A Just Defense of Hearing the Sermons, Chapter 7 · Section 15
Sect. 15. Kneeling in receiving the Sacramental elements, is not Idolatry.
Argument 3. Adoration in, by, or before a creature respecti…è, or with relation to the creature, is Idolatry; such as so adore or w…ship G…d, are Idolaters: But the present Ministers of England, do adore or worship God, in, by, or before a creature respective, or with relation to the creature: Therefore. The major (or first Proposition) being generally owned by Protestants, it being the very same Maxim they make use of, and stop the mouth of the Papists with, in the point of adoring God mediately by the creature, we shall not stand upon the proof of it: none that know what they say, will deny it. The minor Proposition (viz. That the present Ministers of England do adore or worship God, in, by, or before the creature respectivè, or with relation to the creature) will receive a quick dispatch: Not to mention their bowing and cringing at the Altar: That they kneel at receiving of the Sacrament, is known: That they, with their Communicants, should do so, is enjoyned by their Church: That their so d…ing, is an adoration, or worshipping of God before the creature respectivè, or with relation to the creature, is too manifest to admit of a denial: Nothing being more certain, than that the Elements are the objectum à quo, or the motive of their kneeling, which if they were not there, they would not do. And in the margin. Didoclavius p. 755. saith, Genus…ectere non modò excludit ritus institutionis, sed etiam praeceptum secundum de Vitanda Idololatria multis modis violat. VVhichWhich Maccovius assents to, loc. com. p. 861.
Answ. Whether this Authors Antagonists know what they say, this Author seems not a fit Judge, unless either he knew better what himself saith, or could better clear his meaning than he doth, that his Readers might know what he saith. In this Argument, he doth accuse the present Mnisters of England, and their Communicants of Idolatry, in kneeling at the receiving of the bread and wine in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper; and yet, ch. 5. p. 40. he had said. Kneeling at the Lords Supper, though we do not, some would say, smells very strong of the Popish leaven, and is but one pegg b…neath the adoration of their breaden-God. Here he exp…esly makes that Idolatry undeniable, as being adoration or w…ship of God in, by, or before the creature, to wit, the element… respectivè, or with relation to the creature, as objectum significativè a quo, or the motive of their kneeling; which if it were not, they would not do. So that one while, he will not say, it sm…lls strongly of the Popish leaven, nor that it is but one pegg beneath the adoration of their breaden-God; and if so (did he know what he saith) he acquits it from idolatry, which at another time he imputes to it. To which might be added. That, whereas in the beginning of this very chapter, he …eckons up as many sorts of Idolatry, as either he could, or thought fit at least for his design, of making the present Ministers of England Idolaters; and indeed, more than he should: yet this sort of Idolatry, of worshipping and adoring God▪ in, by, or before a creature respectivè, or wi… relation to the creature, as the objectum significativè à qua, or the motive of the adoration, or worship of God▪ is no… mentioned there by him; nor is this Kneeling any of them. For neither is the kneeling at the Sacrament, the worsh…p …f the creature terminatively: Nor before it, as the medium or representative of God: Nor the ascription of the Godhead, or … properties, to any creature: Nor the worshipping of God in any other way, than what he hath prescribed; For it is kneeling in prayer, or thanksgiving, to God, which he hath appointed: Nor is it the oblation of worship or service to God, that hath ben offered up to Idols, for which there is no prescription in the Scripture. For, if it be such, it is that which was done to the breaden-God: But that he will not say it is; for, ch. 5. p. 40. He would not say, it smells very strong of the Popish leaven, and is but one pegg beneath the adoration of their breaden God; therefore he makes it more than one pegg beneath it▪ and so beneath that oblation or service, that hath been offered up to Idols. Besides, as I have before said, the Papists themselves are not enjoyned to adore the bread, at the putting into their mouths, but at the elevation of the host; i… not consisting with their principles, to worship that which is not above them: Nor is it the most refined Idolatry, as he speaks, when the heart goes forth in desires after any thing, beyond what is limited by the Lord; or trusts and relyes on any creature, besides God: For this Kneeling, if it be Idolatry, is outward, not inward; of the members, not of the …; and therefore, it may be more truly charged on … Author, that he knew not what he said, when he accused Ministers and people of Idolatry, for receiving the bread and wine at the Lords Supper kneeling, though he had said enough before to acquit them from it. And, may he not be said, not to know what he said, who writes so ambiguously, indistinctly, and confusedly, as that his Reader cannot well discern his meaning? For, whereas worshipping God in, by, or before a creature respectivè, or with relation to the creature, may be understood before it respectivè, or with relation to it, as the terminus, or object to which i… is directed; as worshipping before, Luke 4.7. is wo…shipping of Satan, Matth. 4.9. and the relation to the creature, may be, as conceiving God included in it, as in the consecrated host; or represented by it, as by the golden cal…, or a crucifix, or as pertaining to God, being consecrated to him, as G…deons Ephod, or Popish reliques of Saints, or hallowed grains; or the like, without Gods institution; in these, and such like relations, the adoration being directed to the creatures, whether as the only object to which, or the intermediate object; whether properly, or improperly; of it self, or by accident; if this Author had distinctly set down, that he meant his major in one or more of these respects, his Readers would have known what he had said, and would have granted his m…jor, and denied his minor. But he thought it best to hide his major in ambiguous speech, and to express himself more intelligibly in his instance in the minor, That Kneeling is adoration o… worshipping of God before the crea…ure respectivè, or with relation to the creature, as the objectum significativè à quo, or the motive of the kneeling. But in this sense I deny his major; and that he may not think me bereft of my wits, but that I know what I say, I give him this reason of my denial, I find the Holy Ghost inviting the Jews to worship at Gods footstool, his holy hill, Psal 99.5.9▪ which were creatures; and there they were to bow down to God, in, by, or before these creatures respectivè, or with relation to them, as the objectum significativè à quo, that is, that thing which was an object signifying Gods presence there, and the motive of their bowing down to God; which, if they had not been there, that is, the Ark▪ Temple, Altar, they would not have done; and there was no Idolatry therein. And to stop the evasion, that it was so, when God appointed it, though this would not avoid the instance, the bread and wine being of Gods appointment, and the use of them in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, as well as the Altar, Ark, Temple, were, they were instituted to be memorative signs of Christs body and blood, communicated to the receivers by faith; yet I find that adoration or worshipping of God before the creature respectivè ▪ or with relation to it, as the objectum significativè à quo, and the motive of the adoration, hath been performed occasionally without institution, and yet no Idolatry committed. When the Is…aelites at mount Carmel, 1 Kings 18.38. saw the fire of the Lord fall, and consume the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and lick up the water that was in the trench, they fell on their faces, and they said, The Lord he is God, the Lord he is the God. Here was adoration of God before the creature respectivè, or with relation to it, as the objectum significativè à quo, signifying the Lord to be God; and as the motive of that adoration, which, if it had not been there, they would not have done it; and yet no Idolatry committed. Another instance is 2 Chron. 7.3 When all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever. Here was adoration and worshipping God, in, by, or before a creature, not having special institution, abiding in their sight, as the objectum significativè à quo, or the motive of their adoration, and worship of the Lord, and yet no Idolatry. I confess, that when the worship is before it, so as it is directed to it, as upon the sight of the bread, or a crucifix, the host, or a crucifix is worshipped, whether terminatively, or as the representative of another, it is Idolatry: As If Job, when he had seen the Sun when it shined, or the Moon walking in brightness, his heart had been secretly enticed, and his mouth had kissed his hand, as it is Job 31.26, 27. it had been Idolatry: For then the Sun had been not only obj…ctum à quo, the motive or occasion, but also objectum ad quod, or the terminus ad quem, to which it had been directed. But if he had only taken occasion, upon the sight of the Sun, to worship God, as David did, Psal. 8.3. magnifie or worship God the Creator, it had been no Idolatry, though the Moon or Sun were the objectum à quo significativè, or the sight … it, the motive to it. Till Divine worship be given to a creature, it is not Idolatry; although in the kind or means of worship, there may be Will-worship; and in the opinion of those, that count their act, or the object to be holy, when it is not, there may be superstition of the mind; and in the use of such things, or forbearing their use, superstition in the members.
That which this Author saith of his major Proposition, as generally owned by Protestants, I do not believe it to be true, understanding it as he doth, of relation only to the creature, as objectum significativè à quo, or the motive of the adoration, and not the object to which it is directed. As for this minor, it may be denied, even in his own sense; for the adoring of God, though it be at the receiving the elements, yet the elements are not objectum significative à quo, or the motive of their kneeling, Ludov. Crocius Antisocinism. contr. disp. 22. qu. 3. Geniculando coenam sumere nos per se indifferens judicamus. q. 11. Nobis hic ritus est indifferens, allegatq, Lutherum, M… lanchthonem, ut idem statuetes, contra Flacium.according to the Common-Prayer Book, which saith, That the order in the Office, for the administration of the Lords Supper, that the Communicants should receive it kneeling, is well meant, for a signification of our humble and grateful acknowledgement of the benefits of Christ, therein given to all worthy receivers; and for the avoiding of such profanation and disorder in the holy Communion, as might otherwise ensue: That thereby no adoration is intended, or ought to be done, either unto the Sacramental bread and wine, there bodily received, or unto any corporal presence of Christs natural flesh and blood: Which intimate, that the elements are not the objectum significativè à quo, or the motive of their kneeling; but the benefits of Christ in the Lords Supper, given to all worthy receivers: And that, not the sight of bread or wine, (which is not seen till the cup be in their hand) but the remembrance of Christs death, and the remission of sins by his blood, by saith, are the motive to kneel to God, with prayer and thanksgiving to him, without any honour of the bread and wine, though received, eaten and drunk, to remember Christs death, as the procuring cause of those benefits. As for his Reason, if the elements were not there, they would not kneel; therefore they are the objectum significativè à quo, or the motive of their kneeling; partly the Antecedent is not true, for they kneel before they receive the elements brought to them, and after they have eaten and drunk, while they are in the meditation of Christs death, and the benefits by it, using holy ejaculation in prayer and thanksgiving to God; partly the consequence may be denied: For, though they would not kneel, were not the elements there, yet this is not sufficient to prove their presence the motive of kneeling, any more, than the presence and speech of the M…nister, who delivers them with prayer and exhortation, to whom yet this Author makes not the kneeling to have relation. And indeed, it is not the presence of the elements, when they are received, that is, while they are in the Ministers hand, or their own, or in their mouths, which is the objectum significativè à quo; but the actions with the elements, at the consecration by the Minister, which signifie Christs death: and the use by themselves in eating and drinking, whereby are signified their nourishment by Christ unto life eternal, which are the motive to that gratitude and trust in Christ, which in kneeling they exercise by prayer. As for the words of Didoclavius, with Maccovius his assent, they are the words of an Adversary to the Ministers in this cause, and therefore not fit to be alleged as a proof in this matter: Nor, if they were true, would they prove kneeling to be Idolatry, but to be some way against the second Commandement for avoiding Idolatry. We might more justly, and more to the purpose, allege the words of Dr. Ames, in his Triplication to Dr. Burges his Rejoynder, ch. 4. sect. 4. p. 382. There is no Non-conformist, which refuseth to kneel unto Christ, in the celebration of the Lords Supper: And the Conformists deny, they require kneeling to any other than God, and the Lord Jesus Christ. As for their bowing and cringing at the Altar, it concerns them to speak for themselves, who use it; neither do all the Conformists use it, no not in Cathedrals▪ if my information be right; nor is there any established Law for it; and those that use it, do avouch they do it, not to any other than God, and therefore are not to be charged with Idolatry, whatever other fault they are chargeable with, by reason of it. It follows