Sacred Ordinance who hath given a power and charge to Kings to suppresse all such Ecclesiasticall Tyranny over the soules of his people And whereas they say the Royall Office is the Sacred Ordinance of God we all acknowledge it and that this Ordinance of God comprehends in it not onely the institution of the Superiority of Kings over their people but their Speciall office of Government as it is limited and establishâ—d upon those Laws and Covenants and Conditions agreed upon between the Prince and People These are a Speciall part of thy Divine Ordinance that Kings should governe by a Law as Deut 17. 18 19 20. Pro. 31. 5. and that they should inviolably keep those Oathes and Covenants that they have solemnly made with their people And therefore they which perswade Kings that they are no way bounâ— but have liberty to rule as they list by an independent Prerogative these are they that are traytors both to God and to the King and to the Realme and to the peace and prosperity thereof For the Fourth For Subjects not to beare Armes against their King offensive or defensive upon any pretence whatsoever as being a resiâ—â—ing of the Powers Ordained of God First we hold that no private person ought to take up armes against his Prince but Secondly if a King maintaine a Faction about him which goe about to oppresse â—s whole Kingdome and People in their Lawâ— and Libertiâ—s and most of all in the true Religion so as he will not rule them by the good Laws of the Kindome but seeks to make all his Subjects Slavâ—s by bringing their soules Bodies estates 〈◊〉 a miserable bondage is it not now high time for the whole State either to labour to heale the breach or if necessity when there is no other remedy to stand up is one man to defend themselves and their Countrey untill the Faction shal be 〈◊〉 casheâ—ed and so the King reforme himselfe and renew 〈◊〉 Covenant and 〈◊〉 of the Kingdome to the good and just 〈◊〉 of the People And wheras â—i is point trencheth upon the Scots at this time what doe they stand upon but in the first place to free their Religion from Antichristan usurpaâ—on 〈…〉 * 〈…〉 which otherwise by 〈◊〉 and Tyranny would be brought to 〈◊〉 And for the Fâ—st and last that all Ministers doe declare this Consatution of the power of Kings to the people yearely Ought not Ministers to consider that they are also members of the Common-wealth and live under the Law thereof And being Subjects ought they not to teach the people that they love and hâ—nour the King and chearefully pay all such taxes as by Law are due unto him forasmuch as we all live under a Law And 〈◊〉 the other side ought not all Court-preachers to tell the 〈…〉 christian and Lawlesse Government And this ô Lord we conceive of this first Constitution so farre as we are able to apprehend committing the whole judgement thereof to thy unerâ—ing wisdome The Second is For the better keeping holy the day of his Majesties most happy Inauguration Ah Lord can this be to the honour of our King when the annuall memory of his Inauguration is saine to be forced What Canon or Constitution is for the continuation of the joyfull memory of Queen Elizabeth of ever blessed memory which yet to this day ceaseth not But o that our King would consider that word of thine * Those that honour me I will honour and they 〈…〉 and then they might have spared this Canon for the Kingâ—s day No no if these things be not reformed a ‡ blacke day is hastening on a pace as thou ô Lord hast threatned in thy word for such Sinnes And with thee there is no respect of persons ‡ King Iehâ—jachim lived without being desired and had the 〈◊〉 of an Asse and it was written upon him write this man childlesse A man that â—hâ—ll not presper in the Earth nor should be lamented being dead nor should any of iâ— Seed prosper after him O how terrible art thou ô Lord to proud and obstinate Sinners when not Kings Crowns and Scepters can secure of defend them from thy just hand And how fearefull a judgement is that when thou § powrest contempt upon Princes and weakenesâ— the power of the mighty The Third Canon is For suppressing of the growth of Popery O Lord dost thou not see in this whole long Canon the naked hypocrisie of this Synod clothing it selfe with many same figleaves of pious pretences forsooth for the suppressing of Popery Yea Lord their â—ypocrisie is so palpâ—ble herein that all the world sees that this Constitution was purposely made to blind the eyes of the simple in these stirring times wherin they see their Popish practises to grow into such hatred and detestation with all the Kings good Subjects What other but these practises have been the coâ—les that have kindled the fire in our neighbour to make the greater report but without shot in so hotly assaulting the Tower of Babel because in so doing it may make the world beleeve that contrary to the Doctrine of Canterbury there is no Salvâ—tion for Papists out of the Church of England and then let all Court Papists looke to it and withall the President must 〈◊〉 a great part of his Relation which he hath written in favour of Papists especially 〈◊〉 silly and ignorant to whom he grants Salvation in their Râ—â—igion he must also retract his Saying that the Church of England and of Rome are one and the same Church and hold one Faith and Religion undifferent he must also 〈◊〉 that wherein he assemeth with his Iesuite * that none â—â—ght to come to the English Church then and there in that manner to worship God that is resolved of the truth of the Roman Church or to the like effect and the Relator himself holds the truth of the Roman Church for he affirmeth it to be a true Church With many other new leaves which he must turne over upon this suddaine motion of suppressing the growth of Popery which if cordiall they should first have rid all Churches from Images Crucifixes 〈◊〉 Altars and the like least in bringing Papists to Church they should but change their Latine Popery into English Popery And now ô Lord we beseech thee to judge of the hypocrisie of this selfe-styled Sacred Synod which under a pretence of suppressing the growth of Popery doe indeed supplant the true Faith and Religion amongst us that so instead thereof they may at length as fast as they can set Idolatry up in her throne and full 〈◊〉 For besides all this that is said have they not set out many notorious Popish Books as that called the Femall Glory which makes the blessed Virgin to be a Goddesse to be adored and called upon or prayed unto the whole Booke being a very packe of Idolatry throughout and set out in English and allowed by one of the Prime Prelates Chapleins So
his People most ready to yeeld him all manner of necessary due Support yea abundant more then necessary Yet Neverthelesse Subjects have not onely possession of c. Againe what assurance of true and just right title and property to and in all their goods and estates can this their Canon as it were by Canon-Law make unto the Subjects of England when all then practises both in the Ecclesiasticall and Civill Government are such such the courses of their Courts whether Ecclesiasticall or mixt as consisting of Ecclesiasticall and Civil Judges together but still where the Ecclesiasticall beare the maine Sway even there where they be fewest in number such their usurped illegall extravagant power such terrible Precedents filed up in their Courts which stand for Laws and ruled Cases for all that come after and the like as no Subject in the Kingdome can secure himselfe that any one thing or all that he possesseth are his owne For the best and surest Tenure by which every free-borne Subject holds the right and propriety of his goods is the Law of the Land But let the Subject be brought into one of their Ecclâ—siasticall Courts as aforesaid whether into their High-Commission or other Courts where the Arch-prelates sit party Iudges and be his cause never so just never so innocent never so cleare as against which no Law of the Land doth lye yet first of all in those Courts he cannot have any benefit of the Law at all and consequently where those Ecclesiasticall Judges set their Fangs they will teare a man out of all his estâ—â—e yea out of his Skin and pull his flesh from his back and breake him and his all in pieces So as at those Boards where these harpies sit against whomsoever complaints are served in being such especially as wheâ— the Ecclâ—siasticall teeth against them how quickly shall they and their whole estates be swallowed up as it were at one morsell And to the end that the Civil State may be subservient to the Ecclesiasticke these Ecclesiasticks have their care in every bâ—â—te and their finger in every pye where any thing may be pluckt from the Subject by hocke or by crooke that so as their Ecclesiastick Government is Tyrannicall so they may advance the Civil to hold correspondence with it So as now the whole Government taken together is reduced to certaine Tallâ—s even as all Religion is served up upon a Court-Cuâ—bord at the end of the Chanâ—cel wherof anone And as is noted before which least it be forgotten we mention againe whatever Conclusions or Orders are made at those Tables or Boards â—e they never so foule and shamefull they are fixed and filed up for perpetuall Laws in all such cases for time to come yea and when they please where they want a Precedent for some extraordinary feat to be done they can with a wet finger make a new Law for it Hereof if we take but a few instances it will easily appeare what truth there is in the words of this Canon which seem to give to the Subject what ever right and title and true property of estate doth or can belong unto them For first we have late Precedents to shew that no Freeman of London after he hath served his yeares and set up his Trade can be sure long to injoy the Liberty of his Trade but either he is forbidden longer to use it or is forced at length with the rest of his trade to purchase it as a Monopolie at a deare rate which they and all the Kingdome pay for Witnesse the Sope-businesse Againe no Doctor and practitioner in Physicke is sure to hold his Profession whereby he and his should live when once he comes into the High Commission Witnesse Dr. Bastwicks case Item no Minister is sure to hold his free-hold his Benefice which is by Law his freehold if once he be quarrelled in the High Commission yea or in other inferiour Ecclesiasticall Courts Witnesse manifold Precedents in the Land Item none can be sure that his goods are his owne when all and more then all are taken from 〈…〉 Witnesse Mr Henry Buâ—ton one of the foresaid three Item none can be sure of his right and title propriety and interest which the Divine Law and Sacred Ordinance of God hath given a man in his own Wife but that one of these Boards shall 〈…〉 him as by vertue thereof being confined to perpetuall 〈◊〉 prison his Wife shal be perpetually seperated from him so as if she shall dare to hazzard her life in a farâ—e â—ourney by Sea which She would doe to have but a sight oâ— her Husbands face she must be sent Prisoner backe againe Witnesse the case both of Dr Bastwâ—cke and Mr Burton aforesaid Many more instances might be brought But these Summed up together let any English Subject now resolve what assurance oâ—true and just â—ight title and property to and in all their goods and estates or in any of the particular instances forespecified this false and wicked Canon can give him Let him be but brought before one of these Boards and he shal be stript of all They will pretend this and that I wot not what heâ—nous crime 〈…〉 as they did against those three aforesaid when they could not prove any such thing And Mr Burtons Case in particular being a Minister was so cleare his defensive Answere being orderly admitted in Court and before the day of 〈◊〉 by the Courts order expanged by two of the Judges oâ— that Court as Impertinent and Scandalous as they could object nothing against him at the Censure but proceed against him Pro Confessâ— all his fault being his refusaâ—l to answere 〈◊〉 Interrogatories which if he had done he had betrayed his Cause and layd both it and himselfe open to the just lash of the Court by assenting to the condemnation of his innocent Cause before it was heard Which one Example well weighed what Cause so innocent so just can look to escape Scot free But thus we see ö Lord and thou better seest what truth these Canonists have in them whose words pretend all right to the Subject and whose deeds doe practise the bringing of all mens soules bodies and estates under the yoake of an universall Tyranny To proceed For the third the setting up of an independent coactive power Papall or popular which undermines they say the Royall Office and cunningly overthrows the sacred ordinance of Godthis being meant of the State of Religion if it be Papall it is altogether unlawfull as being Antichristian but being according to thy word every Christian State is bound to 〈◊〉 it up and maintaine it and no Christian King ought to hinder or oppose it But as for all Pre 〈…〉 it is meerly Papall and Antichristian though not in the first degree the Pope usurping an universall power over all the Churches in the world yet in a second Every Prelate in his Diocese exercising a Papall power and so doth cunningly undermine the Royall Office and overthrew Gods
also a Booke of one Shelford Priest whose 5 Treatises are notorious grosse popery with many other of the same branne or meale which have been published by Authority and never any of them yet called in And some that have been called in as Cozens Orisons and Salis his Devotions and others yet go currant up and down and are in every Papists pocket Now if these holy men of this Sacred Synod had intended indeed to suppresse the growth of Popery they should have caused heaps of bonefires to be made of the Bookes in Smithfield But in all things touching this point how ridiculously and palpably they have discovered their hypocrisie especially the President and Father of the Synod doe thou ô Lord judge The Fourth Canon is Against Socinianisme Behold here Lord another devise to set simples a wondering what this Monster Sociâ—â—isine should be which most men in England never so much as once heard named before and which England I hopeâ— is free enough from unlesse a certaine neighbour to it which they call â—rminianisâ—ne doe not hale it in as it hath done many other Heresiâ—s For as for the Remonsirants or Aâ—minians they professe society and communion with the Socimans rather then with the Orthodox Protestants whom they call Caâ—vinists Yea and in sundry of their Heresies they border neare upon them as maintaining Iustification by works and that we are not bound to beleeve that we shall rise againe with these our bodies glorified and the like So as doth not the Synod mistake the name Should they not have said against Arminianisme Or perhaps they name the Damnable and Cursed Heresie of Socinianisme both because they would make the people beleeve it is that which hath so much been cryed downe by Preachers under the Name of Arminianisme and yet they will save Arminianisme harmelesse to which they have been so much beholden and also because Arminianisme doth in many things Symbolize with Sccinianisme under which it may the more easily lye hid But for Arminianisine sake the President hath in a Declaration in the Kings Name before the 39 Articles made the Articles touching Grace Election Predestination c. to speake aswell in favour of it as of the truth it selfe Or would they prevent the contagion of Socinianisme as also of Arminianisme Call in those Orders which restraine young students in the Vniversitie for reading our Protestant Authors The Fifth Canon Against Sectaries In this Canon they name Seperatists whom especially they meane as indeavouring as they say the subversion of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England on these they lay load in good earnest indeed and on all those that shall print or publish Bookes especially against the Discipline and Government of the Church of England This is indeed their faire Goddesse Diana of which these Craftsmen who get their great Incomes by her are so jealous and doe so furiously thunder against the opposites And surely ô Lord if thou dost not at this time helpe they poore people who cannot with a good Conscience if but rightly informed hold communion with these men in their Discipline and under their Government must needs goe to wracke and be utterly spoyled they and theirs The Sixt Canon An Oath injoyn'd for the preventing of all Innovations in Doctrine and Government Ah Lord here is the filling up of the measure of all iniquity 〈…〉 ol all cruelty and tyranny When they have brought their plots to passe when established and setled their Innovations both in Doctrine and Government then these hypocrites come with 〈…〉 for the preventing of all Innovations in Doctrine and Government This for the Title of the Canon And that they may exalt their hypocrisie to the height that it may appeare to all men they further say This Present Synod being desirous to declare their sincerity and Constancâ— in the profession of the Doctrine and 〈…〉 in the Church of England and to secure all then against any suspicion of â—â—volt to Popery or any other Superstition Decrâ—es c. Now Lord can the hypocrisie of Rome it selfe in that Mystery of Iniquity packed up in the Councel of Trent surpasse this notorious hypocrisie of our English Prelates in this their Synod The vaile of their soule hypocriste is the pretence of Sincerity and Constancie in the profession of the Doctrine and Disâ—â—â—ine already established they have now already established a new Doctrine and Discipline in the Church of England and so they are desirous to declare their Sincerity and Constancie in the profession of the same O holy Lord who is able to deale with these impious hypocrites but thy selfe alone And now that they have â—â—tained their ends in a good measure for they do not meane to stay here till they have finished the Tower of Babel to its full height by degrees after a while they doe this to secure all men against any Suspicion of revolt to Popery or any other Superstition For when the Revolt to Popery and the Superstitions thereof is now in a good measure already made then would they have all men to be secure against any revolt to Popery But what need men to feare when the danger is already past and without remedie They have set up their Altars they gently intreat adoration thereunto and that by the same arguments that Papists use to colour over such Idolatry till they have learneâ— in fuller termes to expresse themselves with a We will and Command they have set up their Images and Crucifixes in Chappels and Cathedralls and that over the Altar for all other Churches to conforme thereunto they have published Bookes in English full of most grosse Romish Idolatry and Supersâ—tion they have cryed down the due Sanctification of the Christian sabbath-Sabbath-day and have layd open the sâ—â—dgâ—tes to all proâ—anesse to breake in by publike â—â—â—spensation of profane Sports and Pastimes that so they make the Lords day the 〈◊〉 day and to make way for such profane Sports they have universally forbid all preaching in the â—â—â—ernoones upon thy Holy Day they have made thy holy Commandment for the keeping and Sanctifying of thy Day of none effect and that not onely by their profane practises but professedly by their Book 's published by Authority they have by Edicts made the Articles of Râ—â—â—â—gion of the Church of England concerning Grace to be of none authority they have set forth * Books wherein they professe that the Church of England and of Rome the whore of Babylon are one and the Same Church professing one and the same Faith and Religion and goe about to Father the Antichristian Iurisdictâ—â—â—n and Government of Prelates upon the Divin â—â—â—ution and upon the practise of thy holy Apostles and doe cry down the Authority of thy Sacred word as an insufficient witnesse to prove it selfe the word of â—od and as a dead and dumbe judge and insufficient to determine doubt and Controversies in points of Faith and so doe set up 〈◊〉 Authority above the Scripture they have
roome to place the Table in the midst Although this was to be imputed rather to want of Care in the Deane of the Chappel then want of roome in the Chappel as in many other things besides And as for Cathedraâ— Churches most of them had the Tables standing in the midst of the Chancel untill of very late dayes and under this Kings Rugne wherein our Prelates have been more stickâ—ing then ordinary to erect not only Altars but Crucifixes and Images in all Cathedralls And now their project plainly appeares to be this that by these Mother Churches as they call them they might introduce Altars into all other Churches to verifie the Proverbe Like Mother like Daughter And whereas they name â—ome Parochiall Churches to have had Altars this hath been but of late dayes too since this fashion began to be renewed But when they have Summ'd up all together it will not amount to the acquitting this Generation from illegality or from more then suspicion and that â—ust both of Romish Superstition and â—dolatry to booâ— as also of a great Innovation of the State of the Church both in Doctrine and Discipline For first for the Royall Chappel what are they to an universality If the King should have Misse in his Chappell must therefore every Church in the Land have so too And so for Cathedralls what are they buâ— as iâ— were the Chappels or Chancels of the Bishop Dâ—ane and Chapter Parish-Churches they are noâ— no nor yet Mother-Churches as whereof other Churches are begotten but are 〈◊〉 the very dennes of the Dragon and the Styes to fa◠〈◊〉 beâ—â—â—â—â— for the slaughter And because some Parâ—â—hiaâ— Churcheâ—â— by some Ministers of the Bishops Faction have lately 〈◊〉 Altars is this sufficient to acquit them of â—â—â—egalifyâ— of 〈◊〉 of Râ—mish Superstition and Idolatry in making hereupon a Canon for the sitting up of Altars in all the Churches of England Dare these 〈◊〉 bring this their mettall to be tryed in a Parliament-Tesâ— where they should find Refiners of suffiâ—â—â— judgement to sever the 〈◊〉 silver if there were any from the drâ—sse But when they have seâ— up their Tables Sidewayes to the Eastiâ—â—ll shall they stand there fixed Shall they not be moveables still as in Queen Elizabeths time and according to her Injunction at least be â—â—t in the midst of the Church or Chancel aâ— the Commâ—â—â— For this they tell us We judge it fit and convenient that all Churches and Chappels do conforme themselves in thâ—â— particular to the example of the Cathâ—drall or Mother Churches saving alwayes the generall liberty lest the Bishop by Law during the time of the Administration of the holy Communion A plausible Perswasion of these Hypâ—â—â—es They thinke it fit therefore who will not thinke it so They heartily commend it and what is this but a Command * A 〈◊〉 necessaâ— But thy holy Apostle ô Lord in the same ‡ Chapter where he speakes against Rites and Ceremonies wâ—â—nes thy people to take heed that they beâ—â—â— oncunâ—vented pâ—â—â—anolegia with â—â—ticeing words or faire speeches And what fugared words be here in 〈◊〉 Canon to merce thy People to 〈◊〉 Idolatroâ—â— and Superstitious Rites and Ceremonies here commended For what be these Rites and Ceremonies namely as the seting up of a 〈◊〉 high Altar so adoration thereunto This is that which these Hypocrites thinke and commend for very fit and behoofull pretending therein Service done to thy Majestie when it is indeed a Service that pleases them and which to thy dishonour and against thy will and word they will force upon thee As the Heathen man sayd of the false Gods in his time ‡ spara gnomen aâ— nagkazethai theous tais anthropinais Boulais doulâ—uein that the Gods against their mind were constrained to serve mens wills namely in mans devised will-worship And thus doe these imitators of the blind Heathen force thee to serve their 〈◊〉 while they set up a service of their owne fancie as both in seting up Altars and commending worship to them though pretended as done to thee Even as the false Oracles of old § Ten apsukon hulen â—ebem prosetation commanded men to worship a piece of wood or such like matter wherein was no life But these lying Oracles these Hypocrites pretend such worship is to honour thee withall O bold impiety O notorious hypocrisie These are the Men that trample thy word under their feet that cast it out of the Church that stoppe thy Ministers mouthes and consequently thy peoples Eares that they cannot heare thy lively voyce speaking unto them to the Saving of their poore soules and instead hereof they give unto them a flappe with a Fox-tayle for instead of honouring thee in thine own Sacred and Saving Ordinance they commend to thy People these Superstitious and Idolatrous Services as the fruits of their proâ—d and profane Popish hearts which they commend as most fit and behoâ—full Now * wilt thou not judge them ô Lord Wilt thou not judge them Cause them to know their abominations and give them the reward of selfe-pleasure Now we know that all Cathedrall or those Mother Churches have their Altars fixed and never removed no not in time of Communion by this Law of Conformity therefore all Parechiall Churches must have their Tables fixed and never to be removed no not at the Communion And so being fixed they cease now to be any longer Tables but put on the nature of Altars which stand perpetually fixd Onely here is one helpe peradventure for it if the Bishop be pleased to give liberty to Parishes to remove the Table into the midst â—â—r the Communion this liberty alwayes Saved So as here is all the hope of Parishes in this matter Yet what hope when the Bishop shall answere such Suiters Ye are a sort of Puritans will you be wiser then your Mother-Church or wiser then the Sacred and holy Synod who judged it fit and convenient that all Churches and Chappels doe conforme themselves in this particular to the example of the Cathedrall or Mother Churches And though the Law give him a generall Liberty in this to grant it or no yet he holds himselfe rather bound by the Canon in this case not to give liberty then dispensed to take and use liberty by the Law But yet for all this the Synod gives one remedy as to thinke never a whit the worse of the Table or to be out of conceit with it because being thus fixed it seems to be quite turned from a Table into an Altar for it addeth And we declare that this Situation of the Holy Table doth not imply that it is or ought to be esteemed a true and proper Altar whereon Christ is againe really Sacrificed but it is and may be called an Altar by us in that sense in which the Primitive Church called it an Altar and in no other A Holy Table doe these holy men call it but shall we thinke it ever a whit the holyer that it stands
now fixed sideway to the wall Yes for it is now an Altar yet not a true and proper Altar as whereon Christ is againe really Sacrificed no so the Papists in some sense will say for their Altars But what say they to this doe they not meane it is such an Altar as without which the Sacrifice or offering upon it it is not sanctifiedâ— Or is it not that Altar wherof the Apostle speaks * We have an Altar c If it be not that Altar why doe they suffer Dr. Pecklingtons Christian Altar so to passe under their Authority which saith that this Altar is necessary as without which no Sacrifice we offer is Sanctified And why doe they suffer other Bookes that say The Apostle meant this Altar when he said We have an Altar When therfore this Synod calls in and damnes these Bookes which by maintaining these Altars of wood and stone doe overthrow and deny the onely Altar Iesus Christ we may think that these men have some good meaning when they say that this Situation of the holy Table doth not imply that it is or ought to be esteemed a true and proper Altar whereon Christ is againe really Sacrificed But it is and may be called an Altar by us in that sence that the Primitive Church called it an Altar Now who knows how farre these men extend the Primitive Church Perhaps down to Innocent 3 who first established Transubstantiation now above foure hundred yeares agoe For as for the purest estate of the Primitive Church as in the Apostles times the Table of the Lord was never called an Altar at all properly or improperly The Scripture calls it only the Table of the Lord And some hundred yeares after the Apostles Câ—â—â—stâ—ans had no Altars at all no not in name which the Heathen did obiect unto them So as the Primitive Church in the purest time of it had not so much as the name of Altars And our Communion Booke doth not once name it an Altar How comes then this Synod to be so bold as to call the Table an Altar and teach that it is and may be so called And what if some Fathers called it so As they were a little too free though meaning no harme in their allegorising which the Romanists have made advantage of to advance their Idolatry And Lord thou shalt try the spirit of these men whether for the love they beare to Rome and to bring England to a perfect Reconciliation with her they affect to call it an Altar rather then a Table though the time is not yet ripe for them fully to manifest themselves and to display their Roman Colours in open fields But for us we ought not in any sense to call the Lords Table an Altar seeing the Scripture calls it onely a Table and never an Altar and seeing also it is an easie inducement to Popish Idolatry and Superstition to which use all Papists use it and which use this Synod by all signes shows it selfe easie to be intreated to bring up againe in the Church of England For in the next place they make an Order for rayling in this Altar to seperate it from the rest of the Church that none doe touch it as if it were more holy and the matter thereof more precious then any other part of the Church And by this meanes though they pretend the prevention of profanation yet they labour to beget in the Peoples minds some high and reverend opinion of this their Altar as of some extraordinary holy creature or rather divine thing that so they may with the more facility and lesse seâ—upâ—e be brought to yeeld adoration therunto when ever they but look upon it or approach it or passe by it of which they tell us more anon And the next thing is that all that will receive the Communion must come up to present themselves before this Altar upon their knees condemning the usuall manner of the Ministers carrying the bread and wine about the Church But they called this Altar a Table but even now and is it so suddainly swallowed up in an Altar as in stead of sitting about the Table which is Christs own ordinance and the proper use and posture of guests about a Table now men must kneele before the Altar as before some new God-Allmighty So as thine ordinance ô Lord is here quite perverted and from a Table-Communion turned into a Superstitious Altar-Service Whereas if the Table were set in the midst and the Communicants did come and sit round about it as many as could at a time and so did eat and drinke the Lords Supper this is Christs own ordinance but to come and kneele before an Altar this is not according to Christs ordinance nor is it aright to eat the Lords Supper at the Lords Table The last tging is after many faire pretences and preambles as of the Church the house of God dedicated to his holy worship to put us in mind of the greatnesse and goodnesse of his Divine Majesty and the like the Synod thinks it very behoofull that all doe reverence and obeysance both at their Coming in and going out of the Churches Chancels or Chappels c. And the motives which the Synod useth to perswade all People hereunto are sundry As 1. It is not with any intention to exhibit any religious worship to the Communion Table the East c. or in the Celebration of the holy Eucharist as they call it rather the Lords Supper upon any opinion of a corporall presence of Christs body there c. Now from these words though the Synod doe not expressely and directly Order that men in doing such reverence and obeysance do set their faces towards the Altar East-ward where it standeth yet we learne plainly their meaning to be so in that they say not with any intention to exhibit any religious worship to the Communion Table or East Ergo towards the Table or East men must doe reverence sâ— it be not with intention of Religious worship But by their leaves Intention or not intention so to bow so to doe reverence to or towards this or that place is no lesse then flat Idolatry whether it be done to the place it selfe or thereby to God For God will not be worshiped in or by either an Image or any representation of his Majesty or Divine presence as if God were fixed to this or that place all which is forbidden in the Second Commandement And being done to the creature as to the Table or Altar or towards the East being done in the Church which they say is the place of Gods worship must not all such externall worship there exhibited be a religious worship So as whether People intend any such thing or no as by doing obeâ—rsance to the Table to exhibit religious worship yet the worship it selfe so exhibited in the place of Gods worship is must needs be a religious yea and divine worship So as here is flat Idolatry committed by authority of this holy