it leadeth naturally to teares For there is a certaine Sympathy inter oculos genua betweene the eyes and knees for as they say that are skilfull in the nature of things the child in the mothers wombe oculos habet genibus superpositos hath his eyes placed ouer his knees and thence some thinke that genua the knees are called à genis of the cheekes that are ouer them therefore the eyes naturally breake out into teares when wee kneele as answering by a naturall affection tanquam collectaneis suis as it were to those with whom they were nourished But I will not say what it may be in man sure I am if the Emperour Marcus his narration bee true when he and his Armie were in distresse for want of water and he had called the Christians in his Armie to pray to their God to supply their extreame necessitie the Christians presently Proijcientes se in terram casting themselues on the earth fell to their prayers and as soone as they had fallen to the earth and called on God by prayer the Lord sent raine from heauen that saued the Emperor and all his Army there kneeling procured a most gratious rayne and so no doubt but it is powerfull to draw down all Gods graces vpon vs. I conclude with S. Augustine De cura pro mortuis cap. 5. Nam orantes de membris sui corporis faciunt quod supplicantibus congruit cum genua figunt cum extendunt manus vel etiam prosternuntur Solo si quid aliud visibiliter faciunt quamuis corum inuisibilis voluntas cordis intentio Deo nota sit nec ille indigeat his indicijs vt humanus eipandatur animus sed his magis seipsum excitat homo ad orandum gemendumque humiliùs atque ferrentiùs nescio quomodo cum hi motus corporis fieri nisi motu animi praecedente non possunt eisdemque rursus exteriùs visibilitèr factis ille interior inuisibilis qui eos fecit augetur ac per hoc cordis affectus qui vt fierent istapraecessit quia facta sunt crescit For they that pray of the members of their body doe that which agreeeth with suppliants when they kneele when they lift vp their hands or when they prostrate themselues on the earth or if they doe any other thing visible although their inuisible will and intention of their heart be knowne to God and hee needeth not any of these signes that mans minde may bee layed open before him but by these gestures man doeth excite himselfe to pray and sigh more humbly and more feruently And I know not how it commeth to passe when these motions of the body cannot be performed vnlesse the motion of the minde goe before them yet againe by these externall gestures visibly done the internall inuisible intention which stirreth them is increased and by these the affection of the heart which preceded that these gestures might be performed doeth increase because these are performed Ratio 6. Praxis Ecclesiae Triumphantis THe sixt Reason is Praxis Ecclesiae Triumphantis the practise of the Triumphant Church in heauen and this admitteth no refusal for heauenly things are the exemplars and patternes to which earthly things must bee conformed Is there a Tabernacle to bee made on earth must not the modell thereof bee taken from heauen Secundùm formam in monte Exod. 25.40.26.30 thou shalt make it according to the forme shewed thee in the Mount Is there a forme of life to be prescribed to men on earth Is it not to bee guided by the rule of heauen Matth 6.10 Thy will be done Sicut in coelo sic in terra In earth as it is in heauen the obedience of earth must be squared by the line of heauen and then though our bodies be on earth yet our conuersation is in heauen Phil. 3.20 The earth is the prison or place of mans banishment the out-house and suburbs in comparison of heauen the Citie and pallace of the great King The earth is the place of Pilgrimage and the valley of misery and heauen is the Countrey of rest and eternall felicitie In earth all things are vnperfect and only inchoate in heauen all things are consummate and in absolute perfection Mans ambition by the subtiltie of the Serpent Gen 3.5 was Eritis sicut Dij you shall be as gods but mans greatest exaltation after his fall is Eritis sicut Angeli you shal be as the Angels And if it be true that the Church-gouernment the neerer it commeth to the Hierarchie of heauen the more perfect and absolute it is it will also be true that the neerer the worship and Adoration of the Church militant resembleth the exact and absolute patterne of the Triumphant Churches worship in heauen the more pleasing and acceptable to God it must needs be For surely this Sicut in coelo reacheth principally to the worship of God So that this is an vndeniable proposition which must necessarily be granted Such as is the Adoration and gesture of the Saints in the worship of God and of the Lambe at the supper of the Lambe in Heauen such must be the Adoration gesture of the Saints in earth in the worship of God at the Supper of the Lambe on earth But the Saints in the worship of God and of the Lambe doe vse the Adoration of falling downe and kneeling at the Supper of the Lambe in Heauen Therefore the Saints must vse the Adoration of falling downe or kneeling in the worship of God at the Supper of the Lambe on earth For that there is a Supper in via in the way there can bee no doubt to him that readeth Christes wordes Luke 14.16 A certaine man made a great Supper and bade many And that there is a Supper in patria in the Countrey and kingdome of Heauen there can be no doubt to him that beleeueth S. Iohn Apoc. 19.9 that pronounceth them blessed that are called to the Supper of the Lambe The first Supper is sub Sacramentis vnder Sacraments for so long as we liue here in this vale of misery and our soule is clad about wth sinfull flesh we haue need of Elements which God hath ordeined to conuey his graces to vs and because we cannot see but as in a glasse or darke speaking all vailes are not taken from vs. But when we shall see as we are seene face to face wee shall bee admitted to that Supper which is sine Sacramentis without all Sacraments and as we shall be sicut Angeli as the Angels of God so we shall be fedde sicut Angeli as the Angels of God without the meanes of any creature or Element at all Now if they at the marriage Supper of the Lambe consummate in Heauen doe bow downe and kneele much more must wee that are onely admitted to the marriage Supper that is the contract and espousals that is made by the holy Spirit in the Church militant in earth bow and kneele
And so much the rather because the blessed Saints that bow and kneele in Heauen doe onely make Confessionem Laudis confession of praise and giue glory and honour to God in signe of their Ioy which is so absolute that all teares are wiped from their eyes And therefore the Saints on earth that make Confessionem peccatorum miseriae confession of their sinnes and miseries in token of their sorrow and contrition ought much more to bow downe and kneele to pacifie the anger of God Now that the Saints in heauen doe bow downe or fall on the ground and kneele when they worship in bodie if their bodies bee there or else in soule and spirit and adore God and sing praise to him thaâ— sitteth on the Throne it is apparant in many places in the Reuelation of S. Ioh. Cap. 4.10 The foure and twenty Elders fall downe before him that sate vpon the Throne and worship him that liueth for euer and euer and cast their Crownes before the Throne And cap. 5 8. the foure and twentie Elders fell downe before the Lambe and ver 14. the foure and twenty Elders fell downe and worshipped him that liueth for euer and euer And C. 7. ver 9. hauing put a certaine number for an vncertaine twelue thousand of euery one of the twelue Tribes A great number clothed in white robes and Palmes in their hands cryed Saluation to our God which sitteth vpon the Throne and vnto the Lambe And all the Angels stood round about the Throne and about the Elders and the foure beasts and fell before the Throne on their faces and worshipped God saying Amen Blessing and glory and wisdome and thankesgiuing and honour and power and might bee vnto our God for euer and euer Amen And that these are Saints in glory appeareth after ver 14. These are they that come out of great tribulations and haue washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe therefore are they before the Throne of God and serue him day and night in his Temple and he that sitteth on the Throne shall dwell among them They shall hunger no more neither thirst any more neither shall the Sunne light on them nor any heate For the Lambe which is in the middest of them shall feede them and shall leade them vnto liuing fountaines of waters and God shall wipe away all teares from their eyes Now these are the Endowments of another life wee are in great tribulation as long as wee are in this life these came out of great tribulation wee doe now wash our selues in the blood of the Lambe and while wee liue we cannot get out all the spots of sinne and lust these haue washed their Robes and made them white in the blood of the Lambe This life is Esuries sitis Iustitiae the hunger and thirst of righteousnesse the life to come hath no hunger nor thirst because they liue at the well head and sea of all goodnesse and their cup doth alwaies ouerflow I omit other circumstances for these prooue sufficiently that the Saints which the Apostle describeth are Possessors in the Kingdom of glory not Trauellers in the way of grace And the Text saith Verse 17. The Lambe which is in the middest of the Throne shall feede them that must necessarily be Coena gloriae the Supper of glory the vision and contemplation of God and Christ face to face without all Sacrament And in all this worship that the consummated Saints giue to God it is said that the Angels and the Elders Cap. 7.7.11 and the beasts did fall downe before the Throne on their faces and worship God So in heauen there is no worship without prostration and kneeling In like sort the twenty foure Elders which sate before God on their seats fell on their faces and worshipped c. 11.16 And in the 19. Verse 4. Chapter where the great whore is iudged the foure and twenty Elders the foure beasts fell downe and worshipped God that sate on the Throne saying Amen Alleluia And in the ninth verse it followeth Blessed are they that are called to the marriage Supper of the Lambe So at the marriage Supper of the Lambe there is falling downe or prostration and kneeling If all this worship bee giuen to God that sitteth on the Throne and to the Lambe by the Angels and Elders and Beasts and Saints when they worship God and are feasted at the Supper of the Lambe in glory in heauen why should not their practise bee a warrant to the Saints in earth to vse like falling downe or kneeling in the worship of God at the feast of the Lambe in grace on earth since the practise of the Church Triumphant may well be receiued as a patterne and guide by the Church militant whose example so long as shee followeth shee can neuer erre whose imitation is her readiest way to perfection If any shall replie that this is not the practise of the Church Triumphant which S. Iohn describeth in the Reuel but rather that vnder the name of the Church Triumphant in heauen the Militant Church is described in earth though I doubt not but it may very well be collected out of the pregnant circumstances of the Text that many of those passages cannot well bee vnderstood of the Church Militant in earth but onely of the Triumphant Church in heauen as in part appeareth before yet I will not greatly contend with him that shall gainsay in this point For suppose St. Iohn vnder the name of the Throne and the Angels and beasts and Elders and heauen doe only vnderstand the Kingdome of heauen and the Throne of Christ in the Kingdome of grace in this Life yet to my purpose it is all one For be it the worship here spoken of be of the Saints in the Church militant it is worship with outward Adoration prostration or kneeling which worship is principally performed in the Eucharist And be it that the feeding and supper of the Lambe be the feeding by the Sacrament of the Eucharist which is the supper of the Lambe in the way For at the feeding by the preaching of the word no man calls for kneeling they must necessarily grant my Conclusion That at the receiuing of this supper there must be prostration falling downe and kneeling And if Saint Iohn saw this then in Saint Iohns time kneeling was the receiued gesture of Communicants at the Supper of the Lambe So whether Saint Iohn spake of the Supper of grace or the Supper of glory kneeling or prostration is the gesture of Communicants at the Lords Table The perfection of the Triumphant Church imposeth a necessitie of our imitation if it bee done in heauen it must be imitated on earth if it bee done in confession of glory it must much more be done in confession of sinne if it be done in the sacrifice of prayse it must much more bee done in the sacrifice of contrition and prayer if they that haue no want nor no imperfection
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
tibi perfectè possim in Sacrificium laudis offerre Bonum enim mihi longeque gloriosius atque vtilius est vt tibi magis offerar quà m deserar mihi ipsi Nam ad meipsum anima mea conturbatur in te vero exultabit spiritus meus si tibi veraciter offeratur What doe we O brethren Doe we offer or what do we giue to Christ for all these things which he hath giuen to vs He offered for vs the most precious Sacrifice that he had then which none can be more pretious and let vs doe what wee can and offer to him the best that we haue which is our selues hee offered himselfe for vs and who art thou that delayest to offer thy selfe to him who shall procure for mee that so great maiestie shall vouchsafe to receiue my oblation And then he tels what he hath to offer not his soule onely but his body also Lord I haue two mites a body and a soule Oh would I could perfectly offer them to thee as a sacrifice of praise for it is good and farre more glorious and profitable to mee that I should rather be offered to thee then forsaken by my selfe for in my selfe my soule is troubled but if it be truely offered to thee my spirit shall reioyce in thee Thus haue I been long in this second reason of Sacrifice because it containeth at least fiue seuerall sacrifices I will bee short in the rest as occasion shall permit Ratio 3. à Donorum magnitudine THe third Reason is Donorum magnitudo the greatnesse of Gods gifts and graces which are heaped vp in this Sacrament And the greater the person is that giues that is God the greater the gift is that is giuen which is Christ and the holy Ghost and the more vile and base the Receiuer is that is mortall and sinfull man the greater must bee the humilitie of him that receiues so great gifts from so great a God euen the lowest humilitie of soule and humiliation of bodie De Purificat B. virginis Serm. 3. in prostration or kneeling And euen now out of S. Bernard we heard Hostiam pretiosiorem quam habuit Hee offered to God the most pretious sacrifice that he had and what he offered to God for vs on the Crosse that hee offereth to vs in this Sacrament that which hee gaue for vs he giues to vs. So God loued the world Ioan. 3.16 that hee gaue his onely begotten Sonne that as many as beleeue in him should not perish but haue life euerlasting And how gaue he him Animam in precium carnem in cibum Ioan. 6.55.45.51 hee gaue his life for our price and ransome and his flesh for our foode And his flesh is meate indeede and his blood is drinke indeede and hee is the bread of life that liuing bread Luc. 14.16 that came downe from Heauen A certaine man made a great supper and bade many saith our Sauiour A great supper for Magnus qui fecit Hee is great that makes it no lesse then a King nay Matt. 22.2 no lesse then God himselfe And that must needes bee a great feast which is made by the God of all greatnesse and Maiestie who in all other his works is great but in this his grace is greater then greatnesse it selfe and his mercie appeareth aboue all his workes and gifts A great supper quia serui magni the seruants and attendants are great Patriarches and Prophets and Apostles and Bishops who succeed the Apostles pro patribus filij Aug. in Psal 44. Sons in stead of Fathers Bishops in stead of Apostles who are Princes in all lands yea Christ the Sonne ministreth vnto vs. A great supper quia coenaculum magnum the marriage chamber is great not Iudea not a corner or conuenticle but the world or rather the Church ouer all the world Expulsus ab vrbe ab orbe recipitur Christ that was excluded out of the citie Hierusalem and crucified on Mount Caluarie is receiued in the whole world Leo de passione Hom. 1. Merito foli non habent quod omnibus perire voluerunt sayth Leo The Iewes onely haue not Christ by their desert whome they would haue lost to all others and the whole earth is become his inheritance and there is a greater in expectation the Kingdome of heauen when that is consummate which is now begunne And a great Supper for Conuiuae magni the guests are great Kings and righteous men and learned and noble and wise and rich and poore and ignorant Piscator Imperator Orator the ignorant fisher the potent Emperour and the learned Orator all bow their necks vnder the yoke of Christ And a great supper Quia apparatus magnus for the preparation is great the booke of Creatures and the booke of Scriptures the volume of Nature and the volume of Grace the Dictats of earth and the Oracles of Heauen the Paschall Lambe and the fat Calfe the Sonne of man and the Sonne of God the Word vncreat and the word incarnate Charitie vncreated that is the holy Ghost and created Charitie that is the gifts of the holy Ghost and all things else whatsoeuer God is pleased to giue vs with his Sonne and for his Sonne In a word it is Refectio in via Psal 17.16 a refreshing in the way therefore it is called a dinner of grace Matth. 22. Come to me I will refresh you Matth. 11.28 And it is Possessio in patria the possession in the Countrey and therefore it is here called A Supper of glory I shal be satisfied with thy glory In the Schoole it is Coena doctrinae Euangelicae a Supper of Euangelicall doctrine that teacheth faith In the Church it is Coena Eucharistiae the Supper of the Eucharist that doeth nourish and augment faith and grace And in heauen it is Coena gloriae a Supper of euerlasting glory that crowneth Gods owne graces in vs. Hee that maketh the Supper is God the Father he that is the meat of this Supper is Christ the Sonne and he that prepareth and prouideth this Supper is the holy Ghost Christus sponsus spiritus Sanctus Pronubus Pater Rex The bridegrome at this mariage Feast is Christ not the seruant nor the kinseman but the Sonne of God the chiefe Minister or Vicar that calleth and ordereth the Feast the guests is the holy Ghost and the man for his humanitie or mercie and the King for his power and riches and seueritie that maketh this Feast is God the Father that gathereth a Church to bee a spouse to his owne Sonne Now as it is said of God Non tam habet quam est causa amoris God hath no cause of his loue but is indeed the cause of his owne loue or rather is Loue it selfe so in this case Nontam facit quam est Christ doth not so much make as he is indeed this Feast For the Feast and fulnesse that wee looke for at Gods hands is not aliquid Dei but
Lord himselfe the bread and meate and drinke of our soules The people of Israel who were a stiffe-necked people when Moses tolde them the law of the Passeouer Exod. 12.27 Incuruatus adorauit bowed themselues and worshipped or adored and that was but Typus the Type and Lex the Law of the Passeouer and not the true Passeouer But this Sacrament containeth Christ the true Passeouer and shall wee not much more bow downe and kneele when wee receiue this trueth and substance If the King that is but a mortal man whose breath is in his nostrils giue vs a pardon or some great gift and office who is so proud but hee will stoope and bow downe his head and kneele nay kisse his feete And the greater the Kings grace is the greater will be the receiuers humiliation And shall we denie that to God which we euery day tender to man So then as Religion taught men naturall and ciuill dueties to Parents to Kings and to Priests and benefactors to kneele and to bow the head in reuerence when wee receiue naturall and ciuill gifts so let nature and ciuilitie as Riuers returne their streames to the Sea of Gods goodnesse whence they take their beginning and teach men the dueties of Religion and deuotion to bow the head and the bodie and the knees with all reuerence and humilitie to God who giueth not onely naturall but also supernaturall and diuine graces and glory it selfe nay that giueth himselfe and his Sonne and his holy spirit for vs and to vs in this Sacrament And let Fathers and Masters on earth learne euen of their children and seruants on Earth to do their duetie to their Father that is in Heauen Thou bowest and kneelest to thy Father thy Master thy Prince thy ghostly Father in earth who are but instruments and vnder-agents of thy being and conseruation in nature and grace and therein doest but thy duetie And wilt thou not much more kneele and bow to thy Master and King and Father and God in Heauen who is the first and supreame Author and cause of our naturall and supernaturall being in grace and glory If thou doe it to Gods Image much more doe it to God himselfe for Gratiam Psal 84.12 gloriam dabit Dominus grace and glorie are both the gifts of God and because they bee the greatest gifts they must bee receiued with greatest reuerence and humiliation and therefore with kneeling Ratio 4. Tremenda mysteria I Come to the fourth Reason and that is Mysteriorum dignitas the dignitie of the mysteries And that surely is great since they exhibite Christ vnto vs for as it appeareth in the former Reasons in this Sacrament God giueth his Son Christ and Christ giueth himselfe to be our food And therefore since wee receiue the bread of Heauen and the soode of Angels we may well thinke the Church to bee another heauen vnto vs where God feedeth vs with his Sonne and the Angels assist and minister in this feast And in that respect all humilitie of soule and bodie and consequently kneeling is most fit for this holy action of consecration and participation of this heauenly and Angelicall foode Moses beheld a burning bush in the wildernesse Exod. 3.5 and hee might not come neere it vntill hee had put off his shooes the reason is because Locus in quo stas terrasancta est the place wheron thou standest is holy ground and is not this sacred mystery as holy if not more holy then this burning bush since it hath vim Sanctificantem a sanctifying power in all them that receiue it with true contrition and faith When God appeared to Iacob at Bethel Gen. 28.16 17 Iacob said Surely God is in this place and I knew it not and hee was afraid and said Quam terribilis est hic locus How dreadfull is this place This is none other but Domus Dei Gen. 31.13 and Porta Coeli the house of God and the gate of heauen and God calleth himselfe the God of Bethel But this mystery goes further It is not Domus but Mensa Dei not the House onely but the Table of God not Porta but Cibus Celi not the gate onely but the foode of heauen yea Christ that is God and man is here offered and receiued and therefore as that was Locus terribilis a dreadfull place so this is Actio terribilis an action not of familiarity which breedes presumption and presumption begets contempt but of dread and reuerence and therefore to be vndertaken with all deuotion of soule and humiliation and kneeling of bodie And if holinesse doe become Domum Dei Psal 93.6 the house of God for euer much more doth holines become Deum Bethel the God of Bethel the God of that house If holinesse become the materiall house or Temple much more doth it become the spirituall house and table of the Lord in which wee offer our soules and bodies to be spirituall Temples to the Lord. And this holinesse must make a difference of the Lords body from other meates 1. Cor. 11.29 for some eate and drinke their owne damnation because they discerne not the Lords bodie And what is it to discerne the Lords bodie Doth hee discerne or make a difference of the Lords body that commeth to this Sacrament with no more respect or reuerence then hee commeth to his ordinarie supper Doth hee discerne the Lords bodie that adoreth and kneeleth to the Elements and giueth the worship to the creature which is due onely to the Creator Doth hee discerne the Lords body that commeth to this Sacrament Pompaticè gloriosè pompously Cyprian de Coena Dom. and gloriously without all contrition and sorrow for guiltinesse of sinne without all praise and thanks for the great blessings hee is to receiue without any prayer that hee may worthily receiue those great mysteries Doth hee discerne the Lords bodie that commeth to these mysteries rashly and presumptuously as if he were coequall and hailefellow with Christ when as wee should indeed come cum timore tremore Chrysost with feare and trembling in respect of Gods greatnesse and our owne vnworthinesse to receiue these sacred mysteries So then these holy mysteries by their dignitie and greatnesse should strike an awe and reuerence in vs when we come to the Lords Table and procure adoration and kneeling not to them for they are but creatures consecrated to an holy vse but to the Creator that feedeth vs in such holy yet fearefull maner In which respect the ancient Fathers spake of these mysteries with great reuerence Hom. 24. in 1. Cor. 10.16 chiefly S. Chrysostom who expounding the words of S. Paul The cup of blessing which we blesse c. saith Quid dicis O beate Paule volens auditori pudorem suffundere reuerendorum mentionem faciens mysteriorum benedictionis Calicem vocas illum terribilem maximè formidandū calicem certè inquit non est enim paruum quod dictū est Nam
euery one of vs say but this I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe I am not worthy to receiue thy bodie and blood in my mouth He speakes not plainly for kneeling but the opinion of the ancient is that this Centurion Prouolutus adpedes Domini fell down or kneeled at Christs feete and then hee meant this acknowledgement to bee with kneeling And sure I am this testimony confounds this man that denies any humilitie to bee vsed in receiuing the Eucharist for his confession of his vnworthinesse argues his humilitie and his humilitie is the first linke or moouer of kneeling so hee that requires inward humilitie of soule may well bee vnderstood of outward humiliation of bodie in the publike solemne and highest acte of Gods worship The 12. is Caesarius Arelatensis Homil. 12. Biblioth SS Pat. Tom. 2. p. 107. Ideò qui vult missas ad integrum cum lucro suae animae celebrare vsque quò or atio Dominica dicatur benedictio populo detur humiliato corpore compuncto corde se debet in Ecclesia continere He that will celebrate the whole Masse or Liturgie with the gaine of his owne soule ought to containe himselfe in the Church with an humbled body that 's kneeling and a contrite heart vntill the Lords prayer be said and the blessing bee giuen to the people And hee spends almost an whole Homilie the 34. of this title De genibus flectendis in oratione vel de verbis otiosis in which hee perswades that while they pray at the Altar or the Deacon calls on them to pray they should bend not onely their hearts but also their bodies faithfully and then hee makes an obseruation that when the Deacon calls flectamus genua let vs kneele hee marked most of the pleople erectos sicut columnas stare to stand vpright like pillars and therefore those words flectamus genua are very auncient since it is remembred by him as a thing receiued in vse not newly brought into the Church of which hee saith Obedientibus in remedium inobedientibus in testimonium it is a remedie to the obedient and a testimonie to the disobedient After he saith The Publicane by his humilitie obtained mercie of God that lifted not vp his eyes to heauen but hanging or inclining downe his head smote his breast Againe he doth not beleeue his sinne to be heauie who doth not prostrate and kneeling seeke the cure of his soule Againe hee saith I would know of them that will not kneele nor incline their heads if they should sue for any needful thing of the Iudge or any potent person whether they would supplicate stantes standing and holding their hands vpright Wee aske temporall things of earthly men and wee incline and bow our selues humbly euen almost to the earth and wee aske remission of sinnes and eternall rest of God and vouchsafe not to bow and incline our heads Againe did our Sauiour want nothing for which he should supplicate in this sort he wanted nothing but he prepared for vs by his example the remedies of prayer Orat misericordia non orat miseria orat charitas non humiliatur iniquitas orat prostratus in terra medicus non inclinatur aegrotus orat innocentia non orat nequitia Mercie prayed kneeling and shal not miserie charity praieth and is not iniquity humbled the Physitian lay prostrate vpon the earth and doth not the sicke man bow Innocencie prayeth and doth not guiltines pray He that sinned not neither was there guile found in his mouth prayeth and doth not he cast himselfe on the earth that is obnoxious to many sins the Iudge prayeth and desires to spare and doth not the guilty person pray that he may obtaine pardon Orat qui Iudicaturus et orare dissimulat iudicandus hee that is to giue iudgement prayeth doth he that is to be iudged dissemble to pray And after he compareth the Church to a liuing spiritual fountaine of liuing water and no man can drinke of an earthly spring vnlesse he stoope or bow downe and no man can drinke of Christ the liuing fountaine and the Riuer of the holy Ghost vnlesse hee will incline in all humilitie I omit many other things which the Reader shall there finde and the Homilie is worth the reading The 13. is Eligius Nouiomensis Homil. 15. Quocirca cum timore compunctione mentis omnique reuerentia debemus accedere ad altare ad mensam corporis sanguinis Christi dicere humilitèr cum Centurione Domine non sum dignus vt intres sub tectum meum Wherefore wee ought to come to the Altar and Table of the Body and Blood of Christ with feare and compunction of heart and all reuerence then of body and soule and say humbly with the Centurion Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe The 14. is venerable Beda in 1. Ioan. 1. vpon those words And the Blood of Christ purgeth vs from all sinne Humiliter quotidie nostros confitemur errores cumsanguinis illius Sacrament a percipimus Wee doe humbly confesse our errors to him dayly when wee receiue the Sacrament of his Blood and Confession as Tertullian saith is the discipline of kneeling The 15. is Damascen de Orthodox fid li. 4. c. 14. Proinde omni cum timore conscientia pura indubitabili fide accedamus et omnino fiet nobis quod credimus non dubitantes et veneremur ipsum omni puritate animi et corporis Therefore let vs come with all feare and a pure conscience and faith without doubting and altogether it shal be done to vs as wee beleeue not doubting and let vs worship him with all purenesse of minde and body Here is expresse veneration and worshipping in the receiuing of the Sacrament and worship of body as well as soule and therefore Kneeling The 16. is Albinius Flaccus Alcuinus de diuinis officijs He first sheweth that it was receiued in the Leiturgie or the Masse that the Priest saith Oremus Let vs pray and the Deacon calleth Flectamus genua Let vs kneele And a little before he saith Pro periculis huius vitae pro haereticis per omnes alias orationes genua flectimus vt per hunc habitum corporis mentis humilitatem attendamus excepto quando pro perfidis Iudaeis oramus for the perils of this life and for Heretickes and Pagans and in all other our Prayers we kneele and this was on Easter day that by this habite of the body we may attend the humilitie of the mind except it be when we pray for the perfidious Iewes And he giueth his reason For they bowed their knee to our Sauiour doing a good worke ill because they did it mocking him wee to demonstrate that we ought to auoyd those workes that are done in dissimulation auoyd kneeling for the Iewes And after Licèt omni tempore peccatores nos esse ex corde cognoscere debeamus tunc quà m
as man doeth not make this Feast but Christ as God maketh this feast and Christ as man is the meate of this Feast And though there were equalitie betweene Christ and vs as he is man and our elder Brother yet betweene Christ and vs as he is God there is no equalitie but all subiection on our parts and therefore all submission of soule and body is to be tendered to him by vs when wee come to receiue his Flesh and Blood And it is a plaine fallacie and no good reason to inferre Wee sit at the Kings Table therefore wee must sit at the Lords Table And therefore we may not claime that libertie and prerogatiue at Gods Table that we take at the tables of men vnlesse wee will flatter our selues that no more reuerence and worship and Adoration and kneeling is due to God then vnto man The fourth Reason is Ratio 4 it is contra Ius naturae contrary to the Law of nature Kneeling at a feast or banquet is against the Law of nature therefore it is vnlawfull to kneele at the Feast or Supper of the Lord. Here I would bee glad to know where this Law of nature is written or to bee found If by the Law of nature hee vnderstand the Morrall Law I finde bowing downe or kneeling commanded there in the worship of God Exod. 20.5 Thou shalt not bow downe to them that is to Idols therefore thou shalt bow downe or kneele to God For where the one contrary is forbidden there the other contrary is commanded And this Sacrament is a principall part of Gods worship If he meaneth the naturall Law found out by the light of naturall Reason Gen. 17.3 then Abraham and the Wise-men Matt 2.11 worshipped God with prostration or kneeling If he meane the law of Nature that is the nature of the thing or action Vt naturarei sit Lex naturae that the nature of the thing should be the Law of Nature then kneeling is most agreeable to the nature of the action or thing done that is the Eucharist For it is altogether an action of subiection and humilitie and therefore kneeling is most sutable to it It is Cultus Dei the worship of God and a most eminent and principal part of it It is a Sacrifice commemoratiue It is a Sacrifice of our selues our soules and bodies It is a Sacrifice of contrition offered by penitentiaries a Sacrifice of Prayer offered by suppliants and kneeling is most fit for Sacrificers It is the Eucharist or Sacrifice of praise and in the Reuelation where it is often said That the Elders did fal downe worship there is seldome or neuer any prayer made for want but honour and glory and praise for that which was receiued So kneeling is most sutable to Thankesgiuing And in this Sacrament wee receiue the greatest blessings at Gods hand that this life is capable of and the greater Gods graces be the humbler should wee be at the receipt of them as men vse to receiue the greatest goodnesse of Princes vpon their knees So that besides the practise of the Church in Heauen and earth all reason pleadeth for kneeling and all Reason pleadeth against sitting For what is more repugnant to the nature of worshippers of Sacrificers of penitentiaries of suppliants of thankesgiuers then societie and fellowship and equalitie and sitting so this Reason is well retorted Sitting is repugnant to the nature of Communicants that worship that sacrifice that are contrite that are suppliants and receiuers therefore sitting is not to be vsed by the Communicants at the Eucharist as being repugnant to the law of Nature or naturall reason or the nature of the thing or action that is in hand The fift Reason is Ratio 5 It is Cultus priuatus in publico Kneeling at the receipt of the Eucharist is a priuate worship in the time and act of publicke worship therefore kneeling is vnlawfull This Reason I vnderstand not or else it is false and friuolous false for it is vtterly vntrue That it is vnlawfull to performe priuate worship during the time and act of Gods publicke Seruice As if he should say It is vnlawfull for a Christian to make his priuate prayers in the time of publicke prayers for his owne wants and necessities then which nothing is more absurd For why 1. Sam. 1.10 was it vnlawful for Samuels mother to aske a sonne of God in the Temple in the time of diuine and publicke worship Or was it vnlawfull for Naaman the Syrian 2. Reg. 5.18 in the time of the publike idolatrous worship in the house of Rimmon to make his petitions to the God of heauen Was it vnlawfull for the Apostles Acts. 3.1 S. Peter and S. Iohn to ascend to the Temple at the hower of prayer the ninth hower and there worship and make their priuate petitions after the manner of Christians for their owne wants and necessities in the time of the publike worship of the Iewes Is it vnlawfull for the Preacher in the time of diuine and publike worship to make his priuate prayer for Gods assistance in the discharge of his duetie in that worke But the secret of this proposition is This man meant to make some shew or colour for the prophane fashion of some of his Brethren who in time of Diuine Seruice come into their seates and there squatt downe and neuer vouchsafe once to kneele or make any prayer to God vnder pretence that they must ioyne in publicke worship and so neglect their owne priuate occasions and duties It is friuolous For how can any worship bee called publicke vnlesse it be also the priuat worship of the particular men there present as the vniuersall doth consist of many particulars Now this worship hath the name of publicke because it is performed by the particular men there present though peraduenture successiuely as the capacitie of the place will permit As first the Minister kneeles and receiues then hee stands vp and goeth and deliuereth the Sacrament to the Communicants kneeling in order It may be they do not all kneele together because they doe not all come together but yet euery mans priuat kneeling by succession maketh the publicke worship and adoration And so that this worship may be publicke and generall it is necessary that euery man by his owne priuat worship doe make the whole Seruice to be the publicke worship of God And if by the priuat there bee any disturbance or difference in the publicke worship of God the fault is in those refractary spirits that out of the humor of contradiction rather then reason refuse to kneele with the rest of the congregation that so there may neither be vnitie in heart nor vniformitie in gesture in the Seruice of God The 6. Reason is Sessio prior potior genuslectione Ratio 6. sitting is more ancient for it is the practise of Christ and his Apostles and it is better then Kneeling therefore we must sit at the Eucharist and not