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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A69491	Gestus Eucharisticvs, or, A discourse concerning the gesture at the receiving of the Holy Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lords Supper by George Ashwell ...	Ashwell, George, 1612-1695.	1663 (1663)	Wing A3998; ESTC R16232	72,577	195

determine or pass my censure on but to pray that God would please to direct them in so hazardous a Point that they may do all according to the Rules of Christian prudence and for the good of the Church Whatsoever I here say is directed to such as are misled for their satisfaction who cannot with any Reason or Justice claime a perpetuall exemption from obeying the lawes though some of them possibly may be dispenst with for a while seeing thereby all Ecclesiasticall Authority would be trod under foot the Laws broken and abolisht all disorder confusion introduced Schisme authorised and the Disobedient confirmed in their errours without any hope of ever reducing them to the Unity of the Church Were it not a far more Christian and charitable Course for such who have misled them or countenanced them in their errour to shew them it by confessing their own and do their utmost endeavour by informing them aright to returne them into the good old Pathes of the Church and become their Guides in the way This would be the best evidence of their Repentance Selfdeniall Humility and zealous care of those Soules which have been hitherto misguided through their meanes S. Paul thought himsef obliged to confess his errour after he was converted and to be more zealous in converting souls then he had been in destroying of them which caused him to labour more abundātly then all the rest of the Apostles 1 Cor. 15. 10. S. Austin thought himself bound in his latter days to look back on what he had done preached and written and upon a serious review thereof to confess the Errours not onely of his life but of his Doctrine of both which he hath left publick monuments unto all Posterity in his two Books of Confession and Recantation Hath he at all disparaged or disgraced himself by these two Books Nay hath he not got more honour to himself thereby than by any two of the rest If in others he hath shewed more of the Schollar in these he hath shewed more of the Christian His high wit learning may shine forth more conspicuously in some other Treatises but his deep humility large charity are more legible in these He thought it no blot to his Reputation to publish his Errour but to persist in it And his own conscience he judged would have been polluted and other mens insnared if he had not purged it by this Confession and Recantation which now present it unstained unto God and his Church Would to God those who read the Books and see the good effects thereof would follow the example Then would the Church in due time recover both its Purity and its Peace 5. Those who would not have any Constraint now put upon the Conscience of any one nor so much as a Restraint of their Christian liberty in the use of things indifferent might have done well to have been more tender of forcing others when their Party was in power not onely to the Gesture of Sitting at the receiving of the Sacrament denying it to such who would not cōforme thereto contrary to their Judgment to the Lawes and to their former Practice but to such Oathes and Covenants as were contrary to those they had formerly taken and to the Lawes of the Land and the expresse command of their Soveraigne Lord the King But the present Power as it is placed in the right Hands so it useth those hands far more gently and complyantly for the drawing of all to conformity and Obedience But it is one Thing to beare with the weake for a while an other to cherish the Refractory in their wilfulnesse One thing to forbeare the inflicting of the Penalty on some certaine Persons untill all fitting meanes be used of weaning them from their Errours and ill Customes another to abrogate and nullifie the force of the Law by indulging a generall Dispensation A moderate and seasonable pressing of Conformity will not drive any from the Church who are any way plyable or inclinable to come in but gently draw them farther by shewing the excellent fruits of Unity and Order the Beauty and the Peace which accompany them with the necessity thereof in order to the recovery and preservation of Both. Whereas if the People be still suffered to follow their own Fancies and false Guides under pretence of enjoying that which they are pleased to call Liberty of Conscience it will be impossible ever to reduce them into the fold of the Church They will wander about still as foolish sheep use to do and please themselves in the By pathes of their owne choosing follow the call of every false shepheard straggle farther and farther into forbidden Pastures and never entertaine a thought of returning into that Field which they first so foolishly forsooke to tire themselves in their inconstant wandrings And if the Shepheards follow them in these Vagaries unlesse it be with a pious charitable designe of reducing them home they will soon weary them in the Pursuit and send them back at last with as little Patience as they had Prudence at their setting forth S. Augustine observes that the Donatists never seriously recollected themselves nor considered the Errour of their way till they were awakened by the Thunder of the Emperours Edicts which affrighted them into the Fold they had so giddily abandoned and then they could thank God for so seasonable a severity when they saw the Benefit of the change whereas otherwise if they had bin still left at liberty to do what they listed they had perished in their wanton extravagancies fooled themselves into Damnation 6. The Benefits arising from Conformity are many and great as Order and Decency which cannot be preserved without Vniformity But chiefly the Peace and Vnity of the Church which are so necessary for the maintenance of Truth of Obedience to Superiours and the solid Edifying of all Christians in the ways of Salvation Which sure are more considerable than the gratifying of some factious Humourists or seduced Proselytes amongst us As for the allowing a liberty in things indifferent to the Judgement and Conscience of the users the Church leaves all Christians absolutely free whilst it declares them indifferent in their own nature various in severall Churches and Changeable in the same not essentiall Parts but circumstantiall Appendixes of Gods worship But to crave the same liberty for the use and practise of them without any limitation or regard had to the Determinations of just Authority is such a liberty which never any well-setled Church enjoyed or defired I believe since the Apostles times such as is inconsistent with the Apostles Rules of Order and Decency and such as would bring in that Confusion into the Church whereof God is not the Authour Ob. 5. This Gesture of kneeling at the Sacrament gives the juster cause of offence because it had its Originall from the Pope of Rome and which is worse upon a very ill Ground or supposall viz. upon the Doctrine of

use it and in case of Non-Conformity debar themselves of the many and great Advantages of so Blessed a Sacrament and so exclude themselves from the Communion of the Church in the highest Mystery of our Religion Now if this small Discourse prove so happy through Gods Blessing to scatter the Prejudices of some and confirme the waverings of others and so become a meanes of contributing ought towards the Peace of the Church I have my much wisht for end and shall have just cause of joyning my Thanks and Prayses with Theirs who receive any Benefit thereby unto the great God of Truth and Peace As to the choice of the Person to whose Protection I have made bold to recommend so inconsiderable a Treatise the very Title in the Front of this Epistle will I hope either defend or excuse me to the World though the Discourse it selfe be unworthy of his Acceptance For the very name of Patron is a sufficient Evidence of my Obligations and may justly claime whatsoever I can do in this kind as a Testimoniall of my Gratitude which I must shew as I can when I cannot as I would And your Noblenesse I well know looketh not so much at the Greatness of the Gift as the good will of the Giver Who if God please to grant him life and leisure answerable to his Desires will be ready to second this with some farther proofs of his observance But this is not all Your known zeale for maintaining the good Orders of the Church with your exemplary Reverence at the publick Service and particularly at this holy Sacrament besides that Influence which your Suffrage and Authority had in reviving the Auncient Law for the Gesture of kneeling thereat might justly challenge this Dedication at my hands though I had no other Reason or Relation I have nothing more to adde but what I am bound vpon all good occasions to remember my hearty prayers for a Blessing upon Your Selfe your Noble Lady and all the Branches of your Ancient Family And more especially at this Present that God would so prosper your Counsels and endeavours for the Publick Peace as we may once more Worship God in the beauty of Holiness glorifying Him with one Minde and one Mouth and serving Him with that Edification that Order and Decency which he hath commended unto us by the great Apostle of the Gentiles that so you may prove an eminent Instrument of Glorifying God in this world and as eminent an Object of his Glorification in the world to come Which is the Cordiall and Constant Prayer of Worthy Sir Your much obliged and Faithfull Servant to Command GEORGE ASHWELL The chiefe Heads or Points Handled in this Treatise WHat Gesture our Saviour and the Apostles used at the eating of the Passeover pag. 1. How probable that they used the same at the Celebration of the Eucharist 4 The Scripture herein silent 6 The Example of the Primitive Church the best rule to guide our practise in this case 7 Lying on Couches in the Church forbidden by ancient Councils ib. Sitting not used at all in Divine Service except at the reading of the Lessons and the hearing of the Sermon 8. Standing the received gesture for many ages 11 Yet not generally used 12 But on the Lords Days and some others especially between Easter and Whitsontide 13. Testimonies out of Antiquity against kneeling at the communion examined 19. Standing used by the Minister at some parts of that service 22 That the people kneeled at Divine service at other times then those before mentioned 23. That the Communicants alwaies used a Gesture of Adoration at the Receiving of the Sacrament 34 What Gesture the Churches of Christ at this day use in receiving it 57. Testimonies of some of the most eminent Divines of the Reformed Churches 72 Observations from Historicall passages and reasons justifying the practice of the Church of England in this particular 80 Objections answered 116. Pag. 5. l. 1. r. that Feast ib. l. ult dele after p. 8. l. 26. r. the Gesture p. 19. l. 19. depended p. 36. l. 8 9. depositum fideliter reddit p. 43. l. 10. Gardinerum p. 46. l. 5. wherewith p. 47. l. 19. whence p. 61. l. 23. Basil p. 62. l. 26. Conference of all the three parties joyntly agreed concluded upon this and severall other c. p. 87. l. 17. dele and. p. 109. l. 2. r. might p. 142. l. 5. not only such as were without GESTVS EVCHARISTICVS A DISCOURSE Concerning the Gesture at the receiving of the Holy Eucharist or Sacrament of the Lords Supper WHat Gesture our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles used at the Institution and first Celebration of the Holy Eucharist is not expresly mentioned in the Gospel That which they used at the eating of the Passover is set down and exprest by two words which are promiscuously used by the Evangelists to signifie the same Gesture viz. somtimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and somtimes by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Matt. 26. 20. Mark 14. 18. Jo. 13. 23. By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 22. 14. Jo. 13. 1● Both which words our last English Translation commonly rendreth Sitting down at the Table answerably to the Gesture now in use amongst us but the words properly signifie Discumbere vel Jacere to lie down in a leaning posture on certain low Couches such as were then in use hence called Lectuli caenatorii vel discubitorii the principal Guest at the head of the Couch the Second a little lower and behind him laying his Head in the Bosome of the first and so successively as many as the Couch would conveniently hold That this was the posture of our Saviour and his Apostles at the eating of the Passover will appear not only by the proper signification of the words and the known Custom of the Jews in that age but also by a Passage recorded by St. John touching our Saviour and himself John 13. 23. There was one of his Disciples whom Jesus loved 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who leaned on the Bosom of Jesus Compared with John 21. 20. Where we read that Peter turning about saw the Disciple whom Jesus loved following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who also leaned on his Breast at Supper yea the Jews had been so long accu●●omed to this Gesture before our Saviours time that when some Thousands of them were to be miraculously fed by him with a few loaves and fishes though they were then in the open fields yet they readily applied themselves to the same Posture when upon our Saviours command they were distributed into several Companies con●isting of equal numbers to partake of that food wherewith he purposed to satisfie them all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He commanded his Disciples ut accumbere facerent to make them all lye or leane down upon the Grass Then it follows 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They lay or leaned down in ranks by Hundreds and by Fifties Mark 6. 39 40. Now this