Selected quad for the lemma: heaven_n

Word A Word B Word C Word D Occurrence Frequency Band MI MI Band Prominent
heaven_n bow_v earth_n knee_n 3,628 5 9.5783 5 true
View all documents for the selected quad

Text snippets containing the quad

ID Title Author Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication) STC Words Pages
A04429 The opinion, judgement, and determination of two reverend, learned, and conformable divines of the Church of England, concerning bowing at the name, or naming of Jesus. The one somtime a member of the Vnivertie of Cambridge, in a letter to his Christian freind: the other sometime a member of the Vniversitie of Oxford, in a treatise to his brethren the ministers of the Church of England. Printed at Hambourgh, 1632 H. B., Bachelor of Divinity.; I. H., Bachelor of Divinity.; S. O., fl. 1630-1634.; Ofwod, Stephen, attributed name.; Burton, Henry, 1578-1648, attributed name. 1634 (1634) STC 14555; ESTC S106466 28,118 82

There are 4 snippets containing the selected quad. | View lemmatised text

his Gospell and the true professours of it Such are they that would set up Antichrist againe that are so ready to bow cap cring or kneel to this Superstitions being ennemies of the crosse of Christ Whose end is damnation whose God is their belly which mind Earthly things Now the Lord purge us more and more from all Antichristian Superstition and Idolatrie and establish our hearts in his saving Truth to our eternall salvation AMEN Your true loving freind in Christ Iesus OF Doing reverence and particularly of bowing the knee at the name of IESVS By the Reverend I. H. Bachelour in Divinitie Who sometimes having erred and gone astray from the Church afterwards at a publike place preached by command published a Testimonie of his heartie re-union humble submission to the church of England his acknowledged deere Mother To his reverend Brethren the Ministers of the Church of England IT is certaine that the Christians who lived in the best Ages of the Church did aunciently observe the Ceremonies of uncovering the Head at the Name of Iesus as learned Zanchy doth manifestly confesse in his Comment upon Phil. 2 10. A custome saith he not to be dissalovved for it was a testimony of reverence adoration of our Lord Iesus Christ which was introduced Originally in regard of the Iewes and Gentile who despised him and reteined afterwards against Arrians and other Hereticks impugning the Divinitie of Christ. This reason of the said Ceremonie now ceassing the Ceremonie it selfe might ceasse with it for so it is in the Law the soule thereof namely the reason of it being gone the Law doth consequently ceasse with it Notwithstanding because Mr. Hooker lib. 5. Sect. 50. and many learned men doe observe some other reasons for the continuance of the Ceremonie of bowing the knee at the name of Iesus as a thing Lawfull yea lawdable in some sort but in no wise necessarie as it shall afterward appeare I will co●f●sse with that famous Divine Doctour Fulk on Phil. 2 10. that it may be well used Howbeit as Zanchy noteth of uncovering the Head so I may say of bovving the knee at the name of Iesus that it hath beene perverted to a superstitious practise For as many abuse this Ceremonie in the Church of Rome so some abus● it in the Church of England Now the reasons why Christians did use reverence at the name of Iesus by cap or knee or both rather than at any other name though it and they importing one and the same thing so their understandin are many First because this name above all other Names was in great detestation and contempt as Festus speaketh of him Acts 25. 19. The Ievves had question against Paul touching one Iesus This name also by the ignominie of the Crosse upon his title Iesus of Nazareth was placed became more execrable to the unbeleevinge World Secondly it was his proper name or the name of his person appointed by God foretold by the Angell Luke 1 31. imposed in his circumcision Luke 2 21. where he had his peculiar and distinct appellation and yet this is his personall Name not only as he is Man but as he is one Christ and subsisteth in two natures Divine and Humane Thirdly because of the signification for it doth expresse the Office of the Redeemer in the worke of Salvation Matth. 1 21. Fourthly men tooke occasion of this complementall reverence from the very Text it selfe Phil. 2 10 as sounding to that purpose The question is therefore whether or how far forth we are bound to this externall act of reverence either by force of the said Scripture or by authority of any constitution of the Church Of both which I will treat in order 1. Of the true meaning of the Scripture Phil 2 10. At the name of Iesus shall every knee bow both of things in Heaven and things in Earth and thiugs under the Earth If it be the true proper and literall sense of this Text that we must bow the knee by externall reverence at the name of Iesus then it is a precept binding us to the necessitie of this practise by indispensable obligation If it be not the true proper and literall sense of the said Scripture to bow the knee at the name of Iesus by such an externall act of reverence then are we not bound to the practise of this Ceremonie by the force and vertue of the Scripture To enter therefore into a more exact and sound discussion of this point wee must observe 3. rules which serve to open this particular and sundry other in the sacred Scripture 1. Whereas no point of Religion can be demonstrated out of the Scripture but as the Scripture is taken in the true proper and literall sense which the learnedst in the church of Rome do also confesse we must acknowledge that the Scripture hath but one true proper literall sense the sense of it being the very forme of it and every thing hath but one forme as reason and Philosophy do dictate to our understanding so that all other senses so called as Tropilogicall Allegoricall Analogicall are inded not properly senses of the Scripture but an accommodation of the Scripture to the use of the Readers Hearers 2. Secondly that is the true proper literall sense of the Scripture which the intention of the speaker and the nature of the thing it selfe doe importe to our understanding by what words soever proper or unproper the said sense be expressed in the Scripture 3. Thirdly we must therefore observe that the true proper and literall sense of the Scripture is not allwayes that which the words do beare immediately in their grammaticall signification but that the words of the Scripture are sometimes proper as Christ is the Son of God sometimes improper or methaphoricall as Christ is a vine a Dore. Now if the words be improper and metaphoricall as we shall see anon we must note that as D●s Whitakers did truely advertise Bellarmine the improper vvords carry not in them the literall sense of the Scripture immediately for then great absurditie would follow but mediatly that is to say as they are reduced unto proper words as here bowing the knee at the name of Iesus is an improper or methaphoricall speech and is reduced to this proper speech viz. a subjection of the Creaturs to the Sonne of God which being the true proper literall sense of that Scripture is contained in an improper metaphoricall speech I come therefore punctually to the thing in question and say that the true proper literall sense of the Scripture doth according to the intention of S. Paul and the nature of the thinge it selfe represent unto our understanding not an outward Ceremonie of bowing the knee of the body but a reall subject on of all the Creatures in Heaven Earth and Hell unto the Sonne of God even as he is the Sonne of Man also now exalted unto Glory Whereas therefore S. Paul saith God
hath given him a name above every name Phil. 2 9. The cleere and evident sense whereof is this that Christ so humbled before in the assumption of our nature in the cours of this life in the maner of his death c. is now advaunced and honoured by his Father first by the publike manifestation of his Divinitie which before seemed obscure and secondly by exaltation of his humanitie So that now he having a name above all names in Glory and Power all Creatures voluntarily or necessarily are subject to his Dominion which subjection is expressed by a metaphoricall act as Esther 3 2. The Servants of Ahashuerosh the King bowed the knee unto Hamon and reverenced him which Mordechai refused to performe and therefore incurred his indignation vers 5. That this sense is the true proper and literall sense of the Scripture according to the intention of the writer and according to the nature of the thing it selfe you may cleerely discerne by all the circumstances of the Text and amongst many to evince the same I present these 5. ensuing to your consideration First because it is not the very name of Iesu literally and syllabically taken to which reverence is here due and should be performed by every Creuture but the person signified by this Name and so in other of his Names For when we heare this Name of Iesus and thereupon do an Act of reverence either inwardly in the mind or outwardly in the body it is by mediate inference of it in our understandings unto the thing or person it self signified in and by tha● Name otherwise this Act were a literall or syllabicall Idolatrie by restraining it to the Name and not extending it to the Person Wherefore when I heare any other of his Names as Immanuell Christ c. I am by vertue of the said reason bound to do the like reverence at the sound of these other names if I be bound unto it at the name of Iesus because the same person is in every name imported to my understanding Else in regarding one Name of his person more than an other I shew that I regard the Name more than the person or the name without the person the first being wicked the second a foolish conceipt And yet neverthelesse that these Ceremonialists entertaining Iesus with reverence dismisse Christ with neglect 2. Againe if the Text bind us in the true proper and literall sense to this externall act of adoration in bowing the knee at the name of Iesus then those Ceremonialists who say so or must say so or else they say nothing must performe this Act of adoration at all times and in all places whensoever and wheresoever they heare the sound of this name for the text speaketh absolutely generally definitely of bowing the knee without any imitation or restreint And yet these Ceremonialists either wanting judgement in what they would affirme or conscience in what they should performe do not exercise this Act of Adoration at all times and in al● places at the sound of this Name Yea which is more they ought by force of their owne reason ●f it had any force ●o practise this act of reverence whensoever they read this name of Iesus in the Scripture or any other Author Nay ought they not whensoeyer they thinke of this Name bow the knee For their ●eason if it enforce what obey pretend enforceth all this which I alleage 3. Thirdly these grave supercilious Ceremonialists as when they sit they can ●ot do this peculiar act of reverence or ●t the least not with due cōplement which ●n all things they effect so some times ●hough they stand yet they bow not their knees but only uncover their heads upon the sound of the Name But now wher ●s their Science Or where is their conscience For if they bind us so strictly ●o the Letter of the Text we will bind them also as strictly to the same An● therefore we say that though by uncove●ring their heads they do an act of reve●●rence yet this act answereth not precisel● to the letter of the text aud though ther● be often a Commutation of Pennance i● the Bishops Court yet we cannot allo● them and the Scripture will not her● allow them this Commutation of rev●●rence in the Court of Christ. First becaus● the knee and not the Cap is here strict● prescribed Secondly because the Ca● is a lesser dutie than the knee Eithe● therefore observe your owne rule 〈◊〉 discharge us from the necessitie there●of 4. Fourthly we may observe by a pe●●spicuous and forcible reason drawne 〈◊〉 impossibile that this Ceremonious-act 〈◊〉 bowing the knee at the name of Iesus is n● the true proper and literall sense of th● Scripture for whereas we have here a d●●stinction of 3. sorts of Creatures whic● must bow the knee at the name of Iesus vi● Angells things in Heaven Men thin 〈◊〉 ●n Earth and Devills things under t● Earth We know that the first and the last have no knees to bow and so it is two to one that this externall act of bowing the knee at the name of Iesus is not the true proper and literall sense of this Scripture and that by force of it we are not obliged to this externall act 5. Lastly you must observe that S. Paul in this place Phil. 2. 10 alludeth to the word of God Isai. 45. 23. Every knee shvll bow to me which is properly and literally understood not of corporal genuflexion but of actuall subjection unto God This very place in Isai the Prophet understandeth to be verified in the person of Christ at the last Iudgement when every knee shall bow to him as the great Iudge of all the world For to this purpose S. Paul produceth that place Rom. 14. 11. namely by the subjection of all Creatures voluntary in some involuntary in others but necessarily to the Lord Iesus sitting on his Tribunall seat of Iustice not that all shall do this outward act of reverence but that all shall be in subjection which is signified and intended in the same For God descendeth often unto Man to speak after the manner of Man because Man cannot immediatly and freely assent unto the things of God To conclude therefore you may easily perceive that S. Paul understandeth this bowing of the knee no otherwise than he understandeth it Rom. 14 11. and no otherwise in either place than the Prophet Isaiah before him Isai. 45 23. And so much of the Scripture by which the Ceremonialists inforce the external act of Courtlike Complement at the name of Iesus Of the Canon viz. 18. I come therefore from the Sripture to the Canon which runneth in these words When in the time of Divine Service the Lord Jesus shall be mentioned due lowly reverence shall be done by all persons present as it hath been accustomed But if the Scripture be not against us in that which the Ceremonialists pretend we shall the lesse feare the shot out of this CANON and
THE Opinion Judgement and Determination of two reverend learned and conformable Divines of the Church of England concerning bowing at the name or naming of JESVS The one somtime a member of the Vnivertie of Cambridge in a letter to his Christian freind The other sometime a member of the Vniversitie of Oxford in a Treatise to his Brethren the Ministers of the Church of England To the most Reverend GEORGE Arch-Bishop of Canterbury c. and to the right reverend the rest of the Orthodox Bishops of the the Church of England This twofold Tractate is inscribed and commended Printed at Hambourgh 1632. Reprinted Anno 1634. Mr. H. B. Bachelour in Divinitie to his Christian freind H. D. residing at H. concerning bowing and doffing at the name of IESVS LOving and beloved freind being pressed by your Christian importunity to declare my opinion in a poinct which though it may seeme to be of small importance and lesse consequence yet hath proved matter of no small controversie and fewell to sett on ●ire some tongues of those that would ●eeme and affect to be some great Clerks ●o as they have not spared in the Pulpit ●like proper Squires but improper Preachers to breake forth into bitter invectives and have as it were with the finger pointed at some who have crossed the opinion herein I thought it my dutie t● satisfie your desire for your self and you● Christian freinds not to justifie my self● but the Truth of God whose Childre● and Scholars we professe to be so as w● ought to speake nothing against but fo● that Truth herein having our Maste● Christ for our Precedent who sai●h Fo● this cause came I into the World that ● should beare witnesse to the Truth The poinct in question is about bovv●●ing the Knee at the name or naming o● Iesus They that are for it and tooth an● nayle do urge it presse us with Antiquitie and Authoritie Antiquitie is venerable● indeed if grounded on Veritie Antiquitie is Auncient Else as Tertullianus saith Custome without truth is but an old moath-eaten Errour But this Custome say they is grounded upon backed by a double Authoritie the one of the Church the other of the expresse syllables of the Scripture The authoritie of the Scripture is to be adored the authoritie of the Church to be obeyed when grounded ●n the Scripture First then let us see what Antiquitie ●n say for the poinct Zanchius is spe●ally here alleaged who saith Hinc non abito c. Hence I doubt not but that most ancient custome sprang up in Churches that ●hen Iesus is named all uncover their heads ● token of reverence and adoration Zanchy ●ubts it not but with all he proves it ●t Only he addeth This Custome saith 〈◊〉 vvas confirmed against the Arrians ●●d other Heretiques vvho affirmed this Ie●●s to be a meere man And this Custome ●as not to be disliked but aftervvards it ●as turned into Superstition as also many ●●her pious and holy institntions So he Now it had been well if this learned ●uthor had distinctly sett downe both ●hen this Custome was instituted and ●nfirmed and when turned into super●tion that so we might be resolved whe●er the capping or crowching now in 〈◊〉 be not the Relique of that superstitiō mentioned Perhaps he fetcheth the first ●●stitution from the Counsell of Mentz under Charles the Great Anno 813. cap. 59. as sett downe by our reverend Doc●●tour Willet in his Synopsis Papismi Par●● religione c. Let men vvith the like devotion at the name of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ as likevvise at the Gospell th● Magnifica Benedictus nunc dimittis Glo●ria in Excelsis Gloria Patri and other part of the Divine Service so commpose themselv● by bowing the knee uncovering the head an● the like gesture of the whole body as the may seeme to have their minde occupied 〈◊〉 those things that are done So the Counsell whereupon Dr. Willet saith this I no● out of this Decree 3 things First that the should bovv at the name of Christ as well a when Iesus is named Secondly that the lik● reverence should be vsed when as othe● psalmes are sung and vvhen mention is ma● of the Father and the Holy Ghost as in th● Gloria Patri Thirdly that this gestur● should not be done in reverence to name Words or Syllables so pronounced but on● to declare our attention Thus then we see that this Superstitions Custom in bowing to the name of Iesus only ●s contrarie even to their owne Popish Ca●ons and Decrees The like thing also was decreed Synod Augustens cap. 23. So he This then happily being the institution mentioned by Zanchy let us enquire out the time when it began to be ●e turned to superstition In the 13. Centurie about Anno 1273. at Lyons in France was a Generall Counsell held where Pope Gregorie the 10. instituted this Superstitious Custome now in use in the Popish Synagogues The Centuriatours sett downe the Counsell words Convenientes ibidem c. Let the people assembling in the church with an exhibition of speciall reverence honour that name which is above every name under Heaven given to men wherby beleevers must be saved to weet the name of Iesus Christ who shall save his people from their sinnes and vvhich is generally written that in the name of Iesus every knee should bow every one performing it for himself in particular and especially while the sacred mysteries of the Masse are in hand so often as that glorious name is named let them bow the knee of their hearts testifying it vvith the bowing downe of their heads So the Counsell And these very words of the Counsell are recorded also in the Decretales of Boniface the S. in Sexti lib. 3. De immunitate Ecclesiae Tit. 23. cap. 2. Decret Now hereby the way it will not be impertinent to note some coincident circumstances of the time of this superstitious Institution Pope Gregorie the Author of it was he who of an Archdeacon was chosen Pope after 3 yeares vacancie of the Popedome such was the dissention and ambition of the Cardinals each aspiring to make himself Pope 〈◊〉 that being assembled at Viterbium to elect the Pope and invocating the comming downe of the Holy Ghost one of the Cardinalls said O Lord let us uucover the roofe of this House because the Holy Ghost cannot come down amongst us through ●o many roofes and seelings And when ●his Archdeacon was chosen Pope the same Cardinall made this Distick Papatus munus tulit Archidiaconus unus ●t Patrem Patrum fecit discordia fratrum The Papall Throne befell an Archdeacone Whom breth'rens jarre made Father of Fathers one This may note the corruption pride ambition of that Age wherein this superstition obtained a Papall Institution The superstition if not Idolatrie is palpable for we see honour and adoration ●oth of mind and body is given to the ●ery Name Iesus whensoever it is named ●nd
cū faciendi c. So Ambr. in Phil. 2. So Augustin in Psal. 109. So Gloss. in●rlin Ordinar Quia Christus ostendi●r post Resurrectionem esse Dominus Caele●●stium terrestrium infernorum c. And all the Fathers ●nanimously runn 〈◊〉 this straine And among Popish in●●rpreters let the testimony of Aquinas●●d ●●d Anselme suffice understanding it 〈◊〉 the subjection of all Creatures And ●●●uno Donavit nomen id est honorificen●●m ut ad honorem Iesu omne genu flecta●●●●d est omnia ipsi plene subjiciantur Ho●●t in die judici● And that this is the ●●e sense of the place according to o●●er Scriptures the Church of England 〈◊〉 testifie which in the margent of the ●●glish Translations conferreth Phil. 〈◊〉 10. with Rom. 14. 11. and Isay 45. 23. ●sal 2. 10. For the latter let Beza speak name●aith ●aith he signifieth dignitie and renowne ●t joyned with the thing it selfe as Ephe. 〈◊〉 21. For that Osiander referreth this to 〈◊〉 very name of Iesus which he confounded ●●th Iehovah is the meere doctage of a mad ●●utheran So he Againe the Holy Ghost himself expoundeth the name of Iesus here of 〈◊〉 person of Iesus as Isa. 45. 23. and Rom 14. 11. to which this place hath speci●● reference as also Mal. 1. 1. and Ioh. 12. ● as also of the power of Christ Exod. 2● 21. For my name is in him that is my ●●vine power is in him that Angell of 〈◊〉 Covenant to protect or punish To this purpose the late Revere●● Bishop Babington one of the late G●vernours of our Church on the Lo●● Prayer the first Petition expounded these words that at the name of Iesus ●●●ry knee should bow thus that is saith 〈◊〉 not when the word is pronounced we sho●● make a curtesie but we shall all and ev●● creature be subject to his power authority 〈◊〉 dominion The place is worth the r●●ding at large also in his exposition up●● the Creed where confuting the Pop●●● superstition about this name Iesus as ●mong the rest how by this name a so●●diour was helped out of S. Patricks P●●gatorie and the like He saith I thi●● the place to the Philippians is not well und●●stood hath and doth deceive them Indeed ●hey are easily deceived that will not ●earch ●o● truth and they are justly given ●ver to strong delusions that delight in ●rrou● and have not a love of the Truth They lies do love that ertours do defend And he is vertues fo that is errours freind Otherwise the place to the Philip●ians would not be so grossely mistakē if ●●e ma●ke whence the Apostle tooke it ●●d compare spirituall things with spiri●uall things The place is borrowed ●rom the Prophet Isaih and therefore by ●onsequence evidēt that the word name ●ignifieth Power glorie honour and autho●itie above all powers glories honours and ●uthorities and bowing the knee signifieth ●ubjection submission and obedience of all Creatures to his beck rule and Government This knew the auncient Fathers S. Origen Non est carnaliter hoc accipiendum quasi caelestia ut Sol Luna Angeli genu● aut lingua habeant Sed genu flectere significat cuncta subjecta esse cultui Dei obe● dire who upon Rom. 14. 11. where these words be againe saith These words are no● to be taken carnally as though things in Heaven as the Sunne Moone Angels c. ha● knees or tongues but to bow the knee signifieth that all things shall be subject and obedient to the service of God So he wher● he also alleageth Ierome Theophylact Ambrose The Glosse Beda and some Popis● Authours of the same mind And Gre●gory Nyssen in his disputation de Anim● Resurrectione saith that this bowing ● the knee signifyeth the unanimity of men an● Angells in confessing Christ. Hereunto let me ad what D. Wille● hath said of this matter in an answer to the Rhemists cavil against Protestāts abou● it The name of Iesus say they ought to 〈◊〉 worshipped by capping and kneeling there unto by wearing it in their capps vnd setti● it up in solemne places alleaging for the● purpose that of S. Paul that at the nam● of Iesus every knee should bow Phi. 2 10 Yea they say that Protestants by abolishing the name and image of Christ doe make a way for Antichrist Rhem. Annot. Phil. 2 Sect. 2 and Rev. 13. 7. To this he answereth in the Protestants name saying The bovving at the name of Iesus as it is used in Poperie to bend the knee at the sound thereof is not commanded ●n this place which shevveth especially the subjection of all Creatures of Turks Iewes Infidels yea of the Devills themselves to the power and judgement of Christ. Secondly Protestants have only taken away the Superstitious abuse of the name of Iesus Thirdly the kneeling at the name of Iesus is Superstitiously abused in Poperie For the people stoop only at the Sound not uuderstanding what is read and so make an Idoll of the Letters and Syllables adoring worshipping the very name when they heare or see it And againe in sitting and not v●illing at the name of Christ Immauuell God the Father the Sonne and the Holy Ghost and bovving only at the name of Iesus Dis Fulk ibid. Fourthly due reverence may be used to our Saviour without any such Ceremony of capping and kneeling saith Fulk neither doc vve binde any of necessitie to use this Reverence to the Name of Iesus as the Papists doe which thinke Christ cannot otherwise be honoured neither doe we judge and condemne those that doe use it being free from Superstition and grounded in knowledge and carefull not to give offence for superstitions and offensive ignorance is not in any case to be defended Fifthly this outward reverence at the name of Iesus was taken up amongst Christians because of all other names it was most derided and scorned of the Pagans and Iews and therefore they did the more honour it But now there is greater daunger of Popish Superstition in abusing holy things than of Paganisme in utterly contemning them and therefore there is not such necessity and just occasion of using this externall gesture as was in former times it was not used of necessitie ●hen much lesse now So he D. Fulk also in his answer to the Rhemists on that place besides that alleaged by Dr. Willet from him saith in particular to the Iesuites You complaine that to remove such impietie as the Image and name of Iesus is to abolish all true Religion out of the World and to make men plaine Atheists The same was the complaints of the Pagans against the Christians But to worship God only according to the Prescript of his Holy Word is true Religion and to teach men to worship contrary thereunto it maketh men either Idolaters or altogether Atheists And when you say the Popish Church doth not honour those things nor count them holy for their matter colour sound c. but for respect and