there is made a commemoration of that one onely sacrifice which was made for vs vpon the Crosse and this commemoration hath thankesgiuing ioyned with it that it may bee an Eucharisticall sacrifice of thankesgiuing and therefore it is to be reckoned among the spiritual sacrifices of Christians Againe because in the sacred mysterie if it be celebrated by vs with true faith and sincere minds we do consecrate our whole selues to God which is the spiritual sacrifice chiefly cōmended to vs by the Apostle Rom. 12. And to conclude because it was the ancient custom that when the sacred Supper was celebrated then the faithfull did offer Almes which is a kinde of spirituall sacrifice Heb. 13. It is sufficiently manifest by the name of Eucharist which signifieth thankesgiuing that the Fathers had a respect to this Sadeel in Resp ad fid profes a Burdegalen Act. 14. P. 140 when they called the Eucharist a Sacrament And againe Propterea veteres Patres Coenam Domini vocarunt Sacrificium quod in ea fit commemoratio sacrificij Iesu Christi ac proinde est Sacrificium laudis Adde quod ibidem nos offerimus Deo vt ei consecremur quost est rationalis noster eultus Denique propterea quod antiquitùs in celebratione Coenae Domini Eleemosynae in pauperes conferebantur quae omnia dicuntur Sacrificia in sacris Literic The ancient Fathers therefore called the Supper of the Lord a Sacrifice because in it there is a commemoration of the sacrifice of Iesus Christ and therefore it is a sacrifice of prayse Adde to this that there wee offer our selues to God that we may be consecrated to him which is our reasonable worship of him And to conclude therefore also it is called a sacrifice because anciently in the celebration of the Lords Supper almes was bestowed on the poore all which are called Sacrifices in holy writ Calu. l. 4. c. 17. S. 43. Caluin mentioneth publike prayers and a Sermon and then a Prayer againe afterward the Elements were set forth vpon the Table that God who had giuen vs his aliment would make vs fit and worthy to receiue it then there should bee Psalmes sung or somewhat read and so the people should communicate decently After the Supper ended there should be an exhortation to the sincerity of faith and charitie and good life beseeming Christians And lastly there should be thankesgiuing and praise sung to God This is then plaine that in the ministration and receiuing of the Sacrament there are these fiue kindes of sacrifices 1. The Sacrifice commemoratiue to Godward and communicatiue to vs. 2. The Sacrifice of our selues our soules and bodies in which the Church offers the mysticall body of Christ that is it selfe the Church to God by her High Priest Christ 3. The sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart 4. The Sacrifice of Prayer and Praise and 5. The sacrifice of Almes And in the offering of all these solemne Sacrifices humility both of soule and body is necessarily required and therefore this Sacrament ought to be receiued with kneeling And this will appeare the more plainely if we consider the meditation and behauiour of sacrificers And that will be the more manifest if we doe but remember that which all ancient Liturgies haue and wee retaine Leuate corda ad Dominum Lift vp your hearts saith the Priest the people answere Wee lift them vp vnto the Lord. Videte quid ad quem so S. Augustine obserueth Consider what you lift vp your hearts and to whom you lift them vp vnto God and as God is pure so be sure to lift vp pure hearts to him that is the God of all puritie And it may passe as probable that the bodily gesture of those that come to the Lords Table was very humble in those times because they called on them Leuate corda lift vp your hearts though your bodies be humbled and cast downe and let not your soules be fixed on these sacred Elements here belowe but lifted vp to heauen And surely if we remember 1. the greatnesse of God before whom we stand and 2 the greatnesse of the sinne which stands out against vs which wee there confesse and 3. the vilenesse and basenesse of vs poore silly creatures dust and ashes that there present our selues and stand out before him Tantus tantillos tantum so great a God and Creator as the Lord is to whom none can be comparable because he is singular aboue all and so vnworthy and contemptible creatures wormes and no men nay worse then wormes for the poorest worme neuer sinned against God and wee neuer did any thing but sinne in his sight and yet that so great a God should so infinitely loue vs vile creatures and foule polluted sinners that hee should giue the Sonne of his Substance for vs the rebellious workemanship of his owne hands whom hee loued so dearely that hee spared not his onely and dearely beloued Sonne that he might spare vs most disobedient and wicked seruants that is loue aboue all loues and measure without all measure To which when wee reckon that wee are no way able to make any recompense or satisfaction as hauing nothing to pay for Plùs diligit priùs he loueth vs first and he loueth vs most how can it be but wee which are the worst of all Gods creatures for no creature below man is a sinner but man when we presume to sacrifice and offer vp our selues most vnworthy and vnfit for so great grace to that God who is holinesse it selfe and cannot endure nor admit any vncleannesse when wee aduenture to presse into his presence and not onely approach to his Table as Communicants but also exhibit our selues as Sacrifices on his Altar but wee should then I say tender our selues with all humilitie of soule and humiliation of body since both soule and body are there offered vnto him in mentall and corporall adoration and prayer and praise and almes and the like in which the worke of the hand and the tongue is but an idle sound without the word of the heart and the soule and the word of the heart is but empty and barren without the obedience of the hand So the person to whom we Sacrifice and the person that offereth himselfe a Sacrifice require our humilitie of soule and humiliation of body this is the Sacrificers meditation and other it ought not to bee for finiti ad infinitum nulla est comparatio there is no comparison betweene God that is infinite and man that is finite because they differ Plusquam genere more then in kinde And therefore dust and ashes that appeareth before his Creator must appeare in his owne kind as dust and ashes neerest to the earth since sinne hath placed man in this Earth in the vale of miserie Now what is the behauiour of Sacrifices Gene. 22.9 Isaak was a liuing and reasonable Sacrifice and no doubt holy therfore acceptable to God in Christ as much as the state
and condition of man would permit and he was bound and layd at the Altar to be Sacrificed there was neither sitting as if he were equall with that God that called for him to be Sacrificed nor so much as standing either in his innocencie or his hope and expectation And therefore being the type both of Christ the propitiatorie Sacrifice and of the Christians Eucharisticall Sacrifice wee as bound by the chaine of our owne sinne and vnworthinesse and layd and nailed as it were on the Altar of Christs Crosse with the nailes of contrition of deuotion of prayer and praise and of compassion must present our selues in the gesture and behauiour of those that are to bee offered vp as Sacrifices to God in all deiection and humilitie of soules and bodies kneeling with Salomon 1 Reg. 8.12 2. Paralip 6.13 in the consecration and dedication of the spirituall Temple of our soules and bodies as he did when he cōsecrated the materiall Temple vnto God Where I pray you let it neuer be forgotten that it must needs be that the thoughts of Isaak the Sacrifice could be no other when he lay bound at the Altar then this that he was Ia◠iam Sacrificandus therefore moriturus euen now in an instant to be sacrificed and die And he was then to die the naturall death of the body we at the Lords Table die the spirituall death to sin in mortification and newnesse of life and therefore there is no great likelyhood that hee then thought of the gesture and prerogatiues of a guest and a table as if he were equall to that iust and seuere God to whom hee was to be sacrificed and so presented himselfe to him without all feare and reuerence S. Stephen the first Martyr and therefore the first Sacrifice among Christians Acts. 7.56.60 prayed and kneeled and though hee were partaker of the vision of God which is the Supper of the Lambe and that without Sacrament for hee saw the heauens open and the Sonne of man sitting at the right hand of God yet Deposuit vitam ne deponeret obedientiam he neuer layd downe his obedience till he layd downe his life but persisted in kneeling till hee fell into his last sleepe And why should not the gesture of a Martyr bee a fit gesture for a Communicant at the Lambes Supper since both are Sacrificers of themselues the one in body the other in soule and spirit And this was in the time of Nature Let vs looke on Moses Law concerning Sacrifices In Leuiticus it is often repeated Leuit. 1.4 4.24 that the Priest when he offered for himselfe or the people and euery priuate man that offred his priuate Sacrifice Imponet manum super caput He shall lay his hand vpon the head of the Sacrifice How 1. in Leuit Origen expoundeth it allegorically of Christ Imposuit peccata humani generis super caput suum Christ layd his hand vpon the head of the Sacrifice that is layd all our sinnes vpon his owne head But in the letter there are two reasons giuen of it 1. Vide Tostat. in Leuit. cap. 3. Vt renuntiaret proprietati siue iurisuo That the priuate man might surrender vp all his right and proprietie that he had in the Sacrifice when he deliuered it vp to the Priest to be Sacrificed to God 2. Vt poenas peccatorum in caput animalis transferret quas inflicturus erat offerenti That he might transferre the punishment of sinnes due to the offerer vpon the beast that was to be sacrificed In which it is manifest that euery man that presenteth his Sacrifice at the Altar standeth as a condemned man ready to bee executed that entreateth and beggeth of God that the punishment due to him by his demerits may be layd on the Sacrifice that is vpon Christ that beareth our punishment and curse vpon his Crosse and healeth vs by his stripes As the death prepared for Isaak was transferred from him to the Ramme that was hanged in the bushes that is Christ crowned with thornes and nailed on the Crosse And he that feelingly considereth this state wil easily resolue of the humble thoughts and humble gesture of such a Sacrificer as deserueth the death that the Sacrifice suffereth for him and deprecateth pardon for his sake whose Sacrifice maketh atonement for the sinnes of man In this case when we thus condemne and execute our selues can any thoughts be too lowly or any gesture too humble to entreat pardon So this carriage of the carnall sacrificer telleth vs what our carriage must bee in the offering of the spirituall sacrifice of our selues Our prayers that sue for grace and remission must shew humilitie in soule and body because wee seeke indulgence to soule and body And when we confesse we are most worthy to die in our selues and for our selues both soule and body and desire to receiue grace not for our selues but for Christs sake must we not testifie this vnworthinesse with the deiection of both soule and body Yea our very prayses and thankes for all Gods mercies must bee offered with all outward and inward humility since as it is in the second Psalme Psal 2.11 it becōmeth vs not only to serue the Lord infeare but also to reioice to him with reuerence cum tremore as the vulgar reades it with tremor or trembling For as the goodnesse of God causeth confidence and reioycing so the greatnesse and iustice of God and our owne guiltinesse and sinne cause trembling and humilitie So our very sacrifice of praise and glory requires humilitie and kneeling as the examples of those in heauen who being freed from all wants and therefore neuer needing to pray but onely to giue prayse for their ouerflowing and fulnesse of glory at the well head doth shew Apoc. 4.10 who cast downe their Crownes and fall downe and worship him that sitteth on the Throne and the Lambe And surely the Gospel in the offering of spirituall sacrifices differs not in dueties of Nature and Religion and chiefly in humility which is virtus Christiana Euangelica the Christian and Euangelicall vertue vnknowen and contemned by the heathen and taught onely in the Schoole of Christ And therefore our Sauiour Christ might teach all sacrificers how to behaue themselues when hee entred into his agonie in the garden which was the entry and beginning of his sacrifice for there he did sacrifice himselfe voluntate in wil as he finished it vpon the Crosse actu in acte Positis genibus orauit Luk. 22.41 he prayed vpon his knees to teach all spirituall sacrificers to vse the same kneeling in their deuotions and prayers and sacrifices which he began in the propitiatory and all-sufficient sacrifice for sinne Wherin because that wherewith God is worshipped doth profit man and not God for no man doth good to the fountaine if hee drinke of it nor to the light if he see by it and if man come to God God is not increased by it
to Christ So it is plaine that in Tertullians time there were no stations on the Lords day and so the Lords day is not called the day of station because on that day they stood at prayer And station properly is nothing else but a diurnall watching in the time of solemne prayer in which they did watch in prayer 1. Pet. 4.7 as the Apostle said Vigilate in orationibus so this station was not so named for standing at prayer And Tertullian saith Their station shall be more solemne Si steteris ad aram Dei if thou standest at Gods Altar This is to be vnderstood of the stationary prayer made at the Altar which being made on the weeke dayes was made keeling and therfore stare here is genuflectere standing is kneeling And this sentence is full and complete in it selfe and then he addes Accepto corpore Domini reseruato the body of the Lord being receiued and reserued both is saued both the participation of the Sacrifice and the execution of our office And surely it is probable that they receiued the Sacrament kneeling as well as they prayed kneeling S. Cyprian is the fourth who affirmeth lesse then his Master Tertullian Anno 250. hee onely saith Cum stamus ad orationem when wee stand at Prayer and hee sayth nothing of the Lords day and from Easter to Pentecost whereby I conceiue hee knowing that at all other times they prayed kneeling and speaking in generall of Prayer his word stamus must not so much expresse the gesture of Prayer as the action of Prayer which whether it were standing or kneeling it must as the next words are be vigilant vigilare incumbere toto corde ad preces debemus we ought to watch and intend our prayers with our whole heart and then hee addes that which is vsed in our Liturgie sursum corda lift vp your hearts to which the people answere Wee lift them vp vnto the Lord by which we are admonished to thinke of nothing but of God and to shut our hearts against the aduersary As for S. Cyprian I take it his opinion is that they did bow or kneele at the receiuing of the Sacrament as in his place it will appeare The fift is S. Basil his words are In primo Sabbati erecti perficimus deprecationes Anno 370. De spiritu litera sed rationem omnes non nouimus vpon the first day of the weeke wee pray standing but all know not the reason He giueth two 1. the Resurrection of Christ 2. that day is Imago seculi futuri the Image of the world to come which shall neuer haue end that knowes no euening nor giueth place to a succeeding day But speaking afterwards of kneeling he saith Insuper quoties genua flectimus rursùs erigimur ipso facto ostendimus quod ob peccatum in terram delapsisumus per humilitatem eius qui creauit nos in Coelum reuocati sumus As often as we kneele and stand vp againe by this deede wee shew that for sinne wee are fallen to the ground and by his humilitie that created vs wee are called backe to heauen In which it appeares that confession of sinnes which alwayes goeth before the Communion requires kneeling that we may fall to the earth by humilitie as wee fell to the earth by sinne S. Hierome is the sixt his words are On the Lords day and throughout the Pentecost Anno 390. Contra Lucifer by the tradition and authoritie of the Church wee doe not adore on our knees nor fast The word wee hold it not lawfull is not in Hierome but it seemes this Author added it out of Tertullian In which I marke one thing which this Author might haue obserued in all his authorities that the Church hath authoritie to change a gesture from the natural and prescribed gesture vpon particular reason And why then shall not the Church haue power to prescribe a gesture at the Lords Table most suring with the memory of Christs death and the carriage of humble contrite Communicants In which case I pray you heare what Hierome saith vpon those words of the Apostle Eph. 3. Flecto genua Haec autē spiritualiter exponētes non statim iuxta literam orandi consuetudinem tollimus qua Deum genu posito supplicitèr adoramus fixo in terram poplite magis quod ab eo poscimus impetramus legimus enim Paulum in littore sic orasse geniculationes in oratione praeceptas sed illud aedificat supplices sicut veram geniculationem esse docemus in anima quia multi corporale flectentes genu animae nequaquam poplitem curuauerunt contra alij erecto Deum corpore deprecantes magis se animo curuauerunt Expounding these things spiritually we doe not presently take away the custome of praying in which we adore God humbly vpon our knees and obtaine that of him which we most desire setting our knees to the earth for we reade that S. Paul prayed thus vpon the shore and kneeling was commanded in prayer But this doth edefie the simple as wee teach the true kneeling to bee in the soule For many bowing their corporall knees do not bow the knees of their soule and on the contrary many praying to God standing vpright haue more bowed themselues in soule In which words I obserue 1. when we kneele then wee adore God supplicitèr humbly in the fashion of supplicants 2. By kneeling magis impetramus we preuaile more in our Peticions 3. Kneeling is not onely grounded vpon imitation and example but praecepta It is commanded So S. Hierome though he permit standing at prayer vpon a special reason yet he holdeth kneeling to be sub praecepto and of greater force in the sight of God S. Chrysostome is the seuenth his words are Anno 398. Frustra stamus ad Altare in vaine doe we stand at the Altar expecting Communicants and none come and that is common with vs to stand vntill the people draw neere then kneele whose words I haue answered before in Dionysius Alexandrinus S. Augustinus is the eighth who saith Propter hoc ieuinia relaxantur stantes oramus Anno 420. Epist 119. cap. 15. quod est signum resurrectionis For this cause we remit our fasts and stand at prayer which is a signe of the Resurrection which is no more then is granted And yet in the end of the 17. chapter he concludeth of it Vtrum vbique seruetur ignoro I know not whether it be obserued euery where There is a reason added out of S. Augustine in the same 15. Chapter which I accept of though I finde it not there that kneeling is a gesture of a Penetentiary and of such outward humiliation as is wholy disagreeable with the solemnitie of reioycing on the Lords day S. Augustine indeed mentioneth rest and reioycing and then addeth Propter hoc for this cause we fast not but stand wherin I see no reason but a man may haue
rest and reioyceing for Christs Resurrection and yet haue sorrow and contrition and humiliation for his sinne without which no man can bee duely prepared for the Lords Table And as standing at prayer may agree with rest and reioyceing so compunction and humiliation is most sutable to a Penetentiarie and all Communicants must first be penitents and examine themselues and discerne the Lords body before they receiue it And therefore they that reioyce at Christs Resurrection and so stand must bee contrite and humble and so kneele when they participate of Christs Body and Blood And I presume it will be plaine that S. Augustine required kneeling at the receiuing of the Body and Blood of Christ And here I pray you obserue what a vast hiatus gulfe or space this Author maketh From S. Augustine he descendeth per saltum or rather praecipitium hee leapeth or rather casteth himselfe downe headlong to Anselme our Archbishop of Canterbury a long leape from the beginning of the fiue hundredth yeere vnto eleuen hundred yeeres at one iumpe It seemeth in all that time of 700. yeeres he could not finde one writer except a Councell or two that spake for standing at Prayer And S. Augustine though hee allow the custome of the Church in standing at prayers for certaine dayes yet hee doubteth of the successe of the decree of the Nicene Councell in that case Epist 119. cap. 17. in his last words Quod vtrùm vbique seruetur ignoro which whether it be euery where obserued I know not and hee would not haue made the doubt if hee had not knowne that it was not euery where obserued And if it were doubted whether it were obserued in S. Augustines time who liued about an hundred yeeres after the Nicene decree I should haue thought it had bin quite discustomed long before Anselme but that it was held in life by some after Councels yet from the last Councell vnto Anselme there passed about 300. yeeres in which time there is not found one word in fauour of standing at prayer Now this Author from S. Augustine cites no other till he come to Anselme who liued neere 700. yeeres after him yet this gesture of standing is mentioned in Beda and Alcuinus and I finde it in Hugo de sancto Victore who liued neere 60. yeeres after Anselme But in this I obserue That this standing was not during all the Liturgie but onely at a part not at the Eucharist For Hugo de sancto Victore obserueth that they stood at prayer vntill the Collect Domine Deus Pater qui nos ad principium O Lord God and heauenly Father which hast safely brought vs to the beginning of this day which is the last Collect in our first Seruice in the Liturgie of the Church of England I say the first Seruice for it is still in vse in some Cathedral Churches in England they haue the first Seruice on the Sunday morning and then goe out for a time and come in againe and beginne at the Lords Prayer ten Commandements or second Seruice and so goe to the Communion and the first Seruice is said in the ordinary place but at the second the Priest goeth vp to the Communion Table or Altar and there proceedeth to the Communion And in some Churches the Sermon is betweene the first and second Seruice Yea in some Parish Churches though they goe not out to come in againe yet they make a pause and knoll a Bell to giue warning of the beginning of the second Seruice De diuinis Officijs And I finde in Alcuinus somewhat recorded to the same purpose His finitis omnes exeunt this being ended and in this there is no mention of the Eucharist all goe out And Hugo de Sancto Victore speakes in the fame place of so much of the Liturgie De Officijs Ecclesiast lib. 2. cap. 2. as he there reckons Et haec omnia in Dominicis diebus caeteris festiuis diebus stando dicuntur propter memoriam Dominicae resurrectionis cum quo omnes sanctispe consurrexerunt And all these prayers are sayd standing on Sundayes and other festiuities for the memorie of the Lords Resurrection with whom all the Saints are risen in hope And hitherto hee hath not one word of the Eucharist After Cap. 4 Hugo makes a difference Inter preces orationem which must be expounded by some that are better skilled in their Masses and orders then I am His words I will relate and leaue them to the iudicious Reader to be further scanned Dum preces dicuntur Sacerdos qui peccator est cum peccatoribus prostratus est sed quia vicem tenet Christi stando dicit orationem vt resurrectionem recolat eius cuius vicem tenet While the prayers are said the Priest because hee is a sinner kneeles or prostrates himselfe with sinners but because hee beares the place of Christ he saith the prayer standing that he may remember his Resurrection whose place he beares Here be preces prayers many in number which both Priest and people all sinners say prostrate or kneeling and here is oratio one prayer in the singular whether the Lords prayer or some other singular prayer made for the celebration of the Resurrection I cannot resolue but must leaue it to the Readers more mature iudgement But the argument is very probable because Hugo designeth some prayers that were sayd standing which are no part of the Communion therefore the speciall prayers vsed at the receiuing of the Eucharist were not said standing but kneeling according as the Deacon called to the people Flectamus genua Let vs kneele and as wee in our Liturgie stil obserue at the confession before the Eucharist Make your humble confession to Almightie God meekely kneeling on your knees And surely Anselme vpon those wordes Cap. 4. ad Coloss Instate in oratione saith little for it for in the place cited hee onely sayth It becomes all to bee instant in prayer And hee doth well to command to watch in prayer vt cum stamus ad orationem that when wee stand at prayer all carnall and worldly thoughts may be banished Cumstamus ad orationem is no more but cum oramus when wee stand at prayer is no more but when wee pray and so much his reason shewes for we must watch in prayer bee it on Sunday or any other day and drowsie and sleepie prayers are neuer acceptable vnto God and the word of the Text is Instate in oratione bee instant in prayer and watch in the same with thankesgiuing and Instare in oratione and astare ad orationem to bee instant in prayer and to stand in prayer are of one extent to bee vsed at all times Sundayes and other dayes and this watching in prayer with thankesgiuing is as much required in kneeling as in standing and wee must shut out all worldly and fleshly thoughts in all our prayers Wherein because Anselme doth not mention this priuate law of standing at prayers on
kneele It is true Prior tempore potior iure he that is first in time hath the better right This Reason stands on two grounds Antiquitie and goodnesse The first is doubtfull and was neuer prooued but only assumed The second I take to bee plainely false For the Antiquitie I see little reason for why there is no record of Antiquitie for sitting produced since Christs time therfore though it may haue a writ of right yet I am sure it hath beene out of possession euer since the Apostles times and this Author cannot deny it nor lay the fault vpon the reformed Church of England for making an entry and dispossessing this sitting at the Sacrament For he proueth standing at prayer and thereupon presumes standing also at the Sacrament to haue beene a receiued custome in Tertullians time And I haue proued kneeling to bee in vse in the Sacraments in Tertullians time So it was the Primitiue Church that changed the old and first and best gesture at the institution into a newer and a worse if this man say true Besides at the Paschall supper Discumbebat Christ sate or lay and leaned with the twelue but what hee did at the Euangelicall supper it is not knowne so the practise of Christ and his Apostles is most imitable if it were known what it were And Discumbebat is not he sate in the proprietie of the word and gesture for then Christ and his Apostles did breake the Law of standing at the Passeouer so the first part of puritie is doubtfull The second of goodnes is false Sitting is not so decent and comely a gesture for Communicants that are worshippers and sacrificers and penitentiaries and suppliants and praysers as Kneeling is For kneeling is a gesture of humilitie and subiection and best suteth with Christian pietie and deuotion and sitting is an action of societie and equalitie which can neuer be graunted betweene the eternall God and man that is mortall Kneeling agrees well with Saints in heauen and therefore best sutes with Saints on earth Therefore kneeling is the better gesture So this Argument is partly doubtfull and partly false The 7. Reason is Idololatria est Ratio 7. Kneeling before a consecrated creature in the act of Diuine seruice with a religious respect of it is Idolatry Here I obserue a fine tricke that is that with this man it is all one to bow downe before a consecrated creature and to bow downe to a consecrated creature The first may be done and was euer done the second may neuer bee done lawfully For example He that kneeleth at the Lords Table at his prayers or in a Temple he boweth downe Coram before a consecreated creature The Priests in Salomons Temple bowed downe before the Altar and both Temple and Altar were consecrated The high Priest once euery yeere entred into the Holiest and bowed before the Altar the Mercie-seate and the Cherubins And the Tabernacle and the Altar and the Mercie-seat and the Cherubins were consecrated yet none of these committed Idolatry therein because though they bowed before consecrated creatures yet they bowed not to the consecrated creatures but to that God that ordained such consecrated places and such consecrated creatures for the better performing of his owne worship and seruice And if these Iewish Priests and the high Priest were not Idolaters though they bowed before these consecrated creatures no more shall it bee Idolatrie in vs to bow downe and worship God before the consecrated Bread and Wine so long as wee giue no part of Gods worship to those consecrated creatures Philip Mornay could easily distinguish betweene the worship of God De Sacr. Miss 1.4 Pag. 7 32. before consecrated creatures and the worship of consecrated creatures themselues vpon S. Ambrose his words Adoramus in mysterijs non mysteria in Sacramentis non Sacramenta Creatorem in creatura sanctificata non ipsam creaturam Wee adore in the mysteries not the mysteries themselues in the Sacraments not the Sacraments themselues the Creator in the sanctified creature not the creature it selfe And the trueth is that God doth so farre foorth value consecrated Temples and Churches and Tables and Altars that hee doth the better approoue and receiue the Sacrifices and Prayers and prayses of his people onely in this respect that they are offered in Templo or versus Templum in the Temple or towards the Temple As no doubt God doth receiue our Petitions more readily because they are made in the stile of heauen in the wordes that Christ himselfe taught When you pray pray thus So it is one thing to worship God in a consecrated place or before consecrated creatures it is another thing to worship or giue any part of diuine worship vnto the consecrated creature And hee is a plaine Sophister that shall argue thus Wee may or doe worship God in a consecreated place or before or in the presence of consecrated creatures therefore wee may or doe worship the consecrated place or consecrated creatures themselues So this Author in this Reason doth make an aduersary to himselfe and then shootes his arrowes at him but neuer comes neere the practise of the Church of England that as resolutely denies all Adoration of any consecrated creature as shee readily offers all diuine worship and adoration to God to whom onely it is due The 8. Reason is Praxis Ecclesiae Ratio 8. the practise of the Church Christ and his Apostles sate and the Church for eleuen hundred yeeres prayers on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost and on those dayes they administred the Eucharist therefore they stood at the Eucharist so sitting or standing is preferred before kneeling which came in with Honorius 3. decree inhonour of their Breaden god This is answered before in my first Reason and there largely confuted In which let these things neuer be forgotten First hee takes the Paschall Supper for the Eucharisticall Supper they sate at the one ergo at the other 2. Christ did not breake the Lawe of the Passeouer which was to bee eaten standing and therefore Discumbebat doth not inferre the gesture of sitting but onely the action of supping 3. The Fathers that speake for standing at prayers on Sundayes and from Easter to Pentecost say nothing of standing at the Sacrament and many of the same Fathers with many others prooue kneeling to bee in vse at the receiuing of the Eucharist as standing was at prayer And there is kneeling vsed in diuine worship in heauen by them that are admitted to the Supper of the Lambe So the practise of the Church is for kneeling at the Eucharist and neuer for sitting CONCLVSIO THus haue I at large set downe the Reasons for Kneeling at the Eucharist and briefly refuted the Reasons that are vrged for sitting passing ouer many slight passages in them that are of small or no moment Now it remaineth I say somewhat of the Authoritie by which this gesture of Kneeling is established and required in the Church of England And