require nor injoyn these things altogether without reason Take a view examine all particulars the several gestures injoyned commanded by our Church The chief of all are these 1. Kneeling in the time of prayer 2. Standing up at the rehearsal of the Apostles Creed 3. Bowing at the Name of the Lord Jesus 4. Kneeling at the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 1. Kneeling in time of prayer the Scripture doth hold out unto us especially these three several Gestures in the time of prayer 1. Prostrating and casting down our selves upon our faces in our prayers to God for this we have the example of our Saviour Christ Matthew 26. 39. it is said there of our Saviour Christ a little before he was apprehended That he went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed c. and Mark 14. 35. it is said He went forward a little and fell down upon the ground and prayed And thus we read of the Primitive Christians in former times the warning sound was no sooner heard but the Churches were presently filled the pavement covered with bodies prostrate and wash'd with tears of devout joy Ad Domos statim Dominicas currimus Corpora humi sternimus mixtis cum Fletu Gaudiis supplicamus faith Salvianus 2. Standing some suppose that the Israelites did many times stand and pray this Christ our Saviour seemeth to intimate Mark 11. 25. saying When ye shall stand and pray forgive 〈…〉 read of the Pharisee and Publican when they came bâ—â—h 〈…〉 the Temple to pray Luke 18. it is said of the Pharisee 〈…〉 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself and of the 〈◊〉 ver 13. But the â—ublican standing afar off c. and Christ speaketh of the Pharisees Matthew 6. 5. And when thou prayest be no◠〈◊〉 the Hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the Synagogues 〈◊〉 corners of the streets 3 Kneeling that was always the most usual Gesture thus we find everywhere in Scripture it is said of Solomon 1 Reg. 8. 54. when he had ended his prayer and supplication to the Lord for the Temple that he arose from kneeling upon his knees it is recorded of Daniel Dan. 6. 10. that he usually kneeled three times a day upon his knees and prayed praised his God and of St. Paul and the Church with him Act. 21. 6. When he departed from them they kneeled down upon the shoar and prayed Now the usual Gesture among us in time of prayer is either standing or kneeling we do not altogether disallow of standing in prayer but we may stand as a servant before his Master or as a subject before his Prince we may kneel upon our knees St. Stephen as we may suppose used both these Gestures praying for himself we may conjecture he prayed standing Act. 7. 59. it is said they stoned Stephen who called upon God and said Lord Jesus receive my spirit but ver 60. when he prayed for his enemies the Text saith And he kneeled down and prayed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge But kneeling we account and judge the fittest posture to shew our true humility and our reverence to God This no man questioneth 2. Standing up at the rehearsal of the Apostles Creed and making our Christian confession this many stick at The reasons why this posture is injoyned and required may be these upon conjecture 1. To stir up the dulness and sluggishness of people and to keep them from slumbring and sleeping and to stir up their attention to consider of the several parts of the Service of God Common people are very dull and lumpish and many times very drowsie in the performance of the Service of God and having sate long in hearing the Psalms read unto them and the Chapters read are many times overtaken with slumbring and drowsiness and this standing up then at the rehearsal of the Creed may be a good means to cause them to shake off their drowsiness to keep them from slumbring and to quicken their attention to the Service they are about If there were nothing else this might in some mens judgments be a sufficient ground for this injunction as long as the Gesture is indifferent in it self 2. This standing up at the Creed the Confession of our Christian Faith may be required to teach blind and ignorant people and to inform them that the Creed is no prayer There be too many ignorant people notwithstanding the great Light we have and the plentiful means of instruction by continual Preaching Teaching and Catechising here among us yet still take this Creed to be a prayer which formerly by most was accounted among their prayers and so used by them as a prayer Now because ordinarily in our prayers we do kneel as is fitting and we are required This very posture of standing up at the rehearsal of this Creed may convince them fully that it is no prayer but a publick Confession and Profession of our Christian Faith 3. The chief reason at all why we stand up at the rehearsal of this the Apostles Creed is to shew our Christian resolution to maintain and defend this our Christian Doctrine For this Creed is a short abridgment and Epitome of all the Apostles Doctrine which they received from Christ our Saviour and delivered to us in the New Testament The rule of our Faith the Touch-stone of Truth the very Pith and Substance of our Christian Religion the very Badge and Cognisance of a Christian whereby he is not only known from Pagans but distinguished from Hereticks Therefore we are injoyned not only to stand up at the rehearsal of it but to joyn our selves also in rehearsing it to testifie to the world our readiness and constancy to maintain this our Religion and Profession being the true Catholick Faith whereof this is a full abridgment that we are willing to stand to it to the death and to live and die in the Profession of it 3. Bowing at the Name of the Lord Jesus this indeed is also required that as all persons should reverently kneel upon their knees when the general Confession and other prayers were made stand up at the saying of the Creed and Belief so when in the time of Divine Service the Lord Jesus should be mentioned due and lowly reverence should be done by all persons present testifying by these outward Ceremonies and Gesture their inward humility Christian Resolution and due acknowledgement that the Lord Jesus Christ the true and eternal Son of God is the only Saviour of the world in whom alone all the Mercies Graces and Promises of God to mankind for this life and the life to come are fully wholly comprised according to that of S. Peter Act. 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other for among men there is given none other Name under heaven whereby we must be saved Though all do not agree that this bowing is either commanded in those words of the Apostle Phil.
Enjoyned by Authority to be used Obj. The grand great and chief exception that is taken against our Liturgy is that our Book of Common-Prayer is Popery taken out of the Popish Mass-book Answ To this we answer in general before we come to examine particulars Be pleased to take into your consideration this moderate point of Wisdom that all that the Papists have or make use of cannot properly be called or accounted Popery as we call Popery The old Rule is good here Qui hene distinguit bene docâ—t It is the part of a Wise-man to distinguish things to put a difference between things and not to confound and put together things that differ Therefore we should rightly know what Popery is Popery is properly the Errours Abuses Corruptions Superstitions Idolatries and Abominations which are used and mantained by the Pope Papists and Church of Rome either in Doctrine or Worship These indeed may properly and truly be called and accounted Popery if we submit our selves to the Pope of Rome receive his Laws his Doctrine his Worship if we cleave to his Adherents to them that worship him and receive his Mark if we maintain or profess either those false Doctrines or that Superstitious or Idolatrous worship which is professed among them and maintained by them Then indeed we may be rightly said to fall into Popery and to incline unto iâ— but if we call all those truths which they have and are kept sound among them in matters of Doctrine or those things which in matter of Worship are good and pure and free from corruption by the name of Popery we are very much mistaken If we must make use of nothing in the Service and Worship of God which they use nor may have liberty to assume to our selves the right use of those things which they do or have abused being purged from their corruptions we must then leave and renounce the Scriptures both the Old and New Testament both Baptism and the Supper of the Lord yea renounce all the Ordinances of God pull down our Churches and abandon all Religion Now it is known to the world that the Church of England renounceth the usurped power of the Pope of Rome and doth disclaim all his Religion and Laws all Errours Heresies Superstitions Idolatries and Abominations of the Church of Rome so that no man can accuse her unjustly of Popery or brand her with the name of Popery seeing she hath made a full Separation from the Church of Rome And though she maketh use of some things which they use in the Service and Worship of God yet they are such things as are lawful in themselves and fully purged from their Corruptions and Superstitions and cannot justly be accounted or called Popery The Church of Rome was once a true and sound Church though we profess no perfection in the world and not so pure but might be tainted with some Corruption and was famous for the profession of the true Faith and Doctrine of Christ Rom. 1. 8. Their Faith was spoken of throughout the whole world and as for her Bishops they were godly men most of them being Martyrs for three hundred years after Christ and more yet she was never accounted the Catholick or Universal Church but a Member of the Catholick or Universal Church But as time doth corrupt all things so she by degrees fell into corruption The Church of England even in the time of Popery was a Member of the Catholick or Universal Church and had not the being of a Church of Christ from Rome or by separating her self from Rome but having her eyes opened to see her Errours and her Spirits quickned and revived she began to think upon a necessity of Reformation and so cast off the yoak of Anti-christ and the usurped power of the Pope of Rome with all his Errours Superstitions and Abominations and sought to bring her Children to the right Faith of Christ and to the true and pure Worship and Service of God And examining the Liturgy and Book of Common Prayer then in use and finding it corrupted and fallen from the ancient purity she composed a new one of her own and though perhaps in some things it might not be much disagreeing from the former yet seeing those things were pure and sound free from corruption and after the ancient Form of Liturgies of the Church she thought good to retain them and to continue them for her use We do acknowledge our Liturgy and Book of Common-Prayer to be the work of man and as by man it was first composed so by man it may be at any time altered or put down and there is no work of man so perfect though never so absolute and compleat but may have some Errour in it or be tainted with some Corruption But that it is Popish Superstitious Idolatrous or Anti-christian as some who had more Zeal then Knowledge have been bold to defame it savoureth of too much Ignorance Pride Rashness and Presumption This we altogether deny and the very Ordinance of Lords and Commons which did put down this Book of Common-Prayer as you may see in the Preface to the Directory did not accuse it of any such matter as Superstition or Idolatry no nor so much as of Errour but speaketh reverently of the first Composers of it and modestly and discreetly of the Book it self onely they alledge this that they found by experience that it proved an offence to many at home and abroad disquieted many mens Consciences of Ministers and others was too much heightned by the Prelates made as it were an Idol by many ignorant people was a means to hearten Papists and to nourish an idle Ministry therefore did agree and resolve to put it down and to set up the Directory in its room Though it be granted that some things in this our Book do agree with theirs not so much perhaps as some imagine and give out yet if we do acknowledge that Rome was once a true and sound Church we cannot but suppose her Doctrine and Worship Then to be sound and pure although since it hath been corrupted if then upon our Reeformation for we did not make a new Church but only reformed the Errours of the old our prudent Reformers did take such things as were good and pure after the ancient Form of the Liturgies of the Church which they had corrupted with Errours being purged and refined for their use what just cause have we to complain The abuse of a thing doth not abolish or take away the Right use of it that were as the Heathen said to take the Sun out of Heaven that hath been worshipped and abused There is no Creature made by God or thing used and made by man but hath been some way wronged or abused They were Wise-men and godly men who did at first make and compose this Book of Common-Prayer some of the chiefest of them being Martyrs and burned in Queen Marys days for the Profession of our Protestant Religion and
Conscience sake That is in respect of the Ordinance of God which commandeth us to Obey those Laws of the Magistrate which are not Repugnant to the Laws of God This Liberty also the Apostle giveth to the Church to make such Orders as tend to Edification 1 Cor. 14. 26. Let all things be 〈◊〉 to Edifying And again 1 Cor. 14 40. Let all things be 〈…〉 and in Order Those Actions Things and Rites which in their own nature are Indifferent neither precisely Commanded nor expressely Forbidden in the Word of God As to Eate such a day Flesh and such a day Fish to keep such a kind of diet at one time and such a kind at another To wear at such a time such and such Vestures and Garments especially upon a Politick and Civil Account being Commanded and Required by the Magistrate are then not to be accounted indifferent to us because they are Injoyned to be observed of us and required by the Magistrate to whom we owe Subjection by the Law of God Thus you see this Christian Liberty whereon we stand is not a Liberty of Licentiousness to do what we list neither is it a Civil or Corporal Liberty of our Bodies from all kind of Service and Servitude under others Neither is it such a Liberty as doth Exempt us from Obedience to our Lawful Magistrates and to the Just Laws of our Land requiring nothing of us which is contrary to the Word of God You will say now What kind of Liberty then is it which the Apostle doth here perswade us to stand fast in wherewith Christ hath made us Free We answer it is a Spiritual Liberty of the Soul and Spirit whereby we serve the Lord Christ willingly and cheerfully in Spirit and Truth being freed from the Bondage of the old Law If you look upon the Words there going before and following after you will plainly find and all Interpreters do agree upon it that the Apostle St. Paul speaketh there of that Liberty whereby we are freed by Christ from the Observation of the Law which he calleth there the Yoke of Bondage Thus St. Peter also speaketh of them Acts 15. 10. Why tempt ye God to lay a Yoke on the Disciples Neckes which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear For presently after St. Paul insisteth upon Circumcision because Circumcision was the Ground of all the Service of the Law and that which was chiefly urged by the false Apostles Thus he speaketh there v. 2. Behold I Paul say unto you If you be Circumcised Christ shall profit you nothing that is If you be Circumcised with that mind and meaning which the false Apostles pretend as that you look and Believe to be Justified by Circumcision and by keeping of the Law then shall Christ profit you nothing Christ profiteth onely them which Renounce their own Righteousness the Righteousness of the Law and fly to the Promise of Grace made in Christ by Believing and by Faith applying to themselves the Merits of the Death of Christ and resting upon him alone and upon that Promise of mercy made in him for the Forgiveness of their Sins and for the Salvation of their Souls For no man can keep the Law therefore no man can expect to be Saved by the Law But the Curse of the Law must needs lie upon him without Christ This is that Liberty which the Apostle there doth insist upon If you desire to be farther satisfied in this Point of Christian Liberty Be pleased to take it in these Particulars Our Christian Liberty Consisteth 1. In a Liberty or Freedom from the Power or Dominion of Sin as the Apostle speaketh Rom. 6. 14. For sin shall not have the Dominion over you for you are not under the Law but under Grace From the Tyranny and Bondage of Satan Hebr. 2. 14 15. Christ took part with us that he might destroy through death him that had the power of death which is the Devil and that he might deliver them which for fear of death were all their life time subject unto Bondage And from the Torments of the Second Death Rom. 8. 1. There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus So that true Believers though they have sin still dwelling and abiding in them yet are delivered from the Power Raign Rule and Dominion of sin are not Slaves and in Bondage under Satan nor in danger of Eternal Death 2. In a Liberty and Freedome from the Moral Law but not in respect of Obedience but in respect of the Rigour Curse and Condemnation of the Law The Obligation to punishment For whereas the Law requireth of us perfect Righteousness we do not look to be Justified by the Righteousness of the Law but by the Righteousness of Christ according to that Galath 3. 13. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us for it is written Cursed is every one that hangeth on a Tree 3. In the Liberty of the Spirit The gift of the Holy Ghost which doth inwardly Seal unto us the former Mercies Rom. 8 15 16. For we have not Received the Spirit of Bondage to fear again but we have Received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father This Spirit of God taketh away the vail of Ignorance Darkness and Blindness from our Hearts Inlightneth us by the Preaching of the Gospel in the true saving knowledge of Christ Converting us to God and Quickning us with the life of Grace willingly and cheerfully to obey God according to that 2 Cor. 3. 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is Liberty 4. In a Freedom from the Ceremonial Law of Moses from the Sacraments Sacrifices and Services of the Old Law which were Imposed on the people of God and were Types and Shadowes of things to come and ended in Christ The Apostle tells us Galat. 2. 4. of false Brethren which were craftily sent in and crept in privily saith he of those times to spâ—e out our Liberty which we have in Christ Jesus that they might bring us into Bondage To whom we gave not place by Subjection for an hour that the Truth of the Gospel might continue with you And from the necessity of observing those Legal Rites Orders and Ordinances which concerned things Indifferent The choice of certain Meats thé Observations of daies and the like As also from all the Traditions of Men Instituted in the worship of God as necessary to Salvation or putting Religion in them Christ hath delivered us from all these Yet notwithstanding all this Christian Liberty doth not at all Exempt us from our Obedience to our Lawful Magistrates or to the Laws of our Land Commanding and requiring that which is Lawful and not contrary to the Word of God and Instituting and Injoyning those things without any opinion of placing any Religion Worship or Necessity in them but in a Civil and Politick manner onely for the Edification of the Church onely