the English Liturgie he opposed stoutly to it And when the contention was like to grow to some hight hee and his Collegue Master Wittingham with some others drew forth of the English booke a plat in Latine and sent it to Master Calvin Howbeit the description of the corruptions was favourably set downe yet kneeling at the receaving of the elements is noted up among the rest in that extract Among his letters which are extant in writ we finde one dated the yeare 1559 at Deep and directed to Mastresse Anna Lock where he calleth the crosse in Baptisme and kneeling at the Lords table Diabolicall inventions After his return to his native country he ministred the Communion according to the order of the English church at Geneva where he had been last Minister This order was observed in all the reformed congregations before the reformed religion was established by authority of Parliament and is yet extant before the Psalmes in meeter with addition of the treatises of fasting and excommunication some prayers the forme and manner of the election and admission of Superintendents In the conâ—ession of faith prefixed and approved by our Church we have these words Neither must wee in the administration of the Sacraments follow mans phantâ—sâ—â—s but as Christ him selfe hath ordained so must they be ministred In the order of celebrating the Lords supper wee have these words The exhortation being ended the Minister commeth downe from the pulpit and sitteth at the table every man and woman likewise taking their place as occasion best serveth And againe The Minister breaketh the bread and delivereth it to the people who distribute and devide the same among themselfes according to our Saviours commandment And likewise giveth the cuppe In the second head of the first bâ—oke of discipline drawne up in the first yeare of publike and universall reformation wee have these words The table of the Lord is then rightly minâ—stred when it approacheth neâ—rest unto Christs owne action But plaine it is that at Supper Christ Jesus sate with his disciples and therefore doe we â—udge that sitting at a table is most convenient to that holy action And againe That the Mâ—nister break the bread and distribute the same to these that be next to him commanding the rest every one with sobrietie and reverence to break 〈◊〉 other we think it nearest to Christs action and to the perfite pracâ—ice Yee see our first Reformers preferred 〈…〉 kneeling but also to standing and 〈…〉 none of them approached so 〈…〉 When they rejected standing 〈…〉 man judge what they thought of kneeling 〈◊〉 ye may perceive that they rested upon 〈◊〉 â—o only for a time because of the abuse of kneeling 〈…〉 because most agreeable to the paterne It was ordained in the generall assembly holden the year 1562 That the order of Geneva be of served 〈…〉 ministration of the Sacraments By the order of Geneva was meant the order which was observed in the English Church at Geneva where Master Knox had beene of late Minister which order is called in the first booke of discipline The order of Geneva and The book of Common order This order as I have already said is set downe before the Psalmes in meeter In the assembly holden anno 1564 Ministers are referred to the order set do 〈◊〉 before the Psalmes which is a renewing of the former act In the Parliament holden the yeare 1567 it was declared that whosoever refused to participate of the Sacraments as they were then publikely administred in this reformed Church were not to be reputed members of this Church An act was likewise made concerning the Kings oath to be given at his coronation to maintain the religion then professed and in speciall the due and right administration of the Sacraments then receaved This act concerning the Kings oath was ratified again by acts of Parliament in the yeare 1581 and againe in the yeare 1592. In the yeare 1572 it was ordained by act of Parliament that such as did not communicate and partake of the Sacraments as they were then truly ministred in the Church of Scotland if they continue obstinate and disobedient shall be reputed infamous and unable to sit or stand in judgement persue bear office c. When in the second confession of faith which is commonly called the Kings confession we professe that we detest the ceremonies of the Roman Antichrist added to the ministration of the Sacraments we professe we detest kneeling in the act of receaving the sacramentall elements of bread and wine The order of celebrating the Lords supper which hath beene receaved and observed since the beginning of reformation and acknowledged both by generall assemblies and Parliaments to be the due and right order was perverted by a number of noble men Barons Ministers and pretended Bishops conveened at Perth in the yeare 1618 either having no lawfull commission or terrified with threats or corrupted one way or other They in their full and pretended assembly to please King James made this act following as it is extant among the acts of Parliament Since we are commanded by God himself that when we come to worship him wee fall downe and kneel before the Lord our Maker and considering withall that there is no part of divine worship more heavenly and spirituall then is the holy receaving of the blessed body and bloud of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Like as the most humble and reverent gesture of the bâ—dy in our meditation and lifting up of our hearts best becometh so divine and sacred an action therefore notwithstanding that our Church hath used since the reformatioâ— of religion to celebrate the holy Communion to the people sitting by reason of the great abuse of kneeling used in the idolatrous worship of the Sacrament by the Papists yet now seeing all memorie of by-past superstâ—tion is past in revâ—rence of God and in due regard of so divine a mysterie and in remembrance of so mysticall an union as we are made partakers of the assembly thinketh good that that blessed Sacrament be celebrated hereafter meekly and reverently upon their knees This act if the lying parenthesis were culled out which is insert onely to deceave may passe among Papists and Lutherans It is untrue that all memory of by-past superstition is past and untrue that the abuse of kneeling among the papists was the onely occasion that moved our first reformers to make choice of sitting but the paterne of the first supper at the institution was the chiefe cause And therefore they not only rejected kneeling but also standing and taking in passing by as wee have shewed before We shall first defend the communicants sitting and next impugne their kneeling in the act of receiving the sacramentall elements of bread and 〈…〉 we shall prove it first to be warrantable next 〈…〉 downe our reasons whereupon wee 〈…〉 instituted THE FIRST PART CONCERneth the defence of sitting CHAP. I. That the Communicants sitting in the act of receaving eating and drinking is lawfull
mutuall duties and tokens of love and friendship another It is one thing to the guests to participate of the same dainties which are to be united to their bodies another to interchange and communicate with other tokens of love Justly may the communion cup for this cause be called Philotesia saith Stuckius To divide the bread also and to eat together in token of love and bene volence was a custome observed in all the orientall countries and is yet observed in maâ—y countries of the west say Lyra and Arias Montanas as Serrarius the Jesuit relateth Facit ad amicitiam conciliandam reparandam conservandam quòd de uno pane participamus quòd panem offerimus fratribus quodque de manu fratrum poculum accipientes bibimus Non enim aliam ob causam videntur veteres coenam appellasse synaxin saith Bullinger That is It serveth for the procuâ—â—ng reparing and keeping of friendship that we participate of one bread that we offer bread to our brethren and that we drinke taking the cup out of the hands of our brethren It seemeth for no other cause the ancients called the Lords supper Synaxis And in the 9. sermon of the same decade Quondam arctissima faed ra fractione panis consecrabantur Of old Leagues or covenants were confirmed by breaking of bread Gualter saith Panem peculum pii inter se distribuunt quod illis charitatis officium commendat de conjunctione mutua eos admonet ut se unum iu Christo corpus esse intelligant sibi invicem officiis mutuis inserviant quemadmodum in corporibus nostris membra facere videmus The godly distribut the bread and wine among themselfes which recommendeth to them the duty of chariti and putteth them in minde of mutuall conjunction that they may understand that they are one body in Christ and serve one another with mutuall duties as we see the members to do in our owne bodies Zwinglius in his exposition of the Christian faith setteth downe a notable proofe of this How that some sitting together casually and participating after this manner were reconciled who before had beene at variance and that this fell forth often Deprehensum est saepenumerò quòd quidam qui temâ—re consederant quì tamen simultates odiapriùs inter se exercuissent ex hac participatione sive panis sive potus animi impotentiam deposuerunt The ancients had the kisse which was a familiar kinde of salutation among the Orientals as the striking of hands with us they joyned hands also and embraced another at the communion Seeing so many signes and protestations of love were thought requisit at this banket of love ought we not to be the more carefull to retaine that signe which was practised in the patterne I end this section with a passage out of Lauaterus descriving the forme of celebration used in the Church of Zurich to wit with sitting and the communicants distributing posthac per totam ecclesiam ministri that is those that serve az mumpanem in â—â—tinis circumserunt at accipit quisque particulam de exhibito pane posteà reliquam partem dat proxime assidenti Deinde sequuntur alii ministri cum poculis cantharis ac praebet alius alii poculum Dominicum atque sit omnes de uxo pane participant If none must give the sacramentall bread but the minister because he acts the person of Christ who gave his owne body by the same reason they may not reach the cup to other as the Apostles did at the first supper where they represented the faithfull and communicate not as pastours but as disciples as guests as faithfull as all our divines do hold and among the rest Musculus himselfe cited by L. pag. 59. All that was done in prison Joseph was the doer of it because he was direct our and commander of every thing that was to be done Gen. 39. 22. â— confesseth the cup may be reached from one communicant to another For saith he he in whose name the commandement is uttered is properly the giver and propiner because by his authoritie it is given and by the warrant of his word it is ceaved When the King drinketh to any of his servants and sends it by the hands of his servant the servant is not properly the giver and propiner but the deliverer of the gift and propine He granteth likewise that the Communicants may deliver the cuppe to other the minister still acting Christs person in his owne place pag. 61. 62. So may we say that Christ at the first supper or the minister representing Christs person is properly the giver of the bread because by his commandement or direction it is given When I brake the five loaves among five thousand that is brake and gave to the disciples to set before them to be further broken The disciples in setting the bread before five thousand Mark 6. 41. gave the bread to five thousand Matth. 14. 19. Christ gave the cup to his Apostles say the Evangelists because at his direction they reached one to another Swarez saith It is one thing to distribute as a dispenser or as of power another to touch carrie or applie this sacrament to the mouth of the receaver Aliud est dispensative seu ex potestate distribuere hoc sacramentum aliud verò illud tangore deferre aut ad os sumentis applicare Let them make of the word dispense what they will we say the Communicant may carrie the bread and apply it to the hand of another Communicant Againe if none but the minister might doe it because hee represents Christs person then might not the deacon in the ancient Church do it because he represented not Christs person yet his giving was called dispensing Vazquez confesseth That it is not forbidden by divine law that the sacrament be ministred or carried by a layman but by humane lawes Non quia jure divino vetitum sit hoc sacramentum per laicum ministrari aut deferri But humane lawes forbad laymen to touch it with their hands I would aske when the minister commeth from his owne place and goeth along to deliver the elements how doth he act the person of Christ the master of the feast There can be no other reason of this guise but to nourish a superstitious conceat that it is holier to receave out of the hâ—nd of the minister who perhaps is a Judas then out of the hand of a faithfull brother as if his hands profaned or polluted it Are not the peoples hands as holy as the ministers saith P. pag. 313. Nay superstition encreasing at last they might not take the sacrament in their owne hand to put it in their mouth but it behoved the priest to put it in their mouth Such superstitious conceats condemne Christ and his Apostles and the faithfull in their time who distributed to other and deprive us of the profitable uses of fraction or breaking of bread whereof we have
the supreme magistrat in things indifferent taketh away the scandall There are two sorts of indifferent things saith Zâ—nâ—hius some that are manifest occasions of sinning others are not of that kinde Res adiaphorae duplices sunt Quaelam suâ—t alicui aportâ—e occasiones peccatorum ita ut exillis verè immineat pâ—riculâ—m pèceandi alie vero non ita se habent For the first sort that we ought to abstaine from 〈◊〉 evill and all manifest occasion of evil For who saith he will venture to passe along a ruinous bridge if hee perceave manifest danger of falling into the river Can the supreame magistrat take away that aptnesse and fitnesse that any thing hath to intise and provoke men to sinne The Apostle Paul saith he had rather never eat flesh then offend a weake brother for eating flesh offered to the idol and sold in the market And I think he had greater authority in such matters nor any prince or generall assembly The Belgick synods yee see would not take so much upon them but for ad kneeling for fear of idolatrie If the Church to whom the rule for directing the use of things indifferent in maters of religion are laide down to wit that all things bee done decently in order to edification without offence may not presume so farre far lesse may the magistrate for his power is cumulative to assist the Church not privative to deprive the Church of her power The magistrates countenance maketh the scandall the greater and hee strengthneth it by his authoritie whereas hee should remove scandals and not lay stumbling-blocks in the way of the people The brasen serpent was but a passive 〈◊〉 active scandall and yet Ezekias brake it in pieces for more should active scandals bee removed These Courâ—-clawbacks tell us wee should rather offend the people then the supreme magistrate But better offend that is displease him nor offend that is give occasion to the poorest soule let bee many thousands to fall into any sin let bee so haynous a sin as is the sin of idolatrie The magistrate is not in danger of stumbling for yee say he esteemeth the matter indifferent Is not the supreme magistrate a sinfull man May hee not make Israel to sin May hee not abuse things indifferent and transgresse the rules above mentioned May hee not bee a secret friend to the pope or an a bettor of superstition Suppose hee have no such intention yet hee can not by his authoritie alter conditionem operis the qualitie of the work it self and make a thing which of it selfe is inductive to scandall not inductive Doth his commandment make all so sure that none can bee scandalized That is impossible considering the shew of evill in the deed it self the ignorance of many thousands the disposition of the ignorants to superstition the pronnesse of mens nature to idolatrie and the increase of papists Ioab was guiltie of Vriahs bloud notwithstanding of the Kings commandment so art thou of thy brothers falling Thy life for his life if hee bee a missing Say not therefore with Cain Am I my brothers keeper Active obedience to the magistrate ought not to bee a rule of thy love to Gods glory and the salvation of thy brother Passive obedience is not denied but defences by lawes aright first to bee heard Whereas they alleadge that sitting is dangerous for breeding contempt and prophanation To passe by the institution experience is a testimonie in the contrare Rusticitie in the behaviour of simple ones not acquainted with all the points of civiliâ—â— is not prophanation but may bee where the minde is in good order Horrible prophane were the words of our blind bishop to a gentle woman in the offering of the elements because shee would not kneel Wee maintain that kneeling in the act of receaving the sacramentall elements was not devised or at least authorized till the great Antichrist overruled Wee need not to poinâ—â— at the time when it first began for there are many corruptions in the Romane Church which can not bee dedâ—â—ed 〈◊〉 a certain beginning by the Romanists themselfs It is sufficient that wee point out a time wherein it was not in use There can not be an authentick testimonie alleadged for kneeling in the act of receaving the sacramentall elements before the opinion of reall presence yea or of transubstantiation began to spread or to come to a more certain date for the space of a thousand years after Christ. I say authentick testimonie for wee regard not supposititions or counterfite works Origens first homilie in divers loca is brought in saying Thou therefore humbling thy self â—â—itat the Centurieâ— â—nd say Lord I am not worthie c. but that works is acknowledged by the papists themselfs to be counterfite Suchlike counterfiâ—e Cyrillus of Jerusalem in his fifth catechisme saith Then come to the cuppe of the blood not stretching out thy hand sed prâ—nus in modum adorationis venerationis dicens Antenâ— But stowâ—ing downward or with the face bended downward in manner of adoration or veneration saying Amen He sayeth not Cade pronuâ— fall down on thy faâ—e sed accede pronus but come inclyning or bowing thy heâ—d or upper part of thy body as men use to do when they make courtesie for men can not come falling flat But what need wee trouble our selfes with his words seeing hee is marked for a counterfite by Moulias on the Lords supper the bishop of Spalato and Plessie who in his answere to the bishop of Evereux saith These catecâ—ismes of Cyrillus are supposititious and come not to light but in our time M. Down in his treatise of transubstantiation pag. 3â— 38. saith That these catecbeticall booke are but of a verie late edition that Harding acknowledgeth that in his time they were known to veâ—ie few and in â—rite that they have beene published since in print and perhaps to winne more authoritie to them misfathered upon Cyrillus of Ierusalem This Cyrill directs the Communicant to touch his lips which are sanctified with the touch of Christs body and bloud that by the touch of that finger hee may sanctifie his eyes brow and others No authentick testimonie can they produce bearing the word kneeling which is an adoration not in a large but strict sense The testimonies bearing the word adore are either counterfite or to bee understood of inward adoration as Doctour Burges himself confesseth sundrie of the learned do construe them or of adoration in time of prayer before they communicate or adoration is taken taken only for veneration See Iewel in the article of adoration Bilson in his book of obedience and Mortoun the late defender of the ceremonies in his latest worke entituled Of the institution of the sacrament He bringeth in sundrie exemples to prove the latitude of the word Adore When Theodorâ—t saith dialog 2. that the mysticall signes are adored he should speake very grosly if the word adore meant not only reverent usage Moulines on
the time or to serve God because it is a holy time After I had finished this worke of reexamination there came to my hands some unsound tractats upon the sabbath Whereupon I thought good to insert in this place as the most pertinent this short disconrse following OF THE SABBATH THe light of nature leadeth a man acknowledging that there is a God and to be worshipped to acknowledge also that timâ—s should be set a part for his worship and not onely that but also competent and sufficient times But nature cannot lead us without further direction to setle upon one of the seven dayes more then upon one of eight ten or twelve The Lord set downe one in the circle of seven to bee observed perpetually and universally by all that were to worship him In his wisedome he could best discerne what time might be spared In respect of this perpetuity and universality this determination participateth of the nature of a law morall For this cause it was placed in the decalogue among the precepts purely morall and participated with them of the same prerogatives It was delivered by God himselfe written in tables of stone and preserved in the arke as the rest were The determination of such a seventh day in particular was made also by the Lord. Both the determinations are divine positive the first unchangeable the second changeable but yet only by divine authoritie The ten precepts of the decalogue are called ten words Deut. 4. 13. that is as one expoundeth ten sentences or as Vossius addeth Soultentiae praecipientes preceptive sentences And yet there are fourteene sentences for precepts in the decalogue How then are there but ten words hee answereth there are ten chiefe and principall the rest are secundarie and like appendicles Primum istud in confesso est quamâ—is quatuiordeâ—im inveniantur sententâ—â— in decalogo quibus aliquid praecipiatur tamen decâ—m esse duntaxat primarias principes Caeteras secundarias altarum quasi appendices Vnde Moses decem verba Graci 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 appellarunt In the fourth commandement there are three preceptive sentences The first is the principall Some reason after this manner The Lord saith not Remember thou keepe holy the seventh day but Remember thou keepe holy the sabbath-day and in the end he sanctified the sabbath-day hee saith not that seventh day from the creation howbeit it was so for the time But that seventh was to be changed and the sabbath was to be fixed upon another seventh day But to come nearer to the purpose that this commandement requireth not directly the seventh day from the creation but the seventh day in generall appeareth by the reason which enforceth not necessarly the seventh day from the creation that wee should rest the same day that the Lord rested but that wee should rest from our workes the seventh day as hee rested from his Which seventh as under the law he appointed to be saturday so under the Gospell sunday the substance of the commandement remaining See Master Cartwrights Catechisme But to come yet nearer The Lord might have created the world in six houres as easily as in six dayes Hee might have done it in a moment or have taken eight ten or twelve dayes The Lord would do neither the one nor the other but conformed himselfe to that space of time which in his wisedome he thought sufficient for man to doe all manner of workes of his owne This paterne doth not concerne his peculiar people of the Jewes onely but both Jew and Gentile and not for a time onely but to the end of the world as if the Lord would reason after this manner with mankinde What needed me to have spent six dayes in creating the world for I might have done it in one or wherefore stinted I my selfe at six I might have taken ten you may easily then consider wherefore I have done it I did it that thou may doe the like Do all thy workes and businesse in six dayes and rest the seventh The imitation lieth in this then not so much that wee rest upon such a seventh day as upon a seventh There is equitie in it indeed that seeing the Lord hath granted us six dayes to worke wee should rest the seventh but the force of the reason lieth chiefly in this that the Lord purposly tooke six dayes and rested the seventh to be a paterne to men howbeit with all in setting downe that paterne he considered that equity That the precept concerning the sabbath concerned not the Jewes onely but all mankinde appeareth also by this that it was given to Adam in the beginning Gen. 2. 2 3. Whereas some would have here an anticipâ—tion and the words to be referred to the time when the Lord rained Manna and forbad his people to gather upon the seventh day Exod. 16. as if the sabbath had never beene institute or observed before This were a strange anticipation to make mention of the blessing and sanctifying the seventh day without so much as an inckling of the proper time which is assigned by them which fell not forth till 2453 yeares or thereabout after the weake of the creation Next the words are knit together by the same copulative with the present historie Hee ended his worke on the seventh day and herested on the seventh day and he blessed the seventh day and he sanctified it The blessing and sanctifying then were not destinate to bee done 2453 yeares or thereabout afterwards but presently when he had ended all his worke of creation hee blessed and sanctified that is by blessing sanctified that is separate to a holy use as the minister blesseth when he separateth bread and wine from a common to an holy use at the Lords suppeâ— Or he blessed and sanctified that is praised it and sanctified For the originall word signifieth also praising or rejoycing as Gomarus himselfe bringeth exemple of praising out of Psal. â—8 27. And Philo Judaeus expresseth it by praising Every dayes workes had the owne commendation but now looking upon the whole frame the order and harmonie of it he rejoyced and praâ—sed it and sanctified that day After he had perfited the worke in six dayes he added honour to the seventh day following 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Philo â—udaeus that is Which when hee had praised or commended incontinent hee deinzed to call it holy as Gelenius translateth Further there is no mention of blessing the seventh day Exod. 16. Gomarus alledgeth that twice as much Manna fell on the sixt day as upon any other day there is no warrant for it but onely that they were commanded to gather twice as much that day Suppose his conjectute were true that were a blessing of the sixt day and not of the seventh But as I have said there is no mention of blessing in that place But so it is thâ—t when he blessed he sanctified And seeing wee reade not that he blessed it when he ceased from raining