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.
Book of Martyrs that when Bishop Latymer and Ridley were brought to the stake to be burnt for our Religion Mr. Latymer spoke these words to Bishop Ridley Be of good Comfort Mr. Ridley and play the man we shall this day by Gods grace Light such a Candle in England as I trust shall never be put out again This Candle by Gods mercy hath burnt hitherto and by his blessing if our sins do not hinder may continue and never be put out again Mr. Bagshaw who made a strong Speech in the beginning of our late Long-Parliament against our Bishops to bring them all into a Premunire for their late Canons then made and exceeding and going beyond their Commission according to Law giveth this honourable testimony of the Martyrs who first stood for our Religion in the Commendation of Pembroke Hall in Cambridge that William Sawtree was Martyrum Primus Ridley Martyrum Doctissimus and Bradsord Martyrum Piissimus yet all these stout Champions for the truth who were the very Pillars to bear up our Religion must be cryed up by these young men for Papists and this Book of Common-prayer their Work for Popery This cannot but shew a great deal of Pride and Ignorance Had these men been well bred at the Schools of the Prophets brought up at the University their full time and tarried at Jericho till their Beards were grown they would have had more Humility Modesty Wisdom and Discretion 2. For the several particulars of this Book which are either by the Ignorant Curious and prying wits of our Age or by the prejudiced Affections of men excepted against it were endless to examine all some being meer Punctilio's and Trifles not worth an answer The substance of all besides Te Deum Benedicte Gloria Patri The three Creeds the Apostles Creed the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed and the prayers there set are all Canonical Scripture which cannot be excepted against neither can any alledge and prove any thing in it to be Repugnant and contrary to the word of God only they stand upon these or such like scruples The chief exceptions which are made against this our Book of Common prayer are these 1. Against many Words Phrases of Speech wrong Translations and hard expressions in it 2. Against the set and Select Chapters called Lessons and the Epistles and Gospels appointed 3. Against the Responds and Answers of the Clerk 4. Against the Shotness and Multitude of our Prayers 5. Against the several Gestures prescribed the standing up at the Creed the bowing at the Name of our Lord Jesus kneeling at the Lords Supper 6 Against the Idolizing of this Book and clogging it with Popish Ceremonies which are against our Christian Liberty In all these we shall endeavour to give satisfaction to reasonable and moderate men by shewing the true Grounds and Reasons of them all in order Obj. There be many unfitting Words Phrases of Speech Corrupt Versions wrong Translations and hard Expressions in this Book of Common-prayer Answ We do acknowledge many passages in it have been excepted against yet of small Concernment if they had been favourably and charitably construed Exception hath been taken at the first Sentence At what time soever a sinner doth repent c. as there is no health in us in the Confession of sins at Te Deum Benedicte the praying part of the Letany by the Clerk and people at words in the Communion with Angels and Arch-angels after the Communion in the prayers which for our unworthiness we dare not and for our blindness cannot ask vouchsafe to give us for the worthiness of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord at the words in Baptism that Infants may receive Remission of sins by spiritual Regeneration at words in the Rubrick after Confirmation before the Catechism that Children baptized are undoubtedly saved though they had not Confirmation at the curses in the Commination then at many passages in the reading Psalms which are according to the old Translation Psa 28. 9. Psa 37. 38. Psa 38. 8. Psa 68. 6. Psa 105. 28. Psa 107. 40. Psa 125. 3. Then at the Epistles and Gospels being after the old Translation at some words in John 2. being the Gospel for the second Sunday after the Epiphany at words in Gal. 4. The Epistle on the fourth Sunday in Lent in Phil. 2. the Epistle on Palm Sunday and in Eph. 3. the Epistle on the 16th Sunday after Trinity But the greatest exception of all was at the words of Burial We commit his body to the ground Earth to Earth Ashes to Ashes Dust to Dust in sure and certain hope of Resurrection to eternal life These words indeed at the first sight or sound of them To be spoken of all indifferently without any distinction though their Lives had been never so bad and loose might seem somewhat strange and harsh to many an honest and well-meaning man who did not understand them aright or know the Grounds or Reasons of them 1. If you mark the words well it is not said in sure and certain hope of his or her Resurrection to eternal Life as in particular Reverence to the party deceased but the words are spoken in general In sure and certain hope of Resurrection to eternal life that is of a Resurrection to eternal life or as it is now Corrected and set down in the Book in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal Life To shew that we Christians do believe that there is a Resurrection to eternal life and that we bury our dead in a strong hope and faith that we and all true believers shall rise again to eternal life In doubtful Speeches charity should take the best construction and fairest interpretation and not pervert the meaning of the words 2. If they will not be perswaded but that it was meant by the Church as they take it and will apply it in reference to the party deceased yet this at most is but the charity of our Church and you know what the Apostle Saint Paul speaketh of charity 1 Cor. 13. 5. Charity thinketh no evil believeth all things hopeth all things covereth a multitude of faults we have no warrant in Scripture as far as I find to judge censure or condemn any man especially for his final end though he lived never so loosely he might have grace for ought we know to repent before his death but rather command to the contrary Luke 6. 37. Judge not and you shall not be judged condemn not and ye shall not be condemned Again Rom. 14. 4. Who art thou that condemnest another mans Servant He standeth or falleth saith the Apostle to his own Master And this charity is grounded upon more Reason then every one understandeth if we consider the constitution of the Government of our Church the strictness of Discipline that was set up and executed and the temper and condition of the people of those times you will find both Reason and Equity in it The Government set up was
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