Selected quad for the lemma: scripture_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
scripture_n	rule_n	word_n	write_a	2,444	5	10.7174	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A63876	Animadversions upon a late pamphlet entituled The naked truth, or, The true state of the primitive church	Turner, Francis, 1638?-1700.	1676 (1676)	Wing T3275; ESTC R15960	53,553	71

demonstration enough against such an odious Supposition of our believing Christ corporally present there We do not then give them this great Suspicion 't is not a Scandal given but causelessly taken So for any thing he has done upon this point I may conclude it as he does 't is done with little or no Reason and with a great deal of Superstition He proceeds to that grand debated Ceremony as he calls it and therefore we must dwell the longer upon it of kneeling at the Lord's Supper And first he honestly grants that we are to perform this act of Devotion with all possible Reverence I ask no more But he quickly nulls his grant Is this says he to be exprest altogether in the outward posture of the Body No certainly nor altogether in the inward posture and frame of the Soul but in Soul and Body both together or else I trow there is not all possible Reverence Well If outward Humility be the thing we contend for we ought to shew it to our God in the humblest way and that is by prostrating rather than kneeling Pray let them voucsafe to kneel with us before they talk of falling lower Kneeling is a posture of greatest Reverence in these Western parts of the World where Prostrating is not much in use and 't is a Gesture most convenient for the Devout Receiver who as he kneels may abase himself to the Dust and again with the Royal Votary may lift up his hands to God and may look up But he runs away with it for certain that our Lord Christ administred the Sacrament and that the Disciples receiv'd it sitting And sure he remembers our Saviour best who doth every thing as he did both in Substance and Ceremony and so we find the Primitive Christians did c. In answer to this I demand how does it appear that the Apostles receiv'd it sitting because they sate down to supper But it appears from the Text the posture they us'd at Supper was alter'd before they communicated St. John's words are express that Supper was ended and that Jesus rose from Supper and then washt the Disciples feet Now the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 alone without 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where does it ever signifie the Lord's Supper it seems that followed after it So this Author can never bring the least good proof from Scripture that they sate at the first Eucharist Now for any one to fasten that upon Divine Revelation which he has no ground to infer either from the written Rule or the Church's Testimony what is it but adding to the Word of God And then let me ask him his own Question p. 3. How they will avoid that curse in the last of the Revelations if they add to the words there written Sure I am that in whatever Posture the Apostles were first admitted which is uncertain yet it was such as wise and sober men and the custom of the Country allow'd as a Posture expressing Reverence because as this Author himself has set it down Sure Christ would not have allow'd any unfitting posture In the mean time the Dissenter cannot deny but that the words of Administration The Body of our Lord Jesus Christ which was given for thee preserve thy Body and Soul to everlasting Life are an excellent good Prayer Now if they will not give us a reason why it is unlawful to kneel I will give them a reason why it is simply unlawful except in case of necessity as for those that lye on their Sick-beds or the like c. to sit and pray solemnly for I speak not of sudden short ejaculatory Prayers but I say 't is simply unlawful to pray thus solemnly to the most high God in a sitting posture because it is simply unlawful to pray most solemnly in an unpraying posture if I may use such a word Therefore this Author is too liberal of that which is none of his own in allowing that a man may receive sitting without any Irreverence But he tells us so we find the Primitive Christians did What does he mean for here he is somewhat obscure that the primitive Christians receiv'd it sitting or that they did not alwaies receive it kneeling 'T is true the Ancient Church many times receive it standing as all the fifty daies between Easter and Whitsontide and on some other Festivals There 's a fair difference sure between sitting and standing Standing we find is a Posture for Solemn Prayer in the Scripture so is not sitting But let him shew if he can that the primitive Saints on other daies working or fasting daies for St. Augustin and St. Basil both agree in witnessing that sometimes there were Communions on Wednesdaies and Fridaies let them prove I say or else they prove little to the purpose that on those daies when they kneeled at the other Prayers they ever rose to receive the Communion standing For the Fathers tell us plainly they forbore kneeling then merely out of an Excess of Joy Most plainly Tertullian renders a general account why they intermitted all their strictness that is all that might infeeble the Knees or weary the Flesh at this season Quid impedit nisi necessitas gaudii What hinders saies he but the necessity of Joy or Exultation But 't is certain the primitive Christians were very far from sitting at the Holy Eucharist which this Author rashly concludes they did for they did not at any of their Prayers or Religious Offices much less at this the most solemn of all their Services For Tertullian upon that Supposition which was generally receiv'd that the Holy Angels were invisibly present at the devout Prayers of the Church or of good Christians in private to offer them up to God not that he supposes those Angels had any Prayers offered to themselves for all they were suppos'd to be so nigh at hand as the Prophet Elijah when he knew God's Army of Angels actually incompass't him round yet praies to God and not to the Angels or any of the Captains of that heavenly Host that his affrighted Servant might have the Grace to see them Lord open his eyes And Abraham's Steward the good Eliazar though the Prophet his Master had told him that God's Angel should go along with him in his way yet all the way he praies to none but to the Lord God of his Master Abraham yet upon this supposition that an Angel alwaies stood by whilst men were devoutly praying Tertullian in his Book de Oratione cap. 12. is highly displeased with those that offer to sit down immediately after their Prayers are done and how much less is that than to sit at their very Sacramental Prayers But I do not alledge Tertullian for this or that zealous Opinion of his but as a Reporter of the Church's practice and there where he is plain and full as he is here he may be allowed for a Demonstrator in matter of Fact And thus he declares himself in this place which is not so commonly noted