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A69019 The lavvfulnes of kneeling in the act of receiving the Lords Supper VVherein (by the way) also, somewhat of the crosse in baptisme. First written for satisfaction of a friend, and now published for common benefit. By Dr. Iohn Burges, pastor of Sutton Coldfield. Burges, John, 1561?-1635.; Burges, John, 1561?-1635. Answer rejoyned to that much applauded pamphlet of a namelesse author, bearing this title: viz. A reply to Dr. Mortons generall defence of three nocent ceremonies, &c. 1631 (1631) STC 4114; ESTC S106928 94,058 129

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sight and service The Ring is meerely a civill signe of the Matrimoniall Contract as is Ioyning of hands The Crosse indeed would not signifie what it doth of it selfe but by Institution But as I haue shewed the very bodily gestures doe not of themselues signifie but by the Intention and Customes of men which is as by second Nature And so doth putting off of the hat signifie a respect also which when they allow though appoynted by men at the Sacrament the signification notwithstanding this is but a made quarrell that our Ceremonies signifie not but by Institution and long Custome of men And I pray you what difference vpon the matter whether by naturall light or generall notice of the meaning the Ceremonie bee significant And why not Forsooth this is to giue them part of the nature of Sacraments Indeed some in their heat call them Sacraments as Master Parker in his Treatise of the Crosse But Doctor Ames checketh that over-shoot and saith they are but Sacramentalia Sacramentals not well vnderstanding that Ceremonies were called Sacraments scil not from this that they signified for so did almost all Popish Rites witnesse Durandus but because they were appertinent to some of their Sacraments non ad esse but ad ornatum not to their being but to their comely being Take away saith Saint Augustine the Element and there is no Sacrament and take away the thing signified saith Zanchie and there is no Sacrament neither Sacraments therefore are not simple signes but Significantia obsignantia instrumentaliter exhibentia quod significant signes signifying sealing and instrumentally exhibiting that which they signifie The symbolicall Rites in Poperie vsed to effect some supernaturall grace by their vse were indeed presumptuous and sawcy counterfeits of diuine Sacraments But that meere signification of a morall duty should more then participate the proper nature of a Sacrament I shall then beleeue when I shall perceiue the signe of the sunne in a shop-window to partake the nature of the same or of Baals Image made to represent the same The nature of the Sacraments consisteth not simply in that they doe signifie which is common to all signes but in that they signifie the Couenant of grace by diuine institution and seale it to vs. Nor doe I beleeue that Ioshua pitched a Sacramentall signe in Shechem though it was to reminde them of the Couenant of God of which Circumcision was the Sacramentall signe I will now content my selfe onely to oppose this that this Imagination that significancy maketh a Ceremony to bee evill doth not appeare to mee to haue entred the heart of any learned man Iew or Christian till it was of late taken vp against our Ceremonies for a Couert for this I am sure of * See in the Archb. Def. pag. 120. his words that the Iewes had of their owne deuising aboue as Master Cartwright saith twentie for one more then wee haue of Ecclesiasticall significant Ceremonies Of the ancient Christian Churches it is rather to bee lamented as Augustine in his time did that they ouerdid in hauing so many then needfull to bee proued that all Churches had some such significant Rites And as for the later Churches of our Religion some haue more some as many some fewer then wee but all some And that the judgement of the Churches in their Confessions and of the prime men which haue written is for the allowance of some significant Ceremonies meerely Ecclesiasticall though they thinke as I doe the fewer the better is manifest Epist 8. pag. 211. Tom. 3. opuscul 2.14.82 Onely Mr. Beza hath a passage which seemeth to contrary this which I haue said namely That all symbolicall Rites ought to be abolished Contrary to what we had of Mr. Calvin that some such are to bee allowed as a profitable helpe to the ruder sorte of men But these two learned men differ not saue in shew for Calvin by symbolicall Rites meaneth such onely as are vsed to signifie some dutie to bee done And Beza meaneth such symbolicall Rites as were vsed not meerely for signification but as hauing some operatiue vertue in them either ex opere operato vpon the very doing of them as the Crosse or by meanes of their Consecration by prayers This to bee so I proue by Beza himselfe in his 8. and 12. Epistle from one whereof this Obiection is taken For Beza confesseth the a Aduersus fratrem Baldwinū in opuscul vol. 3. p. 324. Epist 12. Crossing to haue beene sometimes of at least tolerable vse yea and now the Superstition being remoued Kneeling sometimes a profitable signe b Epist 12. Opusc Tom. 3. p. 220. of Godly reuerence in receiuing the Sacrament The vse of the c Epist 12. pa. 219. Epist. 8. p. 212. Surplice to bee ex se res media of it selfe a matter indifferent yea and so the other two Wherefore hee did not judge meere Signification to haue defiled or tainted them for then their vse had neuer beene allowable or indifferent Therefore this exception against our Ceremonies that they are significant was not verely the cause of the quarrell but the quarrell of this exception And now I returne that the Church hath Commission to determine of Ecclesiasticall Rites which in truth shall appeare to her vpon due consideration to be of necessary vse whether per se or per accidens of themselues or by accident vnto the edification of it selfe by Rites vsed for Order and Decency and when need is significant And thus much the very definition of a Ceremony V●sin Catech. impres Ann. 1621. p. 772. which Paraeus hath may witnesse when of Church Ceremonies he saith That they are externall and solemne Actions instituted in the ecclesiasticall Ministery Ordinis vel Significationis gratia for order or significations sake which he maketh after two sorts Diuine and Humane Now I come to your Questions which I will answer to in short CAP. XVIII Six Questions about Kneeling answered Quest 1. WHether you allow kneeling to bee worship Answ Worship is either Cultus Seruice or Adoration or Veneration kneeling is a part of externall Adoration per se in it selfe as is the being bare-headed but not Cultus ex se seruice or worship of it selfe but per aliud with reference to another thing as it is a signe of true internall reuerence acknowledged to God and a part of that comelinesse which becometh men in partaking the seales of the Couenant of grace done to his honour It is in it selfe no more then a Circumstance of worship like as Fasting is of Humiliation and Prayer in a word Cultus reductiue non proprie dictus worship reductiuely not properly so called lawfull not commanded as before hath beene shewed Object But if this bee not worship there is no worship of the body I Answer yes for the very bodily Action of Eating and Drinking in the Supper is on the Receiuers part Cultus dei externus externall worship of God because commanded
Elements which are sanctified cannot bee said to be appointed to bee Ad●red vnlesse wee shall Adore our action of eating the Bread and drinking of the Cup of our Lord which is so a part of the Sacrament that without them it were no Sacrament to vs. That Christ hath not appointed vs to Adore him in the receiuing of them both Internally and Externally is an hereticall doctrine though the expression Externall bee not determined of him O●ject But Veneration of the Sacraments saith Altare Damascenum wee allow but not Adoration Answ See now that all the strife shall bee about words which haue as I haue shewed no formall difference of signification but onely by the designement of men in their vse nor in the particular outward gestures which by diuine institution shall difference the one from the other Object But kneeling is onely lawfull in actions of Adoration i.e. Diuine Answ This is not true for it is confessed to bee lawfull in Ciuill vse And I pray you what action of Gods publicke seruice is there which is not an Action of Adoration how euer the expression thereof bee not in euery action of his worship necessarily or conueniently one the same Zanch de cultu Dei externo l. 1. Thes 2. in fine p. 421. Edit 619. Visibilis externaque venetatio Adoratio ad omnes ferme actiones diuini cultus concurrit visible and externall veneration and Adoration concurres to almost all actions of diuine worship saith Zanchius Thus wee kneele while the ten Commandements are read party to expresse our respect of that Law giuen by the voice of God himselfe on Mount Sinai with great state and terror a Law fit to cast vs downe and humble vs partly for the prayer then subjoyned to euery precept for Grace to obserue it and pardon for our failings Object Geniculando excipere verba ex ore Lectoris aut Concionatoris proflata ratione sanctitatis esset idololatria Alt. Damasc pag. 797. to receiue the word kneeling as coming from the mouth of a Reader or Preacher in respect of holinesse were idolatry Answ This case commeth not home to that of receiuing the Sacraments which in that Action wee doe not looke at as creatures but as diuina symbola signifying and sealing the Couenant of Grace to vs. But yet the Opponent durst not say it is idolatrie to heare the word kneeling but Externa reuerentia est vt post actionem sacram viz. of preaching coram ministro versium inclinantes deum adorent Ex 4.24 12 28. Neh 8. Apoc. 3.9 Fenner Theol Edit 1589. p. 88. when it is done ratione sanctitatis in respect of holinesse which must needs carry in to the person of the Preacher and not vnto God When Moses and Aaron brought the message to the Elders of Israel Exod. 4.31 they bowed their heads no doubt before Moses and Aaron and not at their backes and worshipped not the Messengers of God for their holinesse but God for sending by them that gracious Message When wee shall professe to bow before and to the holy mysteries for respect of their holinesse let vs be branded and not spared till then it were fit that men spared to calumniate the Seruants and Churches of the liuing God CAP. 33. The Conclusion consisting of some priuate occurrents and requests of his Friend ANd thus Sir to satisfie your desire I haue too largely Answered to the objected Questions propounded in your letter and almost within the time of three weekes which you limited If you meet with needlesse repetitions and find as is like you may many defaults beare with mee For I haue written this as Ierusalem was builded in a troublous time yea verely in the most troublous time all things considered that euer yet came vpon mee the very houre of darknesse and shaddow of death In this time therefore I had cause to looke about mee and to consider what I had now in hand which I also did And if in all this time wherein I haue beene soaked and laide to steepe in so much tribulation I had found any wauering or doubtfulnesse in my mind about these matters I haue written of assure your selfe I should haue desisted But standing fully perswaded as in the sight of the Lord that I haue the truth with mee and follow it I did as by starts and fits I could His private letter contained a requests but because the first of the three concerned only some private sad affaires of his own of som of his neere friends that is here omitted as not at all belonging to the matter here debated proceed knowing that the line of diuine light ought to sway our judgements and not either the sun-shine of peace or shadowes of the euening stretched out vpon vs. Yea and in truth I tooke this taske vpon me as a Medicine to restraine what I could my troubled spirit from continuall feeding vpon that very bitter herbe which had troubled it Now I haue two Requests vnto you one for the Church of God the other for my selfe For the Church of God I beseech you by our Lord Iesus Christ that if you thinke as I doe that the Ceremonies in Question howeuer they may seeme to vs Inconuenient in some respects yet are not vnlawfull but such as men not imprisoned with prejudice may with good consciences obserue as matters of externall Order imposed on vs by lawfull authority Then sir doe your best endeauour to hold those that stand wauering vnto their colours And doe not yet make so much way to any euill affected or open enemies to our Religion nor weaken our party against the common Aduersaries of our faith by disunion of themselues Let not for these things in which the kingdome of God standeth not those things in which it doth stand bee abandoned Let no man build vpon his former perswasion which can excuse no longer then till it bee better informed Let no man walke after the Tradition of men though good and learned Nay let them consider that of graue and holy Zanchy Epist lib. p. 391. who writing one Epistle to Queene Elizabeth for Abatement of these Ceremonies withall wrote another at the same time to that Reuerend and holy Bishop Iewell to perswade the Ministers not to leaue their functions for those things if the Queene would not remoue them or slacke the vrging of them Tell them a Beza opusc in vitae Caluini ad Ann. 1538. p. 368. how Calvin though hee disliked the reducing of wafer-bread into Geneua in the time of his exile yet at his returne neuer liked to struggle for the change of it Remember them of that praise which Master Fox gaue to that worthy Bishop and Martyr b Fox Martyr p. 13●1 Hooper how for the publicke seruice of the Church he bare and suffered patiently the priuate contumely of his Conformity And wish them to take heed that they regard not too much mans day For he that shall iudge vs is God As for you selfe I hope there will bee no need to bid you looke vpon the wonderfull blessing of God vpon you and your Ministery aboue many of vs while you haue vsed these things with a good conscience Sirre vp our brethren who haue some authority in the hearts of those godly people who are vnhappily transported to an vnutterable dislike of these things which they vnderstand not and to file off that rough edge of their not so-much opinions as detestation And doe what you can to moue all such as need it to consideration whether it shall not bee better and vpon their death-bed more cordiall to beare not being vnlawfull the vse of these things rather then to occasion the rending of the Church the displeasure of our Gouernours the stopping of our mouthes the desolation for ought wee know of our flockes the distresse of our families and withall which is not the least the confirming of an errour by our if not doctrine yet example in the hearts of all those who are or shall bee led to condemne as vntolerable that which God will justifie as lawfull in vs and so doth as I am fully perswaded by his Word Touching my selfe I haue these requests to you that you would remit this tract vnto meet againe without giuing any copy of it that I may which I now could not reuise and amend it And let me haue your free judgement of it and if you take mee to bee deciued set vp some cleere light before mee and pray that mine eyes may bee opened And I shall giue glory to God who knoweth the vprightnesse of my heart in this matter For the rest commend mee to my friends more specially to my c. Let mee yet of the little patch of life remaining haue some releefe of comfort in your loue continued And aboue all pray for mee that the Lord who chastiseth would keepe me in his loue burne out the drosse that is in mee sanctifie mee wholly to himselfe and the seruice of his Church and keepe mee as I hope hee will fast knit vnto himselfe in Christ and when the time commeth yea and till then vouchsafe to honour his owne name in my life and death Farewell FINIS
incouragement to that Popish conceit without reason The Author of Altare Damasc yeeldeth that the Iewes at or before the Arke which was Gods instituted signe of his presence or Temple in respect of the Arke and so before the burning bush Ex. 3. or armed man Iosh 5. or cloud Ex. 33.9 or other signe given of God as a signe of his speciall presence might lawfully vpon sight or respect of such a signe Adore God But saith he the Sacraments are not signes of Gods speciall presence but grace and before or respectiuely to such signes of grace Adoration is not lawfull though onely referred to God But this man opposeth without reason presence and grace which both did often coincidere fall both into one as in the Arke and cloud and armed man which were so signes of his presence as they also were signes of his fauour and grace That Armed man in Ioshua professeth to come as a Captaine of the Lords hoast Paul saith our Fathers were baptized vnder the cloud The Arke is called the Arke of the Couenant therefore Presence and Grace in these signes are not opposite but conjunct 2. Hee erreth when hee supposeth the Iewes to haue vsed this Adoration only at or before the signe of speciall presence and not of Grace For they did it to God vpon occasion of his signes of fauour as well as those of his speciall presence See Pet. Mart. on 1 King For when the fire came downe from heauen to burne and as it were to shew Gods acceptance of their Sacrifices which was not simply a signall of his Presence but of his speciall fauour the people fell downe and worshipped God as well as at his foot stoole the Arke or Cloud Levit 9. 24. and 2. Chron. 7.3 Ezra 9.5 and 10 1. with 5.17 and 3.11 3. Hee mistaketh in saying they bowed and adored God at or before the Tabernacle or Temple in respect of the Arke only so hee meaneth which was therein Ezra kneeled and cast downe himselfe before the very place of the Temple as the house God though there was neither Arke any more after the captiuity nor Temple then standing but only the place which God had chosen for his name to dwell in and a foundation of the Lords house Chemnit in exam part 2. pag 91. edit 1578. It is much more sound which Chemnitius obserueth that the people of God vpon any occasion representing Gods speciall Presence or fauour to them whether it were only by a Gracious message as in Ex. 4. and 12. or Action as in Gen. 24.26 48. or signe thereof giuen from God they Adored and cast downe themselues of which wee haue spoken much already Cap. 10. 4. But if it were lawfull to Adore God onely at or before his owne Signall of his speciall Presence the Arke why not at the Sacrament referring all the Adoration to God in Christ For was the Arke any better signe of Gods presence then the Bread and Wine are of the body and blood of Christ whose names hee himselfe hath honoured them withall as the Arke was honoured with the title of Iehouah i. e. for the representation and Sacramentall Relation sake Doth any man diuide Christ himselfe from the Graces of Christ verely wee in the Sacrament haue no hope of partaking the Grace of Christ but by partaking himselfe his very body and blood though not carnally or bodily yet really and in truth not in at our mouthes but into our soules as spirituall food The conclusion of all is that if our Church intended that wee in receiuing the Communion should looke vpon the Bread and Wine not simply as creatures but as Sacraments of our Lords institution and so beholding them Non quâ sunt sed quâ significant not as they are in their owne nature but as what they there signifie should tender a knee-worship or Adoration not at all to them but only to God or Christ his sonne by occasion of them we should therein doe no more then the ancient godly Fathers did before Poperie as that learned tract Dialecticon Eucharistiae sheweth I am sure no more then the godly Iewes did as hath beene shewed And yet euen this Ceremony so vsed should bee no proper worship of God or worship of and by it selfe because it is not then and so commanded of the Lord but only Improper and Reductiue worship and though not commanded yet allowed of Gods word And therefore but a matter of meere Order in the sense aforesaid 5. But I haue already giuen in our Churches publicke Declaration by which appeareth that shee goeth not so far but vnderstandeth this gesture to bee only for Signification of our humble and gratefull acknowledgement of those benefits bestowed of Christ in this his Ordinance vpon not all men but the worthy Receiuers And therefore they which condemne this Church of a Will-worship yea of flat Idolatry for this and teach the poore people to forbeare the Communion rather then to receiue it kneeling haue more to answer for to God and his Church then perhaps they thinke of 6. For while they piously intending to sayle from as I may say the North-pole of the Popish Idolatry not heeding the Aequator haue sayled though not home to the South-Pole yet too neere it into another extreame of Superstition and Disworship of God Disworship in turning their backes vpon the Lords table for a gesture not forbidden of God and Superstition in placing such a necessity in sitting or standing which are neither of them commanded of the Lord as is confessed that they thinke themselues highly to honour and please God in the choyse of those gestures or else not to communicate This is to worship God after the traditions of men Or else the Iewes were not guilty of it by forbearing out of conscience and for feare of pollution to eate their meate with vnwashen hands Only this is so much the worse as the spirituall food which they dare not touch nor taste vnlesse they may take it sitting or standing is better then the bodily from which the Iewes abstained The Lord who hath given many of them godly desires vouchsafe in mercy to cleare their judgements and not to lay this errour to their charge CAP. 15. The first part of the fourth Argument Answered Arg. 4. THe Law i. e. the 2. Commandement forbiddeth two things 1. The devising any new wayes of worship 2. The vsing of prescribed worship otherwise then they are directed But some of our Ceremonies are devised new wayes of worship or vsage of the prescribed worships otherwise then they are directed Ergo the Law forbiddeth them Answ What things the Law of the second Commandement doth forbid I haue said and graunt the same or with it the third Commandement to forbid these two things you mention But I will consider these two apart and so make two Arguments of one for perspicuities sake The Law forbiddeth the diuising of new wayes of worship But our Ceremonies are deuised new wayes
both the Bread and Cup were consecrated before The present Roman Missall observeth the Ceremony of putting a parcell of the Hoast into the Cup at that time of Pax tecum but hath without any great shew of change altered the words and to another meaning For whereas it was onely said Fiat commixtio corporis Christi c. which is in plaine termes Let the Resurrection of Christ profit vs to eternall life who receiue the Eucharist They haue now made it Haec commistio consecratio corporis sanguinis Domini nostri Iesu Christi fiat nobis c. as meaning to teach that there is in the very Sacramentall signes or vnder them a mixture of Christs Body and Blood made and so a presence of whole Christ in every drop of wine and crumme of the bread by Concomitancie Haec Commistio fiat Lastly that the Romane Church did not then beleeue any Reall presence of Christ as brought vnder the Species by the Priests and formall words of Consecration appeareth by this that when the Bishop did consecrate there was but one Chalice or cup of wine before him of which a little was after powred into other vessels of wine to consecrate that for the Communicants Quia vinum etiam non consecratum sed sanguine Domini commixtum sanctificatur per omnem modum because the Wine that yet was not consecrated but onely mixed with the Blood of our Lord is sanctified by euery way by them vsed whereas now the Consecration is limited to certaine formall words and to onely so much as the Priest intendeth to consecrate because forsooth no more can be made the Body or Blood of Christ then is at that instant turned thereunto Wherefore I now assume as manifest that the Romane Church was not as yet nor before the 900 yeere of our Lord possessed of the dotages either of Consubstantiation or Transubstantiation And yet euen then obserued vpon the Station dayes when they might not kneele in publike prayer yet at the Celebration of the Sacramens to bow downe themselues in those prayers wherein they might not kneele in token of their humble and reuerend acknowledgement of the speciall grace of God signed sealed and exhibited to them thereby And that they likewise had care in the act of receiuing to discerne the Lords Body reverentiâ singulariter debitâ with reuerence then specially due to it Rhemig vixit An. 590. habetur in Bibl. Patr. Tom. 5. part 3 pag. 887 Colum. 2. A. as Augustine speaketh no man can doubt For therefore Rhemigius the Bishop of Rhemes in 1. Cor. 11.24 c. coupleth the consecration and participation in that respect saying Quotiescunque accedimus ad consecrandum vel percipiendum Sacramentum muneris aeterni quod nobis Dominus pijssimus in memoriam sui dimisit tenendum cum timore compunctione cordis omnique reuerentia debemus accedere So often as wee come to consecrate or partake the Sacrament c. we ought to come thereto with feare and compunction of heart Treat of kneeling pag. 195. and with all reuerence So also before him Caesarius Arelatensis hom 12. alleadged by the Bishop of Rochester sheweth that during that Action the people were required to abide in the Church Humiliato corpore compuncto corde with humbled bodies and compunction of heart Wall Strabo de rebus Ecclesiasticis cap. 19 This reuerend carriage Wall Strabo sheweth to belong to Decencie and to Order required of Paul 1. Cor. 14. which Decorum or Decencie being requisite In singulis sanctorum operibus tamen etiam atque etiam in sanctissimi sanguinis corporis veneratione seruari debet c. in all workes of the Saints much more ought it to bee obserued with all veneration of the most holy body and blood of Christ c and after Secundum ordinem autem vt sanctificationem eorum ae cibis caeteris longe distare sciamus It is according to Order that wee may know that the sactification of those doe differ farre from other meates There hee treateth of the receiuing of the Communion fasting and proueth the fitnesse of it from the respect of that Decencie and Order in which it ought to bee receiued and which requireth sober men This man was so far from the thought of Table gesture as he taketh it to belong to Order that the great distance betwixt this and common food should be shewed in the bodily receiuing Yea hee calleth the very Act of receiuing veneration because it was receiued with veneration Ephes 3.14 like as Paul vnderstandeth Prayer by bowing of the knee because that was the common gesture For this cause doe I bow the knee to God c. So Strabo saith in the veneration of the blood and body of Christ in stead of in the receiuing because it was not receiued but with veneration that is Externall Adoration of Bowing or Kneeling CAP. 28. The second Observation in the practise of the Ancient Churches MY second Obseruation is that to take it of the Ministers hands and to partake or receiue into their mouthes was not alwayes the same nor alwayes done at the same time or in the same place For they did for a long time take it at the Church carry it home and there receiue it And after the Councels of Toledo and the Caesar-Augustan Councell had tyed them to assumere in Ecclesia receiue it in the Church they did yet in the Greeke Church come vp to the Table or Chancell to take the Bread standing but stayed not to eat it there but carried it to their owne places and there after priuate prayer for themselues did eat it kneeling as out of Sozomen hath beene shewed As for the Cup because they could not take that away with them as they did the Bread they did receiue that Adoring as hath beene shewed out of Cyrill Ordo Rom. quo supra Tom 8 Bibl. Patr. pag. ●0● And in the Roman Church the Priests and Deacons called Ministers of the Altar came to the Bishop then sitting in his Seat kissed him tooke the bread of his hand and then went away in sinistra parte Altaris communicaturi to the left side of the Altar to partake it where there can bee no doubt whether they did kneele or no if we remember what hath been alleadged out of Micrologus And as for the Sub-Deacons that were not allowed to goe to the Altar to Communicate they came to the Bishops seat Lib. Sacrar Ceremon 2. pag. 181. kissed his hand and tooke it in thei● mouthes but not in their hands which any man must conceiue to be kneeling as the Booke of Ceremonies expresly affirmeth The Bishop and others at his appointment carried vnto the people in their owne places and put it into their mouthes which I know not how they should well doe Disput against Kneeling and Al●are Damasc without that the Receiuers kneeled So then the Testimonies brought by some men to proue that they did of older times