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cause_n pretend_v zeal_n zealous_a 27 3 9.2247 4 false
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A00011 Englands complaint to Iesus Christ, against the bishops canons of the late sinfull synod, a seditious conuenticle, a packe of hypocrites, a sworne confederacy, a traiterous conspiracy ... In this complaint are specified those impieties and insolencies, which are most notorious, scattered through the canons and constitutions of the said sinfull synod. And confuted by arguments annexed hereunto. 1640 (1640) STC 10008; ESTC S101178 37,368 54

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's the Synod● vain hope or rather hypocriticall dissimulation For they know it to be most true and the Papists have reason so to hope as some of their own Authors in their late English pamphlets have jea●●ngly writ of Englands back●●tiding to Popery as of a thing whereof England is grown now adayes very ambitious And for the feare and jealousie which they say the weake have hereof have not the wisest men in the King●●●●e the like feare and jealousie and that upon just causes and grounds And suppose the weake onely were offended with such things why did not the wise and Sacred 〈◊〉 rather remove the Scandall then slappe them in the mouth with the Fox tayle of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Canon or smoke out their cryes with the charge 〈…〉 † The strong as saith the Apostle ought to beare with the 〈◊〉 of the weake and not to please themselves But the Synod tells us That the standing of the Communion-Table 〈◊〉 way under the East window of every Chancel or Chappell i● 〈◊〉 its 〈◊〉 nature indifferent neither commanded nor condemned by the word of God either expresly or by immediate deduction and therfore that no Religion is to be placed therein or s●ruple to be made thereon First if it be a thing indifferent why doe they trouble me Consciences of their weak● brethren with it who hold it to be a thing Scandalous This is against the Apostles Rule even the rule of Charity tending to the destruction of mens soules Secondly if a thing indifferent why are they so eagre for it when it may as well be forborne and especially at this time when both the Kingdomes and the wisest men therein are so troubled with it the ●eace disturbed the State distracted and the Kingdomes hazarded Thirdly if it be indifferent why doe they not so leave it Why doe they alter the nature of it turning the indifferencie into a necessity as they doe with all their other Ceremonies which they professe to be in their own nature indifferent yet turne them out of their nature and make them necessary and so intolerable burthens to mens Consciences Yea why doe they force all Ministers to take a Solemne Oath that they approve these things as necessary to be observed But neither is this they so urge a thing in its own nature indifferent namely whether the Communion-Table stand Sideway under the East window of every Chancel For first it is a Communion Table and therefore to stand in the midst where all may sit about it as about a Table and thus it is rightly and properly a Communion-Table it is not a Communion-Cubbord or a Communion dresser to stand Side-way to the wall That 's no Communion Table And consequently such a standing Sideway to the wall of every Chancel is by immediate deduction condemned in the word of God For the word of God calls and commends and commands this by the name of the Lords Table and so it commands withall the proper use of it as of the Table of the Lord but the standing of this Table Sideway to the wall takes away not onely the nature and indeed the name of a Table but also the proper use of the Lords Table where every one of his family is to sit about it As David saith † Thy Children like olive plants round about thy table● For such is the right and proper use of a Table And therefore as the Scripture commands and commends unto us the Lords Table with the right use thereof as is sutable to the nature of it So by necessary consequence and immediate deduction the Scripture condemnes any such posture or placing therof as altee● both the nature and use of the Lords Table So as it is not a thi●g indifferent whether the Table stand sideway to the wall for it ought not so to stand seeing it is a perverting of the nature and use of the Table of the Lord and so a perverting of the Lords Ordinance Againe not indifferent for all Chancels alike for in many vast Churches the People cannot heare when their Priest sayes or sings his Second Service at his new Altar as he is injoyned unlesse the Ordinary be more mercifull to the Congregation were it a mercy to communicate with Superstitious worship and Service Againe the word of God * expresly condemnes in his people the ●mitation of the heathen in their Idolatry or Superstition or to doe after their manner So as such guises are not things indifferent Now for the standing of the Communion Table sideway to the East wall is to place it like to Popish Altars which are Altars of Idolatry like to those of the heathen and so is a faire inducement by degrees of their Idolatrous Sacrifice too for all the faire pretences the Synod makes to the contrary And doth not the Synod confesse that at the time of Reformation of this Church from that grosse Superstition of Popery it was carefully provided that all meanes should be used to root out of the minds of the people both the inclination thereunto and memory thereof especially of the Idolatry committed in the Masse for which cause all Popish Altars were demolished Then we aske thy Synod why they are here so zealous in seting up the Communion Table sideway to the East wall after the manner of Popish Altars Seeing before they pretend such care and zeale for the suppressing of the growth of Popery and for the bringing of Papists to the English Church Where when they come and presently see a thing set up sideway at the East end of the Chancel just like their high-Altar and seeing withall the people or Priest lowly lowting unto it or devoutly bowing before it or toward it are they not hereby straight put in mind of their old Romish Idolatry enough to make them presently to turne Papists againe Where is then the carefull provision of this Synod that all meanes be used to root out of the minds of such both the inclination and memory of the Idolatry of the Masse for which cause our ancient Reformers caused all Romish Altars to be demolished times in the place where the Altars formerly stood but in time of of 〈◊〉 in the midst of the Church or Chancel And yet the ●●u●ction did not necessarily tye the Table to stand at all other times saving at the Communion at the end of the Chancel but for most conveniencie according to the discretion of the Minister and Gardians And certainly the good Queens intent never was are could be that that standing so at other times should be a precedent for aftertimes to introduce Altars againe there to have a fixed station and so to become a stumbling blocke to Protestants and a laughing stock to Papists causing the one to feare Innovations and the other to hope our backesliding into Popish Superstation And that the Table hath stood so ever since unremoved in the Royall Chappels there is not the same reason of a Chappel and of a Church a Chappel wanting conver●ent