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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
power_n	ceremony_n	church_n	rite_n	2,845	5	10.3412	5	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A56184	A moderate, seasonable apology for indulging just Christian liberty to truly tender consciences, conforming to the publike liturgy in not bowing at, or to the name of Jesus, and not kneeling in the act of receiving the Lords Supper, according to His Majesties most gracious declaration to all his loving subjects concerning ecclesiastical affairs ... / by William Prynne, Esquire ...	Prynne, William, 1600-1669.	1662 (1662)	Wing P4011; ESTC R5505	132,513	174

those who refuse to do it upon such fancies grounds which either Christ his Apostles the Primitive Church Christians knew not or deemed insufficient to induce them to change fitting into kneeling at the Lords Supper 3ly If the Objectors or other Subjects or persons of inferiour quality were invited to sit down and eat at the Kings Princes Lord Keepers Lord Mayors or any other Great Mans Table at Dinner or Supper it would be reputed a strange singularity folly indecency or contempt not reverence decency or good manners in or for all or any of them out of pretended modesty or unworthinesse to kneel down only before or lye prostrate under their Tables but not to sit down at them and eat together with them when commanded as all antiently and at this day use to do without kneeling or prostration at or under the Table Why should it not then be so in those invited by Christ himself to eat and drink at his sacred Table 4ly Christ Jesus by his death merits and transcendent love hath not only made us Members of his body of his bone and of his flesh one in and with him his own Brethren Friends yea Sons and Children of God his Father but also Heirs and joynt Heirs with Christ of the Kingdom of God yea Kings and Priests unto God his Father and promised To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my Throne even as I also overcame and am set down wi●h my Father in his Throne and also appointed unto his Disciples a Kingdom as his Father hath appointed unto him That they may eat and drink at his Table in his Kingdom and sit on Thrones and in Heavenly places together with him not pick up crums under his Table or kneel or lye prostrate at a distance from it All which con●idered may satisfie the Objectors at leastwise so far as to disswade them from censuring their fellow Communicants who receive sitting as irreverent proud prophane und●vou● irr●ligious or restraining this their Christian Liberty and posture of sitting in receiving the only thing they contend for leaving them to kneel or use what gesture they deem best for their own particular practise If any yet further object as they do That in the Lords Supper we receive a Pardon of all our sins from God under the Great Seal of Heaven Therefore we ought to receive it kneeling as Malefactors use to receive their Pardons under Seal from the hands of their King kneeling on their knees I answer 1. The Lords Supper is not a Pardon under Seal to all Communicants since the unworthy eat and drink Damnation to themselves therein 1 Cor. 11.27 28 29 30. 2ly It was instituted not as a Pardon Sealed but in remembrance of Christs death and passion for our sins and to shew forth his death till he come Luke 22.19 1 Cor. 11.24 25 26. 3ly It is received only as spirituall meat and drink to feed and nourish our souls unto everlasting life to eat and drink as food not to keep or reserve in a Trunk Pix or Box as men keep their Pardon● without eating them I am sure without drinking them when sealed only with hard Wax and Parchment Therefore they rather ought to receive it sitting as a sacred Feast and Supper at which all usually sit not kn●el not as a Pardon which none ever received in a Patten or Chalice 4ly Though Malefactors receive Charters of Pardon from their Princes own hands now then kneeling yet none use to receive them from their Officers or Ministers hands in that posture in our own or other Kingdoms who ever received a Pardon or Charter thus from the Lord Keeper at a Seal or from the Hanaper Officers Nor is the Lords Supper now received by any from Christ● or Gods immediate hands but only from their Ministers Therefore we ought not to kneel by their own comparison 5ly The Apostles when they received it from Christs own hands at its first institution who best knew the nature of it did not receive it kneeling but sitting Neither did any afterwards receive it kneeling but sitting from the Apostles and primitive Fathers hands why then should all now receive it from the Priests or Ministers hands only kneeling not sitting since this reason prevailed not with them to give or receive it kneeling 6ly The chief cause of receiving it kneeling in the Church of Rome after Transubstantiation introduced as Dr. Iohn Burgess confesseth that on the steps near the Table was that the Priests might with more ease put it into the Receivers mouthes without spilling who might not take or receive it with their own hands which custom being exploded in our Church all receiving it in their hands and putting it into their own mouths the reason of the introduction and use of Kneeling ceaseth To close up this point I shall seriously request all Protestant Kings Nobles Parliaments and Layme●● considerately to observe the sad effects and dangerous consequences of allowing any Church Council Convocation of Clergy-men who usually monopoli●e both the Title and Power of the CHVRCH though never so stiled in Scripture or the Articles of our Church a power to alter or innovate any Ceremony or Rite used by our Saviour or his Apostles in the Institution and Celebration of the Lords Supper upon pretext of Custom and lawfull Authority in the Church so to do the only Plea for changing sitting into kneeling in the act of its receiving by this one president of the Council of Constance Upon a Petition and Complaint of some Bishops and Church-men in that Council Anno 1414. Of the growth of Heresie and Schism in some parts of the world by administring the Lords Supper to Lay-men in both kinds and likewise after Supper or else not Fasting by some Priests according to Christs own Primitive Institution and the Apostles practise who pertinacio●sly affirmed that they ought to do thus against the laudable Custom of the Church reasonably introduced Hereupon this sacred Council as they stile themselves lawfully ass●m●led in the Holy Ghost endeavouring to provide for the safety of the faithfull against this Heresie by the mature deliberation of the Prelates therein assembled and of many Doctors as well of the Divine as Humane Law declared decreed and defined by a special Canon therein ratified Quod licet Ch●is●us post Coenam instituerit c. That although Christ instituted after Supper and administred this venerable Sacrament to his Disciples under both species of Bread and Wine Tamen hoc non obstante Yet notwithstanding this the Authority of the sacred Canons preferred before the Canon of the Scriptures the laudable and approved Custom of the Church hath observed and doth observe That this Sacunrament ought not to be celebrated after Supper nor to be received of Christians who are not Fasting unlesse in case of Infirmity or other Necessity granted or admitted by the Law or

humor singularity or discontent as is usually suggested but from such solid grounds of Scripture Reason and such Authorities Antiquities as have fully convinced their Judgements satisfied or scrupled their tender Consciences that they cannot in faith or conscience submit to practise them at least upon such unsatisfactory Pretences of Scripture Reason Antiquity or apparent Mistakes as have hitherto been alleadged for their use by those who have most enforced them And that as there were just Grounds in point of Royal Justice Piety Clemen●y Christian compassion State Policy and Prudence for Your Sacred Majesty at first to grant th●se Indulgences to tender Consciences to prevent all future Scismes preserve Your Kingdoms Churches publick Peace and Christian Amity Unity Communion among Your Protestant Subjects So there are the like reasons for Your Majesty to continue if not perpetuate them without enforcing them against their Consciences so far as either totally to debarre them the Lords Supper or drive them from the publick Ordinances or inevitably to subject them to Ecclesiastical censures to their great vexation For which end I shall most humbly crave leave to present these ensuing Particulars to Your Majesties Royal and others Christian consideration 1. That God only wise the sole Author Prescriber Owner of his own Divine worship and Sacraments hath left all Cor●oral gestures relating thereunto free arbitrary and indifferent to all Christians N●tions Churches Ages not particularly or precisely commanding in the Old or New Testament either the gestures of Kneeling Sitting Standing Bowing or Prostration in Publick or Private Prayer Thanksgiving Fasts hearing or reading his Word receiving Sacraments or any other par● of Divine worship though he hath absolutely commanded th●se Duties themselves The reason is apparent because these Gestures are in themselves things merely indifferent and one Gesture may be more decent expedient to ●tir up affection devotion reverence attention upon several em●rgent occasions in relation to the same or different persons duties times than another and many men by reason of age sickness infirmities temper of body custome of Countries Nations which vary from each other inconveniency of Place crowds of People or the like may be disabled to use one Gesture with so much devotion or conveniency as they can use another For which Reasons in numerou● Congregations no absolute Uniformity in these Gestures can possibly be expected nor rationally injoyned by any humane Powers since God himself the Supreme Legislator upon these grounds hath left them free and arbitrary to his People as all Divines acknowledge whence the Church Saints Apostles Children of God in all Ages both under the Law and Gospel as Scripture Presidents demonstrate have by Gods approbatio● sometimes prayed and worshipped God standing● otherwhiles sitting other times bowing and falling down prostrate on their faces sometimes lying on their beds couches and othertimes kneeling on their knees God alwayes accepting their Prayers worship in every of these Postures when their Hearts and Spirits which he principally regards requires in his worship were upright sincere and their Duties performed with that Faith Fervency Holyness and chearfull Obedience which he commands 2 ly That the Primitive Saints Christians Church and all other Churches since ●ave freely used tollerated varieties of Gestures Postures Ceremonies in all parts of Divine worship and have free liberty to alter change or abolish Ceremonies at their pleasure as all Ecclesiastical Histories especially Centuriae Magdeburgenses 2 to 14. cap. 6. De Ritibus Ceremoniis at large demonstrate and the C●urch of England resolves in her 20. A●ticle of Religion and the Preface to the Books of Common Prayer why some Ceremonies are abolished 3 ly That the principle end of Gods instituting Kings Magistrates and Chief Authority Trust by him reposed in them is To b● Gods subordinate Ministers to protect encourage commend all their Subjects who do well obeying the Lawes and will of God according to his Word and to punish none but evil Doers and Transgressors of his Lawes in relation to his Worship not to punish their Christian Subjects who obey Gods Laws resort constantly to his publick Ordinances Worship Sacraments only ●or not using such and such Gestures Ceremonies V●stures which himself hath left free and indifferent to all Christians or to fine imprison excommunicate or debar them totally from the Lords Supper only for using the self-same Gestures Ceremonies as Christ himself his Apostles and the Primitive Christians used for which there is no President in Scripture nor in the Laws of any antient Christian Emperors to the best of my remembrance 4 ly That though Christian Kings and Church-Governours have Authority to prescribe and enjoyn things absolutely necessary and expedient warranted by the Word in and about Gods publick worship and to advise and perswade the use of Things decent expedient though not simply necessary Yet it is the Opinion of many judicious Divines that they cannot impose or enforce the use of Ceremonies Gestures merely expedient o●●●●●ent not absolut●ly necessary on the Consciences of their Christian Subjects under Civil or Eccles●astical penalties at l●astwise that it is not expedient or convenient for them to exercise such a Power because Christ himself the King of Kings his Apostles the most Religious Kings of Gods appointment never exercised or claimed any such Iurisdiction but left all Christians free actually to use or not use them at their pleasure as in the cases of Marriage Virginity and single life of eating or abstaining from certain Meats observing certain times and dayes to God of mens praying and prophesying in the Church with their heads covered wearing long Effeminate hair and womens sitting in the Congregation with their heads unvailed and Brayding or Frizling their hair which most conceive to be absolutely prohibited not simply advised as well as their speaking in the Church yet not now prohibited by any Ecclesiastical penall Laws or Censures of our Church though more scandalous lesse arbitrary and indifferent than sitting at the Sacrament kneeling or standing in Prayer bowing or any other Rites or Ceremonies now scrupled or omitted by Tender Consciences 5 ly That the Unity which God himself requires in his Church and Publick worship amongst his People and Children is not an Vniversal Vniformity in external gestures Ceremonies wherein the Scripture is totally silent but a Unity in the Faith and substance of his worship a meeting together with one accord and with one consent in one place to pray praise and worship God with one heart mind soul spirit according ●o his word ●ot with one kind of vesture gesture or posture of their bodies and to keep the Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace like Christian Brethren not forsaking or separating from Gods Publick Ordinances by Law established on the one hand nor cas●ing brethren out of the Church Diotrephes like for not conforming in gestures

Sacrificium unum plenum tunc offert in Ecclesia Deo Pat●i ●i ●ic incipiat offerre secundum quod ipsum Christum videat obtulisse Caeterum omnis Re●igionis et veritatis Disciplina sub●ertifur nisi id quod spirituali●er praeceptum fideliter reservetur Religioni igitur nost●ae congruit timori ipsi loco atque officio Sacerdotii nostri in Dominico calice miscendo offerendo custodire traditionis Dominicae veritatem et quod prius apud quosdam videtur er●atum Domino monente corrigere ut cum in claritate ●ua majestate coele●ti venire caeperit inveniat nos tenere quod monnit observare quod docuit facere quod fecit The non-observance whereof hath transformed the Lords Supper it self instituted by Christ as ● badge and prime instrument of Christian Peace Vnity Communion Amity amongst all Professors of Christianity as St. Augustine Gulielmu● Stuckius other● prove at large from whence it was called PEACE it s●lf in the Primitive Church and sent by Members of one distinct Church to an●ther as a token of Peace and Christian communion is now become the greatest Subject of Seism Contention Discord and Persecution too so as we may well take up that lamentation of v Stuckius as well in relation to our own as most Churches of Ch●istendom Quam ver● dolendum e●● perditis hisce nostris temporibus atque moribu● sacrosa●ctum salutare illud convivium mutuae illiu● nostr● cum Christo pariter nobiscum invicem Communionis Sacramentum tot tantarum rixarum contentionum inimicitiarumque acerbussimarum inter Christianos seminarium extitisse by reason of human Inventions Traditions Ceremonies Innovations superadded thereunto by the pretended power and custome of the Church which in matters of Divine Worship and this Sacrament ought with St. Paul to deliver and prescribe nothing to the People but what they received from the Lord and to say with him Be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us The best and only means to silence all Controversies prevent all Scismes and establish Unity and Unanimity in our Church which God gran● we may all henceforth cordially pursue Amen Tertulliani Apolog●ticus adversu● G●●tes c. 24. Videte ne hoc ad Irreligiositatis Elogium concurr●t ●●imere Libertatem Religionis interdicere optionem Divinitatis ut non lice●t mihi colere quem velim N●m● se ab invito coli vellet ne homo quidem The first serious and sober Inquiry concerning Bowing at the name of IESUS SECTION 1. Whether bowing at every Pronunciation of the name Jesus be a Duty commanded or Ceremony warranted by Philip. 2. v. 9 10 11 THe bowing of the Knee head and capping at every recital of the name of Iesus is grounded by all its patriots on the text aforesaid Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name that at the name of Iesus every knee should bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth And that every tongue should confess that Iesus Christ is Lord to or in the glory of God the Father But this Text if rightly read and understood gives no colour at all to this p●etended Duty or Ceremony To make this apparent I shall fi●st clear the Text from a gross mistranslation of it purposely made to countenance this Ceremony First therefore take notice that the word At is ●oisted into the Text instead of In the true translation and reading thereof being ●hat In not At the name of I●sus every Knee should bow c. the Greek Original Text in all Copies and Greek Fathers is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and all Latine or Greek Fathers translated into Latine with all Latine Translations whatsoever except Beza and Castalio all Latine Commentators Expositors whether Papists or Protestants those only who follow Beza and Castalio their Translations excepted being but three or four render it In nomine Iesu where ever they recite this Text not Ad or Apud Nomen True it is that Beza and Castalio and they onely render it Ad nomen that To not At the name of Iesus every Knee should bow But then they also interpret this Name to be nothing else but Christs Soveraign Power and Dominion not his Name Iesus All others read it In Nomine Iesu Neither is there any one Author Expositor or Translator extant besides these and their few followers that ●ead it Ad Nome● as all Schollers must acknowledge The antient Manuscript English translations of which I have seen divers Copies sorts the several old printed English translations of Mr. William Tindall Mr. Miles Coverdale Thomas Matthew The Bishops Bible set forth at first by Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury since revised and published by the Bishops Anno 1595. The Epistles and Gospels in Latine and English printed at Paris 1558 Erasmus his antient English Paraphrase commanded to be had in all Churches by Queen Elizabeths Injunctions and the Canons of 1571. Dr. Fulk and Mr. Cartwright in their answers to the Rhemish Testament All of these render this Text In not At the Name Iesus c. So do all our antient English Writers who recite it as Bishop Latimer Bishop Hooper Bishop Ridley Bishop Alle● Bishop Tonstall Tho Beacon Tho Palfryman Iohn Veron Mr. Fox Mr. Nowell Lancelot Ridley with a world of others who read it In the Name c. and the Common-prayer-books both of King Edw. 6. Queen Elizabeth King Iames and King Charles ratified by several Acts of Parliament in the Epistle on the Sunday next before Easter untill the year 1629. all read it In the Name of Iesus which Mr. Iohn Cozens a great Patriot of this Ceremonious bowing well considering and knowing it gave a fatal blow to this bowing at the Name of Iesus I know not by what Authority caused the Common-prayer-books to be corrected in truth corrupted perverted in this particular changeing In into At the name by means whereof most if not all our Common-prayer-books printed ●ince the year 1629. render it At the Name whereas all before that year read it most truly In the Name according to the Originall I must confess that the English Geneva Bible Anno 1570. which King Iames affirmed to be the worst Translation of all others and was never read publickly in our Churches renders it At the Name which grew from the mis-englishing of Mr. Beza his Ad Nomen which in truth signifies To not At the Name if duly Englished Neither can our Bowers at the Name Iesus take much advantage hence if Mr. Beza be rightly translated because they all confess that they do not bow to the Name but Person of Jesus only at the recital of this Name True it is the last English translation made by King Iames special appointment reads it At the Name contrary to the Book of