comely not foolish and ridiculous as are the apish gesticulations in the Masse and many other Ceremonies used in that Church as their manifold crossings kissings kneelings whisperings washings anointings spittings blowings breathings and a number of the like Unto these three conditions I will adde two more I. Ceremonies must not be injoyned as things in themselves absolutely necessary and wherein Gods worship doth consist II. We must not ascribe unto them spirituall effects as the Papists doe who say that their crossing and sprinkling of holy water are effectuall to purge away veniall sinnes drive away divells and sanctifie the parties Now the Ceremonies injoyned by our Church have all these conditions For number they are few as ever was in any Church for observation easie for signification worthy for quality grave decent and comely for antiquity reverend The worship of God is not placed in them neither are they pressed upon the consciences of people as things in themselves necessary like the Commaundements of God we ascribe no merit remission of sinnes nor other spirituall effects unto them Finally they are purged from the drosse of all Popish superstition And therefore you are bound in conscience to observe them they being injoyned by lawfull authority And now I am come to the last thing wherein the power of the Church is to bee considered Sect. 38. and that is for correction The Church hath authority to censure her disobedient children whether they be Heretickes or Schismatickes or inordinate livers And on the other part upon their repentance to restore release and absolve them Like a good Mother she hath both Vbera and Verbera a dâ—g to feed and a rod to whip her unruly children This power was alwayes in the Church I finde that there was amongst the Iewes three degrees of censures Ioh. IX 22. XII 42. XVI â— The first was called Niddus a separation or casting out of the Synagogue The second they called Herem which is Anathema when an offender was cut off from his people by the sentence of death Deut. XVII 12. And that man that will doe presumptuously not harkening unto the Priest or unto the Iudge that man shall die The third was Shammatha or Maranatha which was a peremptorie denunciation of Iudgement delivering the obstinate malefactor as it were unto everlasting death for the word signifies as much as Dominus venit The Lord commeth This last is not mentioned in the Law but as it seemes was brought in by the Priests and Scribes after that the Romans had taken from them the power of life and death neither can the Church now use that censure unlesse we knew certainely that a man had sinned against the Holy Ghost The second which is the sentence of death belongeth onely unto the civill Magistrate who to that purpose hath the sword committed unto him So that the censure which properly belongs unto the Church now is onely separation by excommunication And there ever was and alwayes must bee a power in the Church to impose that censure upon contumacious offenders We have the first example of it from God himselfe hee cast Adam out of Paradise which was a type of the Church and banished him from the tree of life which was the Sacrament of immortality he cast forth Cain from his presence that is from the place appointed for his worship wherein Adam and his family used to meete for the service of God Afterwards when the Church of the Iewes was established their Councell of Elders called the Synedrium had power to cast men out of the Synagogue Yea under the Law those who had contracted any bodily uncleannesse must not eate of the Passeover till they were purified after the manner of the Law How much more ought they who are defiled with sinne bee barred from the Communion of our Sacraments seeing the pollution of the soule is more odious in the sight of God then bodily uncleannesse When our Saviour did institute the Church of the new Testament he gave such an authority unto his Apostles and their successors in the words following my text Whatsoever ye bind on earth shall be bound in heaven And whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Which he expounds after this manner Io XX. 23. Whosoevers sinnes yee remit they are remitted unto them And whosoevers sinnes ye retaine I. Cor. 5. they are retayned The Apostle did exercise this power upon the incestuous Corinthian I. Tim. I. â—0 and upon Hymenaus and Alexander The same power hee committed unto his two sonnes Timothie and Titus The governors of the Church are reproved for neglecting this censure Revel II. 20. as the Angell of the Church of Thyatira for suffering the woman Iezabel to teach and deceive Gods servants And the Angel of the Church of Ephesus is commended for his zeale in censuring offenders Thou canst not beare them which are evill and thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles are not Revel II. 2. Finally the censure of excommunication was of frequent use in the Primitive Church especially against heretickes and disturbers of the publicke peace Tert. in Apol. Cypr. epist lib. I. ep 3. as both Tertullian and St Cyprian doe testifie And I find that this censure had two degrees the first was Suspension called Abstentio whereby men were barred some from the Communion of the Sacrament onely others from the Communion of certaine prayers also and some from entering into the Church which they built upon the Commandement of our Saviour Matth. VII 6. Give not holy things to dogges neither cast your pearles before swine The other was Excommunication wherby a man was cut off from the body of Christ as a rotten member cast out of the Church and delivered into Satan who raignes without the Church wherein the Churches sentence is rather interloquutory then definitive And yet the same no wayes to be contemned because when it is done Clave non errante Apologet. cap. XXXIX the same is ratified in Heaven Therefore Tertullian truely cals this censure summum futuri Iudicij praejudicium The former of these censures may be called the Apostles rod shall I come unto you with a rod I. Cor. IV. 21. The other is the sword Apostolicall Gal. V. 12. Abscindantur Let them bee cut off that trouble you This latter is that which is mentioned in my Text Let him bee unto thee as a Heathen man and a Publican and in the words following it is called a binding or retayning of sinne for as the Church hath power to loose such as are penitent so to commit others unto the Lords prison binding their sinnes upon their backe untill their amendement or binding them over unto the Iudgement of the great Day if they shall persist in their pertinacie The same by S. Paul is called a delivering up to Satan The end of Excommunication is threefold I. The glory of God for when men are suffered in the Church to doe what seemeth good in their
our neighbour and to neglect the sinnes committed against the first Table But Christ mentioneth onely private injuries because hee is exhorting to Patience and Charitie And we are most sensible of those offences wherby we are hurt he therfore restrayneth us where wee are most forward knowing well that if wee can be kept from the violent prosecution of those wrongs which are done to our selves wee will be slow enough in taking notice of other sinnes committed against God and our neighbour And now having found out both the persons sect 6 and the offences spoken of In the next place let us consider the rule prescribed or the course that is to bee taken If thy brother shall trespasse against thee It is a Recipe for curing an offending brother wherin our Saviour will have us to deale like tender Physicians who first use to try gentle remedies and if that will not doe they minister stronger pills that are more offensive to Nature So should we doe for the Cure here prescribed is fourefold The I. Private admonition Tell him his fault betweene thee and him that is Correptio Amoris II. Reproofe before witnesses If hee will not heare thee take with thee one or two more that is Correptio pudoris III. Publicke accusation If he will not heare them tell it unto the Church that is Correptio timoris IIII. Separation If hee neglect to heare the Church let him bee unto thee as an heathen that is Correptio tremoris The first is mylde the second sharp the third bitter the fourth desperate The first is but a preparative the second a potion the third a Corrasive the fourth abscision or cutting off Now wee must not thinke that all these degrees can be observed at all occasions and as oft as our brother offendeth Sometimes the offence is so light that it is better to passe it by then to take notice of it Sometimes though the sinne be great yet it is committed so privatelie that it is to no purpose for thee to tell it unto the Church for if he deny it thou canst not prove it Sometimes the offence is so notorious and scandalous that the Church takes notice of it no private admonition going before â—â— Tim. V. 20. no accusation being made Concerning such sinnes the Apostle prescribeth a rule to Timothie Them that sinne Rebuke openly And so Paul reproved Peter publickly Gal. II. without any private admonition because his offence gave scandall unto many Sometimes it falleth out that he who offendeth is of so desperate a froward disposition that to admonish him of his fault is but to cast pearles before swyne In this case Solomon his rule is Prov. IX 8. Rebuke not a scorner Sometimes it may bee thou canst not use private admonition for want of opportunitie of tyme and place or by reason of the quality of the person offending Or it may bee that there is danger in delay and some great hurt like to happen if the matter bee not presently declared unto the Church Many such cases may happen wherein all these proceedings cannot be observed but the matter comes before the Church persaltum Wee must therefore remember that this being an affirmative precept doth not oblige at all times but only then when the observation of it is convenient for the end for which it was appointed which is the amendement of our brother And now sect 7 having made an Introduction into my Text I come to the words But if hee neglect to heare the Church c. Which being a conditionall proposition hath two parts a Supposition and an Inference There is a fault supposed If he neglect to heare the Church And a censure inferred Let him bee unto thee as an heathen man and a Publicane He supposeth the fault onely he sayth not There are who will not heare the Church but hee puts the case onely Si non audierit yet wee know by wofull experience there bee such Christ's If proves to be no If There are many here who account it the point of highest perfection to disobey the Church and despise her wholesome Lawes Vers 11. And so as S. Iude sayth perish in the gainsaying of Core Num. 16. Now Core's sinne was disobedience to the Church hee would have a paritie amongst the Levites and would not bee subject to Aaron appointed his Superiour by GOD And albeit hee with his Complices went down quick unto hell yet hee hath left his seed amongst us Many who will not bee subject unto Aaron who will not heare the Church Now that wee may know what sinne this is not to heare or obey the Church I will shew you first what is meant by the Church Secondly wherein the Church must be heard By the Church here sect 8 wee must not understand the whole multitude of Beleevers in one place for this Church hath power to binde and loose given them in the next words And the power of the Keyes was not given to the multitude but to the Pastors and Rulers in the Church Amongst the Iewes who were God's Church under the Old Testament sentence was never given by the Common people but by certaine Iudges appointed What doe I speake of the Iewes whose governement was alwayes Monarchicall or Aristocraticall Even amongst the Grecians where the governement was Democraticall as in Athens Iudgment was never given by the people but by certaine Iudges chosen by the people How much lesse in the Church whose governement no man in his right witts will say is Democraticall shall this power to judge be given to the people It is not likely that GOD who is not the Author of confusion but of order would give this power to the people who by reason of their ignorance multitude and varietie of affections would never agree upon a sentence neither were it possible for any Controversie to be composed if the voyces of all the people must bee expected for there would be nothing but faction distraction confusion division and endlesse delayes II. sect 9 Nor by the Church here are we to understand the Synedrium of the Iewes which was their Councell of LXX Elders as some men of great name haue conceived for our Saviour never honors that Court with the name of the Church Luc XXII 66. but it is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Gospell he did not commit the power of the Keyes unto them but having instituted a governement in his Church he gaue them a bil of divorcement Neither is it likelie that Christ would send his disciples to complaine to those who were profest enemies to him his I. Cor. VI. contrary vnto S. Paul his rule who will haue us to be judged by Saints not by Infidels III. sect 10 Nor by the Church here are we to understand the Christian magistrate It is the conceit of Erastus but one so wilde as needs no Confutation for we know that the Church and the Civill Magistrate haue diverse Consistories God having established
two distinct powers upon earth the one of the Keyes committed to the Church to worke upon the conscience by binding or loosing the soule that is retaining or remitting of sinnes the other of the sword committed to the Prince to worke upon the outward man laying hold on the body and goods And neither of these is to intrude upon the execution of the others office When St Peter who had the Keyes committed unto him ventured to draw the sword he was commaunded to put it up Matth. 26.52 as a weapon that belonged not to him So when Vzziah would execute the Priests office he receaved the like check It pertaineth not unto thee Vzziah to burne incense unto the Lord â— Chron. 26.28 but to the Priests thesonnes of Aaron that are consecrated The magistrate therefore is not to take upon him to weild the Keyes which are here committed to the Church If thou complaine to him of an Injury done by thy brother he will punish him And that is not it that Christ aymes at he will not have his disciples so careful of the repairing of their wrong as of the amendement of their brother In a word he gives not precepts Oeconomicall or politicall but prescribes a Law unto the Conscience which is that if thy brother amend not after private admonition to Convent him before the Church IIII. Sect. 11. Neither by the Church are we to understand S. Peter and his supposed successor of whom the Iesuits say Papa est Virtualiter tota Ecclesia for our Saviour spake unto Peter and Peter answers him vers 21. How oft shall my brother sinne against me Now if Peter be offended he is to goe to the Church that cannot be himselfe Besides Peter may be the man who gives the offence if he did not I am sure the Pope doth And shall wee complayne of himselfe to himselfe Wee are like to have an ill hearing Finallie Sect. 12. nor by the Church are we to understand a Generall Councell That can not be called so oft as one offendeth is to be corrected And therefore it is foolishly done of the Papists to alledge this text for the infallibility of the Church Lib 3. de ver Dei cap. 5. observandum hic quidem Dominum loqui de injurijs quas unus ab aliquo patitur Lib. 4. de Rom. pont Conveniunt omnes Catholicâ— posse Pentificem etiam ut Pontificem cum suo coetu consiliariorum vel cum generali Concilio errare in Controverâ—ijs facti for they themselues doe not ascribe infallibility to any particular Church but onely to a Generall Councel confirmed by the Pope of which this Text can not be understood Besides that which is here referred to the Church is a matter of fact not of faith So Bellarmine doth acknowledge that Christ speakes of personall injuries And that in deciding of such Controversies in matters of fact which depend upon information and testimonies of witnesses The Pope may erre even with a Generall Councell at his elbow he saith is confest by all Romanists And then how this Text used by all their writers to prove the infallibility of their Church can serve their purpose no reasonable man can see By the Church then wee must understand the Governours of the particular Churches wherein we live except the person to be corrected Sect. 13. be in that place that he cannot be Iudged but by a higher Court in which case the Church we are to goe unto is a provinciall or Nationall synod So St Chrysostome and with him the generall consent of all doctors expounds it of the prelates and chiefe Pastors of the Church who have Iurisdiction to bind and loose such offenders in the words following So a learned Schooleman Parisiensis de sae ord c. 10. Potestas Iudiciaria est ipsius Ecclesiae Cujus minister ad hancrem Episcopus est constitutus As they who governe in the Commonwealth are called the Commonwealth so they who rule in the Church be called the Church because they hold the chiefe place in it As the body is said to see when it is onelie the eye that seeth So the Church is said to heare that which they onely heard who are as it were the eyes of the Church All the companie of beleevers are called Saints And yet the Apostle giveth this title unto some who were in authority aboue the rest for composing of controversies I. Cor. VI. So albeit the whole multitude of beleevers be called the Church Yet in a speciall manner this title is given to them who are chiefe in the Church for authority power St Iohn wrote his Epistles to the Angels of the Churches that is the Bishops And yet he concludeth Let him that hath an care heare what the Spirit sayth vnto the Churches So that the rulers are called the Church not onely by our Saviour but also by St Iohn because they did represent the Church whereof they had charge And in the Old Testament the Hebrew word Eda which signifieth the Church is sometimes used to expresse not the promiscuous multitude but the assembly of Iudges the Councell of the Rulers Psal LXXXII 1. God standeth in the congregation of gods So that this acception of the Church is not without precedent as some have alleadged And now having found the Church Sect. 14. let us see wherein the Church is to be heard The necessitie layd upon us to heare the Church presupposeth a power in the Church to direct yea and to commaund though not in her owne name yet in the Name of GOD who committed this power unto her That the Church hath a power I thinke no man will deny All the Controversie is touching the extent of this power which I will reduce unto certaine heads neither with the Papist deifying her power nor with the lawlesse Libertine vilifying her authoritie Bee pleased therefore to understand the Churches power for Instruction for Ordination for Determination for Direction and for Correction First it belonges to the Church to keepe and propound the sacred Oracles and to apply them by preaching and administration of the Sacraments II. To ordayne Ministers appoint them their Stations and direct them the manner how they are to discharge their dutie III. To decide Controversies in Religion IIII. To enact Lawes not only to containe men in obedience to the Law of God but also for Circumstances and Ceremonies in the outward administration of Gods worship V. To censure offenders Of the first three but briefly First Sect. 15. the Church is to keepe the holy Scripture as a depositum that which hath beene committed unto her wherein she is as a faithfull Register or Notarie that keepes the Originall Records from corruption Deut XXXI 24. When Moses had finished the Book of the Law he gave it to the Levites to be kept in the side of the Arke from them must the King receive his Coppie Deut. XV II. 18. The Apostle sayth Vnto them were
example of Christ in ceremonies and circumstances then we are able to imitate him in his miracles Christ wore a seamelesse coat christened in rivers preached in the fields answered nothing for himselfe before the Iudge when hee was questioned I hope none of you holds himselfe bound to follow his example in these things Matâ—h XIV 19. c. XV. 35.26 Mat VI. 40. Luk. XXIV 30. Christ alwayes caused the people to these things Christ alwayes caused the people to sit downe before he blessed the meat And yet you commonly stand in blessing especially before meate Yea if wee were bound to imitate Christ in the gesture which he used in holy duties wee should bee bound unto impossibilities for Christ in the same dutie used diverse gestures at diverse times he kneâ—â—ed downe and prayed Luk. XXII 41. He fell on his face and prayed Matth. XXVI 39. He caused the people sit downe and prayed for a blessing Matth. XIV 19. All these gestures he hath sanctified in that Ordinance and commended unto us by his example yet we can not use them all in one act at the same time therefore we are free to pray in any gesture provided wee have respect to decency conveniencie and peace Now if wee bee not bound to Christs example in any ceremony circumstance or gesture were it not strange if we should be tyed to imitate the example of his gesture in the Sacrament II. If Christ sate at the Sacrament it was only once Matt. XXVI 55. but in preaching hee sate often as hee sayth I sate daily teaching in the Temple and yet you hold not your selves bound to preach sitting Now were it not strange if Christs once sitting in one ordinance should be exemplary and not his often sitting in another III. There was never any gesture essentiall to any Sacrament either under the Law or under the Gospell for wee know not what gesture was used in Circumcision and in Baptisme and it is manifest that the gesture of the Passeover was varyed from standing to lying I say further there was never example of gesture in any ordinance or holy service which bound the Church absolutely but so as it might be chaunged upon occasion We have examples in Scripture of all gestures used in praying in thanksgiving in hearing of the Word in offering of sacrifice And I doe here challenge you all to shew me but one example of gesture in any Sacrament or any other part of God's service that did absolutely bind the Church under the Law or under the Gospell to the imitation thereof and I will yeild that Christs gesture in the Sacrament bindes us to imitation but if none such was ever knowne then you must shew some reason why the gesture used in the Sacrament should binde us to imitation rather then in any other Sacrament service or worship for it must seeme strange to any reasonable man that one onely gesture and that of all others the most unfit in one only ordinance should become necessary without any speciall commaund IV. God hath fully expressed what is necessary to bee observed in any of his Ordinances But in all the Booke of God there is not one word expressing what gesture wee should use in the Sacrament all the Evangelists are silent in this matter so is S. Paul though he professe to deliver all things necessary and essentiall to the Sacrament And on the contrary it is very probable that our Saviour had no intent to honour us with the gesture of sitting at the Sacrament for even while hee sate with his Disciples at the Passeover hee schooled them for looking for honour in sitting at the table Luk. XXII 26. Let the greatest among you be as the least and the chiefest as he that serveth for who is greater he that sitteth at table or he that serveth Is not he that sitteth at table and I am among you as he that serveth Now you doe presse us to shew expresse warrant out of Scripture for things which we acknowledge to bee in their owne nature free and indifferent and so need no particular warrant of the Word they being left to the discretion of the Church And yet you presse sitting at the Communion upon the consciences of people as a thing necessary and are not able to shew for it any warrant in the Word generall or particular If you say that you have the example of Christ and of his Disciples that will not serve your turne for you know not what gesture they used and albeit wee were certaine that they had sate as you doe yet that would not binde us to imitation without some other direction for doubtlesse if Christ had meant that his gesture in that Sacrament should be exemplary unto us hee would have put upon it some marke of immutabilitie considering that from the beginning of the world no gesture in any Sacrament or service was obligatory unto God's people by example V. If the gesture which Christ used in the ministration of the Sacrament was sitting or lying the same was occasion all from the Passeover as were many other circumstances which you your selves doe not observe Indeed if Christ had ministred that Sacrament without the conjunction of another meale and had purposely made choice of sitting rather then of kneeling or standing then there might have been more force in his example and yet no absolute necessitie of imitation But seeing it is manifest that if hee used that gesture it was to conforme himselfe to the custome of the Iewes as hee did in many other ceremonies and circumstances no reasonable man can thinke that gesture to be exemplary to us In the VI. place sect 34 I will consider your owne practise where I find that you follow not the example of Christ in many other circumstances which are of as great consequence and some of them greater too then is the gesture Christ ministred the Sacrament onely unto twelve or rather Eleaven you give it unto the whole congregation Christ gave it onely unto men you both to men and women They to whom Christ gave it were all ministers you give it unto the people Christ instituted the Sacrament at night after a full meale you in the morning fasting Christ ministred the same in a private chamber you in a publicke Church Christ used unleavened bread you leavened Christ was the sole minister of the Sacrament blessing and distributing both the Elements you commonly have one to assist you Christ blessed the Elements severally first the bread and afterward the cup you blesse both together Christ and his Disciples too used the same gesture in blessing and distributing which they did in receiving if they sate at one they sate also at the other you doe not so for howsoever you sit in the act of receiving yet the minister sits not when he blesseth the Elements and gives thanks but eyther stands or kneeles exhorting the people to humble themselves Now were it not strange if wee should be bound to imitate the
and put your speculations in practise And as I heare some of you are about to follow them God knowes whither The Donatists had no true ground for their scparation but their own wills Their rule was Quod volamus sanctâ—m est Aug. cont ep Parmen lib. 2. cap 13. It is so with you for all your reasons hath beene answered to the full in so much that all wise men can discerne that it is not true reason that makes you stand out but will Passion a desire to please the people and as you are pleased to terme it your conscience August Pasim Optatus The Donatists did glory much in their sufferings challenge unto themselves the honour of Martyrs whereby they did confirme the hearts of simple people in their errors and rend the Church with schismes and divisions you have boasted as much of your sufferings as ever they did albeit very few of you have beene as yet touched and those that were questioned deserved a greater censure then was imposed I will say no more of your sufferings Qui resistit potestati Dei ordinationi resistit qui autem resistunt sibiipsi judicium acquirunt gravius perseâ— quitur siliuâ— patrem malè vivendo quà m Pater filium castiganâ—â—â— gravius â—n illa Saram persecuta est per iniquam superbiam quà m cam Saâ—a per debitam disciplinam c. De Vnitat Eccles Tract in Ioban Matth. V. 10. then S â— Augustin did unto the Donatists that they that resist draw punishment upon themselves for resisting the ordinance of God That the sonne persecutes the father more by his dissolute living then the father doth the sonne by chastising him That Agar the handmaid did persecute Sarah her mistresse more grievously by her proud disobedience then Sarah did her by just correction That Ismael was cast out of Abrahams house for Isaacs sake and yet the Apostle calls not Isaac but Ismael the persecuter And often he repeats this saâ—ing Non poena sed causa facit martyrem So it is onely the cause that puts a difference betweene a Martyr and Malefactor I shall therefore intreat you to looke before you leape and consider well the cause for which you suffer for as it is a blessed thing to suffer for righteousnesse sake so if ye suffer for evill doing you have no cause to rejoyce Esse Martyr non potest saith Cyprian qui in Ecclesia non est Adregnum pervenire non poterit qui eam quae regnatura est derelinquit It is a sinne to resist a lawfull ordinance to suffer for your disobedience is a greater sinne but the greatest of all is by suffering to confirme simple people in their errors intertaine faction and division and rend the bowels of the Church Here in the last place Sect. 42. I shall beseech you who professe to make a conscience of all sinne to consider how by your standing out against the orders of the Church you involve your selves into the guilt of many great and grievous crimes As I. Disobedience to lawfull authority for wee are bound in conscience to obey our superiours in all things that are notcontrary to the word of God This is the confession of the Church of Scotland printed in the beginning of their Psalme bookes and it is grounded upon Gods word Our Saviour commands us to heare the Church Matth. XVIII 17. Rom. XIII 1. Mebr. XIII 17. I. Pet. II. 13. The Apostle to bee subject to superiour powers and to obey them that have the over-sight of us S. Peter To submit our selves unto every humane Ordinance But to subsume these things you refuse to confent unto are commanded by lawfull authority and are not contrary to Gods Word but things in their owne nature meerely indifferent as hath beene not onely proved but even confessed by forraine Divines who live under another Church-governement insomuch that Bishop Hooper who was the first that I know who opposed the Ceremonies of the Church of England especially the Surplis and the Cope was convinced by the strong arguments of Bucer and Peter Martyr and advised by M. Calvin to conforme himselfe even for obedience sake for it ill becommeth those who should teach the people obedience to bee themselves examples of disobedience II. Perjurie for all of you have receaved both the Oath of the kings supremacie and of Canonicall obedience and there is nothing required of you but what the King may lawfully commaund nothing but what the Canons of the Church doe injoyne and what your selves when you entred into the ministery knew that all ministers of this kingdome were bound to observe Consider I pray you whether your proceedings bee correspondent to your oath And how you can excuse your selves from perjurie Did you sweare with a mentall reservation that is but the tricke of a Iesuite and will prove but a poore defence before Almightie God who is the Iudge and avenger of an Oath III. You cast a reproach upon the Church as if she did injoyne things unlawfull and Antichristian you disturbe her peace and rend her unitie shedding the blood of warre in peace and as it were dividing Christs seamlesse coat which is a sinne as great as worshipping of Idols for the time was when it was said Dionys Alexandr apud Niceph Euseb hist eccl lib. 6. cap. 38. Non minoris est laudis non scindere Ecclesiam quà m Idolo non sacrificare And againe Opâ—rtuerit etiam pati omnia ne scinderetur Ecclesia Deiâ— If you ought to suffer all things rather then the Church should be rent then certainly you ought to suffer your owne wills to be controlled by the Iudgement of the Church in matters of outward ordor and decencie IV. The losse of your ministerie which should be dearer unto you then your lives must bee in you a sinne What will you answere unto the Lord in that great day for suffering your selves to bee deprived of your ministery and drawing backe your hands from the plough only for wilfulnesse you may be sure that hee will not Iudge that you suffered for well doing but that you perished in the gain-saying of Core Wee know that the Apostles did become all unto all even practise themselves and advise others to practise Ceremonies as evill and inconvenient in number nature use and evill effects as ours are even in your judgement yea and such Ceremonies too as they had preached against and this they did for to avoyd a lesse evill then deprivation even to get a doore of utterance opened unto them in one place V. Behold and see how this your opposition brings a scandal upon the conformable Clergie as though we were all but time-servers And gives advantage to the Papists for our discord is there musicke The Scripture speaking of the debate betweene the servants of Abraham and Lot doth adde that the Canaanites dwelt in the land Gen. XIII 7. To signifie that though their contention was evill in it selfe yet it was worse because
reason of the nature of the service in hand and of the occasion which may direct us unto it V. That no gesture was commanded in any Sacrament under the Law or under the Gospell nor made necessary in any of Gods Ordinances either by precept or example Whereupon followes VI. That it is in the power of the Church to appoint what gesture shall be used in the Sacrament or in any other Ordinance And our Church following the example of the Primitive Church hath appointed kneeling VII That it belongs not to any private man to judge what gesture is decent what not But unto the Governors of the Church who are not bound to give an account unto their inferiours of the reason of their constitutions made of things in themselves indifferent yea though they offeâ—d in appointing things not so fit and convenient yet so long as they are not contrary unto the word of God the subject is bound to obey for avoyding a greater evill Bâ—â—â— in Vit. calv M. Calvin was of this judgment The wafer cakes of Geneva seâ—med to him inconvenient yet he advised his friends not to make any tumult for a thing indifferent The like advise he gave unto Bishop Hooper Epist 120. he professes that he mislikes the frowardnesse of those men who for light scruples depart from the publicke consent Epist 370. yea he goeth further speaking of a thing imposed which in it selfe is indifferent Epist 379. Licet malam caudam trahat quia tumen perse verbo Dei non repugnat concedi potest Albeit it draw a foule consequence after it yet because in it selfe it is not repugnant to Gods word it may be admitted Lastly yet our Church hath not used such a magisteriall power but hath often manifested unto the world and is still ready to declare the innocency of all her Ceremonies and particularly that kneeling at the Communion is of all other gestures the most decent and most comely Exemplum sit in geâ—iculatione quae fit dum soleâ—nes habentur precationes Instit lib. 4. cap. 10. sect 30. Sed illud nobis decorum erit quod ita erit ad sacrorum mysteriorum reverentiaâ—â— aptum ut sit idoneum ad pietatis exercitium vel saltem quod ad ornatum faciet actioni congâ—aentem ibid. sect 19. which shall easily appeare if M. Calvin may be admitted Umpyre he sayes that kneeling at prayer is a part of the Apostles decencie And in another place he gives us three notes to try what is decent That sayth he shall seeme most comely to us which shall be fie for procuring of reverence to the holy mysteries Be an exercise apt to shew and stirre up pietie and an oruament to the action in hand Now to apply these notes unto kneeling at the Sacrament what gesture can be fitter to procure reverence unto the holy mysteries then that which is an expression of humility and is a signe of reverence even in civill worship or what to stirre up pietie more then that which hath been commonly used by the godly in all their devotions And what can be a better ornament unto the Sacrament then that gesture which imports the excellencie of it while we worship God by abasing of our selves at the receiving of the same I will adde that since the beginning of the world kneeling was never esteemed undecent in any divine action there being an instinct in Nature as to worship God so to expresse it by bowing or falling downe before him whose face wee apprehend to be both present glorious This consideration of the decencie of the gesture was sufficient warrant for our Church to injoyne it at the Sacrament But besides there are diverse other motives to perswade us to kneele albeit the same were free left to our choyce what gesture to use If we will but consider both what the Sacrament is and what we are and with what affections we should come unto it As for the Sacrament it hath foure coÌ„siderations which doe inforce kneeling I. It is a signe of Gods presence as I she wed before the people of God used to bow themselves or fall upon their faces at the visible signes of his presence as namely before the Arke But behold in this Sacrament are the signes of Gods presence more glorious then was the Arke Ambros de spir sanct lib. 3 cap. 12. Aug. in Ps 9â— The Arke was called Gods footstoole this both S. Ambrose and S. Austin applying unto the Body of Christ in the Sacrament Per scabellum terra intelligitur per terram caro Christi quam hodie quoque in mysterijs adoramus II. It is a part of Gods worship a chiefe part there being no other meanes nor Ordinance wherein a devout soule doth with sense and comfort draw so neere unto God as in receiving of the Sacrament And all men know that kneeling of all other gestures is most fit and decent for Gods worship and hath been most commonly used insomuch that it is often put for the whole worship of God as Esay 45.23 Every kaee shall bow unto me And Psal 72.9 They that dwell in the wildernesse shall kneele before him Now were it not strange if that gesture which doth expresse the whole worship of God because it is or may be used in every part therof should be incompatible with Sacramentall worship III. It is our Christian sacrifice even a lively repraesâ—ntation of the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ upon the Crosse and the meanes to make us partakers of the fruits and benefites thereof And therein we resigne over ourselves unto the service of God and so offer up our bodies a living sacrifice by killing our sinfull lusts and affections for the Sacrament is not only a testimony of divine grace towards us Testimonium divinae in nos grariae externo signo confirmatum cum mutuaÌ„ nostrae erga ipsum pietatâ—s testificatione confirmed by an outward signe but also a muâ—uall testification of our service towards him In the Sacrament wee offer unto God our faith our prayers our thanksgiving our almes-deeds with a contrite a broken heart all which are spirituall sacrifices acceptable to God through Iesus Christ Now if we were to performe our homage or tender our service to the King Calv. Inst lib. 4. cap. 14. sect 1. wee would dot it upon our knees much more unto him who is the King of Kings as the Prophet Micah instructs us Wherewith shall I come before the Lord Chap. 6.6 and bow my selfe before the high God Finally it is the conduit-pype of Gods graces the casket wherein a rich Iewell is presented unto us from our heavenly Father for in the Sacrament God offers unto us his own Sonne in whom dwells the fulnesse of all grace he is pleased to seale and deliver unto us the Charter of our Redemption And will not a malefactor be content to receive his Pardon upon his knees 1. Sam. 9.8 or a lesse gift