cup with which the affections of the faithfull inebriantur are drunken that thou maiest put on ioy of remission of sinnes and put off the cares of this world And Chrysostome saith Hom. 24. in 1. Cor. Vt frigida ad Eucharistiam accessio periculosa est it a nulla mysticae illius Coenae participatio pestis est interitus ipsa namque mensa anima nostrae vis est nerui mentis fiduciae vinculum spes salus lux vita nostra As the cold comming to the Eucharist is dangerous so no participation of this mysticall Supper is a plague and death it selfe for this Table is the strength and force of our soule the sinewes of the mind the band of confidence our hope our health our light and our life In Ioan. homil 45. Againe Hic mysticus sanguis Demones procul pellit angelos angelorum Dominum ad nos allicit Demones enim cum Dominicum sanguinem in nobis vident in fugam vertuntur angeli autem concurrunt his sanguis effusus vniuersum abluit orbem terrarum This mysticall blood driueth the deuils afarre of draweth the Angels and the Lord of Angels to vs for the deuils when they see the Lords blood in vs they are turned to flight and the Angels come vnto vs this Blood being powred out doeth wash the whole earth And againe In Psal 22. Qui veniunt ad mensam potentis considerantes ea quae apponuntur eis accipere cum timore tremore tribulationes fiunt consolationes auferuntur ea quae sunt carnis infunduntur ea quae sunt spiritus ex mensa praeparat a proficiunt contra eos quitribulant eos To them that come to the Table of the mightie considering to receiue those things that are set before them with feare and trembling feare and trembling is the gesture of Communicants with S. Chrysostome not familiaritie and equalitie of heires that boast of the Prerogatiues of a Table to them tribulations are consolations those things that are of the flesh are taken a-away and those things that are of the spirit are powred in and by this prepared Table they profit or preuaile against them that trouble them This made him say Ad Popul Antioch homil 61. Tanquam Leones ignem spirantes ab illa mensa recedimus facti Diabolo terribiles As Lions that breath fire we depart from this Table made terrible to the diuel c. And after Parentes quidem alijs sepè filios tradunt alendos ego autem inquit non ita sed carnibus meis alo meipsum vobis appono vos omnes generosos esse volens bonas vobis praetendens de futuris exspectationes Parents often deliuer their children to others to be nourished or brought vp but I doe not so saith the Lord but with mine owne flesh I nourish them and set my selfe before them willing to haue them all noble and pretending good expectations to them of future things This made S. Cyprian to say Epist 54. Non infirmis sed fortibus pax necessaria est nec morientibus sed viuentibus communicatio â nobis danda est vt quos excitamus hortamur ad praelium non inermes nudos relinquamus sed protectione sanguinis corporis Christi muniamus c. Peace is necessary not onely to the weake but to the strong the Communion is giuen by vs not to the dead but to the liuing that wee may not leaue them vnarmed whom wee excite and exhort to the battell but arme them with the protection of the Blood and Body of Christ And whereas the Eucharist is ordained for this end that it may hee a defence to the receiuers Let vs arme them with the muniment of the Lords saturitie whom wee desire to be safe against the aduersary For how doe we teach or prouoke them to shed their blood in the confession of Christs name if we deny to them going to fight the Blood of Christ Giue them the Cup of Christ that are to drinke the cup of Martyrdome Serm. de Bapt. in Coena Dom. I conclude this point with S. Bernard Duo illud Sacramentum operatur in nobis vt videlicet sensum minuat in minimis in grauioribus peccatis tollat omnino consensum si quis vestrum non tam saepe modò nontam acerbos sentit iracundiae motus inuidiae luxuriae aut caeterorum huiusmodi gratias agat corpori sanguini Domini quoniam virtus Sacramenti operatur in eo gaudeat quod pessimum vlcus accedat ad sanitatem This Sacrament saith he worketh two things in vs it diminisheth sense in small faults and in great sinnes it altogether taketh away consent if any of you feele not so often nor so sharpe motions of anger or enuie of luxurie or the like let him giue the thanks to the Body and Blood of Christ for the power of the Sacrament worketh in him and let him reioyce because the worst soare draweth neere to health Now Luke 15. what shall I say more The Sonne of God as the Sheepheard seeketh vs and carrieth vs to the fold of the Church The holy Ghost as the woman lighteth the candle of knowledge and sweepeth the house by obedience and sanctitie and there remaineth but one onely greater gift the vision and possession of God the Father who is our exceeding great reward The two first of the Sonne and the holy Ghost pertaine to grace the third of God the Father belongeth to glory The two first are in the way the third in the Country in the end of the way What greater gifts could God giue vs then those that he hath giuen in this Sacrament that is not creatures but the Creator the second and third person in the Trinitie the Sonne and the holy Ghost Quem horum contemnitis which of these two can wee despise The Sonne whose members wee are or the holy Ghost whose Temples we are If God had giuen vs the best of his creatures wee ought with all reuerence to haue receiued them kneeling had bene decent and necessary Respectu doni donātis both in respect of the gift it selfe which far surmoūteth all proportion of desert in vs but much more of the giuer whose incomparable and infinite greatnes and loue more then infinite requireth all reuerence of body and soule of vs vile wretched sinners who deserue punishment and receiue remission and life euerlasting But when he giueth Creatorem the Creator the Sonne and the eternall Word that made all things and the holy Ghost who is Charitas increata vncreated and essentiall charitie and Donum the gift that is both the gift of God and God himselfe can any deuotion or adoration of the soule and prostration and bowing or kneeling of the bodie bee too humble nay humble enough when wee come to the Table of the Lord there to receiue not Panem Domini the bread of the Lord alone as Iudas did but Panem Dominum the
prooue sitting Christ and his Apostles sate at the institution the words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 importe so much In which assertion there is neither Grammer nor reason no Grammer for the proper signification of these words is not to sit but to lie downe as it is well knowen to all that are skilled in the originall Nor no reason for if these words doe signifie sitting this Discumbere was at the Passeouer as appeares most clearely in the Gospels and there might be great difference of gesture at the Paschall and vulgar supper and the institution of this Sacrament It is confessed that their sitting was both a sitting and a leaning I rather take it to bee lying and leaning then sitting and leaning But I make no controuersie about words I say resolutely the word of sitting or leaning or lying is vsed of the Paschall Supper or the vulgar supper if they had any but whether they continued the same gesture at the Euangelicall Supper it doth not appeare and it is more probable that they did not if Christ betweene these Suppers did arise and wash his disciples feete Now for the practise of the Apostles after Christs Ascension there are two other coniectures vsed first it is probable that the Apostles departed from that gesture vsed by themselues at the institution and this is not easily to bee gainesayd but it doeth no where appeare that they sate either at the first institution or at any time after the Ascension And all that is said of sitting is spoken of the Paschall Supper So this coniecture commeth farre short Secondly 1. Cor. 10.21 the Apostle compareth Christs Table with the table of deuils You cannot partake of the Lords Table and of the table of deuils and this cannot bee denied but withall it doth not appeare by the name of a Table what gesture was vsed at Corinth at the feasts of Idols and I thinke it not vnlikely that their Tables were such as were in vse at those times and so it is likely to be lying on the ground and leaning on pillowes As for the Lords Table I conceiue by S. Pauls words that there was more reuerence to bee vsed then at either the feasts of Idols or other common feasts or eatings of Christians such as their loue-feasts were for els why doth S. Paul say that there must bee an examination and probation of our selues before wee come to the Lords Table Why doth he say that they which eate this bread and drinke this Cuppe of the Lord vnworthily shall bee guilty of the Bodie and Blood of the Lord and eate and drinke damnation to themselues not discerning the Lords Bodie If this Supper may not bee receiued without due probation and worthinesse which was not required at the tables of Idoles nor at the ordinary feasts of Christians why should any man presume to make a comparison betweene the Lords Table and the tables of ordinary Christian feasts why should any bee so prophane among Christians to compare Christs Table with the tables of deuils As if he would haue vs in our comming to this Sacrament to vse no more reuerence then the Idolatrous heathen did at the feasts of their Idoles If Church gesture must bee ruled and squared out by the Idolatrous worship of deuils why doe we not send Christians to the Idolatrous Priests of the heathen to bee tutored and disciplinated by them Nay if we must bee schooled in Gods worship to carrie our selues at the Lords Table as wee doe at our ordinary tables why doth S. 1. Cor. 11. vers 21 22. Paul reprooue the eating of Christians out of order in such sort that one is hungry and another is drunker what sayth he haue you not houses to cate and drinke in or despise you the Church of God and shame them that haue not The Church was for the Lords Table the house was for ordinarie tables they that eate in the Church in such irreuerend fashion as they eate in their priuate houses they despise the Church of God Then surely there was more reuerence to bee vsed at the Lords Table then at ordinary tables there must be a discerning of the Lords Bodie from common eatings and how shal this discerning be discerned by the inward affection and deuotion of the heart which is knowen only to God This S. Paul could not reprooue in the Corinthians for hee was not the searcher of the heart and reines therefore he must discerne their hearts by their hands and their intentions by their actions that is by their gestures and so it will necessarily follow that whereas at common tables there was societie and equalitie and nothing but ciuill reuerence which must not bee denied at common eatings betweene the Feaster and his guests yet at the Lords Table there must be more then ciuill reuerence and that must necessarily bee diuine worship to God who makes this Feast with whom there can bee no equalitie at all as hereafter more at large shall be shewed Now I come to the authorities that are alledged in this cause The first that is produced is Dionysius Alexandrinus who liued about 250. yeeres after Christ not first in order of the time but first in the order that this Author conceiues though erroniously for he placeth him Anno 157. before Iustine Martyr and Tertullian I thinke because hee onely commeth neere to the purpose he placed him first for he onely speaketh of the Lords Table Enseb l. 7. hist c. 9. the rest of prayer Hee writes to Xistus the Bishop of Rome concerning one that desired rebaptization because hee had been baptized as hee said with a Baptisme full of impietie and blasphemie whom hee durst not rebaptize although troubled in his minde about it because his often communicating did suffice him who had heard thanksgiuing in the Church and said Amen with others Mensae astitisset 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee stood at the Table and reached out his hand to take that holy foode This phrase Hee stood at the Table in this mans conceit prooues standing to bee the gesture of Communicants in that age But if hee had considered the proprietie of the word that signifieth Propè vel iuxtasistere vel adesse to be present or neere to the Table hee might haue conceiued that Dionysius spake nothing of the gesture of Communicants but of his presence at the Communion For Ruffinus reades it thus Quod tamdiu in Sacramentis nobis iamparticeps fuerit Because he had bene partaker of the Sacraments so long with vs. And againe Neque audet vltra ad mensam Dominicā accedere he dares not come any more to the Lords Table so Ruffinus vnderstandeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the action of receiuing not of the gesture And the force of his answere is not placed in his standing but in his presence and partaking of the Communion he need not to be rebaptized and begin at regeneration Why because he had often receiued the Communion
confessing their sinnes So it is apparent by Tertullian that they which stood at praier on Easter day the most solemne day the day of Christs Resurrection they kneeled at Baptisme And if they came to baptisme cōfessing their sinnes they ought to come to the Eucharist with the like confession of their sinnes for there is as great necessitie of confession of sinnes in the Eucharist as in Baptisme as confession auricular was more enioyned before the Eucharist then before Baptisme And there was greater reason of kneeling at the Eucharist then at Baptisme because wee come neerer to Christ in this Sacrament of encrease then in the other of regeneration And of confession of sinnes which was neuer omitted before the Eucharist De poenitent Tertullian saith Itaque Exhomologesis prosternendi humilificandi hominis disciplina est Confession is the discipline of casting downe or prostration and humbling man So no Eucharist without confession of sinnes to God no confession without casting downe and humbling by kneeling therefore no Eucharist without prostration and kneeling so Tertullian that speakes most confidently of standing at prayer on Sundayes for the memorie of the resurrection of Christ speakes very throughly for kneeling at Baptisme and by consequent at the Eucharist The 2. is Origen about 220. yeeres after Christ vpon Numbers his words are Sed in Ecclesiasticis obseruationibus sunt nonnulla huiusmodi quae omnibus quidem facere necesse est nec tamen ratio corum omnibus patet Nam quod verbi gratia genua flectamus orantes quod ex omnibus coeli plagis ad solam orientis partem conuersi orationem fundimus non facilè cuiquam puto ratione compertùm sed Eucharistiae siue percipiendae siue eo ritu quo geritur explicandae vel eorum quae geruntur in Baptismo verborum gestorumque ordinum atque interrogationum atque responsionum quis facilè explicet rationem In the Ecclesiasticall obseruations there are some such things which it is needfull all should doe yet the reason is not manifest vnto all For example sake that we pray kneeling and powre out our prayers frō all parts of the world towards the East I thinke it is not easily knowen to euery one by reason And who can easily expresse the reason of receiuing the Eucharist and explicate the Rite with which it is performed or of those things that are done in Baptisme the words and gestures and orders and of the interrogations and answeres This witnesse is little fauourable to these sitters for he mentions interrogatories in Baptisme which they cannot well brooke and of kneeling in prayer and presently orders the rites of the Eucharist which if they had been different he had reason to haue set downe And so the Argument is concludent They kneeled at prayer and therefore at the prayer in the Eucharist so the Eucharist in Origens time was receiued with kneeling But in his fift Hom. In diuersos he speaketh more fully discoursing vpon the words of the Centurion Quando Sanctum cibum illudque incorruptum accipis epulum quando vitae poculo pane frueris manducas bibis corpus sanguinem Domini tunc Dominus sub tectum tuum ingreditur tuergo humilians teipsum imitare hunc Centurionem dicito Domine non sum dignus vt intres sub tectum meum vbi enim indignè ingreditur ibi ad iudicium ingreditur accipienti When thou receiuest that Sacrament and that vncorrupt banquet when thou enioyest that bread and cup of life and eatest and drinkest the Body and Blood of the Lord then the Lord entreth vnder thy roofe thou therefore humbling thy selfe imitate this Centurion and say Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe for where the Lord entreth vnworthily there he entreth to iudgement to the receiuer This is most plaine humilians teipsum must be in bodie and soule else it were humilians partem tui humble thy selfe thy whole selfe not a part of thy selfe in body as well as in soule The Centurions humilitie appeares in soule in his words and in his sending by others as thinking himselfe vnworthy to come by himselfe And all the Ancient thinke that at his comming hee humbled himselfe in bodie as Basil of Seleucia sayd Vidi Centurionem ad pedes Domini prouolutum I beheld the Centurion fallen at our Lords feete Therefore in Origens time humble kneeling was in vse at the receiuing of the Eucharist The third is S. Cyprian in his booke De oratione Dom. he saith The word and prayers of them that doe pray let it bee with discipline euery man may not doe what hee list and pray in what fashion he lift Continens quietem pudorem expressing rest or peace and shamefastnesse or modestie that is not to stand vpon the prerogatiue of coheires and a table without all humilitie certainly shamefastnesse will cause humilitie or confusion Let vs thinke wee stand in the sight of God and then he addeth Placendum est diuinis oculis habitu corporis modo vocis We must please the eyes of God with the habite of our body that is not sitting and the tune of our voyce And in his booke of the Lords Supper he commeth neerer to the point Sacramento visibili ineffabilitèr diuinase infundit essentia vt esset religioni circa Sacramenta deuotio The diuine essence doeth ineffably infuse it selfe into the visible Sacrament though our Transubstātiators know the maner of it that Religiō might haue deuotion about the Sacrament Deuotion is sometimes the inward Adoration of the heart but in Gods solemne worship outward Adoration is required with it And againe hauing described the sighes Num. 13. and groanes and teares of those that come to this Sacrament he saith Gemitus illos pietas excitat it is pietie that sendeth forth those sighes and after Inter data cōdonata se diuidens affectiō diuiding it selfe between graces giuen and sins forgiuen Fletibus se abluit lachrimis se baptizat washeth it selfe with weeping and baptizeth it selfe with teares Is not this the very highest or rather the lowest of humilitie And why should not the body bee as humble in kneeling Num. 14. as the soule in teares And then he addeth Pauperes spiritu eligit diligit Spiritus sanctus eorum qui pompaticè gloriose sacris se Altaribus ingerunt obsequia detestatur The holy Ghost chooseth those that are humble in spirit to this mysterie he loatheth them and hee hateth their obsequiousnesse that thrust themselues to the sacred Altars pompously and gloriously What is this pompous and glorious comming to the Altar Is it not to come proudly without humilitie For I must leaue the schoole of diuinitie if I doe admit any medium betweene Theologicall contraries euery man either humbleth himselfe or exalteth himselfe euery man commeth to the Lords Table either pompously gloriously without humilitie as if hee were coheire and coequall
with Christ or else humbly in all humiliation of soule and body And though the holy Ghost know the secrets of all hearts because he is God yet no man can know the heart of another man and therefore wee must iudge them to come pompously and braggingly that will not kneele but will sit as equall with the eternall God without all outward humilitie when they are but dust and ashes Againe in the 17. Num. Ad haec intra sacra mysteria ad gratiarum actionem conuertitur inclinato capite munditia cordis adepta se intelligens consummatum restitutus peccator sanctificat am Deo animam quasi depositum custoditum fidelitèr reddit After in the sacred mysteries the soule turneth to thankesgiuing and bowing the head the restored sinner hauing gotten purenesse of heart vnderstandeth himselfe to be consummated and restoreth his sanctified soule as a thing committed and faithfully kept vnto God Here we haue almost all the Sacrifices spoken of before Contrition Prayer Thankesgiuing and the offering of our selues and this is done with the exterior gesture not onely of the bowing of the knee but the head also So that in Cyprians time humilitie of the body and kneeling was in vse at the receiuing of the Eucharist The 4. is Cyrillus of Hierusalem In catacheâ—â— mystagogica 5. who describeth the whole order of the Liturgie in the celebration of the Eucharist the water in which the Priests did wash the kisse of reconciliation the wordes of the Liturgie Lift vp your hearts the thankesgiuing Holy holy holy Lord God of Saboath the prayer at the consecration the Lords prayer and the like which hee there mentioneth then first hee describeth the ministring of the Bread and Body of Christ and the maner of the receiuing of it at last hee commeth to the Cup and then he saith Tum verò post communionem corporis Christi accede ad Calicem sanguinis illius non extendens manus sedpronus adorationis in modum venerationis dicens Amen Then after the Communion of the Body of Christ come also to the Cup of his Blood not reaching out thy hands but falling on thy face in maner of Adoration and worship say Amen I hope this testimonie is so plaine that malice it selfe cannot inuent a cauill to auoyd it The 5. is S. Gregory Nazianzen 370. in the oration for his sister Gorgonia Hee doeth not indeed describe the celebration of the Eucharist for it was in the night when shee was alone and neither Priest nor consecration but onely shee caried with her some of the consecrated mysteries which shee had reserued as the fashion of those times was and then in the stilnesse of the night when her disease gaue her a little truce Ante altare procubuit she kneeled or fell downe at the Altar and called on him whom she worshipped with a lowd voyce and all her endeuour after she leaned her head on the Altar and with cries and teares like to the woman with the bloody issue she touched herselfe with those mysteries and the coÌ„clusion is she was made whole This Gregorie Nazianzen reueileth as a secret and approoueth and commendeth it And I relate it onely to this end not to iudge of the miracle but to obserue in this the custome of Communicants which was Procubuit ad altare to fall downe and kneele at the Altar For surely shee did now in her sicknesse as she and all others did in their health when they come to the Lords Table that is fall downe and kneele The 6. is S. Ambrose 374. Cap. 12. in his third booke De spiritu litera who expounding the words of the Prophet Psal 98.5.99 according to the vulgar Adorate scabellum pedum eius exalt you the Lord our God and worship at his footstoole for he is holy He discourseth that God hath no body and needs no footestoole that the earth is a creature and may not be worshipped and then remembring that Christs flesh is earth he saith Perscabellum terra intelligitur per terram caro Christi quam hodie quoque in mysterijs adoramus quam Apostoli in Domino Iesu vt supra diximus adorarunt By the footstoole the earth is vnderstood by the earth the flesh of Christ which wee also adore in the mysteries this day and the same which the Apostles did adore in our Lord Iesus as I haue sayd before This testimony is plaine and cannot be eluded with that idle shift of adoring in soule or by any other meanes then kneeling for his coÌ„parison is plaine of external adoration by kneeling in the Apostles who did adore Christ at his ascension with externall singular and visible worship Luk. 24.52 for with internall deuotion they did alwayes adore him But this speciall worshipping must bee vnderstood both of soule and body so we must adore in soule and body and that must be with kneeling at the receiuing of the Sacrament And in the Comment that goeth vnder his name 1. Cor. 11. Deuoto animo cum timore accedendum ad communionem docet vt sciat mens reuerentiam se debere ei ad cuius corpus sumendum accedit he teacheth that hee must come to the Communion with feare that the soule may knowe that shee oweth reuerence to him whose body shee comes to receiue this reuerence must bee externall as the deuotion is internall and that appeareth in the words following Quem cum disciplina nos accipimus which blood we receiue with discipline that discipline certainly is the exterior order and carriage prescribed by the Church so prostration and kneeling was in that time an ordinance of the Church at the Lords Table not equalitie in coheireship and prerogatiues of a Table The seuenth is Gaudentius Brixensis who speaketh not of this Sacrament of the Eucharist in speciall but of the other of Baptisme or of both and there is much more reason to kneele at the Lords Table De manducat Agntpaschalis Sermone 9. then at Baptisme His words are Lectiones diuinas aure percipimus ore Dominum confitemur laudamus benedicimus obsecramus manus supplices ad Coelum tendimus pedibus ad Ecclesiam currimus vnam Trinitatis Deitatem flexis ad terram genibus adoramus Wee perceiue the diuine reading with our eares wee confesse the Lord with our mouthes we praise him we blesse him we beseech him wee stretch out our suppliant hands to heauen and kneeling on our knees on the earth we adore the one Deitie of the Trinitie Hee speakes in this Sermon much of Baptisme but the Title is De manducatione Agnipaschalis of the eating of the Paschall Lambe so it may well be applied to both Sacraments The eighth is S. Chrysostome Hom. 61. Adpopulum Antiochenum Considera quaeso mensa regalis est apposita Angelimensae ministrantes ipse Rex adest tuastas oscitans Sordescunt tibi vestimenta nihil est tibi curae at pura sunt igitur adora communica
to examine himselfe but first euacuating or purging the wickednes of his sinns to offer himselfe tried pure at the Lords Table And therefore let vs daily runne to the lamentation of repentance who sinne dayly And I hope these things should not be publikly and solemnly done without kneeling Although at all times we ought to acknowledge out selues to bee sinners yet then chiefly must we coÌ„fesse Alcuiâ—us â—e Diuinus officijs cum illo sacro mysterio c. when by that sacred mysterie the grace of remission and the indulgence of sinnes is celebrated I proceed to the fourth for I shall haue occasion to speake of this againe and that is Sacrificium orationis laudis the sacrifice of prayer and prayse And here I cannot sufficiently wonder at those who would haue this Sacrament administred and receiued without all maner of prayer or prayse at all according as it is barely deliuered to be instituted by our Sauiour Christ a little before his death As if the Church should meete onely to heare a Sermon that is an exposition of some Text chosen by the Preacher of which forme of Preaching there is scant a patterne to be found in all the word of God and why then should that bee called Preaching that is without Example and that ended without any prayer or thankesgiuing or preparation or premeditation to proceede to accipite comedite take and eate this is my body this is my blood and so farewel for more is not to be found in the institutioÌ„ And yet in the very institution where we reade 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Benedixit hee blessed or consecrated many Greeke Copies haue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gratias egit hee gaue thankes which should worke much with them that value not Consecration much and both words of consecrating and thankesgiuing being in the Text I hope no man dates put thankesgiuing out of the celebration of the Sacrament when Christ vsed it in the Institution And after the very Institution there is further Hymnodicto when they had said Grace or sung an Hymne or Psalme surely that was thankes and prayse to God for his graces and blessings And it is worth obseruation that this forme of thankesgiuing or Hymne or Psalme of praise is principally if not onely mentioned in the institution of this Sacrament to shew that though it may and ought ex naturae dictamine by natures rule and direction be alwaies vsed to repay Gods goodnesse and bountie with the tribute of our thankefulnes yet it should neuer bee omitted in this Sacrament where if it bee not instituted surely it is most cleerely recorded and the greatnesse of the benefit requireth the greatest measure of thankefulnesse As for prayer 1. Tim. 4.5 if all creatures bee to bee sanctified by prayer and the word of God why should wee thinke that this heauenly spirituall foode of our soules should not first bee sanctified with prayer as well as consecrated by the word since it is a greater worke to sanctifie the food of the soule then of the bodie I euer thought that our Sauiour before he offered his all sufficient Sacrifice on the Crosse Heb. 5.7 did offer vp prayers supplications with strong cries and teares and hee was heard for his reuerence And his action being out institution we should folow his steps offer our prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares before we did presume to present Christ sacrificed to his Father or receiue him our selues or offer vp the sacrifice of our soules and bodies and the whole Church which is the dayly sacrifice of the Church I euer tooke it that the Apostles knew best how this Sacrament was to be receiued 2. Cor. 16. and that they meeting on the Lords day which is out Sunday or the first day of the weeke to make collection for the poore did continue in prayer and breaking of bread which I thinke is more ordinarily vnderstood of the Communion of the body and blood of Christ then of the distribution of Almes And in the 13. Act. 13.2 of the Acts the Church at Antioch before they sent out Paul and Barnabas they ministred fasted and prayed here is fasting and prayer and it is likely it was not without the Lords Supper for that which we reade ministring is translated by Erasmus to bee sacrificing Sacrificantibus illis and sacrificing did surely imply the representation of Christs sacrifice and the word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 offring of diuine worship And so there was then a Liturgie and all Liturgies had this Sacrament in them so Prayer went through with this Sacrament And if the Apostles ioyned prayer and almes with breaking of bread I know no reason why our Church may not be bold to follow their example and ioyne prayer and breaking of bread or the Sacrament together vnder the protection of their practise especially since without all doubt the succeeding ages did follow their example Apol. 2. ad Antoninum as is cleere in Iustine Martyr and others Surgimus comprecamur vpon Sunday or the Sunnes day wee arise not wee stand it seemes from reading and hearing and pray and then that is after prayer Precibus peractis panis offertur vinum aqua Prayers being ended bread and wine and water is offered And Praepositus quantum pro virilisuo potest preces gratiarum actiones fundit populus faustè acclamat dicens Amen distributio communicatioque fit eorum in quibus gratiae actae sunt cuique praesenti The Bishop or Priest that was chiefe in that action doth powre out prayers and praises with all his might and the people doe ioyfully crie Amen and distribution and communication is made to euery one that is present of these things that are blessed or for which thanks were giuen and all antiquitie relate the same Origen saith L. 8. contra Celsum Nos qui rerum omnium conditori placere studemus cum precibus gratiarum actione pro beneficijs acceptis oblatos panes edimus corpus iamper precationem factos sanctum quoddam sanctificans vtens eo cum sano proposito Wee that study or endeuour to please the Creator of all things doe eate the offered bread with prayer and thankesgiuing for the benefits that we haue receiued being made Corpus quoddam sanctum sanctificans a certaine body marke that word holy in it selfe and sanctifying others by praier vsing it with a good intent c. Origen contra Celsum lib. 8. In this sacrifice saith S. Augustine Aug. Epist 120 there is thankesgiuing and commemoration of the flesh of Christ which he offered for vs And againe Hinc gratias agimus Domino Deo nostro quodest magnum Sacramentum in sacrificio noui Testamenti Chrysost Hom. in Matth. 26. And Chrysostome Gratiestote optima quippe beneficiorum custos est ipsa memoria beneficiorum perpetua gratiarum actio propterea reuerenda ac salutaria illa mysteria
quae in omni certe Ecclesiae congregatione celebramus Eucharistia id est gratiarum actio nuncupatur Giue thanks for the memory of benefits is the best keeper of benefifits and a perpetuall confession of thankes and therefore the reuerend and healthfull mysteries which we celebrate in euery Congregation are called the Eucharist or giuing of thankes So in those times prayer and praise were alwayes ioyned with the Eucharist though it bee not expresly mentioned in the institution of Christ And there is all reason for it For why should any man thinke that the Eucharist should be without praise and thankesgiuing when as it is the Eucharist or a Sacrifice of thankesgiuing for the greatest blessings that euer God gaue to man Or why should any hold it vnfit to vse contrition and prayer in the ministration of this Sacrament when as for the preparation thereunto nothing can be more needfull then these two things 1. That wee should be fit and worthy for so great mysteries which wee can neuer obtaine at Gods hand but by prayer which is the meanes that draweth downe all Gods graces to vs. 2 That God would giue vs Panem super-substātialem the supersubstantiall and heauenly bread of our soules that is the Body Blood of Christ which we aske in the Lords prayer Giue vs this day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 our supersubstantiall or heauenly bread the bread of our soule which is more needfull and therefore more to be asked as well as our daily bread the bread of the body which is earthly and transitory and if there bee cause to aske Panem corporis the bread of the body there is farre greater cause to aske of God Panem animae the bread of the soule the Body and Blood of Christ S. Gregory noteth that Mox post precem straight after prayer ended wee say the Lords prayer Quia mos Apostolorum fuit Greg. Mag. l. 7. Indict 2. ep 63 vt ad ipsam solummodo orationem oblationem hostiae consecrarent For it was the custome of the Apostles that they consecrated the Host of the oblation with that prayer onely So then there were other prayers and the Lords prayer before the consecration And that made S. Hierome say Malachies oblation is contained in prayers Epist 59 Qu. 5. S. Augustine in the sanctification of the Eucharist and distribution thereof findeth out al these Supplications Prayers Intercessions and giuing of Thanks mentioned 1. Tim. 2. Supplications he calleth those which wee make in the celebration of the Sacraments before that which is set on the Lords table is begunne to be blessed Prayers hee calleth that when it is blessed and sanctified and broken for Communion which whole petition almost all the Churches conclude clude with the Lords prayer And then disputing whether 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be votum or Oratio hee addeth all things are vowed which are offered vp to God chiefly the oblation of the holy Altar in which Sacrament another of our greatest vowes is preached Quo nos vouemus in which we vow our selues to be mild or meeke in the band of Christs body Postulationes Intercessions are made when the people are blessed In which the Bishops or aduocates doe offer vp to the most merciful power Susceptos suos their Christened or confirmed by imposition of hands And these things being done and the Sacrament being parricipated gratiarum actio thankesgiuing concludeth all so in those times the sacrifice of prayer and praise were ioyned with the Sacrament of the Lords Supper August de spirit lit c. 11. And in his booke De spiritu litera he saith Theosebeia porrò si ad verbi originem Latinè expressam interpretaretur Dei cultus dici poterat qui in hoc maximè constitutus est vt anima ei non sit ingrata Vnde in ipso verissimo in singulari Sacrificio Domino Deo nostro agere gratias admonemur Theosebia that is pietie to God if it be interpreted according to the expresse deriuation in Latine may bee called the worship of God which doeth chiefly consist in this that the soule should not be vnthankfull to God and therefore in the most true and singular Sacrifice we are admonished to giue thankes to our Lord God As for the necessary vse of prayer heare Tertullian de Oratione Neque enim propria tantum orationis officia complexa est vel venerationem Dei aut hominis petitionem sed omnempene sermonem Domini omnem commemorationem disciplinae vt reuera in oratione breuiarium totius Euangelij comprehendatur It doth not onely containe the dueties of Prayer the worship of God and the petition of man but also almost all the word of God and all commemoration of discipline insomuch that in trueth in this prayer there is contained a breuiarie of all the Gospel So that out of this it may wel be inferred that there can be no act of diuine worship and Religion without prayer And surely since the Iewes that had no forme of Gods worship prescribed for them did frame to themselues a forme of Liturgie which they dayly vsed and among Christians there bee many Liturgies or formes of diuine worship that beare the names some of the Apostles others of the ancient Fathers which whether they bee theirs whose names they beare I cannot say but surely by all mens confession they are very ancient It is a strange noueltie and indeed most monstrous in the Church of Christ that there should bee no prescribed formes of Prayer and administration of Sacraments but euery man left to his libertie or rather license to worship God after his owne fancie and vnder the name of forbidding will-worship to set out nothing but will-worship in the Church and indeed as many will-worships as there be wils and so set vp Altar against Altar and worship against worship and make the Church that is acies ordinata a well ordered Armie or house or kingdome to bee no better then Babel a Tower of confusion And either the Church must haue power to ordaine and order Liturgies and Gods worship or else I know not why any priuate man may bee so bold as to frame a worship or Liturgie to himselfe For if the whole Church haue not this power where was it committed to any priuate man or any part or member of the Church And I know the Apostles desired Christ to teach them to pray And Christ taught them onely the mother prayer of all prayers by which all prayers must be ruled and squared and so it shall be lawfull onely to vse the onely prescribed prayer that is the Lords prayer when you pray pray thus And then I know there bee other precise Brethren that stand at their elbowes and tell them that the Lords prayer was not made for that vse to bee said publikely or priuately but onely to be layd vp as a rule an Idea or exemplar to make other praiers by and so it commeth to passe that wee must
but man and if hee depart from God God looseth not by it but man it behoueth vs in all Gods worship so to carrie our selues that our sacrifice and our selues and our worship may be accepted of God And nothing is more offensiue to God then pride and presumptuous carriage and nothing more pleasing then our humility and the plea of our vnworthinesse For as Kemnicius saith In Examin Concil Triden part 2. de venâ—rat Sacram. Externa irreuerentia signum est prophanae mentis sicut Paulus dicit Corinthios non dijudicare Corpus Domini quia illud in Coena Dominica non maiori reuerentia tractabant quam vulgares concoenationes Externall irreuerence is a signe of a prophane minde as S. Paul said that the Corinthians did not discerne the Lords body because in the Lords Supper they handled it with no more reuereÌ„ce then they did their ordinary suppers And at the common suppers they did sit and therefore some other gesture doth befit that high Feast And Bishop Iewell said well It is without doubt our dutie to adore the body of Christ in the word of God in the Sacrament of Baptisme in the mysteries of the body and blood of Christ and to conclude wheresoeuer any footstep or signe of it appeareth but chiefly in the holy mysteries in which we haue a liuing expresse image of all Christs peregrination in the flesh And I assure my selfe this Reuerend Bishop and dâ—fender of the Church and Liturgie of England was no enemie of kneeling at the Sacrament though he most stoutly denied all adoration to the Elements or Species themselues as we all doe In the worship of God non sum dignus is the best argument and surely there is no argument more forcible or more worthy in Gods sight then the acknowledgement of our owne vnworthinesse nor no fitter gesture to expresse this acknowledgement Hom. 8. in Coena Dom. ad poenit then this kneeling or casting our selues downe to the earth S. Eligius Episcopus Nouiomensis saith Let this sentence be pronounced by the soule that a man iudge himselfe vnworthy of the participation of the body and blood of Christ. And againe Biblioth S S. Pat. Tom. 2. p. 1506. Lactuca quoque agrestis valde amara est in viris luxuriam reprimit significat autem hoc vt quando ad Corpus Christi qui verus agnus est sumendum accedimus quamuis de Redemptione laetemur amaritudinem tamen ex recordatione peccatorum habeamus The wild Lettuce is very bitter and doth represse lust in men and it signifies this that when we come to receiue the body of Christ who is the true Lambe although wee reioyce of our redemption yet wee should haue bitternesse in the remembrance of our sinne Idem hom 14. de esu vtriusque agni paschalus And againe Certè Redemptor noster consulens nostrae fragilitati tradidit nobis hoc Sacramentum vt quia ipse iam non potest mori nos quotidie peccamus habeamus verum Sacrificium quo possimus expiari à peccatis nostris Quocircà cum timore compunctione mentis omnique reuerentiâ debemus accedere ad altare ad mensam corporis sanguinis Domini dicere humiliter cum Centurione Domine non sum dignus vt intres sub tectum meum Our Redeemer deliuered to vs this Sacrament prouiding for our frailtie that since hee can die no more and wee sinne daily wee might haue a true Sacrifice by which wee might be expiated from our sinnes Therefore we must come with all feare and compunction of heart and all reuerence I hope this is reuerence of body as well as of soule to the Altar and Table of the Body and Blood of our Lord and say humbly with the Centurion Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter vnder the roofe of my house And S. Basil of Seleucia saith Orat. 19. Vidi Centurionem prouolutum ad vestigia Domini Eusebius Emissenu Hom in Dom. 2. in Epipha I saw the Centurion falling downe or kneeling at our Lords feet Eusebius saith Quando verò ad Christi Sacramentum accedimus fragilitatem nostram consideramus quid aliud dicat vnusquisque nostrum nisi non sum dignus vt intres sub tectum meum non sum dignus vt corpus sanguinem suscipiam in ore meo When we come to the Sacrament of Christ and consider our owne frailtie what should 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 Body and Blood into my mouth For why Matth. 8.8 Luke 7.6 this Centurion that thought not himself worthy vnder whose roofe Christ should enter receiued a high fauour for his lowly thought that Christ though hee entred not vnder the roofe of his house yet entred vnder the roofe of his heart Matth. 3.11 And Iohn Baptist that professed himselfe vnworthy to vnty the latchet of Christes shooe was admitted to that high fauour to baptize Christs head Luke 7.38 And the woman that in the sense of her owne vnworthines began at Christs feete with her teares Marke 14.3 proceeded to the anoynting of his head with precious oyle Iohn 20.16 and was the first that saw him after his Resurrection This is indeed the great Fisher S. Peters art Hee put Christ away from him with this word Luke 5.8 Depart from me for I am a sinnefull man that so he might draw neerer to him and become a chiefe Fisher of men and the first among the Apostles After which examples if wee stand afarre off with the Publican and confesse our owne vnworthines with the deuotion of our soules deiection of our bodies we shal be sure to draw the neerer to God procure the more easie acceptation of the Sacrifices of our selues our soules and bodies and Prayers and Praises and Almes So then this Sacrament hath many Sacrifices in it and nothing maketh Sacrifice so acceptable to God as the heartie acknowledgment of our owne vnworthinesse to offer to him any Sacrifice at all This acknowledgment consisteth in the humble pietie and deuotion of the heart and the voluntary deiection bowing or kneeling of the body therefore this Sacrament must bee receiued with a reuerend kneeling All which I conclude with the words of S. Bernard S. Bernard Serm. 3. de Purificat B. Virginis Quid fratres nos offerimus aut quid retribuimus Christo pro omnibus quae retribuit nobis Ille pro nobis obtulit hostiam pretiosiorem quam habuit nimirum qua pretiosior esse non potuit Et nos ergo faciamus quod possumus optimum quod habemus offerentes illi quod sumus vtique nosmetipsi Ille seipsum obtulit tu quis es qui teipsum offerre cuncteris Quis mihi tribuat vt oblationem meam dignetur maiestas tanta suscipere Duo minuta habeo Domine corpus animam Dico vtinam haec
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
quando dico benedictionem explico omnem thesaurum beneficentiae Dei magna illa dona in memoriam reuoco Nam nos quoque ad calicem recensentes ineffabilia Dei beneficia quaecunque sumus adepti it a ipsum offerimus communicamus gratias agentes quod ab errore liberarit hominum genus What sayest thou blessed Paul when thou wilt confound the Auditor mentioning the dreadfull mysteries thou callest that fearefull cup horroris plenum full of horror the cup of blessing It is true for it is no small thing that is said for when I call it blessing I call it the Eucharist and calling it the Eucharist I open the treasure of all the benignitie of God for with this Cup we reckon the vnspeakeable benefits of God and whatsoeuer we haue obtained So wee come to him and communicate with him giuing thankes to him that hath freed mankinde from error And mentioning elsewhere this Sacrifice horrore reuerentia plenissimuÌ„ most full of horror and reuerence he saith Per id tempus Lib. 6. de Sacord et angelisacerdoti assident coelestiuÌ„ potestatuÌ„ vniuersus ordo clamores excitat locus altari vicinus in illius honorem qui immolatur angeloruÌ„ choris plenus est id quod credere abundè licet velex tanto illo Sacrificio quod tum peragitur At that time the time of the Consecration of the Sacrament the Angels stand by the Priest and the vniuersal order of the heauenly powers do raise vp cries And the place neere the Altar is filled with the quires of angels in the honour of him that is immolated which may abundantly bee beleeued by that great Sacrifice which is then performed Lib. 3. Againe in the third booke Dum conspicis Dominum immolatum Sacerdotem sacrificio incumbentem ac preces fundentem tum vero turbam circumfusam pretioso illo sanguine in tingi ac rube fieri etiamnè te inter mortales versari atque in terrâ consistere censes ac nonpotiusè vestigio in coelos transferri While thou beholdest the Lord offered vp and the Priest sacrificing and the present multitude to be dipped and made redd with that precious Blood doest thou thinke that thou doest conuerse among mortall men on earth Or rather that thou art suddenly translated into heauen And after hee inferreth Hoc ergo mysterium omnium maximè horrendum verendumque quis tandem qui sanus in idem minimè sit quique è potestate non exierit fastidire ac despicere poterit What man that is not madd and out of his wits can despise or loath this mysterie of all others most dreadfull and fearefull And S. Cyprian long before him said Cyprian de Câ—na Dom. Sanguinem sugimus intra redemptoris nostri vulnera figimus linguam quo interiùs exteriúsque rubricati à sapientibus huius seculi iudicamur amentes Wee sucke his Blood and put our tongues into the wounds of our Redeemer with which being made redd within and without wee are iudged to be madd by the wise men of this world S. Augustine interpreting the words of the Lords prayer Giue vs this day our dayly bread vnderstandeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 supersubstantiall bread to be the Eucharist which is called dayly bread Augustinus de verbis Dom. serm 28. And then he addeth Si quotidianus est panis cur post annum illum sumis accipe quotidiâ— quod quotidiè tibi prosit sic viue vt quotidie merearis accipere Idem habet Ambrosius qui non meretur quotidie accipere non meretur post annum accipere quomodo sanctus Iob quotidie pro filijs offerebat sacrificium ne forte aliquid vel in corde vel in sermone peccassent Ergo tu audis quod quotiescunque offertur sacrificium mors Domini resurrectio Domini eleuatio Domini significetur remissio peccatorum panem istum vitae nostrae quotidianum non assumis Qui vulnus habet medicinam requirit vulnus est quia sub peccato sumus medicina est coeleste venerabile Sacramentum If it be daily bread why doest thou receiue it once in the yeere receiue it dayly that it may daily profit thee Liue so that thou mayest obtaine to receiue it dayly he that obtaineth not to receiue it dayly obtaineth not to receiue it after a yeere As holy Iob offered Sacrifice dayly for his sonnes lest perchance they should offend in thought or word Doest thou heare that as often as the Sacrifice is offered the death of the Lord the resurrection of the Lord and the ascention of the Lord is signified and remission of sinne and doest thou not receiue this dayly bread of life He that is wounded seeketh physicke Now thy wound is sinne and the medicine is the heauenly and venerable Sacrament I cannot stand to reckon all the titles at large that the Fathers giue to this Sacrament I add S. Chrysostome for he is most copious in these amplifications Chrisostom Homil. 24. in 1. Cor. and exaggerations vpon these words Calix benedictionis the Cup of blessing which we blesse Valde fideliter dixit terribilitèr hoc est autem quod dicit Id quod est in Calice est id quod fluxit è latere illius sumus participes Calicem autem benedictionis vocauit quod eam habentes in manibus sic eum hymnis laudibus prosequimur admirantes Caeleste donum stupentes benedicentes bonisque verbis prosequentes quod eum ipsum effudit ne maneremus in errore non solum effudit sed etiam eum ipsum nobis impertijt Quamobrem si sanguinem inquit cupis non aram Idolorum brutorum caede sed meum altare meo cruentum sanguine quid est hoc horribilius quid autem amabilius He speaketh very faithfully and terribly and this is that which hee saith That which is in the Cup is that which issued out of his side and we are partakers of it And he called it the Cup of blessing because hauing it in our hands we do admiring folow him with hymnes and praises wondering at his ineffable gift blessing and setting forth with good words that hee hath powred it out that wee should not abide in error and not onely he hath powred it out but also giuen the selfe-same to vs wherefore saith he if thou desire this Blood not the altar of Idols bloody with slaine beasts but my Altar bloody with mine owne Blood what is more horrible and yet what more amiable then this And againe Ad populum Antiochenum Hom. 61. Hic sanguis effusus est coelum facit accessibile horrenda scilicet Ecclesiae mysteria horrendum altare This Blood is shed and maketh heauen accessible that is to say the dreadfull mysteries of the Church and the dreadfull Altar And in the same place Tu vero petens Sacrificium quod horrent Angeli When thou goest to the Sacrifice which the Angels dread and in the next