vsheringin of this peece of Seruice he had no better instrument then Antichrist that opposeth Christ in all things and his shauelings the Prelats who haue left Christs example forced their owne idolatricall one vpon all Christians vnder their gouernment a horrible contempt and neglect of Christ We were wont to say Reges ad exemplum Kings examples were to be their Subiects paterns and so Christ and his Ministers teach all his children and Subiects to doe what he their King by life doctrin and example hath taught his Church which equally bind but Antichrist and his seruants constraine the people to leaue Christs example and teach them to follow his which is the enimy of Christ Which I thinke is the duty of all such as feare the Lord to detest But now to goe forwards in this waighty businesle Seing it is most certayne that the Pope and the Prelats are against Christ in the gesture of receiuing and doe not that Christ and his apostles did Let vs now take notice in the second place what the Apostle speaketh of the institution I haue saith he receiued of the Lord that also which I deliuered unto you that the Lord Iesus the same night in which he was betrayed tooke bread c. Here the Apostle begins from the time of the institution saying the same night and in the 20 verse he calleth it the Lords Supper and calls it also bread and wine all which things deserue their consideration and are matters of greater consequence then at first are thought of and teach all men in the reformation of any abuses to haue recourse vnto the first originall fountaine and institution as the Apostle doth here and tells vs what he hath receiued from the Lord. And conserning the time of the institution of the sacrament which is also to be taken notice of he sayth the same night c. and it is therefore by the holy Ghost called the Lords Supper Now for the time of institution the apostle here taught it to the Church as receiued from Christ and which Paul then and the whole Church of God obserued in the primitiue times and so it was lift by the apostle to be continued for as far as I can perceiue or iudge vnto the worlds end neither can I see any reason why the time should be changed without we will plainly confesse that Christ hath done all things out of season and order and was neither reuerent nor seasonable nor orderly in his proceedings and especially in the institution and celebration of the sacrament of the Lords Supper for his gesture pleased not before which were more then a little arrogancy so to speake Yet I say except men will so vilify the actions of the Lord Iesus I know no cause why the time should be changed for as the Passeouer was instituted in the euening so the children of Israel and the Church of the Iews precisely obserued the time neuer being so impudent and temerarious as to alter it but it was continued so vnto the last vse of it as by Christs owne example is sufficently manifest And yet I presume there might as good reasons haue been giuen for the change of the time in the celebrating of that ordinance amongst the Iews as can now by any man be giuen and yet the Israelits were not so foole hardy as to thinke any time better or more seasonable then that which God himself had appointed and contented them selues well with it But Antichrist that changeth times seasons and all things and his disciples that oppose Christ in all his ordinances they haue changed the time and conuerted the Supper of the Lord into a breakfast a great innouation and make it no small offence to celebrate it in the euening So that now to speake properly it cannot be called the Lords Supper but the Lords break fast and so it is to them indeed for they eate vp the Lord at a breakfast and swallow him downe whole and make no bones of him he is with them but their mornings nuntions and yet they eate him flesh bloud and bones as they say and really and then after that they drink vp his blood most sweet CANABALS and after all this they can eate a sufficeint dinner too These fellowes must needs haue good stomacks But by all this it is manifest that Antichrist and his Apostles haue euer opposed Christ in his proceeding be they what they will be But here now commeth a sucking obiection to be answered to which is this if Christs example say some be to be followed so closely and so precisely adhered to in the administration of the Sacrament as in his gesture and the time of celebration then also it must be in an vpper roome and but with twelue c. This I affirme is so poore a foppery as I wonder learned men should make vse of such wretched cauils and yet I had it from one of great name for Scholarship But for answer I say that the Sacrament of the Passeouer was to be celebrated in euery priuat family by themselues if they had company enough within themselues to eat the Lambe and if they had not then indeed they were to call in as many other families to ioyne together as would suffice for that purpose so that howsoeuer there was a community among them one with an other in that action as at this day the communicants of one church may participate with an other in the Supper of the Lord from this very example yet this was to be done in a priuat house so that for their meeting place it was not publick Now very order and nature required that it should be a place large enough to entertayne the company and guests that were met together the number being for the most part vncertayne But whether they would eate it in an vpper roome or a lower roome that was left arbitrary no commandement giuen for either neither can it enter into any vnderstanding mans heart to thinke that all the Israelits houses had variety of roomes in them though some had both vpper and lower roomes So that for their company it was onely required that they should haue as many as could eate the Lamb as Christ in his family and company had and that the roome should also be spacious enough and decent which is of all Christians now for order and decency sake to be obserued that for either priuat or publick meetings for performance of duties of religion if they haue not a low roome fit for those pious purposes then they may take an vpper roome that is more convenient all places now in Gods seruice being alike as after I shall proue So that for any man from the certaine company of Christ and his apostles and from the vpper roome to conclude a necessity of this for euer in the world and from a priuate action to conclude the likenes in a publick this is no good consequence nor followeth not as in the two former and that euery
one that hath the eie of reason may easily conclude And we haue many presidents in sacred writ both for the change of the roome in the celebration of the Supper of the Lord. And also for multitudes of communicants as in the whole Church here of Corinth for one and the Apostle commands them that they should come together in publick but for the changing of the time and gecture it is no where in sacred writ to be found but amongst the Apostles and primitiue Christians they were both obserued and kept And so much concerning that Now let vs looke into the oppositions of Antichrist and his disciples and see there other diuerse mutations in this diuine ordinance They haue not onely changed Christs Supper into a breakfast but into a sacrifice an other abominable imimpiety and nefarious innouation turning the Sacrament of the Lords owne appointing wherein Christ Doth graciously giue and offer himselfe with all his merits to the faithfull and beleeuing communicants into a sacrifice of the masse as they call it Propitiatory for the liuing and dead where they say that the body and bloud of Christ is offered vp by a Preist after the order of Melchisedeck for the sinnes of the quick and dead and by vertue of this Sacrifice they affirme that Christ is there corporally and really present and with all adoration as the second person of the blessed Trinity to be worshipped In the which action to say nothing for the present but this for the blasphemies and abomination of it are innumerable there is greater idolatry committed then euer was in the worshipping of Dagon Rimon or the God of Echaron and of all them that loue the Lord Iesus and looke for redemprion by him and hope for his blessed comming ought to be detested and abhorred as the deuill and hell it selfe with all the damnable crew of Preists that are agents in it and fauourers of it Thus I say Antichrist and his complices that oppose Christ in all things haue changed this blessed supper a type of our heauenly and spirituall cōmunion with Christ and the faithfull and the bread and wine in that into a most detestable idol and breaden God And in this fearfull idolatry do our Prelats harmonise with them and are making as great speed to their old Mistris as they can for they haue brought in Preists and altars allready and they haue all the wedding garments prepared and euery thing for the purpose they want but an opportunity to accomplish all things And howsoeuer they seeme to vary it is but in shew for they agree well enough among themselues A reall presence of Christ they both acknowledg and a corporall adoratoon and reuerence in regard of that they both inioyne But before we come to the abuses that follow vppon the supposition of the reall presence let vs see what Christ and his apostles teach concerning that and what the Pope and his disciples teach You shall see that the Pope and Prelats will euer oppose Christ and his Apostles in whatsoeuer they doe or teach Christ Iesus the Lord commaunds his Apostles and in them all Christians in eating the bread and drinking the wine saying do this in remembrance of mee Luke 22. 19 And Saint Paul relating the institution as he had it from the Lord commands them in receiuing the bread and wine saying cafe and drinke this in remembrance of mee farther adding for as oft as yee eatt this bread and drink this cupp ye do shew the Lords death till he come By all which it is manifest that the Lord is not there present The same doctrine he commendeth vnto the Colossians in the 3 chapter hauing eleuated their minds from all terrene obseruations aud will worship and trifling inuentions of men in Gods seruice he bids them seeke those things which are aboue where Christ sits at the right hand of God And Saint Peter in the Acts tels vs that the heauens must containe him till the last day Infinite places to this purpose might be produced to proue that Christ is now in heauen and there to remayne till the consummation of all things as in our Creed also we beleue Yea the Scripture in many places calleth the elements by the proper names of bread and wine So that by all these maner of expressions and by the apparent words of the text the Lord Iesus himself and his Apostles teach vs that there is in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper a real absence of Christ. But Antichrist and his Apostles teach vs a real presence Now here is the doubt whether we shall beleeue Christ and his Apostles or Antichrist and his shauelings Christ and his Apostles teach vs a real absence they a real presence Certainly one of those most teach false But Christ and his Apostles they teach not false ergo the Pope and Prelats teach false doctrine and are not to be listned vnto Now from this supposition and opinion they haue brought in damnable idolatry worshipping of a peece of bread for the blessed Son of God Christ Iesus himself the worshipping of the cup and pixe communion tables Altars temples the name and Syllables of Iesus and infinit other trumperies making of one place more holy then an other But as the worst Nutmegs are commonly gilded ouer so the worst things are varnished ouer with finest names and compellations to say nothing of morall vices that carry the name of vertues But to the matter in hand all these abominable impietyes of will worship superstion human inuentions idolatry prophanesse of the Lords day must be vshered-in vnder the name of lawfull recreatious reuerence decency obedionce to the Church order c when indeed they bring in confusition and disorder both to the Lawes of God and the King and a profanation of his ordinances and execrable wickednesses all arising from the vaine conceit of a reall presence and the incitements of the deuill that desires to destroy the image and workmanship of God in all his works and ordinances and therefore suggests into his sworne seruants those rebells to the will of God which they can not obey thousand inuentious for the peruerting and corrupting of them because they can not altogether abolish them And if they should come which opon opposition and say let vs fall downe and worship the bread and wine or the crosse or table or alter or the Church for this is God they know that all men would then explode them and therefore being all for the most part not onely the Popes knights I meane fir Iohns bachellors of wicked arts but Masters of the black and deuillish art of deceiuing I say they pretend that Christ is there really present and therefore in honour to him they doe all this reuerence I know what they haue alwayes pretended for their wickednes but that must not suffice in things of this consequence aud in matters that concerne the worship of God where we looke for his expresse word for our rule oboue and beyond
THE ANSWER OF IOHN BASTWICK Doctor of Phisicke To the exceptions made against his Letany by A learned Gentleman WHICH IS Annexed to the Letany it selfe as Articles superadditionall against the PRELATS In the vvhich there is A full demonstration and proof of the Reall Absence of Christ in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper with the vanity and impiety of the Consecration of Temples Churches and Chapples ALSO The necessity of the perpetuall motion and circulation of worship if men be bound to bow the knees at the name of Jesus This is to follow the Letany as A second part thereof PRINTED In the yeare of Remembrance Anno 1637. THE SECOND PART OF THE LATENY OF IOHN BASTWICK Doctor of Phisick WORTHY SIR I Was sometime in a demurre whether I should answer any thing or no vnto the exceptions you made against my LETANY and had I not indeed heard from many that others also from your speeches conceiued something in it might well haue been omited who by that meanes began to haue a preiudicat opinion of my honest endeauours I should neuer haue vouchsafed to haue giuen a reason of my proceedings in that behalfe till I had been called in question But in regard of that I thought fit in the meane time in a few words to signifie vnto you that whatsoeuer you seeme to blame as either fauouring of rashnes or not so graue was of purpose put in by me and proceeded from no disguised distemper or vnadvisednes but from mature deliberation and very good reason And whatsoeuer you may thinke of it I hope among equall Iudges it can no wayes hurt the cause of any honest men nor procure trouble to me my onely ayme and end being the honour of God and the King and the generall good of this Kingdome Which I shall euer preferr before my owne life and well being Nay had I neuer so many liues I would willingly loose them all in the cause of either Neither do I suppose any wise men to be so shallow that if I should handle a good cause neuer so weakely or vnaduisedly that the truth it selfe should suffer for my deficiency or others fare the worse for my temerity God forbid that one mans fayling should any wayes proue fatall to all those that are innocent More charity I do conceiue yet dwels in the world then that the innocuous should suffer with the delinquent But now breifly to summe vp what you obiect against MY LETANY OBLIGATION and EPISTLE to the LADY You seemd to blame some three passages as not so graue but comicall others to hyperbolicall and sauouring of some virulency and in fine thinke that some others will be questionable as scandalous and somewhat dishonourable to the diuine Sacrament of Baptisme and the holy ordinance of Matrimony To all which I suppose among all rationall men I shall find no great difficulty to answer when I am called thereunto But in the meane time by way of preface I haue sent you the ensuing lines in the which I shall tell you and that vpon good grounds there is no iust cause why any should blame mee for mingling iocâ—â— serijs et seria iocis all scurrility and prophanesse being avoyded For there wants not presidents of this kind in sacred writ that in the most graue and waightiest matters it pleased the Prophets of old to vse ironicall speeches yea the holy Scriptures are full of them But not now to enumerat many let one at this time suffice to be specified Where the Prophet deridingly bids Bals Priests cry alowd for that their God might either be in a iourney or a sleep or talking with his freinds I pray was not this as deepe an Irony as any euer was and that in a serious businesse But to speak no more of that let vs looke into all the famous writers of all ages and you shall find that many of them haue vsed this method for the discouering and confuting of error and haue more confounded the aduersaries of the truth in a pleasant and merry way then with all the grauity they could euer vse I dare say the Papists themselues will tell you that ALAGVNDE that noble Gentleman did them more hurt with his Beehiue And two or three other such books mixing and contempering mirth with seriousnes theÌ„ the profoundest Doctor of that age with all the pouderosity of Arguments and solidest tractats Such delight change of writing brings that euen as the same meat dressed after a common maner is not so pleasing nor so delightfull to many that know the diuersity of tasts but cooked with some variety as some time with tart sometime with pleasant sauce doth conciliat an excellent appetit so the same truth diuersly set out and comming forth in a new fashion and something merrily makes more gazing after it then if it were in an ordinary graue matronly habit which vsually is not looked after Neither was it euer more seasonable then in this age where there is such plurality of mutations in all things Besides a Writer must looke at the condition of the people whose benefit he aymes at the variety of humors sexes and conditions and must so order things that they may please the most If grauity please not they may haue that which may make them merry If seriousnes on the other side sobriety be prized they may find no want of that neither there being both the one and the other so mingled together as they may take away nauciousnes and recreat the readers And this indeed is the best way of writing though nothing now a dayes can please all mens phantasies It was the counsell of the Fathers to write with diuersity of style in the same faith that the enimies of the Gospell and errors might the better be opposed and that the way of truth might the more easily be found out and falsity discouered an excellent meanes of which they conceiued to be the variety of styles and writing And so dayly experience teacheth vs. It is with many men in our dayes as it is with those that are stung with the Tarantula in Apulia who are cured by musick and that not with euery sort of musick but such onely as at that instant pleaseth their humour which the Musitian playes long many times before he can find out or light vpon and sometyme can neuer hit it so that many perish being sodainly stupisied and benummed with the poyson But if the fidler strike vpon that string that pleaseth their Phantasy then immediatly they dance and so continne till they fall downe out of wearinesse then keeping them very warme sweating them when they haue got new strength that they begin to stirr againe they likewise fall a playing the same lesson and they dance afresh and so by fits continue this exercise till they haue sweat-out all the malignancy and the venome and by this meanes and this onely they are cured Euen so I say in this age where there are so many stung with Popish
all which you thinke will be censured of vnad uisednes at least if not thought scandalous and punishable To this I answer first that by Bishops I vnderstand the Prelats and by Preists their owne creatures a generation vnknowne in the Church of Christ and by Deacons the vnder Preists in this Kingdome Officers of which the Scripture knoweth nothing likewise For the Deacons such as the Churches chose and were allowed by the Apostels they were men of grauity full of Faith and the Holy Ghost men of wisdome and good gouerment and honesty and were the treasures of the faithfull and the Church of God and distributed the liberalityes of the Saints amongst the poore indigent and necessitated brethren Now I know neuer a Deacon in England either guilty of any of those Vertues before specified or that was euer imployed in that Office or was thought fit to be trusted with the treasury of the poore or tooke the least care of them who ordinarily they trample vpon and most reprochfully abuse with the name of rascality So that such Deacons as I pray against are limbes of the Beast and the inferior order of shauelings such as ought to be spewed out of the Church as profitable for nothing but the increase of wickednes And for Bishops such as God appoynted I honour them and will mayntayne their dignity to the last drop of my bloud so far I am from praying against such Neither did I euer speake vnreuerently against the Kings Bishops and those that were apoynted as an Order in the State till they had in their open court renounced his authority and run themselues by that and many other notorious proceedings into a Praemunire and so had made themselues enemyes of his Prerogatiue royall and delinquents against his Maiestie and vnder his Highnesses displeasure as by the Statutes of the Kingdome they are proclamed to be and by the defenders of their proceedings in their Ecclesiasticall Courts who in a booke set forth by their common consent doe conclude all those in a Premunire that challenge their authority Iure diuino as the Pope and clergie of Rome which at this time they doe And for your better satisfaction looke in the Apology for proceedings in Courts Ecclesiasticall a booke made by the Prelats owne creatures and in the first chapter you shall see all the Prelats by their owne witnes in a Premunire and delinquents against his Maiestie in a high degree of contumacy And truely I thinke there was neuer such an affront put vpon regall dignity as on that day I was censured neuer such dishonour put vpon the Scriptures by such as would be thought Ministers of the word and the Bishops and Pastors of Christ neither were the scriptures euer more blasphemously abused thē they were at that time in their open assembly I shall briefly therefore tell you that dayes work of which there is a thousand witnesses as also of their impious words against the most sacred word of God and diuine oracles of holy writ by all which you will see I haue good reasō to call them ANTICHRISTS LITTLE TOES and to pray against them for they are as Disperatly impious equally to be detested of all such as truely feare the Lord and the King for if wee compare them together there will no disparity appeare between them they being euery way as malicious against the word of God and his deare seruants and as diametrally opposing regality as Antichrist himself But that all things may the more clearly be euidenced vnto you let mee tell you that dayes proceedings You must take notice that howsoeuer they had fained some triuiall articles against mee they were all by the generall consent of the Court thought so poore as they openly auerred they would not condemne mee for them so much the rather because those that had sworne to them were proued to be my capital enimyes and also in their depositions to haue sworne point blanck one against an other and like euill witnesses could not agree in swearing therefore they onely cōdemned mee for my booke which I writ in defence of the honor of Christ and his Kingdome and of the Kings most excellent Maiesties prerogatiue Royall and Supremacy against the Pope and Popish Bishops prouoked there vnto by a Papist to which duty I was bound both by the law of God the law of the land my speciall oath all which I alleged at the barre farthermore added that in writing against the Bishop of Rome I intented no such Bishops as acknowledge their autority from Kings and Emperors but onely those Bishops that vsurp autority ouer Kings and Emperors and their fellow brethren and the Church of God iure diuino and so I had prefaced in my book which also I openly read there And to speake the truth I looked for fauour and assistance in this combat from the Prelats neuer suspecting that they would haue been my enimyes for this endeauour especially I hauing also in that place alleged the Acts and Statutes establyshed by the publick consent of the whole Kingdome in which it was ratified that the Prelats haue all their autority and iurisdiction which they now exercise from the King as immediately deriued from him and to affirme the contrary is to be ipso facto an enimy of his crowne and dignity And as the Prelats were an order established by the King and state I was so farre from opposing them that I neuer impeached their dignity in the least thing in all the booke neither would I euer haue medled with them if they had kept that standing but they like the euill Angels out of pride not keeping their first station BVT OPENLY RENOVNCING THE KINGS AVTORITY and affirming that Iesus Christ made them Bishops and that the holy Ghost consecrated them and that they were Princes and had their thrones and that before Kings and all this iure diuino by all which they made mee their enimy they being delinquents against the King And because I had retified whatsoeuer I sayd in my booke by the word of God they as they had before renounced the Kings autority and barbarously reuiled mee for my paines most impiously likewise vilified the holy scripture Saying in their Sessions that they looked for some great matter in my booke finding mee so confident but more diligently reading of it they found nothing but scripture in it which was the refuge of all Schismaticks and Heriticks and that the Scripture could not be knowne to be Scripture but by the Fathers nor distinguished from the Apocriphd but by the Fathers nor the meaning of the scripture could not be knowne but by the Fathers and because the Fathers as they sayd were in their interpretation diuerse from mee which notwithstanding is not so therefore they condemned me But I pray are not all these blasphemous popish and damnable assertions could worse haue been forged in the very conclaue of hell Is not this I pray you to tell the Spirit of God to
but deuised seruice set vp in place of preaching an absolute neglect yea contempt of Christs command who sayes Goe preach or teach they say goe say Seruice and read prayers Insomuch that Cholmny a Patron of Rome writing in defence of that Synagouge against learned and reuerend Maister Henry Burton who in his answer to him againe Babell no Bethel gaue her such a blow and so coniured downe that Cacodemon that Cobler and tinker of Babell that she will neuer be able to outgrow it nor he to rise againe or put pen to paper I say Cholmny in the magnification of the goodnes of the Church of Rome and setting downe her priuileges affirmes that she was better prouided for of teachers and for preaching then the people of Wales here among vs. A fine commendations I promise you of England But let this by the by be spoke to the immortall honour of our Prelats that haue silenced all the preaching Ministers in those parts diuerse other he that sayd this may be beleued for he was one of the Prelats Sychophants Lamentable it is I say to see through the whole Kingdome how little teaching there is But I pray when they teach what teach they they teach for the most part prophanation of the Lords day Arminianisme obedience to the Church falsly so called human traditions obseruation of idle dayes and times setting vp of Organs and piping abstinence from meats and marriage whisten ales and May games Festiual times the observation of ceremonyes and the canons af the Prelats to bow and cap and make a curtsy at the name letters and Syllables of Iesus to crouch to the altar and cringe to the Communion table to turne their faces to the East to stand at the Creed and Gospell to kneele at the reading of the ten commandements to take notice of all those that pisse against Churches and that carry any burdens through them and to present them to beat downe the pews and stooles to make way to se the altars to come vp with reuerence to the cage and to worship the bread and wine to set the table altarwise to see their children be signed with the signe of the Crosse and that women come in decent carchets when they are Churched that the Surplice be cleanly and neatly whashed and that it be dayly put on as also the whood that they marry with the ring and that they be all reverently vncouered in the Church that holy place and that they leane not on the Comunion table nor write on it nor lay their hats nor books on it and a thousand such like fopperies and vaine inuentions are there vrged vpon the people all which things notwithstanding Christ neuer commanded and yet they are more strictly preached and vehemently insisted vpon and vrged then the obseruation of any of Gods commandements or of any holsome or sauing doctrine and to speake the truth most of their preachments are about these fooleries which Christ sent them not about and it is well knowne that the neglect of the meanest of these idle ceremonies is more seuerely punished in Minister people in their Courts then the preuarication of the whole law as by woefull and dayly experience we are taught Neither can any man deny what I say to be true So that religion now consists in nothing but in ceremonies outward obseruations munchy tricks and the preaching of the Preists and Prelats is nothing but downe with the Gospell and up with Popery as fast as may be deplorable indeed are our times and great contempt there is now of the Gospell and vshering in of nouelties and innouations I beseech you what could be done more at Rome But if I should run through all whereas I thought to haue writ but a few lines onely I should make a volume and too much weary you Yet I must now craue pardon in one thing more that you would giue mee a little liberty and soe much the rather because it is a matter of great concequence and the cause of all superstition all most and idolatry and the occasion of the greatest breach of vnion amongst Christians which was giuen and appoynted by Christ him selfe for one of the greatest tyes and bands of concord loue Charity and peace among them and that is the Supper of the Lord which was the deuills craft and subtlety so to bring things about Let vs now see in that what Christ and the apostles did and taught concerning this mystery whose example we haue precept to imitate and what the Pope Preists and Prelats in our Age doe in it and what mischeife hath come vpon the Church of God by the leauing of Christs and the Apostles example and following Antichrist and his disciples First therefore to speake of the gesture It is sayd that Christ and all his apostles in the celebration of the supper sate So it is in the originall and so in all translations that euer I yet read and most cartaine it is they vsed a table gesture but whatsoeuer it was that was then in vse whether leaning lying standing sitting kneeling it was not and that all men that euer I conferred with about this or euer read accord to Now the Pope and the Prelats haue altered this gesture and bring-in kneeling a posture of adoration a strange innouation and a gesture that neuer was vsed at the celibration of any Sacrament And truely in my opinion it is a great temerity among Christians to leaue the ordinary examples of Christ and his apostles and follow extraordinary of Antichrist and his disciples especially when we are commanded by Paul himself 1. Cor chap. 11. to be followers of him euen as he is of Christ And this in the very chapter where he speaketh of the institution of the supper of the Lord. And in the fourth to the Philip the apostle sayth in these expresse termes those things which yee haue both learned and receiued and heard and seene in mee doe and the God of peace shall be with you Here the example of the Apostle is set before vs and peace promised vnto vs if wee imitate him in it Shall we therefore leaue the example of Christ and the Apostles in the gesture of receiuing and administration of the supper of the Lord and take vp the example of Antichrist from whom we ought to be vnlike in all things And to speake the truth kneeling of all other postures least agrees to the action of a supper or a feast neither was such a gesture euer vsed in ordinary or extraordinary feastings Let vs look back to all the Sacraments likewise of the old Testament the Passeouer it self which where the same with ours for the apostle in 1. Corinthians 10. telleth vs that they in them eate the same spirituall meat and drank the same spirituall drink that wee doe in ours there was in them all a heauenly holy banket and refreshing and Christ was as really there present as in ours and as great a preparation was to be
made there and as great reuerence to be vsed as in ours and there was but this difference in them that the one set forth Christ to come and to be crucified and the other set forth Christ now dead and rose againe and in heauen but I say for the substance they were all one and the beleeuing Israelits were as really made partakers of Christ and all his merits in their Sacraments as we in ours and he as really present there as in ours and yet I say they vsed no posture of adooration in it neither was that gesture euer vsed in the administration of Baptisme where Christ is also as much present as in the Lords supper and that Sacrament also was honoured with the visible presence of the holy Ghost and the voice of God the Father the greatest miracle that euer was and the most certaine reall presence that euer we reade of in scripture was in that and this also is such a Sacrament and of such necessity as without which the aduersaries say there is no saluation neither can they deny but Christ is as really preseṅt there as in the supper yet this sacrament is administred by all the aduersaries themselues standing without the posture of veneration and yet they dare not say they baptise vnreuerently why then I beseech you do we vse a gesture of more reuerence at the one Sacrament then at an other when they are equally to be reuerenced or why should we leaue the example of Christ and his apostles in the one and follow Antichrists this I must confesse I see no ground of neither in reason nor in Scripture I haue read that when Gods owne Ordinances came to be abused to Idolatry they were then abolished and it was well pleasing vnto God And I am fully perswaded if that kneeling had been the gesture in Christs time in their ordinary repasts and meales and that Christ himselfe with his Apostles had kneeled in the receiuing of that last Supper yet if afterwards it should haue been abused to idolatry and haue giuen an occasion of much dishonour to God and scandall to the bretheren I say I am confident it would haue been well pleasing vnto the Lord to haue left it and vsed an other But when neither Christ nor his Apostles vsed this gesture of veneration in receiuing of the Lords Supper and it hath been an occasion of great Idolatry yea the greatest that euer was and is also a cause still of infinite dishonour to God and scandall to the weake and strengthning to the wicked idolaters in their courses I affirme and that vpon most excellent reason that this gesture ought now to be left and declined in the celebrating of that holy Ordinance But it hath indeed euer been the policy of the deuill to corrupt the best things He laboured first to bring the people to a profanation of this ordinance and whereas they met together to reioyce in remembrance that Christ dyed for them and was risen againe to free and deliuer them from death they in their reioycing began to exceed moderation and to dishonour God in the abuse of his creatures Sainct Paull therefore to preuent this writes vnto them reproues them for this so great abuse and tels them that such disorder brought a Iudgment vpon them rather then ablessing and wished them to examine themselues and to take notice that it was an ordinance of God himselfe setting forth the death and passion of Christ and the great deliuerance they had by it from the captiuity and slauery of sin and Satan and that as they were redeemed by his death and sufferings from that seruitude to be the seruants of Christ and not to be any longer at the slauery of the Deuill and to doe his workes by disordering themselues so they should prepare themselues remoue wickednes out of their hearts and actions should come with true thankefulnes vnfeined faith and true loue towards God charity towards their neibour with all sanctified affections vnto his holy ordinance that so they might procure a blessing vpon themselues by it and not bring downe iudgments vpon their heads by their inordinat carriage there and this was all the Apostle aymes at in that chapter must we therefore by and by think because the apostle reproues them of irreuerence and disorder therefore he doth licence Idolatry and the worship of the bread and wine as we say in our cōmon discourse there is a difference between staring and starke mad so there is a great deale of difference betweene reverence and Idolatry the one is by the Apostle indeed in this chapter commanded the other in the tenth chapter as highly displeasing vnto God is abominated But I would very faine know of our great Masters what they thinke of Christs and the apostles gesture of sitting where they reuerent or no I demand I hope they will not say vnreuerent will they then presume to be more reuerent then Christ and his disciples away with such hypocrisy and abominable blasphemy then we well perceiue that there may be reuerence in the Sacrament where there is no kneeling And yet these hypocrits call it vnreuerent setting vpon their tayles and make it an article in their Courts for the vndoing of many thousands a damnable wickednes against God and their brethren And without all doubt Paul that reuealed the whole will of God vnto the faithfull and in setting forth vnto the Corinthians the institution of the Supper of the Lord as he had receiued it from Christ himself now reprouing thē also for their vnreuerent comming vnto it and profanation of that holy ordinance if kneeling and bodily veneration had been a gesture fit for that action and would haue made more for the reuerent receiuing or the honouring of God in it he hauing now so good an opportunity would haue put them in mind of it nay he would haue inioyned them to haue vsed kneeling allwayes in receiuing vnles we will thinke Paul was not so carefull to prouide for the reuerent receiuing of the Sacrament as Antichrist and his disciples which were rashenesse to imagin But of kneeling there is altum silentium not a word the apostle leaues them still to their table gesture forewarning them onely of prophanesse and inconsideration of those misteries But behold in this thing also the deceit and craft of that old Serpent the deuill seing the Apostle had preuented his purpose in bringing in the profanation of the supper of the Lord this most excellent help for the edification of them in their most holy faith and well perceiuing that all his possibelity of working that stratagem was taken away and he was now disappoynted of his purpose he goes then an other way to worke and seeing he could not haue his will that way hee resolued to haue it an other and therefore brings-in a contrary extreme worshipping of the bread and wine for Christ himself the greatest and fearfullest idolatry that euer was in the world But for the
which to be wise is contrary to the will of God Therefore if any man will propound vnto vs a way to worship God let them produce his word to conuince vs of his pleasure otherwise it is but will-worship which he abhorres as we see in the 2 of the Colossians And to serue him according to mens precepts is to worship him in vaine Matth. 15 If they could once againe bring-in the twilight of ignorance then perhaps they may make the simple beleeue that bladders are Lanthornes but so long as the light of Gods word shineth yet so clearly for which wee hartily blesse and praise his holy name they cannot so easily delude vs and make vs take apples for oysters We caÌ„ yet distinguish between truth aud error and see all they doe is but meere iug lings and the tricks of Munntibanks For we know that Christ is in heauen really and no where els in his human nature neither are wee to beleeue them that say Christ is here or there Wee know also that Christ is no more in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper then he hath been in other Sacraments in the old testament and in the Sacrament of Baptisme nor more in either of all then in the preaching of the word or in any other of his holy ordinances as in priuat meetings of the Saints gathered together in his name and with all priuate Christians walking in faith and obedience to his commandements To all which hee hath giuen many gracious promises that wheresoeuer two or three be gathered together there he will be with them Calling them 2. Cor. 6. the Temple of the liuing God and saying I will dwell in them and walk in them and will be their God and they shall be my people and that he will be a father vnto them and they shall be his sons and danghters So that with greater right they may challenge veneration then stocks and blocks and woodden things For they that are indeed the temple of the holy Ghost and in whom Christ dwells except they bee reprobates in them there is as much reall presence as is in the sacraments which are but seales of the promises and follow them insomuch that a man may be saued with out the sacraments but not without the word mingled with faith of which they are but signes and seales Againe for the word it self of real presence it is the language of the beast so to speake and howsoeuer they haue forced vs sometime to vse it yet I hope we shall in time abdicate it and all other solecismes of that animal neuertheles by that tearme when we do vse it we vnderstand no more but that God by his Spirit which is the Comforter and which Christ sent in his absence to illuminat the blind and direct the faithfull and bring them into the way of truth doth assist his in all that is good and in all godly vndertakings and holy meetings in his name and that the blessed Trinity doth approue of their endeauours seconding them in it goe along with them to the end and sends them away with a benediction and comfort here and preserues them in all their wayes and assisteth them and after crownes them which eternall glory for he is with them to the end and in the end And so the blessed promises of God are to be vnderstood when he sayth he will be with his and that he is at hand and in them which is all one as to say that in their will doings he approueth of them and will protect them and euer assist them with his particuler preseruation and blessing and doth allow of them so doing in a singular maner According to that of Paul writing to the Corinthians about the incestuous person being gathered together though absent saith he I present in spirit 1. Cor. 5. as much as if he had sayd you haue my warrant for what you doe I allow of it as if I were there present You haue my approbation I am of the same mind with you So that Paul saying though absent I present in spirit doth not establish a real presence of Paul among the Corinthians but his approbation onely and liking of their godly prooceedings And in the very same maner are the blessed promises now specified to be vnderstood conserning Christs reall presence But to faine any other reall presence that Christ should be more on the Communion table or alter then in the Font or belfore or other part of the Church then in any other place where the faithfull are in his name gathered together therfor that more veneration is to be giuen to those places or reuerence vsed is mere superstion yea palpable idolatry to worship the creature for the creator an abominable and crying sinne and therefore these impostors do egregiously abuse the poore people in putting such things into their heads as to thinke one place more holy then an other whether it be table alter font Church or Church-yard and very reason might conuince these men of idlenesse yea madnes if they were not infatuated For if the Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper were not to be worshipped not lift by Christ vnto the Church for that end then much lesse the place where the Sacraments are or lye ought not to be worshipped But we know that the Sacraments were onely appoynted for seales and remembrances of absence and not of presence as the scripture it self teacheth therefore they most impiously delude the people in making them yeild deuine veneration to senslesse things because the Sacraments are celebrated in or vpon them Besides that which is a meer inuention of mans owne braine and hath been an horrible idol in Gods seruice and is yet an idol ought not to be tolerated in the Church of God but to be abominated of all men that truely feare the Lord but all well informed Christians know that altars haue been and are idols and therefore they ought euer to be abhorred and cast out as idols out of the house of God and all table worship alter worship or any creature worship is contrary to the second commandement and is detestable idolatry Againe to put any holynesse more in one place then in an other and to think nothing holy but that which hath been confecrated with bell booke and candle is great impiety against Christ not far from blasphemy For we reade in the fourth of Iohn in the one and twentyeth verse Christ himself taking away all discrimination of places in the worship of God makes one place as holy and fit as an other for his seruice and worship saying you shall neither in this mountaine nor yet at Ierusalem worship the father As much as if he had sayd my worship shall be â—yed now to no place nor country any more but all places and countryes I haue now consecrated to my seruice and euery place shall hereafter be as holy as Ierusalem according to the prophecy of Malachi the 1. ver 11 for from the
all times As the command that sayes thou shalt loue the Lord thy God with all thy heart aud with all thy soule and with all thy strength binds semper ad semper and the neglect of our loue and duty at any time is a sinne The second command binds likewise that we should not make to our selues any grauen image or the likenes of any thing in heauen aboue or in the earth beneath and that we should not bow downe to it nor worship it This command also binds semper ad semper and the violating of it at any time is a great sinne against allmighty God and without repentance brings eternall misery The same may be said of the 3 and 4 commandements of taking the name of God in vayne and keeping holy the Sabbath day and of all the rest of the commandements Now I say if these words to the Philippians be a command as the Prelats would haue it then it is of the same nature with the rest So that the worship there prescribed and set downe and that worship onely is to be performed and not such worship and seruice as the Prelats would frame For God that requires worship from vs will haue it after his owne way likewise and will not be serued after mens phansies which he abominates So that if an externall and corporall worship be to be giuen at the name of Iesus as they say it must then be bowing of the knees and the confession with the mouth for the words are thus Set downe at the name of Iesus euesy knee shall bow and euery tongue shall confesse c. so that the very instruments by which this worship should be performed are set downe viz the knees and the tongue How is it then when the Lord hath so precisely set downe the instruments of this worship and the maner of it that the Prelats are yet so blind that they see them not in the Text or so willfull that they will not follow it at the name of Iesus saith the text euery knee shall bow and the Prelats in obedience to this command put vp their fingers to their FOVRE-SQVARE COWTVRDS and giue him a nod with the head and all this I auerre is their owne worship not Gods God doth not bid them bow their fingers to their form alityes but the text sayes expresly that at the name of Iesus euery knee shall bow this is the seruice outward and corporall and this onely that is by that text required if any And the truth is it is a mockery of God in the Prelats so to doe If a King should command a subiect to yeild him his hand to help him and if he should giue his foot would not such a fellow be keckt out of the Court and most worthily Paul in an other Epistle bids men lift vp pure hands and hearts in all places praying vnto God Now if one going to pray should lift vp his heeles and kecke vp his legs because Paul commands men praying to lift vp pure hands and hearts would not this fellow be condemned of prophanesse among all mē be thought a scorner of religion worthy of seuere punishmeut so to abuse the Scripture in this very manor doe the Prelats mock God for the reuerence that they performe is redeculous and such as the text commands not For that sayth not put of your hats or caps or nodd your head and make a leg no such businesse I promise you doth that require but explicitly sayes at the name of Iesus euery knee shall bow So that if the Prelats will either doe that themselues or enioyne others to doe it that is commanded in that place they must fall downe vpon their knees or at least make a curtsy as often as the word and sound Iesus comes to their eares making of a leg and putting of their caps or nodding with the head is no obeying of that command neither is it required of them but that their knes should bow not one in making of a legg for that is not to obey the commaundement neither but both for the text sayth at the name of Iesus euery knees shall bow and thus to obey Pauls commaund I neuer saw any Preist or Prelat to this day so that as yet they liue and continue in disobedience to it aud bring-in a commaund of their owne which they put vpon the people and the neglect or transgression of the which they punish with the ruine and vndoing of many a great wickednes in them to neglect the commaunds of God and vrge their owne traditions aboue them Besides if this be a command it is not sufficient onely in the Church to doe this but it must be done in all places at all times without limitation wheresoeuer whensoeuer the name of Iesus soundeth whether in Church or house court or country street or feild whether in preaching or reading whether in cursing or rayling banning or swearing euery body must fall vpon their knees or make a curtsy for the text sayth at the name of Iesus euery knee shall bow so the commandement runneth with out restriction AND THIS ALSO HAVE NEITHER PREISTS NOR PRELATS YET EVER DONE but liue and dye in the breach of this command which they so vnmercifully punish others for And were it so that at the name of IESVS the Prelats did fall downe vpon their knees or make an humble curtsy according to the commaund they had yet done but halfe seruice which is as bad as none God calls for whole seruice he will not be serued to the halues Now the text that sayth at the name of Iesus euery knee shall bow the same text also sayth that at the name of Iesus euery tongue shall confesse that Iesus Christ is the Lord to the glory of God the father So that there is an outward orall and audible confession to be made with the mouth as well as an outward bowing with the knees and the one is as necessary as much to be vrged as the other for in the text they are both ioyned together and that which God hath joyned together I desire that the Prelats would not be so bold as to seperate least they be found guilty of the same crime of which they sometimes insimulat the Papists for they accuse them of Sacrilege for taking away the cup from the people which the Lord notwithstanding hath ioyned with the bread Now if it be sacrilege in the Papists to keepe the cup from the people as damnable sacrilege it is indeed and to be abhorred of all men It is greater impiety and sacrilege in the Prelats to rob God himselfe of a part of his worship and which in expresse words he challengeth and therefore in them to seperat the confession of the mouth part of the worship that is there required from the other of the knees especially when it is sayd with the mouth man confesseth to Saluation is without doubt a crying sacrilege and impudent temerity for what God
hath ioyned together let no man separat Now most cleare and euident it is that the confession of the mouth and that of the whole congregation is as much required at the name of Iesus as corporall and externall bowing of the knee and if the neglect of the one be a sin and deserue punishment the neglect of the other is a sinne and deserueth punishment also and for the confession with the mouth to be ioyned with the bowing of the knee at the name of Iesus it was neuer yet practised in the world nor can possibly be without such confusion as neuer was brought into the Church and such a perpetuall bondage to all Christians as that of the Iews was nothing to it For first what an interruption of all duties would there be if at the name of Iesus as often as it sounds the whole congregation should cry out a lowd in the assembly Iesus Christ is the Lord. I say it would perturbat and interrupt all holy dutyes and fill the world with confusion Now God is a God of order and not of confusion and therefore the holy Ghost by those words neuer intended any outward bodily bowing or orall confession at all which as I sayd would not bring-in confusion onely but vnsupportable bondage yea a continuation and an ineuitable circulation of worship which may be called the cyclopedia of the Prelats for at the name of Iesus we must bow and at the name of Iesus likewise we are cōmanded to confesse aloud that Iesus is the Lord and this orall confession calls for a new bowing and that bowing for a new confession so that the one cannot be without the other and hauing once made a beginning they must goe on without cessation and this doth necessarily follow from the text if it be a command and if the words be to vnderstood and taken as they sound for if bodyly bowing be required then outward confession also at the name of Iesus is required and if the one then the other if not both then neither So that if it be a command as the Prelats will have it they haue euer liued in the open breach of it for I neuer heard them yet at the name of Iesus with their mouthes confesse alowd in the congregation that Iesus was the Lord and therefore for them to liue in the apparent breach of this soe graat a commandement it is a great impiety and to serue God onely with quarter seruice and horrible hypocrisie and disobedience Wherefore I would perswade them for time to come to leaue off to peruert the holy Scripture by putting salse glosses vpon it and laying burdens vpon mens shoulders which they will not touch with one of their little fingers or els they may surely looke that the Lord will seuerely punish their damnable hypocrisy wickednesse cruell tyranny they exersice ouer their brethren For can there be a greater impiety then this for what God commands them by example and precept as they themselues confesse that they will not doe What he forbids them that they will doe He sayes at the name of Iesus euery tongue shall confesse alowd that Iesus is the Lord to the glory of God the father and that they should bow both their knees But this command they haue neuer yet obeyed He bids them feed his sheep as they loue him and sent them for that purpose they neither feed his sheep nor will let others feed then He bids them learne of him to be humble and meeke and that they should not seeke the first places and highest roomes in assemblyes They affect nothing but state POMPE GREATNES PREEMINENCE AND PRECEDENCY BEFORE OTHERS Christ also forbids them to be Lords of his inheritance and to exercise autority ouer their brethren and tells then plainly that they must imitate him who came to serue and not to be serued as formerly also he by his owne example had instructed them flying from those that would haue put worldly dignity and honour vpon him refusing to be a Iudge and diuider of the inheritance and openly before Pilat renounced secular power and autority Notwithstanding the Pope and Prelats rebelling against Christs commands and prohibition exercise as great yea greater autority and domination ouer their poore brethren then any secular Princes and Lords do captiuating them at their pleasure not onely iudging of them dayly and diuiding their inheritances but giuing away all they haue and their very soules to the deuill to the vndoing of them their wiues and children and that for doing their duty which is the greatest tyranny that euer was exercised in the world And as they exercise more then a Lordly power and authority ouer their poore brethren so they are attended like the Lords and Princes of the earth with mighty retinues and are carryed in coaches with foure or six horses a peece in them when a wheele barrow such as they trundle white wine vineger about the towne were a great deale fitter for them I wosse so little honour they deserue for their seruice towards God or the King and for the good to the Church and State of all which they are the cursed enemies who thinke nothing that Christ did or spake reuerent timely or orderly but it must be either altered or neglected or absolutly reiected by them and abiured and howsoeuer he inioines them to teach or preach nothing to the people to be obserued but what hee gaue them in commission yet neuertheles they preach and vrge little other but their owne conceits superstitions and vainest and idlest ceremonyes aud howsoeuer Christ strickly forbad them to be Lords ouer his flook as I sayd before yet they boldly tell him to his face if he should be obeyed in that there could be no gouerment and those that would vrge the necessity of his commaunds vpon the Ministers of the Gospell they labour to ouerthrow Monarchies and all regality and therefore they being a little wiser aud knowing better what belongs vnto the managing of the Church and States they thinke it very fit to take autority and domination into their hands and to obtrude their owne lawes vpon their brethren and with greater seuerity and rigor exact the obseruation of them and with more bitter seuerityes punish the meanest neglect of them then the breach of all Gods commandements and this you cannot deny by all which proceedings of theirs it is more then apparent that the Prelats and their confederats are enimyes of Christ and of his Kingdome and therefore by all such as loue him and his glorious appearing ought to be prayed against And so farre am I from thinking my self in an error in desiring deliuerance from them that I desire that all would ioyne with mee in the same LETANY feruently and vncessantly praying From plague pestilence and famin from BISHOPS PREISTS AND DEACONS GOOD LORD DELIVER VS by the agony and bloudy sweat by the crosse and passion FROM BISHOPS PREISTS AND DEACONS GOOD LORD deliuer vs. By the precious death