presence the Remedy is as bad as if not worse then the Disease Not to stand now to vindicate those who out of a pious sincerity worship God with their bodies from this slander of Superstition which were a worthy task If concurring with the censorious humour of the Objectors it be supposed that some men in worshipping God with their bodies are superstitious of which whosoever be guilty I could wish they would amend it What if they who refuse to worship God with their Bodies be superstitious also even in refusing For ought I know they may be so For though they refuse out of a fear to displease God yet if that fear be causless needless and superfluous it may not unfitly be termed Superstitious which name Saint Austin gives it * Corporal adoration or Bodily worship is a Ceremony and all Ceremonies were abolished by the death of Christ Therefore Bodily worship although it was given to God under the Law yet being by Christ taken away it is not to be given to God under the Gospel Admit Corporal adoration or Bodily worship to be a Ceremony yet was it never any part of that Ceremonial Law which was abolished by the death of Christ It was in use and practice long before the Ceremonial Law was given * Nature it self having imprinted in the hearts of men a secret character of bodily reverence to be given unto God As may appear by many examples that of Abraham falling on his face Gen. 17.3 that of Abrahams servant bowing down his head and worshipping the Lord for his good success in his journey Gen. 24.26 and that which was done by the people of Israel when they heard the tidings of their deliverance from their heavie bondage in Egypt Exod. 12.27 with many other of this kinde So that Bodily worship was in use and practice many yeers before any tittle of the Ceremonial Law was prescribed And as it was long before so likewise as longer lifed is it continued long after for whereas the Ceremonies of the Mosaical Law were wholly abolished by Christs death the termination of which may seem to be implied in his Consummatum est upon the Cross Corporal adoration is authorized as shall and will appear by sufficient precept and practice since our Saviours Death Resurrection and Ascension And the reason of it is satisfying enough to the flexible considerer that Corporal adoration is included not in the Ceremonial but in the Moral Law in the Second Commandment And who knows not that the Moral Law was not abolished by the death of Christ but is and shall be in force to the end of the world Perhaps some Antisomatist may conceive from Job 4.23 which place will come by and by to be examined that worshipping God with the body was so abolished as that to worship him with the heart soul and spirit succeeded in its stead But this cannot be for worshipping God with the heart and soul was in the world long before Bodily worship was as is conceived abolished and the Inward Worship is fully as ancient as the Outward For did not Abraham David and the rest of Gods devout servants worship God in heart soul and spirit as well as with their bodies Were they not inwardly touched with an awful reverence towards the great Majestie of God and so adored him Surely yes else we might think they played the hypocrites in making outward shews and not doing any thing within relating unto God and his Worship If then Cordial worship was not brought in Corporal worship was not for it done away by the death of Christ Indeed our Saviour did bring in a Spiritual worship but what that is shall appear when I have dispatched another Objection Corporal Adoration or Bodily Worship is offensive and scandalous it gives offence to the weak Therefore they who practise it ought to forbear it else they offend which they must not as Rom. 14.21 I Cor. 10.32 That thing should not offend the weak by which others are made strong And I could appeal to clouds of witnesses who out of an honest care to worship God devoutly with their bodies have felt themselves much strengthened in their souls But if they who are offended at Corporal adoration be weak indeed then the parties offending ought to inform and satisfie the parties offended and the parties offended are to seek after information and satisfaction by their own studies or consultation with others by which means they may receive strength to remove the offence from their apprehension and then without doubt they will not onely approve Bodily worship in others but practise it themselves But if pretending weakness they be obstinate stubborn and perverse which humour our Saviour Christ himself was not so happie or rather unhappie as to please then Corporal adoration ought not to be forborn in fear to offend such people but let the practisers of it go on * Per medias offensiones through the midst of offences not having any care to the perverse who take offence where there is none given I may ask that Question which our late Solomon hath put into my mouth * How long will they be weak for if they resolve still to be what they are Gods worshippers must resolve to do what they do I finde a devout man very high in his expression in this case * Let the Saints of the world stumble and fall and break their necks rather then the truth of the Gospel suffer any detriment in the Saints of God Scripture is produced to prove that Bodily Worship is not to be given unto God 'T is strange that men should fight against God with the sword of his own Spirit but this they do The places commonly alleadged are Prov 23.26 My son give me thy heart God requires the heart and with it he is to be worshipped but not with any more for that is superfluous and unnecessary Although Worship or Adoration be not there expresly mentioned in the letter yet no doubt but it is implicitely included and that God saith to every one in every religious action and so of Worship or Adoration in particular Give me thy heart For indeed God requires the heart and hath respect unto it principally first and before the body * All our Service and Worship being neither accepted nor respected with him if our heart go not along with our body in the performance of it But it is not said in that place of Solomon that God requires the heart alone saying Give me onely thy heart There 's no such exclusive particle adjoyned whereby lifting up the eyes holding up the hands speaking with the mouth bowing kneeling and other devout bodily expressions should be excluded therefore this place of Solomon does not make against Bodily worship The words of our Saviour are likewise produced to beat down Corporal adoration Job 4 23 24. Veri adoratores c. The true worshippers shall worship the Father
8.9 That the Spirit of God is within us He explains himself thus Which I do not speak as if I did condemn the outward service done in Body to the Lord provided it flow from the heart ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your Body and in your Spirit for they are Gods And this also is to be marked for the amendment of two sorts of men among us which are in two extremities We have some who are become scorners of the grace of God in others neither can they be humbled themselves in the Publike Assemblies of the Saints nor be content to see others express their inward motion by outward humiliation they sit down in the Throne of God and condemn others for hypocrisie not remembring that the sin of hypocrisie is to be reserved to the judgement of God who onely knows the heart and those same things which they mislike in their brethren the Lord hath allowed in others Mr Perkins whose words have already been of considerable use speaking of Corporal adoration useth these words The subjection which is due to God is absolute and for himself First in regard he is Soveraign Lord of our Bodies and Souls and Consciences Secondly in regard of the infinite excellency of his Divine Attributes especially that he is the author and giver of all good things that he hears and helps men every where calling upon him in the secrets of their hearts And the adoration that is done even for the acknowledgement and signification of these things is the adoration that is proper to God and is therefore called Divine or Religious adoration And of it Christ saith Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serve And if they who refrain from Corporal adoration of God meerly out of scruple of Conscience will give heed to Mr Perkins his declaration of this Case he may be satisfied He thus defines Religious adoration differing but little from himself before It is that Worship of God in which Religion and Godliness is exercised expressed and signified In it there be two things always joyned together and yet distinctly to be considered The first and principal being the foundation of all the rest is The intention of the Minde whereby God is conceived as an Absolute and Omnipotent Lord knowing all things yea the heart of man hearing the prayers of all men in all places at all times the author preserver and giver of all good things The second depending upon the former is the Outward prostrating of the body as the bowing of the knee and such like for this end to testifie our subjection unto God as our Absolute Lord They then who deny to worship God with their bodies What do they else but impair and diminish what lies on their part Gods Absolute Soveraignty in withdrawing their bodies from under his subjection so as they shall not acknowledge any homage or worship to be due unto him But as if the tendring of Corporal adoration unto God were not onely an acknowledgement of his Universal Soveraignty which he hath over all his creatures and whence in a relative sence he is called LORD but also an acknowledgement of his Divinity and Absolute Being in himself whence he is called GOD the same Author hath likewise these words By Outward Divine worship we acknowledge Divinity to be in the thing whereto we bow or prostrate our selves Now is it not necessary that all ways of acknowledging God for God should be put in practice And if any mans devotion shall secretly prompt him to make this recognition What reason is there that any should condemn him for it Seeing the action of adoring God speaks but the same which every man is bound to confess with his mouth That God is the onely true God and alone hath true Divinity in himself According to that acknowledgement of the people of Israel when they were so fairly convicted by Elijah's sacrifice 1 Kings 18.39 They fell on their faces and said The Lord he is the God the Lord he is the God So that they who shall condemn any for worshipping God with their bodies may as well condemn them for testifying with their mouthes the Divinity of God And also themselves by reason of their own refusing to worship God after this manner be condemned for not acknowledging Gods Divinity as they ought with those Bodies which God hath given them and amongst other purposes for this principal one of adoration Doctor John Donne a glorious Star but newly set shineth still in his Works and sparkleth forth his light in these words I must say that there come some persons to this Church and persons of example to many that come with them of whom excepting some few who must therefore have their praise from us as no doubt they have their thanks and bleslings from God I never saw Master nor servant kneel at his coming into this Church or at any part of Divine Service And a little after As our coming to Church is a testification a profession of our Religion to testifie our fall in Adam the Church appoints us to fall upon our knees And to testifie our resurrection in Christ Jesus the Church hath appointed certain times to stand but no man is left to his liberty as never to kneel Genuflexio est peccatorum Kneeling is the sinners posture if thou come hither in the quality of a sinner and if thou do not so what doest thou here the whole need not the physitian put thy self into the posture of a sinner kneel Mr Hildershaus a Divine of no mean repute no favourer of any practice accounted Popish In his Lectures upon Joh. 4. saith It is but the speech of a profane Hypocrite to say thus Though I make not that shew as others do though I use not to kneel and say my Prayers either with my Family or apart though I go not so much to Church as others do yet I serve God as well as they I serve him in my heart I lift up my heart unto him I serve him in my calling I get my living by my earnest labour I deal justly with all men And God is a Spirit and will be wotshiped in spirit It is the service of the heart that he looks for he cares not for these hypocritical shews It is no matter though I serve him not outwardly so long as I have a good heart And there be three Reasons why men may not content themselves to serve God in Spirit only but must do him outward and bodily service also In respect of God for he having created redeemed and sanctified our bodies as well as our souls is of right to have homage and service done him by both 1 Cor. 6 19 20. What know ye not c. In respect of our selves for the service we do to God in our Bodies is a great and necessary help to our Spirit Rom. 10.17 In respect of others for ur light
have from them And they must needs be born because they cannot go They have no ability to accept nor to make any retribution for what ever service is done unto them therefore adoration is miserably mispent upon them which should settle this resolution in the heart of every man Seeing we can have nothing from them they should not have the least thing from us not a knee 1 Kings 19.18 not an eye Ezek. 18.6 not an hand Psal. 44.21 But as Moses said to Israel in another case Deut. 12.4 so say I in this of adoration Ye shall not do so unto the Lord your God ye shall not with-hold from him your knees nor your eyes nor your hands but all your members shall express their part in the worship of God your bodies shall prostrate themselves before him alone without any oblique reference to any created nature And for Hypocrisie Let us take heed of that likewise that in adoreing and worshipping God our bodies may not go alone but our souls and spirits may joyn with them in the action Else if we make fair outward professions in seemingly religious bowings and kneelings and act not the same part within we shall expose our selves as laughing stocks and marks of vengeance in the sight of God and his holy Angels and be as the Swan which though it hath fair white feathers yet having but black flesh underneath was therefore adjudged an unclean Bird Let then our care be not only to do the thing but to do it aright in sincerity and truth by associating our souls with our bodies when ever any occasion be for us to give unto God the tribute of his worship If we shall be careful of this I dare promise these Consequents We shall nourish and continue in our hearts an awe-ful reverence towards the most Sacred Majestie of God himself We shall make our selves through the mediation of Jesus Christ acceptable in his sight when we present our selves before him We shall give proof and testimony that we acknowledge God for our God We shall conform our selves to the judgement of judicious men who have approved it to the examples of devout Saints who have practiced it to the Precepts in the holy Scripture which requires it We shall and that in an excellent way acknowledge our thankfulness unto God for his blessing of food and raiment protection and preservation and for those his principal ones of Creation and Redemption upon these our bodies And we shall amongst other acts of our obedience send up our Religious adorations to stand as memorials before God that for the time to come he may in all our straits and necessities be mindful of us in this present world and this being ended bring us both souls and bodies into his everlasting glory Soli Deo honor adoratio nunc in secula AMEN FINIS Isai. 5.20 Ecclus 13.22 Acts 18.13 2 Kings 8.5 Acts 20.24 1 Sam. 21. Gen. 28.16 Luke 1.53 1 Chro. 15.13 Vol. 2.pag.84 col 2. C. Heb. 1.6 Vol. 3 p. 403 Col. 2. Tom. 4 Col. 269. 1 Object Answ Joh. 2.15 Tom. 4. Col. 502. 2 Object 2 Answer * Attamengestus illi quid Scripturis commemorantur sanctis viris usui fuerâ—t publicis precibus admodum congruuns neque superstitiosis actibus debent annumerari Loc. com clas. 3 cap. 13. 12. pag. 671. Jude vers. 10. 1 Cor. 2.8 2 King 20.7 2 Sam. 10.4 Hor. * Superstitiosa rimiditos Aug. Epist. 118. 3 Objection Answer * Lex naturalis tres habet pavies cujus prima h c est ut agnitus honoretur Creator Ambros. in Rom. 5. Joh. 19.30 4 Objection Answer * Calv. in Mat. 15.14 Aquin. 22ae qu. 43. art 7. in Rom. 14 21. * K. James confer. at Hapt Court pag. 66. * Joh. Valdesso Consid. 76. 5 Object Answ * Quid prodest si genua corpor is mei adorationem veniens slectam Deo genua cordis mei slectam diabolo Orig hom 2. in Judic. In loc. 22ae qu 84. art 2 3m Totum vero hunc cultum tam externum quam internum ideo spiritualem sacrae literae vocant quia à spiritu nostro per Spiritum sanctum quo fideles aguntur renovato totus proficisâ—itur c. Ep. ante Miscellan I Argum. I. Psal. 95.6 2. 1 Cot. 6.20 3. 2 Argum. 3 Argum. * A juin 22 ae qu. 122 40. Zanch. Tom. 4. col 363. Pisicator in Matth 4 8. * D Hammond in his Apped to his Proct. Cat. pag 303. * Perkinâ— Refor Cath. point 14 4 Argum. Dod and Clevor on the 5 Com. Busbequius Ep. 3. mihip 267. Ovid de Ponto lib. 3. eleg. 2. * Non sufficit exteriâ— obtempâ—rare majoribus nostris nisi ex intimo cordis affectu sublimiter sentiamus de eis Bern. Serm. 3. de Adven Mal. 1.8 Epist. 3. Arrianus de Expedit Alex. lib. 4.pag.86 Judg. 9.12 Ludvicus Capellus in Spicilegio ad 1 Cor. 11. 4. mihi pag 87. 5 Argum. Mar. 9.40 * Levit. 17.7 Psal. 106.37 1 Cor. 10.20 8 Argum. Rev. 4.10 7.11 11.16 19.4 Quis andeat affir mare Dersubstanriam corporaliter videri cum eam noluerit corporaliter adorari Aug Ep. 6. 7 Argum. Jer. 2.12 Job 24.13 2 Kings 5.18 Liber Baro de â—â—bus Muscoviticis mihi pag. 55. Luk. 10.4 Salute no man by the way Isa. 66.3 8 Argum. 1. Heb. 12.21 * Nehem. 1.5 2. * Verbum {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} quando ad Deum resertur generale est complectens omnem reverenitam qua cum veneratione religione Deo exhibetur Cumque ejus pars sit Adoratio diabolus se adorari postulaverit ideo Christus verbum generale timoris seu reverentia inutaz it in verbum adorandi Chemnit Harm. Evangel. cap. 19 mihi Col. 275. 9 Argum. Heb. 11.16 Matth. 26.56 Judg. 13.8 Aug. de vera Relig. cap. 55. tom 1 mihi pag. 517. Acts 17.23 Martinus Polonus in vita S. Petri mihi pag. 122. In Orat. Dom. Com. in Eph. lib 2. In Eph. 3.14 Tract. 25 in Matth. mihi pag. 142. Gen. 27.4 Lib. de cura promortuis cap. 5 tom 4. De Gubern lib. 3. Orthod fid. lib. 4.cap.13 22ae qu. 84 art 2 corp. In Harm Evang mihi pag. 61 Matth. 5.15 Matth. 5.16 Supra pag.16 In Opusc. Col. 742. In his Works in folio pag.57 58. Like the Dog in the manger Vol. 1 p 707. Col. 1 A. Cases of Conscience Book 2. Chap. 11 Vol. 2.pag.84 Vol. 3 pag. 403. Col. 2 Serm. 7 p 72. Just Mart. Pag. 182 183. 1. 2. 3. 1. 2. 3. In hisspeech in Star-chamber pag. 46 Numb. 22.27 28 29 30 31. * Acne quis hoc derivet ad Mariam Virginem Maria erat Templum Dei non Deus templi ideo itle solus adorandus qui operabatur in templo Ambr. de Sp. Sa. lib.3 cap. 12. Sit in honore Maria Pater Filius Spiritus sanclus adoretur Epiphan. haer.79 3a patte 25.4 See Bishop White against Fisher p. 244 Dr Fearley in his Cla. Myst page 157. Jer. 10.5 Levit. 11 18. Causinus
in spirit and in truth God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth Here it is required that we worship God in spirit therefore Bodily worship is not to be given unto him For the right understanding of this place of Scripture we must know that Spirit there for the strength of the Objection lieth in this word is not to be understood of the soul in opposition to the body and so Outward bodily worship to be done away and the Inward worship of the soul to come in stead of it but it is to be understood in opposition to the Sacrifices and other Ceremonies of the Mosaical Law where with the Samaritanes did then worship God in that mountain by themselves in a Temple of their own and the Jews by themselves in their Temple at Jerusalem Notanda est antithesis inter spiritum externas figuras saith Mr Calvin the opposition is to be noted betwixt spirit and the outward figures For we know that the Worship or Service which the Samaritanes and Jews did then generally use consisted in External Rites and Visible Sacrifices of beasts and other Oblations which manner of Worship being shortly to be abolished a Spiritual or Evangelical Worship should be introduced into the place of it wherein no Typical nor Figurative Sacrifices should be offered And if it be rightly considered it will appear that those out ward Sacrifices of the Law had little or no affinity with that which our Saviour intends in this Scripture Matth. 4.10 and which we call Corporal adoration or Bodily worship which in its furthest extent is but personal Our Saviour then in that place of S. John doth no way thwart the worshipping of God with the body I conceive I have enough for it from Beza who in his Annotation upon the place is driven to make his defence against some of the Papists accusing him in some of their Writings Conferences or other ways that seeking to establish the Spiritual worship of God he should deny that God was to be worshipped with the External worship of the body But of this he clears himself Imò utrunque Deo semper debitum fuisle deberi absit ut insiciemur Yes saith he both the Inward and Outward worship have ever been and shall be due unto God God forbid that we should deny this Yet if this be not sufficient I can raise my authority higher to the great Apostle of the Gentiles who although he speaks in the very words of our Saviour Phil. 3. 3. We are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit c. yet this did not detain him from worshipping God with his body as may appear Act. 20.36 21.5 Eph. 3.14 I rehearse not the words because I would have the Reader peruse and judge But would it not seem strange if I should say that Corporal worship unto God under the Gospel is Spiritual If I should so affirm there are and those of no mean credit that would confirm it Not to trouble my self with setting down what Aquinas speaks or others in this case I shall content my self with what Zanchie writes The Scripture saith he calls External worship as well as Internal spiritual because it proceeds from our spirit renewed by Gods Spirit and is done in faith and tends to the honour and glory of God And he cites this very place of S. John for it To which let me adde the c. Whence we conclude that notwithstanding this place of S. John Bodily worship stands firmly due unto God and is to be performed to wards him by vertue of the present Scripture which we have in hand Adorabis c. Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God These are the common Objections on the negative part which buz into the ears of men that Bodily worship is not to be given unto God to which I hope I have given satisfactory Answers I come now to examine what evidence may be produced to defend and require it on the affirmative part In pursuance whereof I shall first produce such Arguments as from solid Grounds may be drawn to prove it and afterwards such Testimonies from authentick Authors as may further confirm it The first Argument may be drawn from the consideration of our bodies themselves Here are three things to be taken notice of which might afford so many several Arguments but I shall comprise them all in one 1. The Creation 2. The Redemption 3. The Glorification of these our bodies There is no Corporeal substance what ever it be that is so much ennobled and honoured by the bounty grace and mercy of the great Creator as these lumps of Flesh our bodies are First in respect of their Creation though not for Substance yet for Priviledge above other bodily Creatures all other Creatures being made for the use and sustentation of these bodies Some creatures bring their Flesh to feed them some their Wooll and Skins to clothe them some their Medicinal vertues to heal them The Sun affords them light and refreshment the Fire warms them the Water purifies them the Air affords them a breathing place the Earth accommodations for adwelling place All the Creatures in their several squadrons present them with their serviceable respects from the meanest even to the highest order of Creatures the holy and blessed Angels who have from God the tutelary charge over these our Bodies And shall these our Bodies receive these benefits and acknowledge no Homage nor Worship unto God whose goodness hath vouchsafed them Hath God created our Bodies for Themselves and no way for Himself but left them at liberty nay secluded them from this service that they should not worship nor bow nor kneel before the Lord their Maker If our Bodies be not bound to this duty and service What difference then is there betwixt the bodies of Reasonable men and the bodies of Bruit beasts towards God Secondly for the blessing of Redemption In this no bodily substance hath any interess but the bodies of men alone Christ sprinkled not his blood upon the Sun nor upon the Moon nor upon the Stars nor upon the Heavens nor upon the Terrestrial creatures but onely upon the Bodies of Men is the effusion of that inestimable Blood And still must our bodies be ingrateful Are we not bought with a price and must we not therefore glorifie God in our bodies and in our spirits because they are Gods Look yet further to the Third the Glorification of our Bodies which are designed to such glory and immortality in the highest heavens as that no Corporeal creature besides hath the like happiness prepared for it And shall our bodies still remain stiff stubborn and inflexible Let us take heed lest this benumming stupidity endanger us not both souls and bodies Let us consider that our Souls and Bodies are twins and that God hath united them together as in one man so in one participation of his
citing the testimonies both of ancient and modern Divines which I shall do but sparingly lest I should be endless Tertullian gives his verdict for adoration joyned with prayer thus Cum modestia humilitate adorantes magis commendamus Deo preces nostras Worshipping with modestie and humility we commend or approve our prayers the more unto God As if the common saying were true as no question but it is in this particular Vis unita fortior Force united is the stronger the worship of the Body joyned with the devotion of the Soul in prayer to God strengthens it to prevail the more forcibly with him Unto which S. Hierome also gives his consent Fixo in terram poplite magis quod à Deo poseimus impetramus With a knee fixed upon the earth we obtain the more of God the thing which we ask With this Origen also concurs in his vote though he expresseth it after another manner that genuflexiones adorations and bowings of the knee unto God are condimenta as if they were Sauces to our Services suaviores cos facientia giving them a better rellish and making them like Isaac's meat more savoury and acceptable unto God In the judgement of S. Austin and no doubt but he speaks by his own experience acts of Corporal adoration do much increase the inward devotion and worship of the soul His words are these Cumbi motus corporis fierl nisi motu animi pracedente non possint eisdem rursus exterius visibiliter factis ille interior invisibilis qui cos fecit augetur Whereas these gestures of the body cannot be performed without the precedent motion of the minde the same gestures being outwardly and visibly performed the inward in visible which caused them is much augmented thereby He then that out of a pious devotion shall bow or kneel unto God at his coming and being before him to improve his devotion thereby is not to be condemned for it but rather he that does it not Otherwise Salvianus would not have complained of that irreverence which profane persons practised in his time in coming into their Temples which were houses of prayer sine ullâ penitus reverentiâ sacri bonor is without any respective reverence at all to the sacred honour of God A complaint fit for these times Damascen is also plain for this Corporal adoration reasoning it from our composition Quia ex duplici naturâ compositi sumus c. Because saith he we are composed of a twofold nature to wit an Intellectual and Sensible therefore we offer unto God a twofold adoration a Spiritual which consisteth in the inward devotion of the Minde and a Gorporal consisting in the outward humiliation of the Body I could recite a considerable reason out of Aquinas which may please any honest minde but lest any should except against him as one of the Romish party I shall let him alone And indeed I can well spare him having enough beside of our own whose authority may among our domestick opposers be more convincing This will make me take a large leap over many centuries of pious and learned Authors to insist upon the suffrages of some in these last days of whom the first shall be Mr Calvin He upon Psal. 95.7 hath these words Hoc quoque notandumest non tantùm de cordis gratitudine hic agl sed simul requiri professionem externā pietatis Hoc enim tribus verbis exprimitur officio suo non defungi fideles nisi palam genuflexione aliis signis Deo se in sacrificiû offerunt This also saith he is to be noted that the thankful acknowledgment of the heart is not here onely understood but the outward profession of piety is together with it required For this is exprest in three words meaning worship bowing kneeling which the Psalmist there mentions that the faithful cannot be said to discharge their duty unless openly by bowing the knee other signes they offer themselves in sacrifice unto God In like manner upon Psal. 96. 9. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness fear before him all the earth he comments thus Pulchritudinis nomine templo reverentiam conciliat Propheta ne temerè prosiliant homines in conspictum Dei sed metum humilitatem afferant Eò pertinet clausula ver sûs Contremiscite à facie ejus ut reputantes quanta sit Dei Majestas simpliciter coram co incurvent By the beauty of holiness the Prophet counsels reverence in the temple that men rush not inconsiderately into Gods presence but should bring along with them fear and humility For to this the clause of the verse tends Fear before him that men considering how great the Majestie of God is might humbly bow themselves before him Nor may I omit the testimony of the same Author upon this place of Scripture which we now handle Sicuti religio proprie spiritualis est externa autem ejus confessio pertinet ad corpus ita non interior modò cultus debetur soli Deo sed externum quoque ejus testimonium As Religion is properly spiritual but the outward profession of it pertaineth to the Body so inward worship is not onely due unto God but also the outward testimony of it By which triple testimony it may appear if Mr Calvin doth not deceive us that the Candle must not be kept under a bushel but set on a candlestick that others may see the light That Adoration of God is not to be shrouded Inwardly in our Hearts alone but Outwardly professed for from that precept of our Saviour wherein he commands that our light should so shine before men that they may see our good works and glorifie our Father which is in heaven I know no reason that adoration should be excluded Next comes the testimony of Beza out of whose garden we have pluck't one flower already His words in his Annotation upon this place are these The word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is used for that religious worship which is due only to God conjoyned with peculiar reverence Quo et corpus et animus Deo uni sesetotum ut {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} consecrat tum interiore tum externo cultu In which worship the body and soul do wholly consecrate themselves unto one God as the only Creator with outward and inward worship Heminglus speaking of these two kinds of Worship the outward of the Body and the inward of the Soul will not have either of them exempted from God but Uterque Deo juste debetur Both of them saith he are justly due unto God For as concerning the Soul God hath created man after his own image an the Body hath he formed of the dust of the earth and hath endowed it with natural power and doth also conserve it thus Hemingius Bishop Cowper a pious orthodox and learned man having said upon Rom.
should so shine before men that they may see our good works see that we worship and serve God and glorifie our Father which is in Heaven Matth. 5. 16. Thus Mr Hildersham And let me set a good bush at his back who comes with his three Reasons also not much different The Reverend Arch-Bishop of Armagh in the Page of his Book which is cited before To this question Is there any use of our bodily behaviour before God sith he is a Spirit and looketh to the heart He answereth thus Yes verily For The whole man and consequently the body it self oweth duty unto God It is a glass wherein the affections of the mind are beheld The mind is the better holden in the thing affected and the better holpen and furthered in the inward worship when both body and mind are joyned together Since these Authors and I doubt not but many more if they were sought into of unquestionable repute have like so many streams bent their courses to the Ocean of this Truth Our late Arch-Bishop of Canterbury is not to be condemned for his pious resolution without the rejection and disproof of all the rest For my own part saith he I take my self bound to worship with body as well as in soul when ever I come where God is worshiped And were this Kingdom such as would allow no holy Table standing in its proper place and such places some are yet I would worship God when I came into his house And were the times such as should beat down Churches and all the curious carved works thereof with Axes and Hammers as in Psal. 74. and such times have been yet I would worship in what place so ever I came to pray though there were not so much as a stone laid for Bethel My last authority shall be more general When in the dawning of this Churches reformation in King Edwards dayes the night of idolatrous worship began to wear away Our blessed reformers Spiritual and Temporal in their endeavours to establish an orderly method for the true worship of God they ordered kneeling at several times in the performance of Gods Service Nor did they intend any other object of their outward bodily worship but only God And our Brethren in Scotland were not disagrecing from the same practice and injunction for Mr Knox having been no otherwise taught in this by his great Master composing a Liturgie for the publick Use of that Church this was one principal thing joyned That the Minister and People should prostrate themselves in the Celebration of their solemn Fasts So far was he or they in those dayes from denying corporal reverence and adoration to be Gods due and just Prerogative This consent of a multitude proceeding not from any heady inconsiderate rashness but from good advice deliberation is a good confirmation of Gods propriety in our bodily worship And though it be much spoken against no adayes by the ignorant who cry it down at all adventure and by the careless profane not a whit practiced in the publick Assemblies yet it might easily be hoped the one would not condemn it nor the other neglect it but both would joyn with the profession of this Service if well and advisedly they would but look into it As when Balaams Ass saw the Angel of the Lord she fell down under Balaam for which his anger was kindled that he smote her with a staff and wished that there were a Sword in his hand for then would he kill her yet afterwards when his own eyes were opened he did the same thing He bowed down his head and fell flat on his face Even so if men who are angry with the profession of corporal Reverence unto God and could find in their hearts to smite and to kill such as they observe to do it would apply themselves to a serious and upright scrutiny of the thing using those helps whereby their eyes might be opened and their understandings enlightned their Will not sitting as Judge in the place of Reason they would surely worship God with their bodies as others do And withal if they would consider how little they can have from the Writings of Divines to countenance their Opposition of Gods bodily worship Pens are commonly more deliberate then tongues and though some mens tongues walk at liberty and prate much against it yet I have not seen or heard that any pen hath drop't so much as a letter in contradiction of this That God is to be worshipped with the body Nor do I think there can be a face so bold as to do it I know they may break forth into exclamations against the corruptions and abuses of bodily worship which for mine own part I am as desirous may be reformed as any gain-sayer of corporal adoration can be And therefore for conclusion of this poor Treatise I shall level a Caveat against two main evils from which I desire every good Christian may be careful to keep himself in his acts of corporal adoration And these are Idolatry and Hypocrisie both which are high provocations unto God For Idolatry This is a grosse abuse and mis-employment of our bodies which God having made them only for himself will not that they should do any religious homage to any but to him alone having by his own express Edict often reiterated excluded all things else whatsoever from having any part or fellowship with himself in this service Though there be Angels and Saints in Heaven yet corporal adoration is not theirs the Angels have refused it and I doubt not but the glorified Saints if they could signifie so much unto us are of the same mind and would likewise shew that they do refuse it If St. Peter could be talked withal he would surely diswade from corporal adoration if it should be tendered unto him as being alive he diswaded Cornelius Act. 10.25 26. Though the * Blessed Virgin be with Christ her Son yet she is not to share with him in our adoration But if we will be wise let us do like wise men who when they came where Christ and his Mother were they fell down and worshipped only him Mat. 2.11 moved questionless thereunto by the secret instinct of the same Spirit which conducted them thither Nor shall I fear to say That the Bread in the holy Eucharist his neerest and most lawful representative in the world is not to have any corporal worship done unto it much less his Image Picture or Cross whatever Aquinas and the Papists are pleased to say That it is to be worshipped with the same worship as Christ himself is As for Images of Gold or Silver Wood or Stone we are not only streightly charged by God himself to with-hold our adoration from them but we may be diswaded even by their own impotency vileness unworthiness they being of our own making inferiour to us and regardless of us In time of need they require more help from us then we can