Selected quad for the lemma: church_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
church_n	day_n	sabbath_n	week_n	6,281	5	10.0050	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A17586	The re-examination of two of the articles abridged: to wit, of the communicants gesture in the act of receaving, eating, and drinking: and The observation of festivall dayes	Calderwood, David, 1575-1650.; Cowper, William, 1568-1619. Passage of Master William Cowper pretended bishop of Gallway, his sermon delivered before the estates, anno 1606. at which time hee was minister at Perth.	1636 (1636)	STC 4363.5; ESTC S118315	29,491	64

time and place where wee crave or receive the benefite more then the diversitie of the benefite it selfe that is the ground of adoration but Gods excellencie as wee said before They consider not that these three things ought to bee distinguished blessing or sanctifying the creature or meane GOD hath appointed either for our temporall or spirituall life before the use of it the use it selfe and thanksgiving after the use the blessing before meat the use of meat in receaving eating drinking and thanksgiving after blessing before the reading preaching or hearing of the word the act it selfe reading hearing preaching and thanksgiving to GOD after blessing before the receaving the sacramentall elements the receiving and participation it selfe and thanksgiving after They ask if humilitie and reverence bee not requisite in the act of receiving the sacramentall elements I answere Yes in all religious exercises hearing of the word reading of the word c. But it followeth not that there should bee humiliation upon our knees because humilitie of minde is required nor adoration because reverence is required Is there no reverence nor humilitie but in kneeling before dead and senslesse elements Humilitie is an habit adoration is an act The act of humilitie is immanent whereby any one resteth content with his owne ranke and doeth not conceat greater worth in himselfe then there is specially in comparison with GOD. Adoration is a transient act whereby a man goeth out of himselfe as it were to direct some homage and worship to GOD. Reverence is commoun to all the parts of GODS worship and is not a distinct kinde of worship as is adoration The pretence of reverence can not bee a sufficient reason for the altering the ordinance of Christ and the opinion of reverence hath often beene the dame and nource of manifold superstitions sayeth Bishop Mortoun upon the Lords supper pag. 63. Seeing kneeling in the act of receiving the Sacramentall elements eating and drinking is idolatrie and can not bee used but idolatrously it followeth that kneeling in the act of receaving brought not in artolatrie or bread-worship as some mistaking counterfoot works of old writers for genuin● have imagined The corrupting of the doctrine with the opinion of the reall presence the receiving in at the mouth from the hands of the priest and many other superstitious conceats together with the worshipping of images brought in kneeling But it was ever idolatrous from the first beginning and birth of it and can not possibly be purged of idolatrie FINIS OF FESTIVAL DAYES THE observation of festivall dayes hath been rejected by our kirk from the beginning of the●● reformation in the explication of the first head of the first book of discipline in the assemblie holden anno 1566. where the latter confession of Helvetia was approved but with speciall exception against these same dayes which are now urged In the assembly holden anno 1575. the assembling of the people to preaching and prayers upon festivall dayes w●● censured An article was likewise formed to bee presented to the Regent craving that all dayes heretofore keeped holy in time of papistrie besides the Lords day be abolished and that a civill penaltie bee inflicted upon the observers By ordinance of the assembly in Aprile 1577. Ministers were to bee admonished not to preach or minister the communion at Easter or Christmas or other like superstitious times or readers to read under the pain of deprivation The pulpits have founded from time to time against all shew of observing these dayes But at the pretended and null assembly holden at Perth a number not having power to vote presumed to bring in a contrare practise Our first reason against these holy festivities God hath only power to sanctifie a day and make it holy that is to separate it from commoun use to holy exercises yearly God hath given libertie to man to work sex dayes No man ought to bee compelled to keepe them holy but when GOD himself maketh exception as he did by the yoke of some anniversarie dayes by the law The second reason None appointed holy festivities under the law when the times were more ceremonious but God himself The dayes of Purim were called simply the dayes of Purim not the holy dayes of Purim or feast of Purim No peculiar sacrifice was appointed nor any holy convocation of the people injoined The ordinance required but fasting joy and sending of portions to other The memoriall dayes of the dedication were called the dayes of dedication not the feast of dedication They were not holy dayes or festivall solemnities consisting of Hookers three elements praises set foorth with chearfull alacritie of minde delite expressed by charitable largenesse more then commoun bountie and sequestration from ordinarie works The times were corrupt when these dayes were appointed As for Christs conference in the porch of the temple in the dayes of dedication it proveth not that hee honoured that feast as they call it with his presence only the circumstance of time is pointed at when Christ had this conference Christ come up to the feast of the tabernacles before and stayed in Ierusalem In the mean time the dayes of dedication fell foorth and hee went away immediatly after his conference The third reason Neither Christ nor his apostles appointed festivall dayes to bee observed by Christians but rather inhibited the observation of them and changed only the old sabbath into the first day of the week The anniversarie solemnities were not changed but altogether abrogated The apostle having occasion to teach upon this subject condemneth observation of dayes ceremoniall or of ceremoniall nature They were a rudimentarie instruction of old which beseemeth not the state of a Christian kirk and cleare light of the Gospel Yea the very dayes of Purim and the dayes of dedication were of a ceremoniall nature saith Doctour Mortoun in his defence pag. 64. To celebrate the memorie of a particular act of Christ at a set time in the year with cessation from work sermons gospels epistles collects and hymnes belonging therto with joy and gladnesse without admitting a fast at any time is not to observe a day morallie but ceremoniallie If there had beene other festivall dayes which might have beene observed by Christians the Apostle having so fair occasion when he was treating of the observation of dayes hee would not have spoken so generally but directed Christians to the observing of these If other dayes had bene dedicat to Christ then the Lords day they should all have beene called the Lords dayes but the scripture maketh mention of one day called the Lords day Socrates in his historie sayeth Hee is of the opinion that as many other things crept in of custome in sundrie places so did the feast of Easter prevaile among all people of a certain privat custome and observation If the Apostles had appointed it they had agreed upon the day seing they were directed infalliblie by the Spirit Our fourth reason If it had beene the will of

communicated in the evening after they had refreshed themselves with commoun meats upon other dayes also it is likely then they also sate Alexander de Hales in the second part of his tractat concerning the masse sayeth the Pope communicateth sitting in rememberance that the Apostles at the Lords supper communicated sitting The Waldenses who are justly called the pure seed of the ancient kirk and have continued since the dayes of Pope Sylvester or as some thought from the dayes of the Apostles sayeth Rainerius the inquisitour their enemie celebrated the communion sitting See Master Fox first volumn pag. 209 edict 1610. and their apologie against one Doctour Augustine which is extant in Lydii Waldensia Luther exponing the epistle upon Saint Stevins day sayeth Christ so instituted the Sacrament that in it we should sit at the Sacrament but all things are changed and idle ordinances of men are come in place of divine ordinances Zuinglius in expositione sidei Christianae setting down the form of celebration used at Berne Zurick Basile and other neighbour townes reporteth that they communicated sitting The kirks of strangers at London in Alascoes time communicated sitting so do other kirks in the Low-countries even to this day In Pol such as adhered to the confession of Helvetia communicated sitting as we may see in consensus Poloniae By the gesture of standing is pretended more reverence and thereby the gesture of sitting is indirectly taxed and that lively representation of our familiar societie with Christ taken away seeing it is not the usuall and ordinarie gesture at civill feasts As for kneeling in the act of receaving First wee have not a warrant from the example of Christ and his Apostles or the practises of the Apostolick kirks after and therefore they who receave adoration they are secure they have the example of the Apostles whom wee read not to have adored prostrate but as they were sitting they receaved and did eat They have the practise of the Apostolicall kirks where it is declared that the faithfull did communicate not in adoration but in breaking of bread sayeth Calvin Institut lib. 4. cap. 37. sect 33. Beza in his dispute against Iodocus Harchius So like as when the Lord truely to bee adored as God and man at table did institute this holy supper that the Disciples arose to the end that falling upon their knees they might receave that bread and wine out of his hand And so like as the Apostles were ignorant how to deliver to the kirks the manner how to celebrate these holy mysteries it is known well enough that the love-feasts could hardly or scarce at all admit geniculation The Waldenses in the apologie above-mentioned say that Christ gave the Sacrament to his Disciples and his successours for a long time made no reverence meaning adoration This holy action is denominate the LORDS table and the Lords Supper The use of a table is not only to set meat on it but also for the guests or persons invited to sit at and about it and to partake of the meat set upon the table Wee require not of necessitie an artificiall table of tymber a Bul-hyde or a plot of ground may serve in time of necessitie and answereth analogically to a standing table as the plot of ground did whereabout the multitude sate in rowes by fifties and fifties Mark 6. Neither do wee stand upon the fashion whether it bee long or round but wee require that the Communicants alwayes sit table-wayes so that they may observe the form of a feast or banquet For in that this holy action is called a supper it is imported that it was celebrate in the forme of a feast or banquet as Piscator observeth in his observations upon Matth. 26. Wee do not require all the formes used at commoun feasts but these which Christ the institutour and Master of the feast thought sufficient Kneeling is not a gesture sutable with the forme of a banquet or use of a supper table The termes supper and table of the Lord very familiar with the Apostle Paul seeme to require sitting rather then standing kneeling or passing by sayeth Alasco Kneling is not a gesture which hath beene used at feasts or banquets but rather a gesture of supplicants Plessie in his fourth book of Eucharist sayeth that of old this holy Supper was celebrated in the forme of a banquet whereat they did sit a footestep whereof remaineth among the Benedictines If these termes the Table of the LORD the Supper of the LORD and breaking of bread had beene retained and other new names not invented as Sacrament Eucharist then might easilie have been perceaved how harsh it were to use these phrases They brake bread together kneeling they compassed the table of the LORD kneeling they celebrate the Supper of the LORD kneeling which seemeth not so harsh when wee say they receaved the Sacrament or Eucharist kneeling Therefore the ancient Doctours sayeth Mowline on the LORDS Supper part 1. pag. 8. had done better if they had hold themselves to the tearmes expressed in Gods word c. The distribution of the elements by the communicants amongst themselves admitteth not kneeling in the act of receaving Can the communicant bee both adoring GOD upon his knees and at the verie instant bee reaching the elements to his brother likewise kneeling and adoringe Yee have heard out of Calvin before that the faithfull in the Apostolical times did not communicate with adoration but breaking of bread as if adoration and breaking of bread could not consist together But so it is that the Communicants ought to distribute and reach the elements to other Christ reaching the cup to his Disciples commandeth them to divide it among themselves Luke 22.17 This cup which hee commanded them to divide was the Evangelicall cup or which is all one the last paschall cup changed into the Evangelicall Luke applieth Christs protestation that he will drink no more of the fruit of the wine c. to the cup which hee commanded them to divide amongst themselves but that protestation is applied to the com●●●on cup by Matth. and Mark who make mention only of this cup in the verses immediatly preceeding the protestation If Christ was to drink incontinent after this protestation of the com●●●n cup how could hee protest that hee would drink no more of the fruit of the wine● When the Schoolemen would prove that wine was one of the elements at the Evangelicall supper they can not finde a proof in all the Evangelists but in this protestation Christ in this protestation alludeth to the canon or custome of the Iewes forbidding to taste any thing after the last cup which was called the cup of praise Now the last cup was the Evangelicall or communion cup or the last paschall cup changed it into the Evangelicall Further Christ gave thanks when he took the cup in his hand which he cōmanded them to divide and therefore Luke maketh no mention of this thanksgiving when hee maketh mention of

geniculis non aderara see pag. 52 and 49. The ancients in these times thought kneeling not sutable with such an action as the participation of the Lords supper because it was an action of joy and delight Yee see then howbeit they kneeled other wayes upon the station dayes because of their fasting and mourning yet at the end a little before their dissolving they stood at the comm●un table Now the reason why these dayes were called station dayes was not according to his observation so called because of the gesture of standing but only by way of allusion to militarie stations and watches at the gates of Princes palaces that as they stayed in their watch whether sitting or standing so the Christians stayed in the kirk mourning and praying in these times of persecution for peace and safetie to the kirk till the third houre after-noon at which time they communicate It was the custome of the kirk for a thousand year to stand upon the Lords day and yet the Lords day was not one of their station dayes which should have beene if the gesture of 〈◊〉 only should make a station day as Doctour Burges would have it It is grosse ignorance in the Doctour to affirm that the station dayes were these dayes wherein they stood in prayer and at all the solemne worship of God and to denie that they were set dayes of fasting Further is nothing more evident then that Tertullian in sundrie other passages speaketh of stations or station dayes as dayes of fasting Where as in the Re-examination it was given and not granted that they stood on these dayes in time of divine service or prayer now being induced by the observation of Albaspinaeus Wee denie that they stood in time of prayer upon these dayes and therefore the argument is the more forcible for us that notwithstanding of their humiliation and kneeling upon these dayes of mourning and fasting yet at the end when they were neare dissolving and ending their fast or station they stood at the table of the Lord and receaved the Sacrament standing Howbeit this was not the right gesture yet it is clear they kneeled not when they received the Sacrament Tertullian maketh no mention of receiving the Sacrament in their houses kneeling For a thousand years they stood even in time of prayer upon the Lords day and therefore it can not bee imagined that they kneeled when they received the Sacrament But say our opposits they used the same gesture in the receaving the Eucharist which they thought fittest for prayer I answere they thought nor standing the fittest gesture for prayer but kneeling and stood upon the Lords day to signifie their joy for Christs resurrection which was a conceat taken up by them not known to the apostle for they kneeled not for the like reason betwixt Easter and Pentecost and yet wee see in the 20. of the Acts the Apostle Paul kneeled The custome yet observed to this day in the orientall kirks to communicate standing notwithstanding that other custome hath ceased declareth that they intended never geniculation in the act of receiving If ever kneeling in the act of receiving had been in use among them it had not beene left off considering mans pronnesse to idolatrie and superstition It resteth then that kneeling is only found in the kirks which were subject to the pope Howbeit this idolatrous gesture prevailed under the reigne of the great Antichrist yet there wanteth not faithful witnesses to stand out against it as the Waldenses and the Picardi If at any time wee should not seeme to have communion with Antichrist we should most of all at this holy supper which setteth foorth our communion with Christ and his kirk Yee see then suppose that kneeling in the act of receiving were indifferent yet in respect of the scandall the danger and inconvenients fall upon it we ought to oppose it But we are now to prove that it is not indifferent but idolatrous and therefore a hainous sin whether we consider it as it is injoined by the act of the pretended assembly at Perth or as the action may bee considered simplie in it self Wee are directed by the act of Perth to kneel in reverence of the Sacrament which is idolatrie for we are directed to kneel in due regard of so divine a mysterie to wit as is the Sacrament or as is the receiving of the body and bloud of Christ to wit in the sacramentall manner Yee may also take up the intent of the act by the intent of the English prelats and their adherents for conformitie with them is intended Doctour Mortoun sayeth that their kirk thought it fit by outward reverence in the manner of receiving the Eucharist to testifie their due estimation of such holy rites Master Hutton sayeth they kneeled to put a difference between the ordinarie bread and wine and the sacramentall to which they gave the more reverence because it is more than ordinarie bread and wine Some of the formalists pretend that they kneel because of the prayer outered at the deliverie of the elements but that short bit of prayer or wish is ended before the minister offer the bread to the communicante and bidde him take it and yet the communicant is injoined to continue still upon his knees Nor is kneeling injoined to them by statute or their service book in regard of prayer but in regard of the Sacrament it self Master Paybodie pag. 334. doth freely confesse that their prayer is not the principall respect of their kneeling nor the principall respect upon which their kirk injoined it And pag. 299. suppose their bee no prayer used in time of receaving hee thinketh never the worse of the gesture of kneeling Doctour Mortoun and Master Hutton as yee have heard professe they kneel to testifie their due estimation of such holy rites and more reverence to the elements then ordinarie bread and wine Now to testifie more reverence to the elements by kneeling is to testifie by adoration which is idolatrie Neither are wee directed by the act of Perth to pray in the act of receiving but to use that kinde of gesture in the act of receaving which becometh meditation lifting up of the heart which also may bee done without prayer But prayer can not consist with the act of taking eating and drinking Wheresoever the publict intent of a kirk is to kneel for reverence of the Sacrament every communicant following her direction is an idolater interpretativè and so to bee construed both before God and man whatsoever bee his own private intent If any man receave the Sacrament upon his knees at Rome or any other popish kirk whatsoever bee his private intent hee must bee interpreted to kneel according to the intent of that kirk But setting aside the act of the assemblie at Perth which is only a null and pretended assemblie we shall consider the action it self wee will prove that it can not be done but for reverence of the Sacrament or sacramentall elements