shall kneele in prayer Or rather thus the Papists and Pagans doe kneele to their Idols therefore Professors of the Gospell may not kneele to God For so indeed it is inferred because the Papists in the act of receiuing doe kneele to the bread therefore we in the same act may not kneele to God The other places require the defacing of Images Idols Deut. 12.2 4. Esa 27.9 30 22. but what is that to kneeling For there is great difference betweene that which in it selfe is lawfull and that which is vnlawfull as their Idols were which represented false gods betweene a permanent substance a transient action betweene that which may haue good vse and that which cannot If Antichrist haue stained this gesture by his Idolatry shall ChristiaÌ„s therefore hauing purged it bee debarred of their lawfull interest therein Or rather as the Israelite hauing taken in warre a woman amongst the enemies when he had shaued her head paired her nailes might take her home as his owne may not the Church of God take this gesture being pared and purged from Romish corruption and apply it to the seruice of God Master Cartwright tels vs that Epistle to the Church of England If amongst the Romish filth wee finde any good thing that wee willingly receiue not as theirs but as the Iewes did the holy Arke from the Philistims For saith he herein it is true that is said The sheepe must not lay downe her fell because shee sees the wolfe sometimes clothed with it St. Austin shewes that wee may lawfully vse the water of fountaines and woods of the forrests which by Pagans haue beene dedicated to their Idols Epist 154. S. Paul hath taught vs 1. Cor. 10.25 27. that it is lawfull to eat that meat which hath bin sacrificed to Idols and may we not vse that gesture that hath been abused to Idolatry But it is obiected that this gesture can neuer be purged And to this purpose are vrged the positions of sundry learned men As Caluin Bucer Petrr Martyr Beza Bâ—sh Iewel c. who would that all things which haue appearaÌ„ce of Popery bee banished and the same is confirmed by the practice of diuers godly men in the like case To which I answere first that this position is absurd and goes a note aboue Ela which will admit no possibility of purging any ceremonies corrupted in the Church of a For corruption abuse being onely accidental may be remoued salua substantia Rome Fare fall Master Robinson yet a resolute separatist who saith Wee doe acknowledge in it meaning in the Church of England many excellent truths of Doctrine which we also teach and many Christian ordinances which wee also practise b In his book against Master Bernard p. 16. being purged from the pollution of Antichrist Againe I say that if the authority positions practice of men excellent for learning venerable for antiquity admirable for sanctity being vrged for some of our Ceremonies be reiected by you what reason haue you to presse vs with the opinions of a few particular men of later times and inferiour quality 3. I might oppose to these few you mention many euen of late times nothing inferiour to them who dissent from them in these opinions Diuèrsa est temporum ratio saith Beza confes ca. 5. sect 16. 4. Though the present times wherein those men wrote Popery being as yet newly banished the Gospell planted might giue occasion of vehement opposition yâ—t is there not the like cause now The Chirurgion deales otherwise with a foule sore and a wound that is come to agglutination 5. I may say truely of these good men as Basil speakes of Gregory Neocaesariensis Non dogmaticè sed contentiosâ— Bafil epist 64. that they wrote some times 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their zeale against Popery carrying them further then in strictnesse their iudgements went And that they did so in the reiecting of this and some other ceremonies Caluin hath many things to this purpose Instit l. 4. c. 10. in diuers of his Epistles Bucer epist ad Hooper Et fimilia habet in alijs epistolis may appeare by their other writings when they wrote calmely and purposely concerning the same I will onely giue a taste Bucer saith that to make a Rite Antichristian it is not in any of Gods creatures in any garment in any figure or colour but in the minde and profession of those which abuse them Beza epi. 12. Beza saith of this very gesture Geniculatio speciem habet piae venerationis c. This bowing of the Knee hath a kinde of godly reuerence and therefore it might heretofore bee vsed to good purpose Bishop Iewell saith Against Hard. Artic. 1. disp 8. I grant that sitting standing and other like ceremonies in the holy ministration are left to the discretion of the Church Yea Master Cartwright acknowledgeth againe and againe In his first reply page 131. 132. That sitting is not necessary and though he say that kneeling is dangerous yet he saith not that it is vnlawfull P. Martyr saith in generall P. Mart. epi. ad ep Hooper I cannot be perswaded the wickednesse of the Pope to be such that whatsoeuer hee toucheth must thereupon bee polluted that afterwards it may not be of vse to the godly And concerning this matter in particular he saith elsewhere P. Mart. Loc. Com. Claâ— 2. It is no matter of difference whether we receiue the Sacrament sitting standing or kneeling so that Christs institution be preferred occasion of superstition remooued And surely those are bad Chirurgions that haue no other meanes of cure but onely by the saw and the cautery Againe to the positions of these men they add the fact of Hezekiah who did not seeke to purge but brake in pieces the brazen Serpent and the practice of our Sauiour Christ who held it not sufficient by doctrine to speake against the Iewish washings and so to vse them to another end but refused that custome wholly Hereunto I answer first Particular facts euen of worthy men doe not tye vs necessarily to imitation Moses proceeded farre against the Israelites Idolatry Exo. 32.20 when he tooke the golden calfe burnt it in the fire and ground it to powder strew it vpon the waters and made them to drinke of it What haue others sinned that haue not done the like Againe there is great difference betweene the brazen serpent and kneeling at the Communion both in their nature and vse In their nature the one being a transient action the other a permanent substance and consequently more apt to be abused to Idolatry In their vse for the vertue of cure being vanished the brazen serpent ceased to be of vse But the act of kneeling will euer remaine necessary to manifest our humble thankefulnesse for so great benefits as we receiue by the blessed Sacrament 3. There was great cause why Hezekiah should thus proceede against the brazen serpent in regard that To those dayes the children of Israel burnt incense to it 2. Reg. 18.4 But so is not the gesture of kneeling abused by vs and therefore needs not such an absolute abolishing And for our Sauiours practice it is rather with vs then against vs for though he did shunne the superstitious washings of the Pharises yet who can thinke that he did vtterly forbeare all ciuill and wholesome washing before meat So wee doe shun and detest the Idolatrous kneeling of the Papists at the Sacrament but to abandon kneeling totally wee haue no cause no warrant FINIS
also in the consecration of our spirituall And therefore S. Marke Marke 14. vers 22.23 vseth both the words So that our Sauiour taking the bread in his hands gaue thankes to God for the redemption of mankind for the reuelation thereof by the Word and the assurance of the same by the blessed Sacrament And withall prayed that whereas the bread wine of themselues had no power or vertue for that spirituall vse wherein they were to bee employed It would please God so to be present with his ordinance that through his grace and blessing the Sacrament might become a faithfull meanes to confirme our vnion with Christ and to seale vp vnto vs the worke of our redemption Now from the Conduit-pipe of this benediction Bella. de Eucharist lib. 1. cap. 10. Bellarmine and the Rhemists would faine conuey their doctrine of Transubstantiation but herein they foget themselues and contradict their owne doctrine For they generally hold that coÌ„secration is effected by these words Hoc est corpus meum This is my body Now this benediction goes before euer Christ speakes these words so that they must either reiect their maine ground of consecrating by hoc est corpus meum Iustin Mart. Apol. 2. Origen Cont. Cels lib. 8. Cyprian de Coena domin Theod. Dia 2 Hier. epist ad Euagrium Aug. de Trin. lib 3. cap. 4. or deny that this benediction is operatiue to change the substances But the truth is that consectation is done by this thankesgiuing and prayer as the ancient Fathers doe generally teach consequently not by a bare rehearsall of those words Hoc est corpus meum as hereafter wee shall obserue more fully Now this consecration of the elements by prayer and thankesgiuing is a sanctifying and setting apart of them for a sacred vse and consequently yeelds matter of much comfort For by it is represented Christ Iesus sanctified and set a part by Almighty God for the sanctification and saluation of mankinde according to that in the seuenteenth of Iohn Ioh. 17.19 For their sakes I doe sanctifie my selfe that they also may be sanctified through thy truth So that as the oyntment did descend from Aarons head to his beard Psa 133.2 and went downe to the skirts of his cloathing so the oyle of grace and gladnesse is hereby deriued from Christ our head to euery member of his body and he being consecrate is become the author of eternall saluation to all them that obey him Heb. 5. â— Againe seeing that the elements of bread and wine are sanctified to a sacred vse we must put a difference betweene them other bread and wine For the bread after consecration is not common bread Iren. l. c. 4. cap. 34. as Ireneus truely saith As the gold which was profane in the furnace became holy when it was sanctified to the vse of the Temple so the bread which was by nature common by consecration and vse is made holy As the waters of Iordan being sanctified by God for the cure of Naaman 2. Reg. 5. were to be esteemed by him more excellent then all the riuers of Pharphar and Damascus And as the water in Baptisme being sanctified by prayer and thankesgiuing is more to be regarded then any the most excellent and costly distilled waters in the world so the bread wine being consecrated for the Sacrament are to be had in more reuerend estimation then any other whatsoeuer Againe seeing our Sauiour doth sanctifie the Sacrament by prayer thankesgiuing this is an action for imitation Yea if he gaue thanks to God in our behalfe how much more should we doe so for our selues who receiue the benefit and from this duty of thanksgiuing the Sacrament hath that ancient name of Eucharist And indeed this action doth yeeld approbation and commendation to the celebrating of the Sacrament in solemne Congregations where many ioyning together their combined prayers and praises doe more powerfully pierce the heauens to send vp the sweet incense of thanks and to bring downe the deaw of grace vpon the Congregation To conclude seeing that the Sacrament is sanctified by prayer and thankesgiuing we must be carefull to vse it in a holy and reuerend manner Is it blessed by prayer and thankesgiuing Let vs not profane it by vnworthy receiuing lest wee turne that blessing into a curse vpon our selues Act. 10.15 As it was said to Peter so may I say to euery Communicant Those things which God hath purified pollute thou not And as the assembly at the Passeouer was appointed to be a holy Conuocation Numb 28.18 so let our assemblies bee at this our Euangelicall Passeouer The third Action is the breaking of the Bread A man would thinke this a needlesse ceremony Mat. 26.26 Mar. 14.23 Luk. 22.19 1. Cor. 10.16 11.24 Act. 20.7 but indeed it is very materiall Therefore all the Euangelists and the Apostle likewise doe diligently mention it Yea this action giues denomination to the whole celebration of the Sacrament which argues that it is a ceremony of great moment and very worthy of obseruation And reason for it is very significant to represent the paines of Christs Passion Ioh. 19.36 Exo. 12.46 Not that his body was broken which by diuine prouidence was preuented that the Scripture might be fulfilled but to set foorth the intolerable torments that Christ indured in his death when he might iustly complaine as it is in the Psalme Psa 69.20 Rebuke hath broken my heart Hereby is set forth that which Esaiah speakes of Esay 53.5 He was wounded for our iniquities hee was broken for our transgressions the chastisement of our peace was vpon him and by his stripes we are healed In which place the Hebrew words are very significant to set forth the extreme paines that Christ indured for our sakes they imply the whip the speare the nayles the thornes which did pearce the body and the sword of sorrow which did wound the soule of our Sauiour Yea this breaking of the bread doth set forth the renting of the soule and body of Christ asunder This Action makes against the carnaâ—l presence as indeed almost euery passage in the institution doth For the body of Christ is present onely as it is broken but it is broken onely in mysterie therefore it is present onely in mysterie To breake the naturall body of Christ actually were an act of great cruelty Ioh. 19. â—2 more extremity towards our Sauiour in his glorious estate then the rude souldiers shewed in his infirmity on the Crosse But concerning this action the Papists are exceedingly distracted Vide P. LuÌ„ Sent. 4. dist 12. A. B. C. D. not knowing what to affirme as whether it was bread or his body which was broken To say it was the body of Christ were to make his body perpetually passible and to say it is bread after consecration they are loth because it ouerthrowes their locall presence Therfore these shelues
of absurdities vpon which they doe cast themselues to maintaine their errors should make them saile willingly downe the cleere chanell of truth Againe the necessary and significant vse of this action condemnes the practise of the Romanists who neglect the same and giue whole cakes to the people For as hereby they violate the ordinance of Christ so doe they depriue the people of a comfortable and significant ceremony Iansenius confesseth that the Eucharist was wont to be broken Iansen Concor ca. 131. but saith he Now it is not so lest any one should thinke he receiues lesse then another or doubt that he receiues not whole Christ But our Sauiour Christ and the Primitiue Church were much ouerseene that could not thinke of these inconueniences or else the Papists are too blame that cannot teach their people better or which is the truth these correcters of the Institution doe play the Impostors who to maintaine an opinion of their carnall presence haue abandoned this comfortable action of breaking the bread Lasty here the Communicants must obserue that when the bread is broken and the wine powred out they should then stir vp their hearts to meditate vpon the paines Passion of Christ and apply the same to their soules as a soueraigne cordiall of comfort For his sufferings were for our sakes His wounds his stripes his anguish of soule and torments of death were the blessed meanes to deliuer vs from the paines and torments of eternall death The fourth action of our Sauiour is the giuing of the Bread and the Cup. This action though it be not here expressed yet it is implyed in the word Take and is plainely mentioned in all the Euangelists Mat. 26.26 27. Mar. 14.22 Luk. 22.19 which speake of the institution of the Supper This action is of great moment for it representeth GOD the Father giuing his Sonne to vs with all the merits of his painfull Passion and perfect obedience Ioh. 6.27 Him hath GOD sealed as it is in the sixt of Iohn As God by his eternall decree did ordaine Christ Iesus to be our Sauiour who is the Lambe slaine from the beginning of the world Reu. 5.12 So hath hee sealed vp this mercy vnto vs in giuing vs the Sacrament 1. Ioh. 4.10 And here is that loue of God that he sent his Sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes This action yeelds matter of reprehension of consolation and instruction First from the person and action meeting together namely Christ giuing the Sacrament I may well collect that it belongs onely to the Minister who is Christs substitute to giue the Sacrament As none but he may take blesse and breake the Bread Canon 21. so none but he may deliuer it according to the Constitution of our Church As God by a speciall ordinance in time of the Law Nu. 3.10 De. 33.10 did separate Aaron and his sonnes for offering of the sacrifices so I may say in the Apostles words Hebr. 5.4 No man may take to himselfe this honour in the time of the Gospell to administer the Sacraments but he onely who hath an ordination to these sacred offices Secular men haue smarted for medling with sacred things Vzzah for the Arke 2. Sam. 6.7 2. Chr. 26.19 Vzziah and Saal for their sarcifices albeit they had faire pretences for their enterprises Therefore Tertul. Tertul. de Coron mil. c. 3. saith Eucharistiam nec de aliorum manu quà m praesidentium sumimus Gregory of Valentia saith that a Lay man may administer the Sacraments Tom. 4. dist 3 quaest 5. pun 2. for that the applying cause doth not concurre of it selfe to produce the effect But his Position is vnsound and his reason absurd For although the applying cause doth not of it selfe concurre to the producing of the effect yet by accident and the ordinance of God it may and doth Had any man beside Ananias put his hands vpon Pauls eyes hee should not thereby haue receiued his sight But Ananias Act. 9.17 being ordained by Christ for that imployment his hands were the effectuall applicant cause to conferre sight to the blessed Conuert It is obiected by some that our Sauiour said to his Disciples concerning the Cuppe Luk. 22.17 Deuide this among you But that is spoken of the Cup in the Passeouer as euery one may easily perceiue that will looke vpon the place in the Euangelist For this is before any mention is made of the Supper Againe this condemnes that lurching sacrifice wherin oft times the Priest giues none to others but retains all to himself What is this practice but the lighting of a candle to put it vnder a bushell For wherefore is the bread blessed and broken but to be giuen And in this wee must imitate our Sauiour Christ Compare Psa 68.18 with Ephe. 4.8 who receiued gifts that hee might giue them It is no lesse absurd for a man to affirme that another should receiue good by the Priests receiuing as the Rhemists teach then to hold that he may be fed by the meat another man eates or be saued by another mans faith which conceits were very absurd and ridiculous For a man must be nourished by his owne meate Hâ—b 2.4 and The iust must liue by his owne faith Therefore the faithfull Minister of Christ must be like the good Samaritan Lu. 10.34 who did not onely prepare but powre in the Wine and the feruent Communicant must say Ioh. 6.34 Lord euermore giue vs this Bread Againe this makes against the Romish Reseruation for the Sacrament is consecrated to be giuen and receiued not to be reserued The ancient practice of the Church doth controle this vaine corruption Saint Hierom shewes that which in all probabilitie was the generall custome of the Primitiue Church Hieron in 1. Cor. 11. In ecclesia communem caenaÌ„ comedentes pariter consumebant De hisce post caenamepulis loquitur Chrys in 1. Cor. ho. 27. prope finem Peracta pietatis celebratione consumitur Aug. de Trin. 3.10 Origenin Leuit hom 5. whilst their loue feasts called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after the celebration of the Supper were in vse namely that what remained of the Eucharist was spent with their other meats and drinks in these feasts And after the abolishing of those common Suppers we find for some hundreds of yeeres the practice of Churches though different yet vtterly against reseruation For Origen who liued in the second hundred yeeres after Christ writes that in his time what remained of the Eucharist was burned And Euagrius vpon occasion of relating a miracle that hapned in the dayes of Bishop a About 400. yeeres after ChristVetus fuit consuetudo Constantinopoli Euang. lib. 4. ca. 35. Menas who succeeded Epiphanius writâ—s that it was an ancient custome in the Church of CoÌ„stantinople that if any part of the SacrameÌ„t remained the young youth which frequented the Schooles did eate it But what speake I of the
Thou didst elect mee to life and glory before the foundations of the World were layd thou didst create me after thine owne Image wheras thou mightest haue made me the vilest of thy creatures And when thine Image was defaced thy fauours forfetted my selfe becom the bondslaue of sinne and Satan it pleased thee forth of thy exceeding mercy and compassion to send thy Sonne to be my Sauiour Redeemer and hast with him giuen mee all things belonging to life godlines Thou hast continually preserued me from those infinite dangers into which I haue cast my selfe by the demerit of my manifold offences Thou hast let me liue in these happy dayes of grace and peace wherein the sight of thy Gospell shines most brightly Thou hast vouchsafed mee many temporall blessings whereby my life might be cheerefull to me and my selfe carefull in thy seruice But when I remember thy vnspeakeable loue in that great gift of thine the Sonne of thy loue Christ Iesus and when I consider that thou makest him mine bringest him home to my heart in a wonderfull manner by participation of the blessed Sacrament it makes me say with admiration VVhat is man O Lord that thou art so mindfull of him What am I sinfull wretch that thou shouldest vouchsafe to make me partaker of so great mercies And now O blessed GOD what shall I render to thee for all thy vnspeakeable fauors I haue nothing Lord but the sacrifice of my vnworthy praise and thanks which I desire may be perfumed by the merits and offred vp to thee by the hands of my Sauiour Christ I will euer say to my soule which is all that I can say My soule praise thou the Lord and all that is within thee praise his holy Name Lord make me able willing to offer vp my selfe an holy and acceptable sacrifice to thee Lord pardon my great vnthankfulnesse make me daily more and more thankfull to thee and giue me grace to expresse my thankfulnesse by my obedience that I may walke worthy of thy mercies and liue as one that hath beene brought vp in thy house and fed at thy Table Lord let me finde the power of thy sauing and sanctifying grace by vertue of thy blessed Sacrament whereof through thy mercy I haue at this present beene made partaker Let my Sauiour bee vnto me as a good Corrosiue to eate out my corruptions that the power of sin may be daily weakned and the graces of thy blessed Spirit quickened and strengthened in me that my affections being wayned from the loue of this euill world they may mount vp to heauen and heauenly things that so in this life I may haue fruition of thy fauour and in the life to come be partaker of euerlasting blisse and glory and that through the merits and mediation of Iesus Christ my all-sufficient Sauiour and Redeemer So be it good Lord. So be it A Iustification of the gesture of Kneeling in the Act of receiuing the Sacrament of the Lords Supper ROM 14.19 Let vs follow after the things which make for peace and wherewith we may edifie one another LONDON Printed by ELIZ. ALLDE for Robert Allot 1631. To those who oppose and dislike the gesture of kneeling in the act of receiuing the Sacrament WHen our blessed Sauiour ascended he left this legacie to his seruants Ioh. 14.27 My peace I leaue with you Pacem dedit iturus pacem dabit venturus Aug. in Ioh. tra 77. my peace I giue you At his departure hee bequeathed to his Church peace spirituall and at his returne hee will giue to it peace eternall And for better conseruation of this rich legacie he gaue the blessed Sacrament as a badge and bond of vnity Is it not therefore lamentable to see this rich legacie neglected and that sacred ordinance which should be the bond become the bane of our peace But behold my brethren as it is the excellent worke of God to bring light out of darknesse and good out of euill so is it the malicious endeuour of Satan to bring darknes out of light and euill out of goodnesse For he beeing the first peace-breaker in the World labours continually to vexe the Church of God by raising vp the stormes of contention about the blessed Sacrament not onely betweene opposites who differ in substance but euen amongst brethren onely for matter of circumstance And albeit our gracious Soueraigne who if euer any a meere man may fitly be stiled a King of peace hath by excellent courses seconded that great Peace-maker yet alas through mens contentious dispositions his iust expectation hath beene frustrate and his worthy indeuours haue beene too fruitlesse which might discourage any man for entering into these lists yet when I see Hebrewes striuing together I cannot be silent but say to him that doth the wrong Why fmitest thou thy fellow Exo. 2.13 Not forth of any pragmaticall disposition or loue to contention as all that know me can witnesse but forth of a heart vnfainedly affecting the peace of Sion and desirous by appealing to your better cogitations to effect it That worthy fact of Master Caluin hath euer affected mee much who seeing some take offence at the Wafer cakes vsed in the Church of Geneua Beza in vita Caluini perswaded them not to raise vp any contention about that which was indifferent and shall not I doe so in a matter of like nature Bethinke your selues my Brethren what distractions these diuisions doe cause and can these diuisions be without great thought of heart Iudg. 5.15 whilst we stand like Cato and Scipio in the Senat with mihi videtur mihi non videtur The one approues the other reiects the ordinances of the Church The godly are grieued the weake are troubled the wicked are strengthned yea as Nazian speakes Cur hosti cōmuni gladios porrigimus Nazi aduer Eunoni Oratio Non quia vera sed quia sua est wee by our contentions doe put a sword into the hand of our common enemy Remember I pray you that as Saint Austin saith There is some man who defends his opinion not because it is true but because it is his owne for so selfe-loue doth draw men into error Consider that opinions though grounded on error through time become strong resolutions Bethinke your selues carefully what holds you in opposition Is it a doubt that yeelding may disparage your persons or discredit your Ministery Consider that the Ancients haue neuer gained more honour then in retracting their errors Or is it zeale to Gods glory Consider then I pray you how this affection hath transported diuers very excellent and eminent members of the Church of God and this will make you looke rather how safely then how speedily you sayle Ponder I beseech you seriously how many faithfull and famous seruants of God yea some of which haue layd downe their liues for the testimony of Iesus haue aduisedly and willingly yeelded to this ordinance of the Church And hath it not
some smacke of presumption to thinke that all others iudgements haue beene clowded and the light of truth hath shined onely vpon you Suppose that these priuate opinions may seeme euident truths in our owne conceits yet haue they not found the weight of probability in the iudgement of others Yea if ie were certaine that the gesture of kneeling were vnfit in the act of receiuing consider whether such a circumstantiall point should bee esteemed of that moment as worthy to disturbe the peace of that Church where the Gospell is so soundly preached and the Sacraments so duly administred In answering long discourses I intended breuity in regard whereof I haue contracted the arguments Neque versutis disputationibus opprobrijsque turbemini Hicr in Phillip 1. Si decem modo persuasi fuerint si vnus nonne nobis hic sufficit ad consolationem Chrys de Laz. Con. 1. and shaped their answers accordingly Yet what seemed to haue weight I haue pondered and answered with as much plainnesse as I could euen the vulgar I doubt not but I shall heare from some what Moses did from the Hebrew Who made thee a Iudge ouer vs But Saint Ierom hath taught mee not to regard subtill disputes or reproches My conscience beares mee witnesse that I haue in this matter dealt sincerely And if I should be smitten with the tongues and pennes of many yet the reducing of a few that erre and satisfying of some that doubt shall bee a sufficient comfort to me Non sunt litigandi isâ—a sed orandi â—e pora D. Perkinsus â—pi ad Lect. Harmo Bibl. It is an excellent speech of a worthy seruant of Christ Prayers are fitter for these times then Controuersies I would to God we were all effectually perswaded of the truth hereof for so might Controuersies be easily decided oppositions be turned into vnity contention into amitie and those lamentable digladiations which afflict the Church into the precept and practice of pietie and charitie which blessing of peace the Lord in his good time grant vnto his Church Now those who are no disputers but onely being misled doe dislike the gesture of kneeling I earnestly intreat that they will consider what vncertaine Oracles and vnconstant guides they follow For some of them haue supplycated for sitting as a gesture fit to set forth rest and the accomplishment of Ceremonies in Christ Some haue vrged standing as better agreeing with the Eucharist it being a Sacrament of Thanksgiuing Others againe haue condemned both the name of Eucharist and the gesture of standing and haue disputed for sitting because it consorts with our Coheire-ship In which conceits this is very obseruable that they all haue agreed onely in opposing the Churches practice and in crossing their owne Positions which disclaime all significant ceremonies For each of them ties significancie to his gesture The due consideration whereof may be a strong motiue to euery modest and ingenuous Christian to conforme himselfe to the Churches vnity and vniformity in this matter of indifferency A Iustification of the Gesture of kneeling in the act of receiuing the Sacrament IN the handling of this question I will first giue reason for the lawfull and necessary vse of this gesture and after that I will answere some arguments that are made to the contrary And for the better proceeding herein I will first shew that the Church hath power and authority to impose it Secondly that being so imposed it is to be imbraced For the first point I reason thus All things indifferent which are to be vsed in the seruice of God are in the disposition of the Church The gesture in the Act of receiuing the Sacrament is a thing indifferent and to be vsed in the seruice of God Therefore the gesture in the Act of receiuing the Sacrament is in the disposition of the Church The proposition is the generall iudgement of Diuines both ancient and moderne So that to spend time in proofe thereof were to set vp a candle to helpe the light of the Sun at noone And the assumption is also as plaine by the generall description of things indifferent For Those things which haue neither precept prohibition nor expresse determination in the Scriptures are indifferent But the gesture in the act of receiuing the Sacrament hath neither precept prohibition nor expresse determination in the Scriptures Therefore the gesture in the act of receiuing the Sacrament is indifferent The very quotation of learned Diuines for proofe of this proposition and the other in the former argument would fill many sheetes of paper Yea these things are so generall and euident truths His first reply pag. 18. that Master Cartwright himselfe saith I know no man that euer denied that the Church may make orders in such things as are not specified and precisely determined in the Word In which words he intimateth what are things indifferent namely such things as are not specified and precisely determined in the Word and then that the Church may determine or make orders concerning the same and so acknowledgeth all that goes before Now for further proofe of the last assumption I confidently affirm and shall I doubt not euidently manifest that there is neither precept prohibition nor precedent in the Scriptures concerning the gesture in the Act of receiuing And albeit it were sufficient to prooue the matter of indifferency that there is no precept prohibition or precise determination thereof as Master Cartwright speakes yet because the Institution of Christ is so much in euery ones mouth I will make it euident by the Scriptures that nothing herein is determined so much as by any practice or precedent of our Sauiour or his seruants the Apostles If it be obiected that learned men writing in defence of kneeling haue let it passe by way of concession that Christ sate at the Sacrament To this I answere that peraduenture they haue not so seriously considered all the series of the sacred story Or it may be they haue not very carefully regarded it knowing that if Christs sitting were granted yet it doth not inforce any necessity of imitation Page 223. Dr. Reynolds his Conference with Hart. as afterwards shall appeare But for my owne part as a learned man when the Papists vrge Peters exercise and resignation of Episcopall iurisdiction at Rome doth presse them to proue that Peter was Bishop of Rome And as a reuerend Bishop in an acute allusion Reu. Epis Eliens Tort. Torti whilest the Romanists dispute whether the Pope hath temporall power directly or indirectly calls vpon them to proue that hee hath any such temporall power at all So I say that they who vrge an imitation of Christs sitting at the Sacrament should first proue that he sate which like the former they shall neuer be able to doe And this shall appeare by the examination of those passages of Scripture which mention the Institution First St. Paul 1. Cor. 13.23 who handles the doctrine of the Sacrament at large hath not