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
saith to me Adore his foot-stoole I questiō what is his foot stoole and the Scripture saith to me that the earth is his foot-stoole wauering I turne my selfe to Christ because I seeke him heare and I find how the earth may be worshipped without impietie and his foot-stoole may be adored without impietie For he tooke earth of earth for flesh is of the earth and he tooke flesh of the flesh of the Virgin And because hee walked here in the flesh and gaue that flesh to be eaten by vs to our saluation and no man eateth that flesh vnlesse he first haue adored it is found out how such a foot-stoole of the Lord may bee adored and wee shall not onely not sinne in adoring but sinne in not Adoring In these words S. Augustine speaketh of the receiuing of the Sacrament and he saith in effect that the custome and gesture was vniuersall ouer all the world Nemo manducat no man eateth that flesh but first hee Adoreth not the Sacrament but the flesh of the Sonne of God which without reason our Aduersaries wrest to the Adoration of the Sacrament But this must not be omitted that S. Augustine saith That it was so farre from sinne to Adore the flesh of Christ that it was sinne not to Adore it so the omission of this Adoration or kneeling is a sinne in S. Augustines iudgement And S. Augustine speaketh generally of all Adoration spirituall and corporall externall and internall for else we may deny spirituall Adoration as wel as externall in the receiuing of the Eucharist and that this Author doeth acknowledge and then I marueile he can deny corporall where he granteth spirituall For why May we worship and adore God at the receiuing of the Eucharist with our hearts and refuse to worship him with our bodies and our knees If we giue him our hearts and spirits shall wee deny him any thing that the heart and spirit doeth command Shall wee giue him the greater and better part of our selfe our Soule and deny him the lesse the bowing of the knee So S. Augustine speaking of Adoration in the solemne and compleate worship of God must bee vnderstood of inward and outward Adoration when both may be giuen Besides it is a friuolous exception that this man maketh that what S. Augustine speaketh of the flesh of Christ must be vnderstood spiritually Spiritualitèr intelligite quod loquutus sum vnderstand that spiritually which I haue spoken for hee particularly speaketh it of the flesh of Christ Non hoc corpus quod videtis manducaturi estis You shall not eate this body which you see nor drinke that Blood which the Crucifiers shall shed I haue commended vnto you a certaine Sacrament being spiritually vnderstood it shall quicken you or giue life and though it be necessary to celebrate it visibly yet notwithstanding it must be inuisibly vnderstood So S. Augustine saith that those words of the flesh of Christ must bee spiritually vnderstood the flesh that is the fleshly vnderstanding profiteth nothing but though the flesh be vnderstood spiritually yet there is no syllable that the Adoration should bee onely spirituall And because I will not trouble my selfe with this mans dotage it is his owne word that Adoration must not alwayes meane kneeling no more then the name Man doeth signifie Socrates Let him giue mee a reason why Adoration should not signifie both inward deuotion and outward bowing and kneeling alwayes except some circumstance or necessitie doe restraine it onely to inward worship when both inward and outward may and ought to be tendered But S. Augustines Text is plaine for externall bowing and kneeling Ideo ad terram quālibet cum te inclinas et prosternis Therfore when thou doest incline or bow downe or cast downe thy selfe to the earth behold it not as earth but as that holy one whose footestoole thou adorest for him thou adorest So S. Augustine speakes of such adoration wherin there is inclining bowing downe or kneeling and therfore this gesture of kneeling was the vniuersall custome of the Communicants in S. Augustines time I passe that ouer that S. Augustine doth cal this Sacrament honorandum honorable as you may see in his 118. Epistle ad Ianuarium c. 3. Only see wherein hee yea S. Paul in his iudgement placeth the abuse of the Sacrament Apostolus indignè dicit acceptum ab eis qui hoc non discernebant à caeteris cibis veneratione singulariter debitâ The Apostle saith that it was vnworthily receiued of them who distinguish't it not from other meates by yeelding it that worship which is especially due to it The tenth is Theodoret Dial. 2. Neque enim signa mystica post sanctificationem recedunt à natura sua manent enim in priori substantia figura forma videri tangi possunt sicut priùs intelliguntur autem ea esse quae facta sunt creduntur adorantur vt quae illa sunt quae creduntur The mysticall signes after sanctification doe not depart from their nature for they remaine in their former substance there the substance of bread and wine remaines in the Sacrament and figure and forme and may be seene and touched as before but they are vnderstood to be those things which they are made and are beleeued and adored as being those things which they are beleeued So in Theodorets time there was adoration at the receiuing of the Eucharist and that externall for creduntur they are beleeued implies the inward as this Author would make S. Augustine to speake and then Adorantur must extend to the outward which doth consist in the bowing prostration and kneeling of the bodie Againe Dialogo 3. answering how a bodie might procure our saluation he sayth Not the bodie of a man alone but of our Lord Iesus Christ the onely begotten Sonne of God And if that seeme small and vile to thee Quomodo eius typum ac figuram venerabilem ac salutarem existimas cuius autem typus est adorandus venerandus quemadmodum est ipsum exemplar archetypum vile aspernandum How doest thou esteeme the type and figure of him to be venerable salutiferous for how is the Archtypal examplar vile and to bee despised whose type is to be adored and worshipped Here it is cleere that there was veneration and adoration of Christ in the receiuing of the Sacrament the very elements are sacred and dreadfull after consecration then Adoration is not due to them beeing creatures but to Christ whose flesh is the type and couering or vaile of his Deitie The 11. is Eusebius Emissenus Homil. in 2. Dominica post Epiphan his words are Quando vero ad Christi Sacramentum accedimus fragilitatem nostram consideramus quid aliud dicit vnusquisque nostrum nisinon sum dignus vt intres sub tectum non sum dignus vt corpus sanguinem tuum suscipiam in ore meo when wee come vnto Christs Sacrament and consider our owne frailtie what else doth
Deus not somewhat of God but God himselfe to whom it is proper to bee the Physitian and the Phisicke the food and the Feeder of our soules So then although all Gods gifts and graces be great and like to himselfe yet here in this Sacrament he giueth not simile but idem not somewhat like himselfe of a like substance to himselfe but hee giueth himselfe and the Sonne of his owne Substance And then quantus Deus qui dat Deum How great how good and gratious is God the Father to vs that giueth vs no lesse nor no other then God himselfe his onely Sonne to be the meat of our soules and the holy Spirit to bee our Comforter and refresher in this Sacrament The Elements or Signes after the words of Consecration are not bare accidents or signes and species but true substances and in that respect they are by Christ and the Euangelists and Apostles called Bread and Wine but the thing signified is the Body and Blood of Christ It is not figur a tantùm though the Sacrament be a figure it is not a figure onely but the trueth substance and God doeth not now feed vs with shadowes because the trueth and substance is there receiued this Sacrament doth exhibite this which it signifieth Neither is it Efficacia tantùm that is a very weake and short exposition Hoc est corpus meum 1. efficacia corporis mei This is my body that is this is the efficacie and vertue of my Body This is my blood that is this is the efficacie or effect of my Blood for that were to deuide the Body Blood of Christ from the force and vertue thereof But this is indeed the Body and Blood of Christ not in any grosse or carnall or corporall maner but in a spirituall maner a maner best and onely knowne to him that performeth that which he promiseth Caluin instit l. 4. c. 17. §. and as Caluin and Sadeel and others teach a manner aboue our capacitie and vnderstanding Experior magis quam intelligo which we prooue rather then vnderstand and therein are happie that wee finde it to bee so in deede and trueth though it surpasse the capacitie of mans wit be knowen onely to God In which wee doe imitate the blessed Apostles who beleeued Christs word and receiued it with faith Cyril in Ioan. lib. 4. c. 13. without once doubting or asking the Iewish question full of infidelitie Quomodo How can he giue vs his flesh Chryfostome saith Hom. 26. in matth 8. Etsi enim paruum aliquid fuerit quod datum est fit magnum tamen de honore dantis immò nihil exiguum est quod illo largiente confertur non solùm etiam quia datur à Deo sed quia tale est quicquid ille confert vt dici non mereatur exiguum vt enim alia vniuersa praeteream quae multitudine suâ numerum exuperant arenarum quidnam poterit ei quae propter nos facta est dispensationi conferri Quod enim erat apud eum omnibus pretiosius vnigenitum pro nobis filium dedit quidem cum adhuc essemus ipsius inimici nec dedit solùm sed nostram illum fecit esse mensam Although it be little that is giuen yet it is made great by the honour of the giuer yea nothing is little which is conferred God giuing it not onely because it is giuen of God but that whatsoeuer he giueth is such that it deserueth not to bee called little for to passe all other things which with their multitude exceede the number of the sands what can bee preferred before that dispensation that is made for vs For that which was more precious to him then all things hee gaue his Sonne for vs and that truely when wee were his enemies neither did hee giue him onely but also he made him to bee our Table Nec Moses dedit nobis panem verum Hieron ad Heb. d. qu. 2. sed Dominus Iesus ipse conuiua conuiuium ipse comedens qui comeditur illius bibimus sanguinem sine ipso potare non possumus quotidiè in sacrificijs eius de genimine vitis verae vineae sorec quae interpretatur Electa rubentia musta calcamus nouum ex his vinum bibimus de regno Patris Moses gaue not vs this true bread but the Lord Iesus saith S. Hierom he is the guest and the banquet the feeder and the foode wee drinke his blood and without him wee cannot drinke dayly in his sacrifices wee treade those chosen red sweete wines out of the fruit of the true vine and vineyard sorec and out of those wee drinke the new wine of the kingdome of the Father Cuiusdā Serm. d◠Coena Domini inter opera Ber. In coena illa munerans munus Cibans cibus conuiua conuiuium offerens oblatio He is the giuer and the gift the feeder and the foode the guest and the feast the offerer and the oblation In which respect the Eucharist Dion Areop c. 5 de Hier. Ecclesiast by Dionysius is called Omnium Sacramentorum consummatio or perfectissimum Sacramentum The consummation of all the Sacraments or the most perfect Sacrament Medicamentum immortalitatis antidotum non moriendi sed viuendi per Iesum Christum in Deo Catharticum expellens malum It is the Physicke of immortalitie the antidote or preseruatiue against death giuing life in God by Iesus Christ the medicine purging of all vices or driuing away all euils so Ignatius It is Cibus inconsumptibilis Epist ad Ephes vnconsumable meate so Cyprian De Coena Dom. Pignus salutis aeternae tutela fidei spes resurrectionis It is the pledge of eternall saluation the defence of faith and the hope of resurrection so Optatus S. Cyrill goeth further Lib. 10. in Ioan. c. 13. Considerandum est non habitudine solùm quae per charitatem intelligitur Christum in nobis esse verum etiam participatione naturali Nam quemadmodum si igne liquefactam ceram aliae cerae similiter liquefactae miscueris vt vnum quid ex vtrisque factum videatur sic communicatione corporis sanguinis Christi ipse in nobis est nos in ipso Consider saith hee that Christ is in vs not onely by an habitude which is vnderstood by charitie but also by a naturall participation for as waxe if it bee melted by the fire is so mingled with other melted waxe that it makes one waxe of both so by the communication of the body and blood of Christ he that is Christ is in vs and wee in him And hee prooues it out of S. Paul The bread that we breake is it not the communion of the body of Christ De fide orthodox lib. 4. c. 14. And Damascen explaining those words saith Communicamus per ipsum Christo participamus eius carne diuinitate quia communicamus vnimur inuicem
or that which is the trueth the Fathers and Councels that vpon the particular of Christs resurrection decreed for standing prayer might and did as it will appeare vse kneeling at the Lords Table according to the generall rule of Prayer at all other times and occasions and according as they then vsed to do in the participation of those great and reuerend mysteries of the Body and blood of Christ Now among all these obseruations this must not be omitted in generall before wee come to the particular that all those Fathers who vpon particular reason of Christs resurrection speake for standing prayer on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost and at other times according to the Common Law or rule of prayer require kneeling and humility with prayer yet in the matter of this Sacrament either they are silent and say nothing or if they speake of it they reiect both sitting and standing and speake onely for adoration and kneeling And so here bee Testes but not Testimonia names of mute witnesses whose depositions or dictats are nothing against kneeling but rather pleade for it both by their silence and their reason For concerning their silence it is more then probable that they who for the resurrection of Christ and our hope and expectation of our owne Resurrection did in a maner violate the Law of Prayer and humilitie and ordaine standing on the Lords day and from Easter to Pentecost as a testimony of our ioy and confidence and expectation thereof and dispence against the generall Law of kneeling at Prayer would also haue added the like expresse declaration in a matter of so great consequence as the Lords Supper is and said plainely that for the same reason we ought also to stand at the Lords Table when we receiue the Body and Blood of Christ since these reuerend mysteries require as reuerend gesture and behauiour as prayer doeth because in this Sacramēt we receiue all that which our praiers can aske and receiue in this life that is Christ with all the benefits of his death and Passion and the holy Ghost with all the whole traine of his gifts and graces and the greater Gods gifts are the greater should bee our humilitie and reuerence in receiuing them And the Argument is good Quod hominem though it be defectiue in the Fathers sense which is this The Fathers and Counsels decreed for standing at Prayer on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost But in the celebration of the Eucharist according to Christs institution there was not neither should be now any prayer at all as these men suppose Therefore the Fathers and Councels that decreed for standing at Prayer on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost spake nothing of the Lords Supper in which there ought to bee no prayer at all So then the silence of the Fathers in point of the Lords Supper is an argument that they spake onely of standing at Prayer and not at the Lords Supper Come to the Reason and it wil appeare more plainely For besides that priuate Lawes are stricti iuris and therefore to be restrained to the strict letter and no further And as the Lawyers say Exceptio firmat regulam the exception doth make the rule more strong and firme the exception of Sundayes and betweene Easter and Pentecost concerning standing at prayer maketh the rule strong that we should not stand at any other time and the exception of Prayer on Sunday maketh it strong that at other parts of diuine worship whereof the Sacrament is a principall and most eminent part we should not stand but vse the gesture that the nature of the action requireth which is humilitie and kneeling The reason which the Fathers giue is the memorie and celebration of the resurrection of Christ and the confidence that we haue of our part in the first and second Resurrection Now what is this Reason to this Sacrament which is Commemoratio not Resurrectionis but Mortis a commemoration not of the Resurrection but of the death and Passion of Christ 1. Cor. 11.26 The Apostle saith not as often as you eate this bread and drinke this Cup Annunciabitis resurrectionem you shall shew forth the resurrection but Annunciabitis mortem Domini you shall shew foorth the death of the Lord So then the reason of the Fathers is quite turned against this disputer The Christians did stand at praier on Sundaies and from the Passeouer to Pentecost vpon a particular reason that is for the memorie of Christs Resurrection and the ioy and confidence of our Consurreximus our rising with Christ Phil. 3.10 and the power of his Resurrection in vs Wee come to this Sacrament not to celebrate the memorie of Christs resurrection nor our confidence of rising together with him but in remembrance of his death and Passion in which wee must die to sinne as hee died to nature Therefore though we stand at Prayer to celebrate Christs resurrection yet we ought to kneele in all humilitie at the receiuing of this Sacrament in remembrance of his death and Passion for the Passion of Christ is as forcible to procure sorrow and humilitie for our sinne that deliuered him to death as the Resurrection of Christ is able to procure ioy and confidence for our redemption and deliuerance from sinne and death And of the oxen and fatlings Christ said Matth. 22.4 Tauri mei altilia occisa sunt mine oxen and fatlings are killed and Christ was slaine not onely that he might be to Godward Pretium the price of our ransome but also that hee might to vs-ward be Cibus our food Wherein because man doeth altogether abhorre to eate liuing flesh our blessed Sauiour was put to death that so hee might be the food of our soules So then the reason of the Fathers which moued them to decree standing at Prayer on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost doeth proue a contrario that when we celebrate the memorie of Christs Passion in the Eucharist which mooueth compunction and humilitie we should then kneele in token of our contrition and humiliation as they did stand in the ioy and confidence of Christs and their owne resurrection Whereby it appeareth that the Fathers who ioyne teares and contrition and confession and prayer with this Sacrament ment not to alter the humilitie in the receiuing thereof though they change the ordinary gesture of kneeling at Prayer vpon Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost for the ioy and confidence they receiued of our Sauiours Resurrection Thus haue we passed the example of our Sauiour and his Apostles and haue not yet found any solid proofe for sitting at the Sacrament but rather left it doubtfull what gesture they vsed whether standing as at the Passeouer or kneeling or lying or sitting Now after the time of Christs Ascention vnto the time of Iustin Martyr and Tertullian and Dionysius of Alexandria there is no Author produced that saith any thing concerning the gesture of Communicants only there is a coniecturall argument made to
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
kingdome of Christ should deny subiection to him in any action of Christianitie Luc. 19.14 Is not this to say Nolumus hunc regnare super nos we will not haue this man to reigne ouer vs we will doe no act that shall import subiection and disfellowship with him to whom it is performed He is our Brother and Coheire and that is in effect to say Hee is no more but our Brother and Coheire that is he is a man and no more but a man For if they did acknowledge him to bee God they would yeelde humilitie and subiection to his Deitie though they claymed Coheireship and Fellowship with his humanitie So then the Reason is turned thus against them It is the Sonne of God that feedeth vs in the Eucharist with his flesh and blood All worship and Adoration and Kneeling is due vnto the Sonne of God in signe of humilitie and subiection to him Therefore all worship Adoration and kneeling is due to him that feedeth vs in the Eucharist with his flesh and blood in signe of humilitie and subiection to him If any shall say Because they haue societie with the Sonne of man therefore they will not be subiect to the Sonne of God they are fitter to be chastised with Lucifer then confuted with Reason and so I passe to the third Reason which is as reasonlesse as the two former are The third Reason is Prerogatiua mensae conuiuarum Ratio 3 the Prerogatiues and liberties of a Table and a guest his reason is this Not to partake with Christ in the Liberties and Prerogatiues of a Table in the Eucharist is a sinne Kneeling in the Eucharist doth debarre vs from partaking with Christ in the Liberties and prerogatiues of a Table Therefore to kneele in the Eucharist is vnlawfull and may not bee performed without sinne All this Reason is drawen from the rules of Tables and Feasts amongst men wherein this man is as grosse and carnall as in the two former Reasons hee was absurd and smelt of Arianisme A ciuill Symposiarch admits all his guests to sit with him at his Table therefore all must sit with Christ at his Table This is the force of this Argument as if hee should say Christ is tied to the rule of ordinarie Feast-makers and must doe as they doe It is a Table and a Feast and they are guests and therefore all liberties and prerogatiues of a Table and a Feast and guests and so sitting equalitie and society without humilitie and subiection is due vnto them as their libertie and prerogatiue The word of the Apostle was neuer truer then in this case 1. Cor. 1.14 Animalis homo non percipit ea quaesunt Dei this carnal man vnderstands not the things of God For what greater ignorance can there be then out of the fashion of Tables and gestures of guests at Feasts amongst men to gather a necessary Conclusion That because the Lord hath a Table and admits guests to that Table therefore men may demeane themselues with like gesture at Gods Table as they doe at the feasts of men But this man might haue remembred that the Eucharist is as well called Sacrificium and Cultus Dei as Caena a Sacrifice and the worship of God aswell as a Supper and then Kneeling and Prostration and Adoration are more fitter gestures for sacrificers and worshippers then sitting is for guests at the Table of the Lord of all power and Maiestie And therefore as in S. 1. Cor. 10.21 Heb. 13.10 Paul there is Mensa Domini the Table of the Lord. So there is Habemus altare wee haue an Altar whereof they haue no right to eate which serue the Tabernacle And the word Altar in the Fathers is more common then the word Table so that as the name of Table may pleade for sitting so the name of Altar enforceth worship and Sacrifice and that implieth Adoration and Kneeling But his grand error is that hee inferreth that the gesture vsed by guests at the feast or table of a man is and must bee essentiall at the Lords Table For why Suppose the greatest Monarch or King should feast the meanest of his Subiects and admit him to sit at his Table is it an Argument à pari to conclude therefore Wee must sit at the Table of the Lord why then will it not follow thus The King suffers his subiect to sit at his Table with him couered or his Hat on for this is one of the liberties prerogatiues of a table and vsed ordinarily at all great feasts therefore we must come and sit couered or our Hats on our heads at the Table of the Lord. But the true difference is this The King and the Subiect though different instatu in state the one is to gouerne as Gods Vice-Roy the other to bee gouerned and the King hath power of life and death ouer his Subiect according to Iustice and Law yet they are equall in nature and condition both men created according to one stampe or Image the Image of God both borne by one way of generation both liuing and dying after one fashion and the graue knowes no difference betweene the ashes of the King and his meanest vassall And they are equall in grace both bought with one price the blood of Christ both regenerate in one Lauer of Baptisme both sanctified by one holy Spirit both fed with one and the same bread the Word of God and the flesh and blood of Christ both equall in hope of eternall glory so there is inequality in one thing that is in state but there is equalitie in three for it that is in Nature Grace and Glory But betweene God euer blessed and euer to bee adored and man whose greatest blessing is to bee admitted euer to blesse and adore God there is no equalitie at all For it is proper only to the eternall Sonne of Gods owne substance to be aequalis Deo sine rapina equall to God without robbery Men are called Gods but they are Gods onely in name Psal 82.6 Dixi Dijestis I haue sayd yee are Gods Iob 10.34 35. because the word of God was sent to them and can neuer be equall to God and it is grosse saeriledge that any man who is a God by grace or name onely should account himselfe Gods equall or fellow as this man doth account himselfe all his coheires to be equal to Christ For God and man doe differ infinitely because God is infinite and man is finite and betweene eternitie mortalitie the Creator and the creature there can bee no comparison at all And in this Sacrament Christ as man is our food and Christ as God and the whole Trinitie doe giue this food yea Christ not onely Qua homo but also Qua homo mortuus not onely as he is a man but also as he is dead for vs is our food and therefore this Sacrament doth represent not vitam but mortem Christi not the life but the death of Christ So Christ
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