A SERMON PREACHED before His Maiestie At Whitehall March 22. 1617. being Passion-Sunday Touching Prostration and Kneeling in the worship of GOD. ¶ To which is added a Discourse concerning Kneeling at the Communion By IOHN Bishop of Rochester DAT MANVS SVPERESSE MINERVA LONDON Printed by IOHN BILL M.DC.XVIII PSALM 95. VERS 6. Venite adoremus procidamus ploremus ante Dominum qui fecit nos Venite adoremus procidamus genuflectamus ante Dominum qui fecit nos O come let vs worship and fall downe and kneele or weepe before the Lord our Maker Venite c. THe Author of the Psalme is Dauid Hebr. 4.7 The Type is Iosua that gaue the rest of body in the land of promise And the trueth is IESVS that giues the rest of Soule in the Kingdome of Heauen to whom Dauid made this Psalme It begins with reioycing Venite exultemus O come let vs sing vnto the Lord or exult that is shew some part of that ioy which is so great that well it may be testified with our voyces but it can neuer be fully expressed by our words The first verse is Venite ad exultationem A call to exultation and that is no way fit for this time for what hath Musicke to doe with mourning or a Song of Sion Psal 137. with the day of captiuitie or a Text of mirth with a day of greatest sorrow that is Passion Sunday or a Theame of ioy with this time of Lent the seed time of Repentance in which the seeds of contrition must bee sowed with teares that in the haruest of Heauen shal be reaped in Ioy But this Verse is Venite ad humiliationem A call to humiliation which must haue Adoration and Prostration and kneeling or as the Ancient out of the Greeke of the Septuagint read it weeping before the Lord our Maker Adoration to him that is the God of all power and Maiestie Prostration or falling downe before him that came downe from Heauen to raise vs. Kneeling to him that bare our sinnes on the Crosse Luc. 15.5 and vs as lost sheepe on his shoulders And weeping before him that offered vp supplications and prayers Hebr. 5.7 with strong cries and teares to redeeme vs. And this is indeed a word in season Adoration to our Maker Prostration before our Iudge that is offended by vs. And kneeling or weeping before him whom we would pacifie by our teares and compunction FIrst then here is Dauids call The King that hath power to call all both Priest and people Venite Come let vs goe together to Gods worship 2. Here is Latria diuine Adoration Adoremus Let vs worship with the inward deuotion and sacrifice of the heart 3. Here 's Seruitus Seruice or outward worship of the body Procidamus Let vs prostrate our bodies together with the inward intention of our Soules 4. Here is Contritio Contrition and sorrow Genu flectamus or ploremus Let vs kneele and weepe for our sinnes that haue lifted vp our heads and taken delight in the pleasures of our sins And 5 Here is Maiestas or maior status The maiestie or greatest state to whom this worship and repentance is due Coram Domino qui fecit nos before the Lord our Maker who so dearely loued this workmanship of his handes that hee gaue the Sonne of his owne substance for his redemption None can be absent from God in place though many bee farre from him in affection therefore the Call is to all present and farre remooued Venite Come draw neere to God The creature owes homage to his Creator and the captiue to his Redeemer and therefore Adoremus Come let vs pay him the Rent of Sacrifice and adoration Sinne hath an eleuation in it selfe and the cure must be by the contrary and therefore Procidamus Let vs haue a deiection and willingly fall downe in humiliation as we haue wilfully cast down our selues headlong by our pride He that bends the knees of his soule ought likewise to stoope and bend the knees of his body and hee that beates his breast in the soules contrition ought also to resolue into teares to wash away his sinnes and therefore Genu flectamus or ploremus let vs kneele in humilitie and weepe in griefe And all these as vndiuided companions Inward adoration in the deuotion of the heart Outward worship in the prostration kneeling of the body and sighes and teares in the compunction of the soule must euer be tendred at the Altar of the Lord our Maker to whom all the riuers and brookes of our duetie and seruice must runne as into the Sea of all goodnesse The first thing is the Call of Dauid the King Part. 1 and therfore I may call it The Kings Call or The Kings Text. For the King is first among men and next or second to God neither Pope nor people stand betweene God and the King Rom. 13.4 For he is Gods Minister not mans He is superiour and aboue all men and inferiour and vnder God onely Hee hath no equall in earth and no superiour Tertull. Apologet cap. 30. but in Heauen greater then all men and solo Deo minor Lesser then God onely from whom he immediatly receiues his power ouer all men and all sorts of men Priest and people in all causes Ciuill and Spirituall For he is Custos vindex vtriusque tabulae Deut. 17.19 both the keeper and reuenger of both Tables of the Law as well the first that concernes Religion and worship of God as the second that concernes iustice and conuersation among men He onely hath power of life and death and he onely puts men to death without the sinne of murther because he beares the sword and executes vengeance in Gods stead that onely can giue and take away life And this hee doth as well vpon the Atheist and Heretike and Idolater and blasphemer Num. 15.35 36. and Sabbath breaker as Moses did which are against the first Table as vpon the Traitor and Rebel and Murderer and the like which are against the second Table And that in the Priest as well as in the people or else impunitie must be granted to the Priest Deut. 13.5 and the false prophet could not bee put to death as the Law commanded And this the King doth Quà Rex non quà Propheta by the ordinary power of a King not by the extraordinary power of a Prophet For it was so ordered in the Law by God himselfe who foreknew that all Kings should not be Prophets and no Prophet euer tooke power of life and death vpon him no not Ieremie whose commission was largest vt euellas destruas Ierem. 1.10 to plucke vp and destroy who most certainly vnderstood and executed his office but it was Prophetando not sententiando by prophecying and preaching downe Idolatrie and sinne and planting Religion and vertue but not by sentence or iudiciall power either of Popes Tribunal or peoples Cōsistorie to
and condition of man would permit and he was bound and layd at the Altar to be Sacrificed there was neither sitting as if he were equall with that God that called for him to be Sacrificed nor so much as standing either in his innocencie or his hope and expectation And therefore being the type both of Christ the propitiatorie Sacrifice and of the Christians Eucharisticall Sacrifice wee as bound by the chaine of our owne sinne and vnworthinesse and layd and nailed as it were on the Altar of Christs Crosse with the nailes of contrition of deuotion of prayer and praise and of compassion must present our selues in the gesture and behauiour of those that are to bee offered vp as Sacrifices to God in all deiection and humilitie of soules and bodies kneeling with Salomon 1 Reg. 8.12 2. Paralip 6.13 in the consecration and dedication of the spirituall Temple of our soules and bodies as he did when he cōsecrated the materiall Temple vnto God Where I pray you let it neuer be forgotten that it must needs be that the thoughts of Isaak the Sacrifice could be no other when he lay bound at the Altar then this that he was Ia◠iam Sacrificandus therefore moriturus euen now in an instant to be sacrificed and die And he was then to die the naturall death of the body we at the Lords Table die the spirituall death to sin in mortification and newnesse of life and therefore there is no great likelyhood that hee then thought of the gesture and prerogatiues of a guest and a table as if he were equall to that iust and seuere God to whom hee was to be sacrificed and so presented himselfe to him without all feare and reuerence S. Stephen the first Martyr and therefore the first Sacrifice among Christians Acts. 7.56.60 prayed and kneeled and though hee were partaker of the vision of God which is the Supper of the Lambe and that without Sacrament for hee saw the heauens open and the Sonne of man sitting at the right hand of God yet Deposuit vitam ne deponeret obedientiam he neuer layd downe his obedience till he layd downe his life but persisted in kneeling till hee fell into his last sleepe And why should not the gesture of a Martyr bee a fit gesture for a Communicant at the Lambes Supper since both are Sacrificers of themselues the one in body the other in soule and spirit And this was in the time of Nature Let vs looke on Moses Law concerning Sacrifices In Leuiticus it is often repeated Leuit. 1.4 4.24 that the Priest when he offered for himselfe or the people and euery priuate man that offred his priuate Sacrifice Imponet manum super caput He shall lay his hand vpon the head of the Sacrifice How 1. in Leuit Origen expoundeth it allegorically of Christ Imposuit peccata humani generis super caput suum Christ layd his hand vpon the head of the Sacrifice that is layd all our sinnes vpon his owne head But in the letter there are two reasons giuen of it 1. Vide Tostat. in Leuit. cap. 3. Vt renuntiaret proprietati siue iurisuo That the priuate man might surrender vp all his right and proprietie that he had in the Sacrifice when he deliuered it vp to the Priest to be Sacrificed to God 2. Vt poenas peccatorum in caput animalis transferret quas inflicturus erat offerenti That he might transferre the punishment of sinnes due to the offerer vpon the beast that was to be sacrificed In which it is manifest that euery man that presenteth his Sacrifice at the Altar standeth as a condemned man ready to bee executed that entreateth and beggeth of God that the punishment due to him by his demerits may be layd on the Sacrifice that is vpon Christ that beareth our punishment and curse vpon his Crosse and healeth vs by his stripes As the death prepared for Isaak was transferred from him to the Ramme that was hanged in the bushes that is Christ crowned with thornes and nailed on the Crosse And he that feelingly considereth this state wil easily resolue of the humble thoughts and humble gesture of such a Sacrificer as deserueth the death that the Sacrifice suffereth for him and deprecateth pardon for his sake whose Sacrifice maketh atonement for the sinnes of man In this case when we thus condemne and execute our selues can any thoughts be too lowly or any gesture too humble to entreat pardon So this carriage of the carnall sacrificer telleth vs what our carriage must bee in the offering of the spirituall sacrifice of our selues Our prayers that sue for grace and remission must shew humilitie in soule and body because wee seeke indulgence to soule and body And when we confesse we are most worthy to die in our selues and for our selues both soule and body and desire to receiue grace not for our selues but for Christs sake must we not testifie this vnworthinesse with the deiection of both soule and body Yea our very prayses and thankes for all Gods mercies must bee offered with all outward and inward humility since as it is in the second Psalme Psal 2.11 it becōmeth vs not only to serue the Lord infeare but also to reioice to him with reuerence cum tremore as the vulgar reades it with tremor or trembling For as the goodnesse of God causeth confidence and reioycing so the greatnesse and iustice of God and our owne guiltinesse and sinne cause trembling and humilitie So our very sacrifice of praise and glory requires humilitie and kneeling as the examples of those in heauen who being freed from all wants and therefore neuer needing to pray but onely to giue prayse for their ouerflowing and fulnesse of glory at the well head doth shew Apoc. 4.10 who cast downe their Crownes and fall downe and worship him that sitteth on the Throne and the Lambe And surely the Gospel in the offering of spirituall sacrifices differs not in dueties of Nature and Religion and chiefly in humility which is virtus Christiana Euangelica the Christian and Euangelicall vertue vnknowen and contemned by the heathen and taught onely in the Schoole of Christ And therefore our Sauiour Christ might teach all sacrificers how to behaue themselues when hee entred into his agonie in the garden which was the entry and beginning of his sacrifice for there he did sacrifice himselfe voluntate in wil as he finished it vpon the Crosse actu in acte Positis genibus orauit Luk. 22.41 he prayed vpon his knees to teach all spirituall sacrificers to vse the same kneeling in their deuotions and prayers and sacrifices which he began in the propitiatory and all-sufficient sacrifice for sinne Wherin because that wherewith God is worshipped doth profit man and not God for no man doth good to the fountaine if hee drinke of it nor to the light if he see by it and if man come to God God is not increased by it
quando dico benedictionem explico omnem thesaurum beneficentiae Dei magna illa dona in memoriam reuoco Nam nos quoque ad calicem recensentes ineffabilia Dei beneficia quaecunque sumus adepti it a ipsum offerimus communicamus gratias agentes quod ab errore liberarit hominum genus What sayest thou blessed Paul when thou wilt confound the Auditor mentioning the dreadfull mysteries thou callest that fearefull cup horroris plenum full of horror the cup of blessing It is true for it is no small thing that is said for when I call it blessing I call it the Eucharist and calling it the Eucharist I open the treasure of all the benignitie of God for with this Cup we reckon the vnspeakeable benefits of God and whatsoeuer we haue obtained So wee come to him and communicate with him giuing thankes to him that hath freed mankinde from error And mentioning elsewhere this Sacrifice horrore reuerentia plenissimuÌ„ most full of horror and reuerence he saith Per id tempus Lib. 6. de Sacord et angelisacerdoti assident coelestiuÌ„ potestatuÌ„ vniuersus ordo clamores excitat locus altari vicinus in illius honorem qui immolatur angeloruÌ„ choris plenus est id quod credere abundè licet velex tanto illo Sacrificio quod tum peragitur At that time the time of the Consecration of the Sacrament the Angels stand by the Priest and the vniuersal order of the heauenly powers do raise vp cries And the place neere the Altar is filled with the quires of angels in the honour of him that is immolated which may abundantly bee beleeued by that great Sacrifice which is then performed Lib. 3. Againe in the third booke Dum conspicis Dominum immolatum Sacerdotem sacrificio incumbentem ac preces fundentem tum vero turbam circumfusam pretioso illo sanguine in tingi ac rube fieri etiamnè te inter mortales versari atque in terrâ consistere censes ac nonpotiusè vestigio in coelos transferri While thou beholdest the Lord offered vp and the Priest sacrificing and the present multitude to be dipped and made redd with that precious Blood doest thou thinke that thou doest conuerse among mortall men on earth Or rather that thou art suddenly translated into heauen And after hee inferreth Hoc ergo mysterium omnium maximè horrendum verendumque quis tandem qui sanus in idem minimè sit quique è potestate non exierit fastidire ac despicere poterit What man that is not madd and out of his wits can despise or loath this mysterie of all others most dreadfull and fearefull And S. Cyprian long before him said Cyprian de Câ—na Dom. Sanguinem sugimus intra redemptoris nostri vulnera figimus linguam quo interiùs exteriúsque rubricati à sapientibus huius seculi iudicamur amentes Wee sucke his Blood and put our tongues into the wounds of our Redeemer with which being made redd within and without wee are iudged to be madd by the wise men of this world S. Augustine interpreting the words of the Lords prayer Giue vs this day our dayly bread vnderstandeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supersubstantiall bread to be the Eucharist which is called dayly bread Augustinus de verbis Dom. serm 28. And then he addeth Si quotidianus est panis cur post annum illum sumis accipe quotidiâ— quod quotidiè tibi prosit sic viue vt quotidie merearis accipere Idem habet Ambrosius qui non meretur quotidie accipere non meretur post annum accipere quomodo sanctus Iob quotidie pro filijs offerebat sacrificium ne forte aliquid vel in corde vel in sermone peccassent Ergo tu audis quod quotiescunque offertur sacrificium mors Domini resurrectio Domini eleuatio Domini significetur remissio peccatorum panem istum vitae nostrae quotidianum non assumis Qui vulnus habet medicinam requirit vulnus est quia sub peccato sumus medicina est coeleste venerabile Sacramentum If it be daily bread why doest thou receiue it once in the yeere receiue it dayly that it may daily profit thee Liue so that thou mayest obtaine to receiue it dayly he that obtaineth not to receiue it dayly obtaineth not to receiue it after a yeere As holy Iob offered Sacrifice dayly for his sonnes lest perchance they should offend in thought or word Doest thou heare that as often as the Sacrifice is offered the death of the Lord the resurrection of the Lord and the ascention of the Lord is signified and remission of sinne and doest thou not receiue this dayly bread of life He that is wounded seeketh physicke Now thy wound is sinne and the medicine is the heauenly and venerable Sacrament I cannot stand to reckon all the titles at large that the Fathers giue to this Sacrament I add S. Chrysostome for he is most copious in these amplifications Chrisostom Homil. 24. in 1. Cor. and exaggerations vpon these words Calix benedictionis the Cup of blessing which we blesse Valde fideliter dixit terribilitèr hoc est autem quod dicit Id quod est in Calice est id quod fluxit è latere illius sumus participes Calicem autem benedictionis vocauit quod eam habentes in manibus sic eum hymnis laudibus prosequimur admirantes Caeleste donum stupentes benedicentes bonisque verbis prosequentes quod eum ipsum effudit ne maneremus in errore non solum effudit sed etiam eum ipsum nobis impertijt Quamobrem si sanguinem inquit cupis non aram Idolorum brutorum caede sed meum altare meo cruentum sanguine quid est hoc horribilius quid autem amabilius He speaketh very faithfully and terribly and this is that which hee saith That which is in the Cup is that which issued out of his side and we are partakers of it And he called it the Cup of blessing because hauing it in our hands we do admiring folow him with hymnes and praises wondering at his ineffable gift blessing and setting forth with good words that hee hath powred it out that wee should not abide in error and not onely he hath powred it out but also giuen the selfe-same to vs wherefore saith he if thou desire this Blood not the altar of Idols bloody with slaine beasts but my Altar bloody with mine owne Blood what is more horrible and yet what more amiable then this And againe Ad populum Antiochenum Hom. 61. Hic sanguis effusus est coelum facit accessibile horrenda scilicet Ecclesiae mysteria horrendum altare This Blood is shed and maketh heauen accessible that is to say the dreadfull mysteries of the Church and the dreadfull Altar And in the same place Tu vero petens Sacrificium quod horrent Angeli When thou goest to the Sacrifice which the Angels dread and in the next
est à sancta Synodo quoniam conson◠conueniens per omnes Ecclesias custodienda est consuetudo vt stantes ad orationem vota Domino reddamus Because there are some that kneele at prayers on the Lords day and the daies of Pentecost therefore it is decreed by this sacred Synod because an vniforme and conuenient custome is to be kept in all Churches that wee shall pay our vowes to God standing at prayer To the same purpose are cited some other later Councels and Fathers to proue that which no man denies that the Primitiue Church vsed to stand at prayers on the Lords day and from Easter to Pentecost in remembrance of the resurrection of our blessed Sauiour of which I shall say somewhat in their proper place In which allegations I pray obserue a plaine repugnancie betweene the witnesses and the author that produceth them for they doe directly crosse and confound his purpose for he maketh the gesture of the Apostles to bee in a maner essentiall to this Sacrament in diuers respects For why 1 the time after supper 2 the element vnleauened bread 3 the place a priuate chamber and 4 the preparation of the receiuers fasting or full may and are changed by the practise of the Church vpon good reason but this gesture of sitting may not be changed for any reason so it must be of the essence of the Sacrament And againe it is repugnant to the Law of nature to change this gesture of sitting because it doeth agree with a feast or banquet the prerogatiues of a table Ex natura rei out of the nature of the thing that is a feast a banquet and a table and the behauiour of guests at such a feast Now all the witnesses produced Fathers and Councels giue euidence for standing which is as repugnant to the Law of nature as kneeling is and so this learned Logitian proueth standing to haue bene vsed in the Primitiue Church and concludeth Ergo we must sit at the Lords Table Besides all the Fathers and Councels that mention standing in time of Prayer on Sundayes and from Easter vntill Whitsuntide doe approue of this gesture of standing as it were Ex priuilegio contra legem publicam by the way of Priuiledge or priuate law for a particular reason or cause against the publike law of Prayer which by consent of all should be made kneeling in all humilitie And all priuiledges are derogations to the common Law and rule of right And therefore it is a very poore kinde of arguing to dispute out of a priuiledge to ouerthrow the publike rule of the gesture of prayer For the Fathers decreed standing for Sundaies and from Easter to Pētecost non ex natura orationis not out of the nature of prayer which ought not to bee made standing but rather in honorem resurrectionis Domini in honour of the resurrection of Christ which as that day the first of the Creation wherein light was seuered from darknesse Apoc. 2. as Iustine Martyr reasons arose from the dead and made that day to vs the first of our Recreation regeneration or resurrection from sinne wherein all the darkenesse of sinne and death and ignorance and types and figures and shadowes was dispelled the power of Satan the Prince of darkenesse was vanquished and so discouered to be vanquished and we were brought into the cleere light of the Gospel that hath not so much as a cloud of doubting no not of our resurrection to obscure this glorious light in as much as Christ that died for our sinnes arose againe for our iustification 1. Cor. 13.20 and so became Primitiae mortuorum the first fruits of the dead and vbi primitiae ibi alij fructus where there are first fruits there are other fruits the first haue relation to other or second fruits that will follow And Christ as hee arose solus alone neuer to die more others that were raised by Christ did rise to die againe as Lazarus and others did so hee arose Totus All Christ that is all the members of Christ and all that haue the same manhood with Christ shall arise after him the faithfull from the death of sinne in this life which is the first resurrection and all men from the death of nature in the life to come And in this respect the day of rest after creation in nature was changed from the Iewes Sabbath to the day of rest of Recreation in grace and honoured with the name of Lords day because the worke of Redemption from which Christ rested at his resurrection is a greater worke and much more beneficiall to vs then the worke of Creation For Creation giues vs beeing but Redemption restores vs to that beeing which was lost by sinne to the well beeing of grace and giues vs a right by the free gift of God to the best and blessed beeing of glory And here I cannot omit this one thing that the Author of these reasons cares not to make all the Fathers and Councels and the greatest of all Councels next to the Apostles Councell the great Councell of Nice of 318. Bishops sinners against the law of Nature so hee may say somewhat against kneeling though therein he said asmuch and more against himselfe then indeed he doth against kneeling For if sitting at the Lords Supper bee essentiall to the Table and feast and banquet of Christ and the behauiour of guests and coheires the Fathers and Councels are guilty of the violation of this Law of Nature who vsed and decreed standing at prayer on Sundayes And therfore as this man most weakely would infer at the Lords Supper also which in those times it seemeth was seldom or neuer omitted on the Lords day and so all his witnesses as they testifie against him that produceth them so they are tainted with the breach of the Law of Nature which is in effect the Law of God and so no way to be credited And if any credit be to be giuen to them certainely they are good witnesses against him that produceth them and therefore they doe in effect argue thus against him Standing at Prayer and the Lords Supper was in vse in the Primitiue Church by the testimonies of Fathers and the decrees of Councels Therefore Sitting is not the gesture of the Commucants at the Lords Supper To which if wee add that the Fathers of those times and Councels best knew the practise of Christ and his Apostles whose example they proposed to themselues as their rule and institution one of these things will follow that either standing is the essential gesture which Christ and his Apostles vsed and not sitting or els the Fathers and Councels changed the gesture of sitting vsed by Christ and his Apostles into standing vpon particular reason of the resurrection of Christ and then the present Church may vpon as important reason of humilitie which is indeed the lesson that Christ taught verbo exemplo by word and example change sitting and standing into kneeling
or that which is the trueth the Fathers and Councels that vpon the particular of Christs resurrection decreed for standing prayer might and did as it will appeare vse kneeling at the Lords Table according to the generall rule of Prayer at all other times and occasions and according as they then vsed to do in the participation of those great and reuerend mysteries of the Body and blood of Christ Now among all these obseruations this must not be omitted in generall before wee come to the particular that all those Fathers who vpon particular reason of Christs resurrection speake for standing prayer on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost and at other times according to the Common Law or rule of prayer require kneeling and humility with prayer yet in the matter of this Sacrament either they are silent and say nothing or if they speake of it they reiect both sitting and standing and speake onely for adoration and kneeling And so here bee Testes but not Testimonia names of mute witnesses whose depositions or dictats are nothing against kneeling but rather pleade for it both by their silence and their reason For concerning their silence it is more then probable that they who for the resurrection of Christ and our hope and expectation of our owne Resurrection did in a maner violate the Law of Prayer and humilitie and ordaine standing on the Lords day and from Easter to Pentecost as a testimony of our ioy and confidence and expectation thereof and dispence against the generall Law of kneeling at Prayer would also haue added the like expresse declaration in a matter of so great consequence as the Lords Supper is and said plainely that for the same reason we ought also to stand at the Lords Table when we receiue the Body and Blood of Christ since these reuerend mysteries require as reuerend gesture and behauiour as prayer doeth because in this Sacramēt we receiue all that which our praiers can aske and receiue in this life that is Christ with all the benefits of his death and Passion and the holy Ghost with all the whole traine of his gifts and graces and the greater Gods gifts are the greater should bee our humilitie and reuerence in receiuing them And the Argument is good Quod hominem though it be defectiue in the Fathers sense which is this The Fathers and Counsels decreed for standing at Prayer on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost But in the celebration of the Eucharist according to Christs institution there was not neither should be now any prayer at all as these men suppose Therefore the Fathers and Councels that decreed for standing at Prayer on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost spake nothing of the Lords Supper in which there ought to bee no prayer at all So then the silence of the Fathers in point of the Lords Supper is an argument that they spake onely of standing at Prayer and not at the Lords Supper Come to the Reason and it wil appeare more plainely For besides that priuate Lawes are stricti iuris and therefore to be restrained to the strict letter and no further And as the Lawyers say Exceptio firmat regulam the exception doth make the rule more strong and firme the exception of Sundayes and betweene Easter and Pentecost concerning standing at prayer maketh the rule strong that we should not stand at any other time and the exception of Prayer on Sunday maketh it strong that at other parts of diuine worship whereof the Sacrament is a principall and most eminent part we should not stand but vse the gesture that the nature of the action requireth which is humilitie and kneeling The reason which the Fathers giue is the memorie and celebration of the resurrection of Christ and the confidence that we haue of our part in the first and second Resurrection Now what is this Reason to this Sacrament which is Commemoratio not Resurrectionis but Mortis a commemoration not of the Resurrection but of the death and Passion of Christ 1. Cor. 11.26 The Apostle saith not as often as you eate this bread and drinke this Cup Annunciabitis resurrectionem you shall shew forth the resurrection but Annunciabitis mortem Domini you shall shew foorth the death of the Lord So then the reason of the Fathers is quite turned against this disputer The Christians did stand at praier on Sundaies and from the Passeouer to Pentecost vpon a particular reason that is for the memorie of Christs Resurrection and the ioy and confidence of our Consurreximus our rising with Christ Phil. 3.10 and the power of his Resurrection in vs Wee come to this Sacrament not to celebrate the memorie of Christs resurrection nor our confidence of rising together with him but in remembrance of his death and Passion in which wee must die to sinne as hee died to nature Therefore though we stand at Prayer to celebrate Christs resurrection yet we ought to kneele in all humilitie at the receiuing of this Sacrament in remembrance of his death and Passion for the Passion of Christ is as forcible to procure sorrow and humilitie for our sinne that deliuered him to death as the Resurrection of Christ is able to procure ioy and confidence for our redemption and deliuerance from sinne and death And of the oxen and fatlings Christ said Matth. 22.4 Tauri mei altilia occisa sunt mine oxen and fatlings are killed and Christ was slaine not onely that he might be to Godward Pretium the price of our ransome but also that hee might to vs-ward be Cibus our food Wherein because man doeth altogether abhorre to eate liuing flesh our blessed Sauiour was put to death that so hee might be the food of our soules So then the reason of the Fathers which moued them to decree standing at Prayer on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost doeth proue a contrario that when we celebrate the memorie of Christs Passion in the Eucharist which mooueth compunction and humilitie we should then kneele in token of our contrition and humiliation as they did stand in the ioy and confidence of Christs and their owne resurrection Whereby it appeareth that the Fathers who ioyne teares and contrition and confession and prayer with this Sacrament ment not to alter the humilitie in the receiuing thereof though they change the ordinary gesture of kneeling at Prayer vpon Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost for the ioy and confidence they receiued of our Sauiours Resurrection Thus haue we passed the example of our Sauiour and his Apostles and haue not yet found any solid proofe for sitting at the Sacrament but rather left it doubtfull what gesture they vsed whether standing as at the Passeouer or kneeling or lying or sitting Now after the time of Christs Ascention vnto the time of Iustin Martyr and Tertullian and Dionysius of Alexandria there is no Author produced that saith any thing concerning the gesture of Communicants only there is a coniecturall argument made to
doe thus fall downe and kneele how much more must they cast downe themselues in all humility that abound in nothing but onely in wants and imperfections whose greatest perfection is Agnitio imperfectionis the acknowledgement of their imperfections and whose greatest glory is the ingenuous confession of their own vnworthinesse And surely Saint Iohn Apoc. 9.10.22.8 that wrote this Reuelation is twice reprooued by the Angel because he would haue giuen diuine worship to the Angel but the faul◠〈◊〉 in obiecto not in modo adorationis in the obiect of his adoration For hee would haue giuen that to the Angel which was peculiar only to God but it was not in the manner of his adoration he fell at his feete and worshipped him diuine worship must haue falling downe or prostration or kneeling but diuine worship may not bee giuen to any Angell or Saint or Sacred or consecrated Creature but only to God to whom onely it is due The sum therefore of this reason is short and punctuall The Church Triumphant worshipeth and feasteth at the Lambes Supper with prostration or kneeling Therefore the Church Militant that must learne of the Church Triumphant must worship with prostration or kneeling at the feast of the Supper of the Lambe For the earth must learne of heauen and he that refuseth such guides as the Saints in heauen in the worship of God it is to be feared that hee is turned ouer to worse Tutors on earth and vnlesse he repent and returne to the right way and follow their footsteps that are gone to heauen before him he will hardly attaine to the great City wherof they are admitted as Citizens and Saints And sure I am the very Habendum and Tenendum the hauing and holding the right and possession of our inheritance is as Christ said Vade fac similiter Luc. 10.37 goe and doe thou likewise They kneeled and prostrated themselues when they adored God and were admitted to the feast of the Lambe on earth they doe so as S. Iohn saith now in heauen and they that rest from all their labours rest not from this labour of Adoration and prostration and we must follow them in the way that we may be crowned with them at the end of the way in the Kingdome of glory I Come now to the reasons for sitting for the Authorities are for standing Now before I come to handle them in particular giue mee leaue to strike at the roote of them all in generall and that is in short Pride and Presumption You will maruell much that I should say the Foundation of all these Reasons is Presumption and Pride and I cannot but maruell at it my selfe but I must much more maruell at the Author of these Reasons that bearing the name of a Christian and perchance a Minister he should giue mee cause to say as I doe For I knowe no meane or medium in Theologicall contraries when wee come to the Lords Table either wee must be humble or else we must bee presumptuous and proud Luk. 11.23 Hee that is not with mee is against mee saith our Sauiour and hee that gathereth not with mee scattereth Either a good man or a bad man either faithfull or vnfaithfull either a good seruant or a bad seruant either borne of God and the childe of God or borne of the deuill and the childe of the deuill either wee doe righteousnesse or wee doe vnrighteousnesse either wee loue the Brethren or wee loue not the Brethren either a good tree and good fruit or a bad tree and bad fruit And although a good tree cannot but beare good fruit and a bad tree cannot but beare bad fruit yet Mala arbor fieri potest bona a bad tree may bee made a good tree and the change must be first in radice and then in fructu first in the Roote wee must be grafted into Christ and then it will follow in the fruite Yet in all these there is no meane there is none to be found but either he is good or bad so there is none that comes to the Lords Table but either hee is humble and comes in humilitie with the Publicane or else hee is presumptuous Luk. 18.10 and comes in pride with the Pharisee Now that I may not bee accused to mistake this Author I will relate his words Kneeling is not onely disagreeable with the ioyfull Pag. 85. carriage which in the iudgement of the said Fathers the solemnizing of the Lords day requireth throughout euery part of Diuine Seruice but also repugnant in particular to the person sustained by each Communicant and to the nature and intendment of the Lords Supper The Lords Supper being a Sacrament not of humbling our selues after the manner and guise of suppliants and penitentiaries but of spirituall feasting and reioycing on our parts not onely for the Lords Resurrestion and our owne in his person but for all other fauors and dignities purchased for vs by his death And Pag. 84. Kneeling which is a gesture of humiliation and of him that bewrayeth his sinnes and submissiuely sueth for the pardon of them is altogether unsutable and repugnant to reioycing and cheerefulnesse c. Good God Is there any action of a Christian that may be done without humilitie May man that is but dust and ashes present himselfe at any time in Gods sight without humilitie That is with Pride for these admit no meane either humble or proud May wee haue the affection of humilitie and not haue the gesture of humilitie Did not the Fathers that stood at their Prayers in honour of Christs Resurrection stand in all humilitie surely they stood in confidence of Gods grace and in hope of their owne Resurrection but they stood in al humilitie because they could not forget their owne frailtie confident in God but humble in themselues So the Fathers that layd downe the gesture of humilitie for a particular Reason did neuer lay downe the affection of humility because that is against all reason to cease to be humble when Christ said Discite ex me quia humilis Learne of me to be humble and meeke learne of mee not to create the world not to redeeme the world not to feed fiue thousand with fiue loaues nor to feed the whole world with a few seeds not to raise from the dead nor to keepe men that they die not by curing all diseases but learne of mee to be humble and meeke And may it suffice to be humble in confession of sinne and supplicating for pardon or will it suffice to be humble in asking petitions for supply of wants and not bee humble in giuing of thanks will it suffice to be humble in the Examination of our selues and preparing our selues before we come to the Lords Table and at the very comming receiuing to cease to be humble and take state vpon vs Did we by our humilitie attaine to bee in a measure fit and worthy for those great mysteries that so we may lay downe