perceave, the sacramentall forme of words ought precisely to be observed and uttered in the name of Christ, without change into a prayer in name of the Church. The sacramentall forme of words is observed in baptisme, why not here. Our formalists forbeare to to utter the word of promise to the Communicant. They say, They have uttered it before. It is not enough, that they were uttered before narr…iv…ly, or … in rehearsall of the words of institution; For this sacrament is an imitation of Christ, not a recitall of his words and actions. It is to doe as he did, and not to report what he did, Of the eucharist. p. 95.saith Mouline. The rehearsall of the words of the institution le…terh us see, what warrant wee have to celebrate such an action, and in generall of use I read and wine. But it can not bee said demonstratively of this bread and wine in particular set on the table, that it is the body and bloud of Christ, till it be first sanctified by p. 93prayer and thanksgiving to that use, and after delivered to the communicant, with command, to take, eat, and assurance if he so doe, the bread shall be a pledge of his body, and the wine of his bloud. Christ said not, This is my body, take, eat, but Take, eat, this is my body, or actu continuo, bad them both take and eat. The promise is annexed to the commandment as conditionall, and hath no effect otherwise, but if the condition be performed. It is a receaved action among the Divines. Elementa extrausum non sunt sacramenta: The elements out of the use are no sacraments. And sacramenta perficiuntur usu. If the elements after the blessing be not delivered, shal they be sacramentally Christs body and bloud? or if delivered, and not eaten?

It fareth with the sacramentall elements, as with pawnes and pledges in contracts and bargans: A ring may bee set a part to bee a pledge in matrimonie, yet it is not actuallie a pledge, without consent of the other partie, but only a meere sing. A stone chosen out from among many, to bee a signe of a march, is not actuallie a march stone, but in the use, when it is set with consent of parties in the march to that end. There was never a sign without the use wherefore it was appointed to be a sign. Never a march but that which divided land, nor a banquet but in eating and drinking, De eucharistia l. 8. c. 3. num. 22, 23.saith Chamier. So the elements are sanctified, and set a part by prayer and rhanksgiving to this use, but are not Christs bodie and bloud actuallie till they be receaved and used. Panis nunquam est signum corporis Christi, nisi in edendo; nun quam vinum sanguinis, nisi in potando. And therefore this holie ordinance is properly defined a sacred act…on, consisting of so many rites. By a figurative kinde of speach it p. 94is true, the bread may bee called the sacrament of Christs bodie, because it is appointed to that end, as when Isaac said to Abraham, Where is the sacrifice? that is, the lamb or the ramme appointed for the sacrifice, but not properly. Doctour Lindseves proceedings at …e th. page 5….Now the Formalist presupponeth, that the sacrament is made alreadie, before hee come to deliver the elements, and therefore, hee sayth, hee uttereth other words at the deliverie. So yee see, they place such vertue in uttering these words, This is my bodie, in the rehearsall of the institution, as the papist doth, that they thinke the read alreadie Christs bodie, and therefore absurd to utter these words againe at the deliverie to the Communicants: for then they should seeme to consecrate again. So grosse poperie is the ground of omitting the comfortable word of promise at the delivering, and snbstituting a pray…r, page 336.or ministeriall blessing, as P. calleth it, in the rowme of it, and such a prayer as presupposeth the bread already to bee Christs bodie: and therefore they say, The bodie of the Lord pr…serve thy bodie and soule. Heere also is a wil-worship: for howbeit prayer bee of it selfe a pure of Gods worship instituted and allowed by God, yet to pray unseasonablie, and out of time, at the will and device of man, when you should bee serving God in another forme, it is wil-worship: neither is there necessitie of this, a prayer alreadie preceeding. And surely this their prayer is a senselesse one, like that old prayer, Anima Christi sanctificaine, which is directed to Christs soule, whereas wee should direct our prayers to his person, not to his humanitie by it self.

Let it bee observed by the way, that the words of the institution are rehearshed in the English service book, and among the rest these ords, This is my bodie, to God p. 95in a continuall tenor with the prayer begun before, just according to the order observed in the Canon of the masse, when the priest offereth his sacrifice, which is an horrible abuse of the words of the institution, which Christ uttered to the Communicants, and not unto God. I dare bee bold to affirme, the sacrifice of the masse had never en…red in the Church, if the word of promise had beene uttered at the deliverie of the elements to the Communicants in an enunciative forme, or demonstratively, as Christ did. Thirdly, if in regard of prayer, then, if Christs sacramentall speach be uttered without addition of a prayer, the Communicants must not kneel. Christs forme of speach then must be thrust out, that prayer and with it kneeling may enter in. Fourthly, suppose the prayer might be substituted in the roome of the word of promise, kneeling should not be enjoyned nor urged more precisely at that bit of prayer, then at other prayers. Yea, it is superstition to urge kneeling at one prayer more strictly, then at another, and absurd, in my judgement, to enjoyne it at all in any. They may as well enjoyne any man to lift up his eyes, to knock on his breast, to bow the head, or crouch, as to kneel: as they doe in the popish service, which hath made it the more ridiculous. for kneeling, lifting up of the hands or eyes, knocking on the breast, are naturall expressions and adumbrations of the inward motions of the soule, and proceed ex abundantia interni affectu, De sacram. lib. 1. c. 10. s. 7.as saith Chamier, and therefore ought not to be extorted by injunctions, for that were to command men to play the hypocrits, and like comedians, to counterfite outward signes of such inward motions, as perhaps are not in them, so vehement as to stir them up voluntarily to such expressions. p. 96Yea, some of them may serve for ejaculations, as the lifting up of the eyes, to knock on the breast, and to bow the head, which bowing is finished in one instant, saith L. pag. 68.All undecent and unseemly gesture in prayer, ought to bee forbidden, but no gesture ought to bee commanded in speciall, but left free. Fiftly, that prayer above mentioned, is but a short ejaculation, and sooner ended then the Communicant can addresse himself to his knees. Sixtly, that prayer or short wish is ended before the Minister offer the bread to the Communicant, and bid him take it, and yet the Communicant is enjoined to continue still upon his knees. Nor is kneeling enjoined to them by statute or their service book, in regard of mentall prayer, for none such is enjoined. what suppose kneeling were enjoined in respect of prayer also, for if also, or principallie for reverence of the Sacrament, it is sufficient for our purpose. for to adore any other thing but God, or with God, are both idolatrous. Master Paybodie saith, P. pag. 334.Concerning prayer, I do freely confesse, that in as much as it is but an occasion, and not the principall exercise of the soule, whither it be: mentall or vocall, in the sacrament all busi…esse, I do neither deeme it the principall respect of lawfull kneeling, neither have I reason to deeme it the principall respect upon which the Church enjoyneth it. And againe, pag. 299.Suppose there bee no prayer used in the time of receaving, I think never the worse of the gesture of kneeling. No wonder hee say so, for hee layeth down a ground, that any of the gestures may be used in any part of Gods worship, which is a begging of the question, and yet hee can not prove kneeling at the hearing of the word, let bee in the act of receaving the sacramentall elements, but out of a misprinted place in Perth assembly, p. 97pag. 45. where in is put for after.

Farre lesse can our Formalists pretend the respect of prayer. No pretence of prayer in our act.For we have no act enjoyning either any vocall prayer to be uttered by the minister or mentall by the Communicant, when he is to receave the elements. Nor doe our Formalists observe one forme of words at the deliverie, either for prayer, or otherwise.

Wheresoever the publike intent of a Church is to kneel for reverence of the sacrament, The intent of the kneeler must be interpreted by the act.every Communicant following her direction, is an idolater. Howbeit his privat intent were divers from the intent of the act, which is urged as the publike intent of the Church, yet he is interpretativè an idolater, and to be so construed both before God and man. If any man receave the sacrament upon his knees at Rome, or in any other Popish Church, whersoever were his privat intent, yet he must be interpreted to kneel according to the intent of the Church of Rome. The heart may be carried one way, and the outward action another way for feare, or other respects, but that outward action must be interpreted not according to the intention of the minde, but the intent of the injoyner. If ye fall downe before an idol in Spaine, suppose for feare of the inquisition, ye commit idolatrie, and honoureth that idol in the sight of men.

If it be asked, after what manner the Communicant must be interpreted to adore, Of the manner of their adoration.I answer, That upon better consideration of the act then before, I thinke the Communicant may according to the act kneel with a Popish intent, carring both the inward motion of his spirit, and outward submission of his body to the sacrament upon opinion of transubstantiation, or with the Lutherans intent upon opinion of consubstantiation, and that for p. 98two cases, first, because the words of the act make mention only of the body and bloud of Christ, and of the blessed sacrament, but not one word of the elements of bread and wine. Next, because some of our ministers the chief urgers of kneeling are popish, and have taught in publike in the pulpits of Edinburgh, that wee ought not to contend, or descant curiously upon the manner of Christs presence in the sacrament, and that he is present after an unknowne manner. To this purpose they cite a saying of Durandus. It is current among the English prelats. D. Ames 1. reply pag. 54. part. 2.The bishop of Rochester in his defence of kneeling, commendeth the simplicitie of the ancients, who disputed not whither Christ were present C…n, sub, in, or trans, Hooker. l. 5. s. 67.in the supper. See Hooker likewise in his fift booke of ecclesiasticall policie. And Sutton on the Lords supper, in his appendix. They will talke more plainly, when they shall see their time. pag. 142, 145.Our Doctour commendeth them for this. They would have us beleeve, that the manner of the presence of Christs body at the sacrament is unknowne, whereas we know very well, that Christs body is present after a spirituall manner to the soules of the godly receaving by faith, …ut to the sacrament, or elemen…s only after a sacramentall manner, that is, relatively, as things signified are to signes, howbeit farre distant. That incomprehensible or unsearchable manner, whereof they talke, is a lurking hole for adversaries to the truth, Epist. 76.as Beza can tell him.

Our Doctour from Christs personall omnipresence, inferreth, page 142. the flesh and bloud of Christ may be worshipped in the sacrament, because, wheresoever his person is, his humanity is corjoyned with his divinitie. By this Popish reason, Christs flesh and bloud may be p. 99worshipped in a stone, in the moone, the sunne, or any other thing else. His argument is borrowed from the Rhemists note upon Heb. 1. 8. Our doctour rejecteth the Vbiquitaries conceat of Christs humanitie, extended and diffused through every place: yet notwithstanding of this personall omnipresence, he hideth himself in the lurking hole of the imperceptible manner of the sacramentall presence. He acknowledgeth a spiritual presence of Christs body in the sacrament. B…llarmine acknowledgeth as much, De Eucharis. lib. 1. cap. 2.for saith hee, Non habet Christus in Eucharistia modum existendi corporum, sed spirituum. If ye will bear the word Bodily, so will Bellarmine he content, because (saith he) Christ is not present after that manner, that bodies have existence of their own nature, unlesse the right explication bee added: He commendeth the expression of the councell of Tre…, Verè, realiter, substantialiter, Truely reallie substantiallie, as the best and surest For the popish sence. When our doctours will not have us to contend about the manner of presence, whither by consubstantion, or transubstantiation, yet this taketh not away Substantially in generall, but leaveth place to substantially in an unknown manner. But wee proceed: If any will extend the words of the act to the elements of bread and wine, and interpret the receaving of Christs bodie and bloud, of the souls inward receaving, then howbeit hee kneeleth not upon opinion of the reall presence of Christ in the sacrament, yet his adoration is terminated, and resteth someway upon the sacrament, or sacramentall elements, otherwise hee cannot bee said to kneel for receiving of the sacrament.

Now, as the papists agree not among themselves about the manner of worshipping their images, so the Communicants p. 100may differ in the manner and way of terminating that adoration or worship. Therefore suppose he believe not the reall presence or existence of the body of Christ in the bread, yet hee may in his apprehension and imagination unite them, as the papist doth his image with the prototype, and so adore the thing with the thing signified; as the purple robbe with the King is coadored or adored per accid…ns: or hee may consider the signe, as substitute in the roome of the thing signified, howbeit absent, and performeth before it, or about it, that adoration which hee would bestow upon the thing signified, and by it, or in it honoureth the thing, signified properly, but the signe improperly: As when a Kings Ambassadour or Vice-gerent is honoured at some solemnitie with the honour of his Master, but improperly; for the King is properly honoured. Or as Vas…uez will have images to bee adored, to wit, with the inward motion of the minde to the thing signified the bodie of Christ, and the exterior or outward signe of submission to the signe, to bee transmitted to the thing signified, or considering the signes as things sacred, and in relation to God, whom we are serving in the use of them. So howbeit the way and manner of terminating the reverence in the Sacrament bee different, according to the conceat of the Communicant, all come to one end, to wit, to kneel for reverence of the Sacrament. Now to kneel for reverence, is a gesture of adoration, pag. 70.and soveraigne worship, as L. ackowledgeth. It is nothing to the devil, whether a man erre this or that way. Howbeit the Communicants were not directed to kneel for reverence of the Sacrament, dare any man say, but they may easily fall upon it one of these wayes.

p. 101I might draw another score heere, for it is enough that the Communicants are directed by the act of Perth to kneel, for reverence of the Sacrament: for seeing hee kneeleth in obedience to that act, hee must bee interpreted to kneel for that end: otherwise hee may goe to Rome, and take Corpus Christi out of the popes hand, reserving a secret intent to himself. Therefore howbeit kneeling in the act of receiving might hee lawfull, no professour in our Church can bee excused, if he kneel.

But wee proceed, Kneeling in the act of receiving can not be free of idolatrie.and setting aside the act of P…rth, wee consider the act or action it self, kneeling in the act of receaving, eating, drinking the … simplie. We will prove it can not bee done but for reverence of the Sacrament, or sacramentall elements, and that by two arguments.

The first argument shall bee this, The first argument.To be tied to kneel, whither by direction of others, or resolution of our own mindes, to kneel with reverence, in any religious exercise … or senselesse creature, can not bee done but for … of that creature. The communicant is … by the direction of others, or his own … to kneel with reverence before dead and senselesse creatures, when hee is in the act of receaving the sacramentall elements. Therefore he kneeleth for reverence of the sacramentall elements. I say, by direction of others, or resolution of our own minde. for we can not kneele to God in prayer, but there are many things before us, a house, a wall, a tree, &c. but they are set before us only by casuall position or situation …ther can wee choose to do otherwise, but wee do not lie our selfes. I adde with reverence: for if a person finding himselfe diseased at the hearing of the word, finde himselfe p. 102eased with kneeling, that can not bee called kneeling with reverence. If yee bee tied to kneel with reverence, when you are to do any religious exercise, suppone prayer, before such a creature, suppone but a'tree, and is not likewise tied when you pray before any other creature, your gesture of adoration can not bee without respect to the tree. God himself never appointed any creature to bee an object to the eyes of man, when hee was to adore him upon his knees, but only directed his people to kneel toward a certain place, where he was present himself in an extraordinarie manner, or bound himself by promise to hear them from thence. Hee was present in the Ark after an extraordinarie manner, sitting betweene the Cherubins, answered by a lively voice out of it to Moses, and vouchsafed to hear such as turned toward the Temple, when they called upon him. But there is no such place appointed under the Gospel, far lesse any creature before which hee hath directed us to kneel. Our adoration is directed to that place, where wee know the manhood of Christ, whereof the Ark and the Temple were types, doth exist naturally or substantially, that is, to the heavens The sacramentall bread is not a place of Gods extraordinarie presence, nor of the existing of Christs manhood substantially, or of promise to hear us from thence. It is idolatrie (saith Perkinse) to turne, Treatise of idolatie….dispose or direct the worship of God, or any part thereof to any particular place or creature without the appointment of God, and more specially to direct our adoration to the bread, or the place where the bread is. The Theologues, and ministers in the Palatinat in their admonition, touching the booke of Concord, teach us, that it is idolatrie to worship God otherwise then he hath commanded: that they are guilty of p. 103this idolatrie, that direct the adoration of God to any other place or creature, then God hath commanded: that for this cause only these worshipped God aright, who in their gesture turned their faces toward the arke, where he was, prefer… after a singular manner, because God had commanded this ceremoniall adoration, promising to heare such as worshipped him after that manner. But that under the new testament all ceremoniall adoration by turning us to any certaine place or thing, is damned.

In the admonition above mentioned, therefore they condemne them as guiltie of as grosse idolatrie, who adore Christ in, or beside, or before the sacramentall bread; …s if he were corporally there, as those who falling down before any common bread, a stocke, or stone, would say, they adore Christ in it. Qui igitur Christum adorant in isto vel apud istum, vel coram isto pane, tanquam ibi corporaliter praesentem, aeque crassam ac Deo displicentem idololatriam admittunt, atque is qui coram quovis pane communi aut quovis trunco, aut quovis lapid: procidens, in eo Christum se aederarit dicat. They adde, as corporally present, because these against whom they were writing maintained a corporall presence. Our doctour sayeth, It is no errour to worship Christs flesh there, pag. 142.which must bee understood as present there, whither in respect of his personall omnipresence, or by imaginarie u…ion of the bread and his bodie, or that unknown manner of sacramentall presence, with which they cloak perhaps a meaning, which as yet they think not expedient to professe. Kuchlinus disp. theolog. pag. 597. inferreth out of Ierem. 3. 11. and Iohn 4. 23. likewise, that our adoration should not bee directed, either in bodie or minde, p. 104to the altar, or the ministers hand. Ter Simecdochen enim tollit circumstantiam omnem verti loci; ad quem in terris dirigitur adoratio Dei, quod ostendit Antithesis manifestè, sed in spiritu & veritate. Yee see then, howbeit wee are not tied to direct our adoration at all time to the place where the bread is, as the Jewes were toward the arke, because it is not alwayes fixed in a certaine place, these divines condemne the like manner, at whatsoever time we adore before the bread.

We uncover our heads, The uncovering of the head not like kneeling.say they, when wee receave the elements, why may wee not also kneel? I answer, first, the uncovering of the head is a gesture of reverence only, and that only among some nations, but not of adoration. The Jewes, Turkes, and Mahometans pray with their heads covered. The Grecians and Romanes of old, howbeit they walked in publike with uncovered heads, except in raine, great heat, or mourning, yet in the service of their Gods, they had their heads covered. The Europeans this day uncover their heads when they are praying. Kneeling is a gesture of adoration among all nations, either in civill or religious use. Augustine saith, Honorat emnis qui adorat, no autem adorat omnes quid onorat; Every one that doth adore, doth honour, but not every one that honoureth, adoreth. Contraserm. Arian. c. 23. I will not kneel to every one, to whom I uncover my head civilly. Every one that standeth with his head uncovered in presence of the king, is not adoring, as he is who is presenting his petition to the king upon his knee in their sight. A provinciall synod holden at London, anno 1603: ordained the head to be uncovered, when their service is read in the Church, yet I thinke they would not have enjoyned kneeling. We heare the p. 105canonicall scripture read with uncovered heads, but yet we kneel not. The words of Christ, which he uttered at the institution, are still and often uttered; that same voice soundeth through all the tables of the world, his actions, which were divine and holy, are reiterat. In Gratians decree, De consecrat. dist. 1. cap. 68. we have a superstitious direction of Pope Anastasius, that when the Gospell is reade in the Church, those that are present, shall not sit, but stand venerabiliter curvi, bowing reverently, hearken and adore. Wherefore more at the hearing of the Gospell, then the Epistle, which is also Evangelicall? Yet you see, howbeit that standing with bowing be more then to have the head uncovered, it was but veneration. And, whereas he saith, Et fideliter adorent, the glosse hath, id est venerentur, because the word adoring, is taken there in a large sense, as yee may see sundrie places above cited, not for that which is in a strict sense called adoration. Adoration in strict sense is kneeling or pr…stration. Whereas Matthew saith, chap 8. …. of the leprouse man, That he worshipped Christ, or adored Christ, as the Latine translation hath according to the originall, Mark 1. 40. He kneeled dew…e to him, and Luke 5. 12. that he fell in his face. Suchlike, where it is said of the Cananitish woman, Matth. 15. 25. That she worshipped, or adored him: & adoravit eum. Mark 7. 25. it is said, That she fell at his feet. The Greek word foreign, signifieth to fall downe like a dog o… …whelp at the feet of another, as our Lord. Further, our heads are not other way uncovered in the act of receaving, then in the rest of the time of the celebration; when wee are not neare the elements. And thirdly, the uncovering of our head is compatible with the varietie of actions in time of celebration, p. 106praying, singing, the words of the institution, and chapters reade, but adoration directed, as they pretend to God, can not be without presenting… our petitions, and thanks to God, which requireth a severall part of the action by it selfe.

It is objected, Occasionall. …neeling not warrant …r ordinarie. … pag. 88.that 1 King. 18. 39. when the people saw the fire fall upon the sacrifice, to consume it, the wood, the stones, the dust and lick up the water that was in the trench, they fell on their faces, and cried, The Lord is God. I answer, The people fell on their faces after the fire had consumed the burnt sacrifice, the wood, the stones, and licked up the water, and not in the meane time; for it is not likely that they fell downe, till they had seene what the fire had wrought. Next, what suppose they had fallen down… in the meane time, that the fire was working the worke, wherefore it was sent. Is it any wonder, that men amazed with the presence of Gods majestie in a miracle, fall downe as astonished, to worship God. Levit. 9. 23, 24. The originall of unbe…eef. pag. 332.Lev 9:23Lev 9:24Such a visible signe of Gods presence is called the glorie of the Lord. Doctour Jackson the Arminian hath this rule to be observed, Such actions as have been managed by Gods Spirit suggested by secret instinct, or extracted by extraordinarie and speciall occasions, are then onelyonly lawfull in others, when they are begotten by like occasions, or brought forth by like impulsions. In matters of secular civilitie or moralitie, many things (saith he) will beseeme one man, which are uncomely in another, and in one, and thes…me mans deportment many things are decent and lawfull, whiles they are drawne from him by speciall or rare occasions, whose usuall practise upon dislike or no occasions, becommeth according to the nature of the subject, r…diculous, or dishonest. p. 107That in the service of God, and matters spirituall, the least digression or declination from proposed paternes, is farre more dangerous. To attempt the like enterprise unto Jonathans, upon warrant of his exemple, and upon like speeches of enemies inviting him to come up, would bee a superstitious tempting of God. Every man may not use the like prognostication, that Abrahams servant made use of, when he was sent to bespeak for his young master Isaac a wife. Jacob expressed his tender affection to his sonne Joseph, whom he never looked to see again, by kissing his coat, but to have hanged it about his bed or table, that it might receave such salutations evening and morning, or at every meales time, might have countenanced many breaches of superstition. Charles the fift after his fyrewell to the warres, and safe arrivall to Spaine, saluted the spanish shore in such an affectionat and prostrat manner, as his meanest vassall could nor ordinarly have saluted, either him or it without just imputation of grosse idolatrie. These are Doctour Jacksons examples, which hee bringeth in for illustration of his rule. If there come into the Church one that beleeveth not, or one that is unlearned, and heare one after another prophesie, and finding himself convinced, and the secrets of his heart made manifest, falling downe on his knees, he will report that God is in you of a truth, 1 Corin. 14. 24, 25. Yet if hee fell downe before: them ordinarily, were it not idolatrous? Thirdly, suppose they had fallen downe when the fire was in working, yet it is not said, that they fell downe with their eyes po…ing upon the fire, but upon their faces, and cried. The Lord is God, because he had manifested by his presence and power in such a miracle, that he was the true God, as 2 Chron. 7. 3. p. 108when the children of Israel saw, how the fire came down, and consumed the sacrifices, and that the glorie of the Lord had filled the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavem…n…, and worshipped and praised the Lord, saying, &c.

Salomon kneeled, Salomons kneeling at the dedication of the temple.say they, before the altar of the Lord, when he prayed at the dedication of the temple. For it is said, 1 King. 8. 54. that when he had made an end of praying all his prayer and application to the Lord, he arose from before the altar of the Lor…, from kneeling on his knees, and stood, and blessed the people. I answer, The altar is not set downe there as the object, toward which he directed his countenance, when he was kneeling, but only as a circumstance of the place where he was, when hee praved at that time; for he had prepared a brazen scaffold; and set it in the middest of the court, over against the altar of the Lord, 2 Chron. 6. 13. He kneeled where he had been standing on the scaffold, and spread his hands toward the heavens, not toward the altar. It is said; 2 Chron. 6. 13. That he fell downe upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands towards heaven. Neither is it said, That he turned his face to the altar. They turned their face ordinarily to that part of the temple, where the arke was the place of Gods extraordinarie presence. The arke was metonymically called God, 1 Sam. 4. 7. The Lord, 1 King. 9. 25. The Lord of hosts, the King of glorie, Psal. 24. The face of the Lord, Esa. 1. 12. for it the tabernacle was made, and the temple. It represented Gods seat, and God delivered his oracles from the merciemercy seat above it. What likelihood then is there, that they kneeled ordinarly in their prayers looking toward p. 109the altar, or that they come never before the altar but kneeled before it; for the altar was but dedicated at this time. It was not already dedicated, but in fieri, saith D. B. Augustine lib. Of kneeling. pag. 7.2. ad Simplicianum qui. 4. saith, David pr…yed before the arke, Quia ibi sacratior & commendatior presentia Domini erat; because the presence of the Lord there was more sacred and more to bee respected. The like answer may bee given to that place, Micha 6. 6. Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow my self before the high God. They bowed themselves before the high God sitting betweene the Cherubims, not toward the altar, they bowed, when they had offered their oblations, not to their oblations. As when they presented the basket with first fruits; they first set it downe, and after bowed themselves before Jehovah their God, and so went out, Deut. 26. 24. 10. What if they had bowed, when they were offering to God? When wee are in the act of receaving, eating, drinking, we are receaving, and not offering.

They say, The pretence of objectum a quo significative.the sacramentall elements are only as objectum à quo significative, that is, as an active object moving them to worship the things signified, or God. Put case that were true. So said Purandus, Holcot, and Picus Mirandula; That they adored the prototype or samplar before the image, which put them in minde of the samplar, and spake in as abstract a manner, of their worship, as the Formalist doth, when he pretendeth the purest intent he can in he manner of his adoration. And yet were they never ranked among the Iconomachi, but by the Papists counted good Catholiks. It is true, Bellarmine and Suarez are not content with this adoration, which they call improper adoration, when any person p. 110or thing is honoured in place of another, as when the ambassadour is honoured with the honour due and proper to the king, but for the king, or, as when all the ceremonies are celebrat about a statue in steed of the true corps. De imaginibus. cap. 19. 20. 21.Bell irmine granteth notwithstanding that, Coram illa, vel in illa, aut per illam adoratur exemplar, that after their manner of worship the samplar is adored before the image, De cultu adorat. Disp. 108. num. 73.or in the image, or by the image. Vazquez proveth, That these Doctours made the image objectum quod, the very object passive of adoration, and that both the samplar and the image were adored, simul cum imaginibus exemplaria proximè & ut quód adorari. For they used the same respect to the images, that other Catholiks used, they uncovered their head to them, they bowed toward them, kneeled before them, and kissed them. And this he defendeth to be the right manner, when the image and the samplar are adored with one adoration, the inward motion and submission of the minde, being carried to the samplar, and the outward signe of submission to the image, being transmitted by the spirit, or in thought and defire, De adorat. disp. 108. num. 90. num. 132. 134. & disp. 110 num. 34. Disp. 109. num. 7.to the samplar. That all the Catholiks agree in this, that the kisse be so fixed upon the image, and the body be bowed before it, that the affection being inflammed with the remembrance of the samplar, be carried to it with inward reverence, Virtute cujus externum esculum in ipsum etiam veluti sagittam transmittat; by vertue or power whereof it transmitteth the outward kiss…, as an arrow, to the samplar it selfe. So kneeling before the image, prostration, or any other signe of submission is to be transmitted by the image to the samplar after the same manner. For, De adorat. disp. 106. num 2. & 6.saith he, in the time of the 7. synod, there were some enemies to p. 111images, who were content, that images were brought into the Church, not only for decorement, sed etiam ad excitand…m f…delibus memoriam exemplaris, ut coram eis ipsum solum ven rentur, illis tamen nullum signum honoris aut submissienis, neque osculo, nec inclinatione corporis, nec alio modo exhiberent, id enim idolatriam esse dicebant, …ut also to stirre up the remembrance of the samplar, to the faithfull, that before them they might reverence only the samplar, but exhibite no signe of honour or submission, either by kisse or bowing of the body, or any other way, for they said that was idolatrie. Quare nec osculabantur imagines, neque ipsis corpus inclinabant, nec thurificabant, sed recti coram eis, in memoriam ex emplaris exictati, in ipsum mente sola ferebantur. And therfore (saith he) they neither kissed images, nor bowed their body to them▪ nor offered incense, but standing upright before them, being stirred up to the remembrance of the samplar, they were carried only in their winde to it. In another place he saith, Disp. 108. num. 128.Iconomachi, qui ad solam recordationem imaginibus utuntur, ante illas genua non flectunt, nec se prosternunt, sic enim ipsas nota extcriori adorarent, sed erecti absque ullo gestu corporis qui reverenti…m judicet, coram imagine, exemplaris recordantur & ipsum spiritu solùm adorant. That is, The adversaries to images, who use images only to put them in remembrance of the samplar, they neither kneel, nor prostrat themselves before them, for so they should adore them with the outward note or signe, but standing upright without any gesture of the body before the image, which might be a shew of reverence, they remember the samplar, and adore it in spirit only. But these Doctours above mentioned, howbeit their inward reverence was directed to the samplar, yet the outward signe of submission was first directed p. 112to the image. Ye see then, that taking the images only as objectum à quo significativè, as instruments and meanes to stirre up their remembrance, these mangrels who were called Semiprobi, would not kneel before them: for then, saith Vazquez, they should have adored them, which he in his Popish judgement, thinketh they should have done; but these Doctours did so. So if the elements be used only as objectum à quo significativè, to stirre up their remembrance, why kneel they before them. Nay, why are not the elements lifted up, as among the Papists, after they have said, This is my body, (for, say they, it is made then a sacrament) that the people being stirred up at the elevation with the sight of the signifying object, may kneel in whatsoever part of the Church they be. And howsoever the Doctour seemeth to disallow the elevation, pag. 119. 120. 121. Yet he saith, we may kneel before the elements, having them in our sight, or object to our senses, as ordinarie meanes, signes, and memorial, to stirre us up to worship God and our Saviour, pag. 88. 92. what fault were there then to lift them up to be seene. Seeing then they kneel before such a signifying object, and are tyed to kneel, the signification of the object doth not help, but rather be wrayeth, that they give that respect unto it, as by it to transmit the outward signe of worship▪ mediatly to the thing signified, pag. …5.or to God, which L. confesseth to bee idolatrie, hypocrisie, and a mixture of worship: and yet this is at the least their worship. For if they used them onelyonly as active objects, to stirre them up, they would not kneel before them in the meane time, more then when they are stirred up by the word, or works of God, by a toad, an asse, or a flee. And therefore it is not p. 113to the purpose, that he so often harpeth upon the use of stirring and moving. pag. 84. 85. 81. 92. D. B. of kneeling. pag. 33.D. B. saith plainly, That objectum à quo significativè, is medium per quod, a means by which, and that by the sacrament, they tender adoration to God. Doctour Mortoun saith, The adoration is relativ… from the signe to Christ. If it be from the signe, it must first be carried to the signe, as a meane of conveyance unto Christ, Reply 2. part. pag. 65. No difference betweene images and the elements in the case of adoration.saith Doctour Ames in his reply.

But D. L. in his solutions, saith, there is a great difference between images, which are the inventions of men, and the workes of God and the sacraments. But say we, in the case of adoration there is no difference. If the historicall use of images be lawfull, as some now maintaine, quid obstat praesentia imaginis, saith Vazquez, what doth hinder you at the sight of a crucifix to fall downe before it, and worship Crist. And if the use of images to this end be forbidden, so are also the creatures. Wee esteeme more indeed of the workes of God, then of the workmanship of man. Wee owe reverence at the hearing of the word, decent and comely usage in the participation of the sacrament, which we owe not to images, howbeit this reverent use be not properly a spece of adoration. L. pag. 77.Gods word and workes are ordained by God for our instruction, and so are not images. But God never ordained them to this end, that in them, by them, or before them, we should adore him, or any other thing wee are put in remembrance of by them. They are not commanded to be used, either in or out of the time of divine service, in modo & statu accomodato ad adorationem. Wee may, and do use the word and sacraments for meanes, occasions, instruments to stirre us up to worship God, but it followeth not that wee should or may p. 114worship God by kneeling before them. The generall Councell holden at Constantinople, anno 750. in condemning images, speaking by the way of this sacrament, hath these words, Ecce igitur vivificantis illius corporis imaginem totam, panis scilicet substantiam, quam mandavit apponi, ne scilicet humana effigie figura…a, idololatria intro duceretur; Behold therefore the whole or only image of that quickning body, the substance of bread, which he commanded to be set before them, least if it had a humane shape, idolatrie might have beene brought in. The braz…n serpent was set up upon a pole, that these who were stinged with the firie serpents, looking upon it, might be cured. Yet, De adorat. disp. 104. num. 24.saith Vazquez, God commanded them to looke upon it, standing upright without any adoration or signe of submission. The people of God had their sacraments, yet they kneeled not before them, nor yet heard they the word either read or exponed kneeling. When they heard the law of the passeover, they bowed not their head, howbeit it might bee finished in an instant, saith L. pag. 68.and farre lesse kneeled, but after they had heard. Gods workes are the booke of nature to teach us many things concerning God. But wee must not therefore fall downe before the sunne or moone, every green tree, an asse, a toad, when they worke, at the sight of them, upon our mindes, and move us to consider Gods goodnesse, wisedome, power. For then wee should fall into the horrible errour of Vazquez, De adorat. disp. 110.who doubted not to averre, that not onelyonly an image, or any holy thing may be worshipped in the same adoration with God, but also any thing in the world, the sunne, the moone, the stirres, a stock, Solut. p. …62.a stone, a straw: Doctour Lindsey in his solutions, to shunne this absurditie, saith, To bow downe, when we p. 115have seene the workes of God, when we have heard the word, and when we receave the sacraments, to ador… him, when by his workes, the word, and sacraments, we are taught to adore, is neither to bow downe to an idol, nor to worship God in an idol. He durst not say, When we see the workes of God, when wee heare the word of God, as he should have done, if he would have showen the difference betwixt the word of God, the workes of God, and images. Nor yet doth he say, When we have receaved the sacrament, as he said of the other two, When we have seene the workes of God, when wee have heard the word of God. But now hee affirmeth boldly, that we may bow our knees to God before his creatures, if wee use them onelyonly as meanes and instruments to stirre us up to worship God, pag. 94. That this errour grounded upon the significant object, may be the better perceaved, consider, that the booke of nature is like the booke of grace. If I were reading and meditating upon a passage of scripture, I am then considering what is read. When I have ended that worke, if I finde my selfe moved to pray, or give thankes, I pore not still with the eyes of my body, and my minde upon the booke, but turne my selfe to a wall, or a chaire, or a bed, or any other thing casually placed before me, yea perhaps before the booke it selfe, but casually, as before any other thing. I am not then gathering leassons or instructions, for that exercise is ended. So when I am beholding a tree, an asse, or toad, and considering in them the goodnesse, power, and wisedome of God, I am reading upon the booke of nature, I am contemplating and gathering profitable instructions. I cannot still be contemplating, and in the meane time adore kneeling in prayer, or praise, for that were a confusion of holy p. 116exercises. Nor yet after my contemplation, and preparatorie worke for worship is ended, must I tie or set my selfe before that asse, to …d, or tree to kneel; for then I should kneel for a greater respect to that creature, then to any other beside for the time, before which I might have kneeled casually without respect. And so the moving object shall participat of the externall adoration, my kneeling being convoyed by it to God, to whom it is directed by my spirit or affection, as Vazquez hath descrived the manner of adoration by images. The manner is not different. If the old opinion of some Heathnike philosophers were their tenent, that the world was animated by God, as our bodies are by our soules, then they might with some probabilitie conclude. Jupiter …st quodcunque vides, All that thou seest is great Jupiter, and infer this worship before every creature. But Christian religion will not admit such gros…e opinions.

They say, Mediat civill wor…ip no good warrant.men how before the chaire of estate, or the princes seale, which are dead and senslesse creatures. I answer, civill worship is conveyed mediatly to the person of the prince, by bowing before such senslesse creatures, because men thinke it expedient to uphold the infirmitie of princely majestie by such meanes. But God needeth no mediat worship to uphold his majestie, nor will have none. Againe, the ceremonies of Kings and Emperours courts are no rules for religions worship. For, De civitat. Dei lib. 10. cap. 4.as Augustine saith, Multa de cultu di vino usurpata sunt, quae honoribus deseruntur humanis, sive humilitate nimia, sive adulatione pestifera. That great humilitie or pestiferous statterie, may be the originall of many honours given to princes, borrowed from the formes used in Gods worship. Nazianzen saith, The Roman Euperours were honoured p. 117with publike images. Their crownes, and diademes, and purple robes, many lawes, tributs, and multitude of subjects were not sufficient to make sure their empire, but they behoved to be adored, not only in their owne persons, but also in colours, and other works made with mens hands, that they might seeme the more venerable. That is, Chamier de Imagin. c. 6. num. 9.as Chemier interpreteth, these images proceeded ab inexplebili fostū Imperatorum, from the insatiable ambition of Emperours. The statues of some Kings have had divine honours conferred on them. Doctour Abbots in his defence of Perkinse saith, It should seeme s…range, that formalities observed to princes in their courts for majesti… and royall estate, should be made paternes of religious devotion to be practised in the Church.

Francis Whit in his reply to Fisher saith, pag. 228.Civill and religious worship are of divers beginnings and formes, and every thing that is possible, lawfull and commendable in the one, is not so in the other. There is civill ordin…nce for the one, but there wanteth divine ordinance for the other.

But ye will say, Gods extraordinarie presence in the arke.The people of God worshipped God by the arke. I answer, They worshipped God not by the arke, but in the arke. For God was present in the arke after an extraordinarie manner. God was likewise in the temple after a peculiar manner hearing their prayers. De cultu Sanct. l. 3. c. 4.Immo hic est modus qno Deus est in templo peculiaciter, nimirium quia ibi est per exauditionem, saith Bellarmine, which was true of Salomons temple, but not rightly applied to ours. God is not in the sacramentall elements after such an extraordinarie manner, nor yet the body of Christ. Nay the body of Christ is not spiritually in the sacrament, to use the Doctours phrase, pag. 95. if by sacrament be meant the sacramentall elements, p. 116as commonly it is taken, for so the meaning shall be popish as I have declared before. But there is a spirituall presence of Christs body, not without, but within the hearts of the faithfull. This presence of God by his spirit, or spirituall presence of Christs body in the heates of the faithfull, is not extraordinarie, but ordinarie, and common to all the godly, not exposed to the senses, but inward and invisible.

Howbeit in words they deny a relative worship of Christ by the signes, Their relative adoratio….to gull the simple, yet wee must look to their carriage before the signes, and their ground taken from the moving and stirring object, Yea, sometime words escape plaine enough. The Lutherans worship Christ in the sacrament as wee should do. Their errour is only in the manner of presence, saith our Doctour, pag. 141. No errour to worship Christ flesh and bloud there, in respect of the personall presen…e of Ch…ists body, pag. 142. There then either really, or by imagination, as the Papist uniteth the image and the samplar, or as there, as when an emptie coffin is carried at funerals, and all the solemnities observed, as if the corps were present. Let him take his choice. And pag. 144. If ye except out of the number of reformed Churches all that thinke that Christ is present in the sacrament, and in the sacrament to be adored, I fear ye draw the number of the reformed Churches to a very small account, whom ye call the purer sort, such as Arrians, Anabaptists, and their followers. He abstaineth from cleare speeches, that he may lurke under the word Sacrament, and forbeareth the expression of our divines for the manner of Christs presence. D. Mourton, pag. 291. saith, that in the relative reverence, which is used in their Church, relation being made from the signe to Christ the thing signified, p. 117the sacrament is objectum à quo significativè. And what is that but reverence relative by the signe to Christ? And what hindereth adoration to be carried by a significant object, more then by a representative? The signes in the sacr…ment, notwithstanding of the want of humane shape, represent Christ to us.

Yee may aske, What if yee keep not a constant course, but sometimes sit, sometime stand, and sometime kneel? I answer, Put case, yee kneel sometime for feare like a temporizer, or of your owne accord, ye take liberty indeed to sit, stand, or kneel, but when and how oft yee kneel, yee adore, and tie your self to adore at these times before such an object, after the same manner, and for the same respects, and considerations, which are observed by those who keep a constant course. For it is not here as in prayer. Wee may pray without externall adoration, or with it, as in the petition of the mother of Zebedees children, Matth. 20. she came to Christ, adorans & pe…ens, worshipping him, and petitioning. And 2 Sam. 14. 4. the woman of Tekoa fell on her face to the ground, and did obeisance, when shee petitioned the King. For every gesture in praying to God, is no more a gesture of adoration, then in petitioning men. Now when yee adore in prayer, your adoration is directed immediatly to God, having no object before you, but such as standeth casually before you, from which you may turne your selfe in the very act of praying, to which you have no more respect then to other objects round about you. But here you … kneel before such an object, an object significant, and for that respect doth kneel, that that signe of outward worship may bee convoyed to Christs flesh and bloud signified by that object.

p. 120We have in the former argument considered the sacramentall elements, The second argument.as an object presented before us in the hand of the minister without any further use. Wee are now to consider them in the use, when wee take, eat, and drinke, and our next argument shall bee this. To adore upon our knees, when wee are performing an outward action, which is not directed to God immediatly, and in that action are occupied about an externall object, is idolatrie, unlesse that whereabout the action is employed be worthy of divine honour. Our taking, eating, drinking the bread and wine at the Lords supper, is not an action directed to God immediatly, as prayer and thanksgiving is, nor is it an outward signe of adoration, as kneeling is. De adoratione disput. 93. num. 45.Susceptio & collatio sacramentorum, est cultus quidam sa…er, eum ea dignè tractantur, nullius tamen rei est adoratio: The receaving and giving of the sacraments is a kinde of sacred worship, but it is not the adoration of any thing, saith Vazquez. And ye… our Doctour, to whom what is absurd, saith, that the sacrament is an act of reall adoration, pag. 133.

They alledge commonly, that we may kneel before our meat set on the table, when wee are to blesse it. But they do not prosecute it to the point, because they see, it will not frame for their purpose: First, we are to consider the time of the blessing; The meat is to bee considered not only as an object active, foreignputting us in minde of a benefite, but also as passive, not of adoration, but of blessing and sanctification for our use, for the meat is not set upon the table meerly to be gazed upon, but to bee blessed and sanctified for our use. Next, we are not, nor can not be tied to blesse kneeling. Yea, wee read not in scripture, that any blessed the meat upon the tabl p. 121kneeling. Christ himself blessed sitting. Salomon kneeled, 1 King. 8. 54. when he prayed, and spake to God: but when he was to blesse the people, it is said, he rose and stood up. It is an incongruous thing among the Papists to adore a thing, which is not higher then their polles, when they adorer, because they can not be said to humble themselves to that which is lower then themselves, say D. P. and P. D. B. pag. 68. P. pag. 387.It were incongruous likewise, and inexpedient to set the meat as high as our polles or above, Decret. pag. 366.and adore before it kneeling, and looking up to in. Bochellus citeth a canon forbidding the priest to lift up the bread to be seene before the words of consecration be uttered, least the people adore and commit idolatrie. Thirdly, when we kneel, we are not bound to gaze upon the meat, but may turne our selves to a chaire, a wall, or a forme, or any other thing set before us casually. Yea, when we sit at table, we are not bound at the blessing to gaze upon the meat, but may, and do ordinarily lift up our hands and our eyes to the heavens, as Christ lifted up his eyes. But if they would come to the purpose; and make a just comparison, they should consider next, that after the meat is blessed, it were strange to see every one who is present sit downe upon his knees, with his countenance fixed upon the bread in the hand of the master of the family or feast. And after this sort we have considered already in the former argument, the elements holden in the hands of the minister. But now we are to consider thirdly, the act of taking, eating, drinking, our meate and drinke. Wee may not take, eat, and drinke our ordinarie meat and drinke upon our knees. Nature and custome teacheth us, it were rather a mocking of God, then a reverent adoration of him. You will say, p. 122there is a differences The sacramen… all elements are holy bread and wi…e, the other common and ordinarie. There ye betray your … kneel then in taking and eating the sacramentall bread, because it is holy. Now to kneel in respect of the holinesse of bread and wine, is idolatrie. And the true cause of your religious respect and bowing before it, is the holinesse of it. We are too prone to conceat too highly of things set apart to holy uses, as if they were of greater worth then our selves, for whose use they were instituted. Next, suppose there be a difference, yet our ordinarie bread is sanctified by the word of God and prayer, to our use. Therefore it is but a mocking of God, unlesse that which you eat and drinke be worthie of divine honour. Lib. 3. de natura D… rum.Thinkest their any man so … as to beleeve, that that which … Cicera. Yet the Papist is thus mad. Ave…roes said, My souls shall hold with the philosophers, since the Christ…a…s worship that which they eat. And this do our kneelers. Yet the Papist thinketh hee taketh and eateth the body of Christ, which by reason of the concomitance of the Godhead, hee adoreth. The Lutheran thinketh both the bread and the body are present: yet they are consonant to their erroneous grounds of the reall presence, and unlesse Christs body were there really and su…stantially, they would not take, eat, and drinke, adoring upon their knees. Neither would any reasonable man bee so absurd, as to take, eat, drinke, adoring, unlesse he beleeved, that he were eating, were worthie of divine honour. It is otherwise so absurd to kneel before God after that manner. It were absurd to kneel before an eart…ly king, …est eating and drinking. But it may bee our kneelers bee grosse enough in their opinion of the reall presence. p. 123Suarez saith, Suarez in 3. part. tom. 3. p. 780. Bellar. de e…char. l. 2. c. 3. l. 4. c. 29. Alger. de sa…cram. altar. l. 2. c. 3.That as reall presence proveth adoration a priori, so adoration proveth reall presence a postiriori. Bellarmine likewise proveth adoration by reall presence, and reall presence by adoration. Algerius writing in the eleventh centurie, that is betweene a 1000. an… 1100. yeare, condemneth it as a vaine and senslesse fancie to bestow so much reverence upon the sacrament, unlesse Christs body bee present there. Tarnov. de ministe… 10. l. 2. c. 31.Tarnovius a Lutheran, Pre ermittendo hanc venerationem Christi externam, genuflexionem scilicet, communicantes presentiam Christi secundum corpus negare, & se Calvinians jungere. That is, By praetermitting this veneration, to wit, kneeling, the communicants should seeme to deny Christs bodily presence, and to joyne themselves to the Calvinians. They thinke, kneelers, who beleeve not the reall presence, worship a piece of bread.

They say, The pretence of mentall prayer.We may pray mentally in the act of receaving, therefore we may kneel or adore in the act of receaving. I answer first, Wee may not pray when we are bound to another exercise. In the act of receaving, eating, drinking, we should attend upon the audible words, the visible signes and rites, meditat upon the analogie betweene the outward signes and rites, and the things signified, take, eat, drinke mentally, and spiritually by faith. And so meditation upon the analogie, is not the onelyonly worke of the soul, pag. 102. 109. pag. 112.as L. supposeth us to imagine. Our desires are not prayers, as L. dreameth. Prayer is more then desire. It is a manifesting of our desires to God. Desiderium non dum dicitur oratio, quousque pere intellectus loquertis cum Deo exprimatur, … disp. 93. num. 11.saith Vazqu…z. This exercise of the minde, correspondent to the outward exercise of the members and senses of the body p. 124outwardly, cannot consist with oratio continua & instructa; set prayer. The soul may send forth to the heavens short ejaculations like darts. Prayer intermixeth it selfe with every ordinance whatsomever, pag. 199. pag. 236.s…ith P. He must meane ejaculatorie prayer, for otherwise he confesseth, that one ordinance is to be distinguished from another. But these ejaculations may be incident to all our actions, even civill, let be religious, when wee are eating and drinking our ordinarie meat and drinke, transitoriae, or ejaculatoriae orationes, as they call them, and therefore cannot be attended with kneeling. In sudden ejaculations no other gesture is required, then that wherein the motion of Gods spirit shall finde us, saith Master Downe. Next, suppose yee might pray a set prayer mentally, yet yee should not kneel in publike at your set mentall prayer, when the congrega…ion is at another exercise, nay, nor make any show by any other signe or gesture, that ye are praying. If it be mentall, it is in secret before the Lord, and the signes of it before men should bee concealed. Thirdly, it followeth, not, suppose ye may pray, that yee must pray kneeling: …ee▪ use the one may sometime be without the other. The Jewes prayed standing as well as kneeling, Drusti praeterita in Matth. 6.Matt 6and therefore, saith Drusius, of old prayers were called stations or standings. And Rabbi Jud… had a saying, Sine stationibus non subsisteret mindus; The world cannot subsist without stations or standings, that is, prayers. If yee will not, or may not pray but kneeling with reverence, when yee come before such a creature, it cannot be imagined to be done without respect to that creature. The like answers may be made to mentall thanksgiving. Ejaculations of thankes may agree with the proper exercise of the soule in the time of receaving, eating, p. 125drinking, as it may also with the ordinarie feeding, or any worldly businesse, but not a set thanksgiving, which should require the attention of all the powers of the soule, and cannot bee done without diverting the soule from the exercise proper for that time. Next, the signes outward should be concealed, if it be but mentall. Thirdly, what if ye must kneel, and no other gesture will serve the turne.

But say they, The pretence of reall prayer or thanksgiving.the very action it selfe is a reall prayer or thanksgiving, and we offer sacrifices. I answer, prayer is a craving, our taking, eating, drinking, is not a craving, but a receaving. Craving and receaving is not all one. But say they; L. pag. 107.it is a reall thanksgiving, and therefore called eucharist. It is a showing forth of the death of the Lord, till his comming againe. I answer, it is not properly thanksgiving. For thanksgiving is properly directed to God, as prayer is, either mentally onelyonly, or also vocally and verbally, so is not our act of taking, eating, drinking. Neither was the name of eucharist given by the scripture, but by the ancients: and not for the act of taking, eating, and drinking, but for the thanksgiving preceeding, for the same reason it was called Eulogia also, because of the blessing. For, he gave thankes, and he blessed, are used indifferently by the Evangelists. Denominatio non est semper … quata subjecto. Exercit. p. 517.From one part of the action the whole action is called Eucharist, saith Casaubon. Eulogia & eucharistia, utraque vox a parte una totam Domini actionem designat. Whereas the Apostle saith, So oft as yee shall eat, &c yee shall show forth the Lords death till he come againe; is meant, say they, not verball, but reall preaching onelyonly acted by taking, eating, drinking. So say the Rhemists upon 1 Corinth. 11. 26. But p. 126Doctour Fulk answereth, that even according to the judgement of the fathers, the Lords death must bee showed not only by the action, but also by words, which may stirre up to remembrance, and thankfulnesse. So also Willers. Willets qu. 1. of the sacraments. Pezel. refutatio Catechismi Iefuit. pag 421.So …ezel…us, and others. This kinde of annunciation answereth to the Hagadah, that is the declaration which was made at the passeover according to the commandement, Ex…d 1. 8. And thou shalt show. Therefore …t the paschall supper one made the declaration, expounding everie ceremonie in their owne place, the meaning of the lambe, of the bitter hearbs, and so forth of the rest. … cit. pag. 224.This Ha…a…ah and d…claration of the Jewes, saith Casaula…us, answereth to that annunciate show forth, 1 Corinth. 11. 26. But be it so, that the act it selfe be called a declaration or setting forth of the Lo…ds death, yet that is not properly a declaration, or commemoration, nor yet representation of his death. Further, both representation and commemoration are to men, and not to God, resemble preaching and not prayer. The celebration of the action it selfe is a profession of thankfulnesse before men, for a great benefite, but is not thanksgiving dir…cted to God. Bell…rmine himselfe exponing how the act of eating and drinking may bee called a showing forth, give…h this reason, that the partakers should remember with thanksgiving the death of the Lord, De euch. l. 4. c. 27. So the proper and principall end of the sacrament is a further confirming and sealing of our communion with Christ, and his benefits purchased to us by his death. The testification of our thankfulnesse by showing forth his death, and commemoration of the benefits receaved thereby is a secondarie end. Neither is it directed to God immediatly, as thanksgiving is, p. 127howbeit honour redound thereby to God, because his praise is proclaimed before men. De Missa. l. 1. c. 13. & lib. 2. c. 9.Non enim concionamur Deo neque sacramenta Domino dispersamus, sed populo. Domino ministrare dicuntur, quia ad ejus honorem id faciunt, saith Bellarmine. To honour God is more generall then to adore, for God is honoured by preaching, praying, singing, swearing; praising, and not by adoring onelyonly. Neither can eating and drinking of bread and wine be called properly a sacrifice. For a sacrifice properly so called, importeth destruction of the thing sacrificed, by killing, burning, effu…. That cannot be called properly a sacrifice, which is only for commemoration, or representation of a sacrifice. The acting of a tragedie upon a stage, is not a true tragedy indeed, howbeit the object represented, was a true tragedie. Giving of almes may be called a sacrifice, yet wee kneel not when wee give almes. It is a sacrifice only improperly, and in some respect so called. The Gentiles are said to be sacrificed by the preaching of the Gospel, Rom. 15. 16. but figuratively. There is as great difference between a sacrament and sacrifice, as taking and giving.

It is yet objected, The pretence of receaving a benefite.that in the act of receaving, wee receave an inestimable benefite. Ought not a subject kneel, when he receaveth a benefite from a prince to testifie his thankfulnesse? I answer, If we were to receave a gift, suppose but a morsell of bread out of Gods owne hand immediatly, wee ought no doubt to adore upon our knees, but not, if by the hand of the creature. The person who receaveth the gift from the king, is supposed to receave it immediatly from the king, or suppose he kneel receaving from his servant, mediat civill worship are not rules for religious adoration, which should be directed p. 128immediatly to God. Now wee receave the sacrament out of the hand of the minister, not out of Christs owne hand. Multum interest inter actionem Filii Dei perse, & per ministrum. Illa enim est actio immediatè producta à divino supposito, ista ab humano. Bellarm. de Missa. lil. 2. cap. 4. Yea the Apostles at the first supper adored not on their knees, when Christ himselfe ministred the sacrament, howbeit upon occasion, and at other times they adored, not did they adore God the Father upon their knees for the benefite they were receaving. The inward benefite Christs body and bloud are receaved by the soule, not by the body, by the godly only, not by all that receave the sacrament, by faith embracing Christ present by his spirit in the soul. The godly under the law receaved the same gift, the same spirituall food, and drink, and yet kneeled not. The D. pag. 113. saith, that in the law they had but the shadow of the gift, a popish speach, whereas the Apostle saith, the same food. If the clearer revelation make the difference, which is without ground or reason, then adoration is not in respect of the gift. The godly take, eat, and drinke Christs body and bloud by the act of faith and beleeving, Now the act of faith or beleeving is not an act of adoration, as the schoolmen acknowledge, nor is it expressed outwardly by kneeling, In a … fidei non potest apprehendi aliqua submissionis nota propria religionis exhibenda ipsi excellentie Dei, In 3. tom. 1. … p. 93. num. 20. & 21.sicut nec ratio sacrificii aut laudis, saith Vazquez. Never man yet adored upon his knees, if his principall work was actuall beleeving desire, Christ, short ejaculations of the soule, and the acts of other graces concurre, as concomitants to remove impediments, that faith may put forth its act with greater strength, which is the principall worke of p. 129the soule in the act of receaving the elements: All dispositions which are required unto right receaving, can not distinctly and solemnely bee expressed at the same time by outward gestures, except wee would use divers gestures together, saith P. 195. The principall therefore must be considered. Next, wee receave, eat, and drinke Christs body and bloud, as soone as we are effectually called, and beginne to beleeve, and as oft as we heare the promises of the Gospell read and exponed, and doe beleeve. Christs body is as farre absent from us at the receaving of the sacrament, as at the hearing of the word. The symbols, when they are added to the word, while the myst…r…s are celebrated, Contra Gardiner. col, 735. edit. 1581.I doubt not, sai…h P…ter Martyre, serve very much for assurance, for th…y s…ale the promise, tamen illa Christi nobis praesentiam magis constituere quam verba aut promissiones, constanter pernego. That is but that they make Christ more present to us, then the word and sacraments doe, I utterly denie. The Formalist speaketh, as if Christs body were present in the sacrament, or as if wee had never receaved Christs body, till wee receaved this sacrament, or never but when we receave this sacrament. Whereas Augustine saith, De consecrat. dist. 2. cap. 56. & dist. 4. c. 131. Dist. 2 c. 47.There is no doubt, but every one of the faithfull is made partaker of the body and bloud of Christ, when in baptisme he is made a member of Christ, as ye may see in Gratians decree. Againe he saith, Credere in eum, hoc est panem vivum manducare, to beleeve in him, is to eat the living bread. The glosse saith, Christ is eaten spiritually by faith without the sacrament. We are united with Christ, and made members of his body, before we come to this sacrament, and doe not receave his body of new at every communion, as if wee had lost it since the former; and yet there is but one body receaved at all p. 130the times. The celebration of the Lords supper is not a new institution of the testament, but a repetition of the same. This sacram… … authentike instrument of the testament, and as of as it …s ministred, the same authentike instrument is … over …gain, Bellarm. de Euchar. l. 1. cap. 11. Becan. de Coena calie. c. 11.See this illustration in Bellarmine, and …anus, Wee are said then, to take, eat, drinke Christs body and bloud at every celebration of the holy supper, because wee put forth our faith in act at that time, and renewing the act of faith, wee take, eat, and drink by beleeving, that same body and bloud, which before, our faith being strengthened by the outward signes and seales to that end, and so grow in faith, Reply to Harding. art. 1. Whittakerus de sacram. pag. 68.and by faith in union with Christ, The holy mysteries do not beginne (saith Jewel) but rather continue and confirme this incorporation. Whitaker saith, Familiar… loquendi modus est ut fieri dicatur, quod factum obsigna…ur; That is, It is a familiar kinde of speaking to sa… that thing is in doing, which being already done is sealed, and confirmed. Thirdly, the manner or forme of receaving a … be answerable to the manner of the offering, the n…ture of the gift, and the will of the giver. If a King call his nobles to a banket, it is his will that they sit at table. David and Jonathan sate at table with King Saul, as you may see, 1 Sam, 20. Such as were called the Kings friends or companions (for the originall word signifieth as well the one as the other, Sociu… …s amicus) I take to have sitten ordinarily with Kings: as Zabud, 1 King. 4. 5. and Husha… the Archite, who is called, 2 Sam. 15. 37. Davids friend, and 1 Chron. 27. 33. by the same translaters, the Kings companion. Such an one was Daniel to the Babyloniah Emperour, as the Apocrypha historie of Susanna reporteth, cap. 14. 1. To this Christ alludeth, p. 131Joh. 15. 15. when he saith to his disciples at table, Hence forth I call you not servants, but I have called you friends. Abraham for his faith was called Gods friend, Jam. 2. 23. By the same reason all the faithfull are preferred to this dignity. As wee are friends and fellow-heires with Christ, so hath hee instituted this holy feast, the onelyonly feast in the Christian Church, to assure us of our preferment, and fellowship with him. Howsoever then otherwise, and at other occasions wee behave our selves as supplicants, we are now according to our Lords will and pleasure, to observe that externall forme of a feast, which he hath left to his Church, and to act thereat in our outward carriage the persons of guests and friends. And therefore, howbeit the inviter be a great person, the manner of invitation is familiar, and our not acceptance the more offensive. Chrysostome declaiming against such as were present, and did not approach to communicate, saith, Hom. 3. in epist ad Ephesios.The King table is here, the King himselfe is present. Why standeth thou yawning? If thy garments be cleane, foreign sit downe and participat. In the English booke of common prayer, there is an exhortation to bee made to the people, when they are negligent to come to the table, where we have these words, Ye know how grievous and unkinde a thing it is, when a man hath prepared a rich feast, decked his table with all kinde of provision s… that there lacketh nothing, but the guests to sit downe and yet these who be called (without any cause) most unthankefully refuse to come. The exhortation seemeth to …ee dr…w…e out of that place of Chrysostome, but they omit the … words, Sit downe and participat. For all the … the first part of the comparison, they bid not the Communicants sit downe. But they must kneel and receave, p. 132that which is reached to them. So that there is no more use of the table, then if it were a cupbord or altar. Fourthly, if we should kneel, because we are receaving a gift, by this reason wee should kneel, when wee receave any benefite or gift of God, as for example, when we are taking, eating, drinking, our ordinarie meat and drinke. If yee will say, the sacramentall is holy bread, the other common, then yee confesse ye kneel, because of the holinesse, that is, the setting a part of it to a holy use, and that is idolatrie. If ye will say, ye receave a greater gift, then when yee receave your ordinarie food, that is no more, but then there is a greater motive. Yet, if because a gift, then whensoever, or whatsoever gift ye receave, ye ought to kneel. God deserveth thankes for the least of his benefits, and is to bee adored for whatsoever benefite spirituall or temporall receaved, in the time of divine service, or out of it. For this is the common doctrine of the school men, Vazquez de adorat. disp. 94. num. 7.Eundem honorem adorationis, atque eodem modo Deo esse deferendum, etiamsi varia sunt ipsius beneficia & attributa. That is, That the same honour of adoration is to be given to God, and after the same manner, howbeit his benefites and attributes are divers. For the reason upon Gods part that moveth us to adore him, is the excellenie of his dignity. All his attributes concurre to make up this excellencie, whatsoever benefite move us, never so meane, hee deserveth honour, because bestowed by so great a Lord, who is the fountaine, & primum principium. When the Israelites were to be cured miraculously by looking up to the brazen serpent, If we may receave upon our knees, what we crave upon our knees.a type of Christ, they kneeled not.

It is a frivolous objection, and scarce worthie the answering, when they say, what wee may crave upon our p. 133knees, wee may receave upon our knees. They should conclude, we must receaue upon our knees. But neither the one, nor the other doth follow. For wee crave our daily food upon our knees, and rayment, therefore by their reasoning wee should kneel with reverence, when we receave our food in at our mouth, or put on our doublet. Yet say they, what wee crave of God upon our knees in publike worship, wee may receave upon our knees. But this is yet as frivolous. For wee may crave in time of publike worship upon our knees things necessarie for this temporall life, and so wee doe, when in the Lords prayer, we say, Give us this day our daily bread. Further, the diff…rence of place and time, is but a difference in circumstances, and altereth, not the nature of worship, and so I may receave upon my knees, whatsoever I may crave of God in privat worship upon my knees; if this kinde of reasoning were good. But it is not the diversitie of the time or place where wee receave the benefite, more then the diversity of the benefite it selfe, that is the ground of adoration, but Gods excellencie, as we said before.

Next, they consider not, that these three things are to bee clearly distinguished, a blessing or sanctifying of the creature, or meane God hath appointed, either for our temporall or spirituall life (of which some are reckoned by L. pag. 85. 86.) before the use, the use it selfe, and thanksgiving after the use. Blessing before meat, the use of the meat in enjoying it be receaving, eating, drinking, and thanksgiving after, blessing before the reading preaching or hearing of the word, the act it selfe of reading, hearing, preaching, and thanksgiving to God after, blessing before the receaving of the sacrament…ll. p. 124duplicate page p. 125duplicate page p. 126duplicate page p. 127duplicate page p. 128duplicate page p. 129duplicate page p. 130duplicate page p. 131duplicate page p. 132duplicate page p. 133duplicate page p. 134elements, the receaving and participation it selfe, and thanksgiving after.

They aske, The pretence of humility and reverence.if humility and reverence be not requisite in the act of receaving the sacramentall elements. I answer, Yes, in all religious exercises, at the hearing of the word, reading of the word, &c. But it followeth not, that there should be humiliation upon our knees because humility of minde is required, nor adoration, because reverence is required. Is there no reverence nor humility, but in kneeling before dead and senslesse creatures? There is a damnable humility, plausible to willworshippers and idolaters, condemned, Coloss. 2. 23. Peter was censured, when hee refused, that Christ should wash his feet. It is Christs honour to command, obedience upon our part is true humility. Humility is an habit, adoration is an act. The act of humility is immanent, whereby a man resteth content, and well pleased with his owne estate and ranke, and doth not conceat greater worth in himself, then there is, specially in comparison with God. But adoration is a transient act, whereby a man goeth out of himselfe, as it were, to direct some homage, and worship to God. Such like reverence is a common adjunct to all sorts of worship, preaching, praying, praising, adoring, but is not a distinct kinde of worship, Of the institution of the supper. p. 63.as is adoration. The pretence of reverence cannot be a sufficient reason for altering the ordinance of Christ and the opinion of reverence, hath often beene the dame and nour…e of manifold superstitions, saith Doctour Morto…n…

To concludes that because wee must use reverent gesture in receaving the holy communion, therefore wee must kneel in the act of receaving, is to condemne our p. 135owne Church, and other reformed Churches of want of reverence. Vnlesse yee will say, sitting is reverent for some, to take in passing for others, but kneeling for Scotland. So may the Monkes conclude, saith Doctour… Ames, wee must have garments, therefore wee must in one order have blacke, in another white, in a third gray, and so forth. If any judicious Reader will review all their reasons or pretences for kneeling, hee shall finde, they inferre a duty to kneel, and consequently an indirect taxing of Christ, and his Apostles, and all others in ancient time, or in reformed Churches, who have not kneeled. And if there were no more, this alone may let them see the weaknesse of their reasoning.

Seeing kneeling in the act of receaving the sacramentall element is idolatry, and cannot be used but idolatrously, it followeth, that kneeling in the act of receaving brought not in a…tolatrie or bread worship, as some divines construing charitably, some old Writers, or mistaking counterfeit workes for genuing, have imagined. We may observe other ushers to have prepared the way for bread worship by kneeling. After that the virgine times of the first age or prime primitive, that is the apostolicall times were past, changes entered. They were not content to sit, but at some time, and more frequently stood. They left off distribution and breaking of bread with other, and receaved out of the minister or deacons hand. Other words were substitute in place of Christs words. In processe of time, the women might not receave the bread with their naked hand, but in a clean linnen cloath or napkin. And in many places the cuppes had pipes, whereby they sucked the wine out of the cuppe. At length the Communicants were not suffered p. 136to receave with their hands, but in at their mouther. And this proceeded from a sup…rstitious reverencing of the signes, which ended at last in bread worship, saith Vossius, Theses theolog. pag. 476.Et san… consuetudo altera ing…r…ntli panem in os, circa annum sexc…nt simum demum …pisse videtur, neque id aliunde quam à superstitiosa veneration signorum, quae in foreign tandem evasit. Adde also the corrupting of the doctrine with the opinion of the reall presence, and worshipping of images, Of the Lords supper. 1. part. pag. 40.which entered both about one time. After the worshipping of images, which Master Moulins calleth the elder sister, followed breadworship.