2 10. That at the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow of things in heaven things in earth and things under the earth Nor that it can be by any strong and undeniable Argument drawn from them because they conceive that the Apostle doth not mean or intend those words of the outward knees of the Body seeing Angels and Devils have no bodily knees But his meaning is that all Creature in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth shall acknowledge him to be their Lord shall honour worship him obey him and give him the Glory that is due unto him yet we cannot think that any reasonable understanding man can judge it altogether unlawful either to uncover the head or bow the body at the naming of the Lord Jesus to shew the reverence that is due unto him so that the inward intention of the Mind and Devotion of the Heart be joyned and go along with the outward Gesture of the Body but the fear is that God may complain in this of many as he did of the Jews Es 29. 13. They come near me with their lips and honour me with their mouths but their hearts are far from me So many honour the Name of the Lord Jesus formally in a complemental outward way of Cap and Knee who regard him not in their hearts nor make any Conscience to live up unto him in their lives yet again we must consider that this is our fault the fault of men and their corruption not the fault of the Ceremony And we may also conceive that it was the Wisdom of the Church when it saw how dead dull and lumpish nay stupid common people are in Divine Service to appoint this Ceremony to stir up people shake off their sluggishness raise up their Devotion and quicken their attention to the hearing of the Word of God Read or Preached least they should be overcome of drowsinesse and so if rightly used it might be a good means to help us to amend that fault and to quicken our attention But you will say why should we give more honour to the Son then to the Father to the Name of the Lord Jesus then to the God who is the Father To this we may answer he that honoureth the Son honoureth the Father we do not thereby deny any honour that is due unto the Father or rob God the Father of his honour but we do honour God the Father in his Son acknowledging the great love and wonderful mercies of God the Father unto Mankind sealed up in the Lord Jesus his Son for the Redemption of the world according to that of our Saviour John 5. 23. all men should honour the Son as they honour the Father He that honoureth not the Son the same honoureth not the Father which hath sent him so that thereby we do not deprive God the Father of the honour due unto him but rather add to his honour including in the Lord Jesus all the mercies and graces of God the Father which are conveyed unto us by his Son and sealed up unto us in the Lord Jesus his Son But you will say We desire to know some Reason for it why we should give more honour to the Name of the Lord Jesus then to the Name of God the Father These Grounds and Reasons may not unfitly be given 1. There is no Nation in the world but doth acknowledge God Nulla Natio tam barbara Nulla Gens tam Efferata cui non infideat haec Opinio Deum esse could Tully an heathen man say that there is no Nation in the world so barbarous but doth acknowledge God and worship God or somewhat instead of God But we know there be a great many Nations in the world Jews Turks Pagans and all Infidels that do not acknowledge the Lord Jesus to be the Son of God and the Saviour of the world Therefore to convince and convert them and to make out our profession to the world we Christians may give somewhat the more reverence to the Name of the Lord Jesus 2 The work of our Redemption which was wrought by the Lord Jesus may in some respect be accounted a greater work of power and mercy then the work of Creation In the creating of other creatures God spake the word and it was done but when he came to make man the most noble creature we find that he entred into a consultation Gen. 1. 26. Let us make man after our own Image yet we do not read that God bestowed much pains or labour about his making it is said Gen 2. 7. The Lord God also made the man of the dust of the ground and breathed in his face the breath of life and the man was a living soul But for the great worâ— of our Redemption wrought by the Lord Jesus that was a work of greater difficulty we may say of that as the Poet speaks Multatulit fecitque Jesus sudavit alsit â—he did not only abase himself for us men and for our salvation in coming down from heaven but being God became man suffered all the miseries belonging to mankind Poverty Ignomy Stripes and Buffetings yea bore all our sins sweat drops of bloud besides that cruel cursed and shameful death of the Cross which he did suffer and undergo for our Redemption in so much that an ancient Father saith â—ajus erat opus reficere quam facere it was a greater work to Redeem us then at first to create us For in our Creation God made man but in our Redemption God himself became man was made man In this regard then you see we have cause to give then somewhat the more reverence to the Name of the Lord Jesus 3. The work of our Redemption is a more beneficial work to us then the work of our Creation It is true that at the first God made man a glorious creature after his own image in righteousness and true holiness indued him with many excellencies and gave him power over all creatures but yet made him mutable and so mortal subject to death if he broke the Covenant And man by his disobedience did break the Covenant with God so plunged himself and his Posterity into all kind of eternal miseries had not the Lord Jesus come to save us and redeem us Then in this regard also seeing the Lord Jesus did indure those bitter torments to redeem us and to save us from the curse and wrath of God and all those miseries wherein by the fall of Adam we were plunged and were brought into such an estate of misery as without the mercy and merites of the Lord Jesus in working our Redemption it had been happy for us never to have been born never to have been made we have cause for ever to reverence the Name of our Lord Jesus 4. The word Jesus signifieth a Saviour it is Christs proper name the name of his nature a name above every name a name given him by the Angel before he was born Nominatus priusquam natus he had
will that we may please God We worship God aright without Heresie Blasphemy or Idolatry Not denying but there may be some small faults Errours and Corruptions in the matter of our Religion or in the manner of our Worship because we do not profess Perfection but none such as may or do overthrow the Ground and Foundation of Faith David his Princes and Priests erred in carrying the Ark. 2 Sam. 6. contrary to the Law Num. 7. 9. yet was the true Church of God they sacrificed in the high places 2 Reg. 14. which should have been done at Jerusalem the Passover was neglected 2 Ki. 23. yet the Church of God The Church of Corinth was foulely tainted with errours in Doctrine and corruptions in manners as you find throughout the first Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians yet the Apostle calleth it the Church of God 1 Cor. 1. 2. And in administring and receiving the Sacrament of the Lords Supper no man can say truly that we commit Idolatry For we worship the true God maker of Heaven and Earth and his Son Jesus Christ whom we profess to be our Saviour and here we use this Ordinance to the right end in remembrance of his Death and Sufferings and we observe it according to his own institution for the manner of it And whereas we find no Gesture commanded or prescribed in Scripture to be used at the receiving of it though we count it as a thing indifferent in it self yet the Church for order Decency and Edification hath adjudged and prescribed this posture of kneeling at it to be most fitting to shew our true Humility and Reverence to God and to his holy Ordinance 3. For Superstition This is a word as many use it of so large an extent that I cannot tell how to fathome it or well what to make of it But I conceive it must be taken from â—nâ— of these three either from Super stes or from Super Satutum or from Super stare 1. From Superstes Thus we may count that to be Superstition which hath outlived his right use and overlived his right time so cometh to be abused and perverted from the first end for which it was first appointed and from the first use to which it was put Thus many things have been and still may be abused to Superstition which at their first setting up were good and lawfull or at least not faulty but indifferent in themselves Images and Pictures and Statues had at first a fair seeming Beginning When a father lost a Son dear unto him whom Death had suddenly taken away he caused his Statute to be made to remember him When a great man dyed and sometimes when they flattered a great man they caused his Image or Statute to be set up which in process of time was abused to Superstition They offered Sacrifices Ceremonies and Divine Honours to it making it a God so you find it written Wis 14. 13 14 15 16. Thus came up the greatest part of the Idolatry of the heathen most of their Idols were at first the Images and Statutes of Men whom Tyrants at last inforced the people to worship as Gods Thus the Brazen Serpent was abused to Superstition by Gods own people it was at first commanded to be made and set up by God himself Num. 21. for the benefit of the people and cure of them which were bitten by the fiery Serpents But in process of time the people offered incense to it Therfore Hezekiah brake it in pieces being Superstitiously abused called it Nehushtan 2 Reg. 18. 4. Thus fome are of opinion that Gideons ephod was set up at first only to be a monument of his great and miraculous victory over the Midianites but in process of time it was abused to Idolatry as it is said Judg. 8. 27. All Israel went a Whoring after it which was the destruction of Gideon and his house all these had out-lived their right use and over lived their right time were abused to Superstition and so might well be accounted and called Superstitious 2. From Super Statutum Above that which is commanded thus also we may call that Superstitious which is more then God commandeth when we add any thing to that which God hath commanded in his law putting holiness in it or laying a necessity upon it for you must remember that we confine Superstition to matters of Religion and those things which concern the service and worship of God the Rule which God giveth for his Service and worship is set down by Moses Deut. 4. 2. Ye shall put nothing to the word which I command you neither shall you take any thing therefrom that you may keep the Commandements of the Lord your God which I command you Thus the Jewes were noted to be very Superstitious They added to Gods commandments the Traditions of their Elders putting holiness in them laying a necessity upon them as our Saviour telleth them Mat. 15. 3. Transgressing the Commandments of God by their Traditions and teaching for Doctrines the precepts of men ver 9. Not only equaling their Traditions to the written word but breaking Gods Commandments by their Traditions Mark 7. 8. Laying apart the Commandment of God observing the Traditions of men preferring them before Gods Commandments So again Christ complaineth of them Mat. 23. 5. They made broad their Phylacteries and made long the Fringes of their Garments not but that these things were commanded as you find Numb 15. 38 39. but they would make them larger and longer then was required to have the praise of men They were much noted also for their strict keeping of the Sabbath they added that Sabbaculum as it was called That addition of time annexed to the Sabbath some beginning it sooner then others as the Jews dwelling at Tiberias Some continuing it longer then others as they that dwelt at Tsepphore Again some thought they were too precise in many things as in dressing no Meat upon the Sabbath extending that Exodus 16. 23. to all Ages which others thought was proper only to the time of Manna in kindling no fire upon the Sabbath grounding on Exodus 35. 3. which others restrained only to the fire for the furtherance of the work of the Tabernacle and abstaining from all manner of work without exception upon the Sabbath They would not so much as fight to preserve themselvs against their enemies assaulting them on the Sabbath day whereby as Josephus writeth they became a Prey unto their enemies first to Antiochus Joseph lib. 12. cap. 8. whereupon Matthias made a decree that it should be lawful on the Sabbath to resist their enemies which decree again they understanding strictly as if it did give only leave to Resist when they were actually assaulted and not by any labour that day to prevent the enemies raising Rams Setting of Engines Under minings c. they became a Prey the second time to Pompey They were so precise that they held it unlawful to roast an Apple gather
the Service and Worship of God There is an addition of Corruption and an addition of Preservation We may not adde any thing to Corrupt the Doctrine and Worship of God thereby to wrong it weaken it or adulterate it but these circumstantial Additions are onely the better to preserve the True Doctrine and the Pure Worship and Reverent Service of God And that the Church hath taken Liberty in these things that are such may easily appear by many instances in the Old and New Testament We find many Ceremonies by Man Instituted in the Service of God not prescribed by the Word of God Solomons Altar which he made occasionally 1 Reg. 8. 64. had no particular Warrant from the Word of God The Feast of Purim ordained by the Jews Estth 9. 27. and commanded to be kept throughout their Generations and the Feast of the Dedication of the Altar Instituted by the Macchabees and the people 1 Machab. 2. 59. which Christ himself did honour with his presence John 10. 22. were not prescribed by the Law of God And the Jews had Synagogues for the Reading and Preaching of the Word of God yet we find no command in the Old Testament for the Building of them Again in the time of the New Testament In the Apostles time there were their Feasts of Charity as appeareth by that in the Epistle of Jude v. 12. and they had their Osculum Pacis their Holy Kisse Rom. 16. 16. 1 Cor. 16. 20. which was Signaculum Reconciliationis 1 Thess 5. 26. 1 Pet. 5. 14. yet neither of these prescribed by God If any man say these were Apostolical Institutions yet they were not Divine but in them the Apostles Acted as Governours of the Church For we count that Divine Institutions are such as were Ordained for Perpetual use in the Church Apostolical such as were Ordained by the Apostles with a power to alter them as they saw good and those were altered Ecclesiastical such which the Church after the Apostles did anywhere Ordain which are likewise subject to alteration All know that it was the Universal Custome in all Christian Churches throughout the world That in the Primitive times they used standing in time of Publick Prayers upon all the Lords daies between Easter and Whitsontide which was Appointed by the Church in those times to signifie their Faith of Christs Resurrection And the Feasts of Easter and Whitsontide or Pentecost Instituted by the Church were alwaies observed and kept to this day To all these I may Adjoyn the Ancient Practice of the Jews who unto the Institution of that great Feast of the Passeover prescribed to them by Moses had as the Rabbines witness added both Signs and Words adding their Sawce called Charaseth thick like Mustard to be a Memorial of the Clape wherein they wrought in Aegypt therein dipping the bitter Hearbs and drinking Wine with these Words to Both Take and Eate these in Remembrance c. Drink this in Remembrance c. Upon which Addition and Tradition of theirs our Saviour as some say Instituted â—he Sacrament of His Last Supper in Celebrating it with the same Words and after the same Manner Thereby approving the Fact of theirs in Particular and generally That a Church may Institute some Ceremonies â—ignificant God commandeth us in his Law to Worship and to Serve him But Times Places and some Particular Gestures in his Service are counted among things Indifferent and matters of Circumstance and so left to the Prudence of the Governours of the Church to order them and dispose of them as they shâ—â—l judge most fit for Edification And if in these there should be no set Order What disturbance and confusion would there be The Christian Magistrate may drive the negligent to hear the Word of God Preached may also punish wicked Dispisers Blasphemers Hereticks Schismacicks Idolaters and the like And how can this be done but by Laws Made and Established by the Church Then some Laws may be added about Particular Circumstances which are variable Yet we do not take the power of making Laws out of Gods hand or any ways adde to the Laws of God we do onely Inforce the keeping of Gods Laws for Order Decency and Discipline that all may be done Decently and Orderly in the Church of God We acknowledge that the Kingdome of Christ is Spiritual All the Kings of the Earth and Men of this world cannot Convert one Soul to Christ That is done by the Holy Ghost by the lively Word of Faith But the Civil Power is an outward mean to drive Men to hear the Word and Gospel Preached and to keep Order and obey Discipline Christs Subjects again are willing Subjects so far as his Word and Spirit hath wrought upon them to subdue them But before Men be Converted Compulsions even with Penalties are often and ordinarily a way and means to bring them to that whereby this work of Conversion is wrought It is said of that good King Josias 2 Chron. 34. 33. That he took away all the abominations out of all the Countries that pertained to the Children of Israel and compelled all that were found in Israel to serve the Lord their God And of Asa King of Judah 2 Chron. 14. 4. That he commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their Fathers c. But in 2 Chron. 15. 12. That they made a Covenant to seek the Lord God of their Fathers and v. 13. That they laid a Penalty That whosoever would not seek the Lord God of their Fathers he should be slain Object 2. That the Laws of Men do not bind the Conscience and that there is no Guilt before God but for violating and breaking the Laws of God Answ We acknowledge that the Authority which doth Immediately and Directly bind the Conscience of Man so as to make his transgression damnable before God This Authority must proceed from God alone who in his Law doth forbid it and threatneth to punish it But the Laws of men may be said to bind the Consciences of men by way of Consequence not Immediately but reflectively and indirectly by vertue of Gods Command Injoyning Obedience to the Just Laws of men Rom. 13. 1. and v. 5. For Conscience sake and 1 Pet. 2. 13. For the Lords sake Not Immediately but Mediately as it is the Ordinance of God we must not confound Forum Caeli and Forum Soli we must wisely distinguish between the Court of Heaven and the Court on Earth Between the Laws of Men and the Laws of God Gods Laws properly bind the Conscience Mans Laws in respect of that Obedience which God by his Law commandeth to be given to them for Order Government and Discipline among men Object 3. We know not the minds of our Governours in these Laws for ought we know they may Impose and require these Ceremonies which we Scruple at upon some such Superstitious Grounds as is rehearsed Either upon an Opinion of Merit or upon an Opinion of putting Holyness in them or laying a Necessity
Peter God could not but hear the prayers of his Church of his servants assembled and united together in prayer and did hear them For the night before Peter was to be brought forth he sent his Angel into the prison raised Peter being asleep bound with two chains and lying between two Souldiers caused his chains to fall off opened unto him the prison doors went before him led him out into the City and so delivered him out of the hand of Herod and from the expectation of the people Thus you see the power of Common-prayer how much it prevaileth with God when the true servants of God joyn bands and unite themselves together in prayer beseeching God for any special blessing remember well what is written Act. 4. 24. when Peter and John being threatned by the Priests and Elders and commanded to teach no more in the name of Jesus came to their fellows and shewed them what had been done unto them it is recorded when they heard it they lift up their voices with one accord and said O Lord thou art the God c. And that God was well pleased with the lifting up of their voices together with their hearts in prayer may appear by ver 31. and when as they prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spake the word of God boldly What are our words and voices but the Exprestions and Interpretations of our hearts then why may not our people joyn their voices as well as their hearts especially at some times with the Minister to stir up themselves and express their Devotion and to shew that they own the prayers of the Minister and do joyn with him in the Common-prayers of the Church 3. Consider the Reasons why the Clerk is sometimes to say after the Minister as in the confession of Sins the Lords prayer c. and why at other times to answer the Minister We may think that Wise men and Godly men would ordain nothing in the Church without good Reasons and Ground for it 1. For the Clerk you must know he is only appointed to answer as the Guide and Leader of the people and Congregation to draw them on and to encourage them to follow him for what he says all should say with him in the confession of sins the Lords prayer in the Letany repeating of the ten Commandments or elsewhere yea all Minister Clerk and Congregation should joyn with their hearts and may sometimes with their voices is all the prayers of the Church for Deliverance for Mercy for Grace for Peace c. what is uttered by one should be seconded with the Mouths or at least with the hearts of all the Congregation especially in saying Amen to all because all ought to joyn in the Common-prayers of the Church 2. For the people why they should joyn their hearts always with the Minister in the Common-prayers of the Church and may at some set times their voices these Reasons may be rendred 1. To stir them up to attention to shake off their sluggishness to keep them from slumbring and to bring them to the knowledge of the several parts of Divine Service you cannot but take notice that our common and ordinary people are not only ignorant but very dull and lumpish in the performance of Divine Service They do it without Reverence or Fear need often stirring up and quickning Many of them think it is enough if they come to Church and be there with their bodies wheresoever their hearts be therefore some as soon as they are setled in their seats hold down their heads and fall asleep others gaze about and some are slugging and slumbring little minding the Service of God so that they need quickning and stirring up Now if they would joyn and say with the Clerk as they ought it would be a means to put life into them to shake off drowsiness to raise up their attention and Devotion to mind them of the business they are about and to bring them to some measure of Knowledge and Understanding 2. To make them know that the prayers there uttered by the Minister are their prayers made in their name for them and in their behalf that they should own them go along in their hearts if not always in their voices with their Minister and saying Amen to all that it may appear that they understand what they do and not only give their consent but do joyn along with him in the Common-prayers of the Church so that no man can justly take offence at the Clerks answering but such as understand not the true grounds and reasons of it Obj. Our prayers are too many and too short some count them if not call them Shreds and Pieces of prayer Answ We cannot think that God is delighted with the multitude of words you know Solomons counsel Eccles 5. 1. Be not rash with thy mouth and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a thing before God for God is in the heaven and thou upon earth therefore let thy words be few and what our Saviour saith Mat. 6. 7. When you pray use no vain repetitions as the Heathen for they think to be heard for their much babling yet we do not disallow of long prayers so that the heart do not flag but be kept bent unto them and the fervency of the Spirit go along with them It is not as some imagine saith an ancient Father that long praying is that fault of much speaking in prayer which our Saviour doth there reprove for then he would not himself have continued whole nights in prayer as you read Luke 6. 12. that he spent the whole night in prayer to God but that we should use no vain superfluity of words as the heathens do no vain Tautologies for they imagine that their much speaking will cause them to be heard whereas in truth the thing which God looketh upon is how well our hearts are affected in prayer and not how copious our tongues are how well we are affected in the true devotion of our hearts when we come to present our Supplications before him and not how long we talk Our Saviour Christ denounceth a woe against the Scribes and Pharisees Mat. 23. 14. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees Hypocrites for you devour widows houses under colour of long prayers noting their sin of Hypocrisie in that they devoured Widows goods and under a shew of godliness not as if he did find fault with long prayers so they be free from Hypocrisie and from vain ostentation and attended with the true Devotion of the heart yet short prayers may be as effectual also to prevail with God for a blessing when they are poured out of a contrite and broken heart proceeding from faith and followed with the fervency of the spirit Look upon the Parable of the Pharisee and Publican mentioned by our Saviour Luke 18. 10. Two men went up to the Temple to pray the one a
require nor injoyn these things altogether without reason Take a view examine all particulars the several gestures injoyned commanded by our Church The chief of all are these 1. Kneeling in the time of prayer 2. Standing up at the rehearsal of the Apostles Creed 3. Bowing at the Name of the Lord Jesus 4. Kneeling at the receiving of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 1. Kneeling in time of prayer the Scripture doth hold out unto us especially these three several Gestures in the time of prayer 1. Prostrating and casting down our selves upon our faces in our prayers to God for this we have the example of our Saviour Christ Matthew 26. 39. it is said there of our Saviour Christ a little before he was apprehended That he went a little farther and fell on his face and prayed c. and Mark 14. 35. it is said He went forward a little and fell down upon the ground and prayed And thus we read of the Primitive Christians in former times the warning sound was no sooner heard but the Churches were presently filled the pavement covered with bodies prostrate and wash'd with tears of devout joy Ad Domos statim Dominicas currimus Corpora humi sternimus mixtis cum Fletu Gaudiis supplicamus faith Salvianus 2. Standing some suppose that the Israelites did many times stand and pray this Christ our Saviour seemeth to intimate Mark 11. 25. saying When ye shall stand and pray forgive 〈…〉 read of the Pharisee and Publican when they came bâ—â—h 〈…〉 the Temple to pray Luke 18. it is said of the Pharisee 〈…〉 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself and of the 〈◊〉 ver 13. But the â—ublican standing afar off c. and Christ speaketh of the Pharisees Matthew 6. 5. And when thou prayest be no◠〈◊〉 the Hypocrites for they love to stand and pray in the Synagogues 〈◊〉 corners of the streets 3 Kneeling that was always the most usual Gesture thus we find everywhere in Scripture it is said of Solomon 1 Reg. 8. 54. when he had ended his prayer and supplication to the Lord for the Temple that he arose from kneeling upon his knees it is recorded of Daniel Dan. 6. 10. that he usually kneeled three times a day upon his knees and prayed praised his God and of St. Paul and the Church with him Act. 21. 6. When he departed from them they kneeled down upon the shoar and prayed Now the usual Gesture among us in time of prayer is either standing or kneeling we do not altogether disallow of standing in prayer but we may stand as a servant before his Master or as a subject before his Prince we may kneel upon our knees St. Stephen as we may suppose used both these Gestures praying for himself we may conjecture he prayed standing Act. 7. 59. it is said they stoned Stephen who called upon God and said Lord Jesus receive my spirit but ver 60. when he prayed for his enemies the Text saith And he kneeled down and prayed with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge But kneeling we account and judge the fittest posture to shew our true humility and our reverence to God This no man questioneth 2. Standing up at the rehearsal of the Apostles Creed and making our Christian confession this many stick at The reasons why this posture is injoyned and required may be these upon conjecture 1. To stir up the dulness and sluggishness of people and to keep them from slumbring and sleeping and to stir up their attention to consider of the several parts of the Service of God Common people are very dull and lumpish and many times very drowsie in the performance of the Service of God and having sate long in hearing the Psalms read unto them and the Chapters read are many times overtaken with slumbring and drowsiness and this standing up then at the rehearsal of the Creed may be a good means to cause them to shake off their drowsiness to keep them from slumbring and to quicken their attention to the Service they are about If there were nothing else this might in some mens judgments be a sufficient ground for this injunction as long as the Gesture is indifferent in it self 2. This standing up at the Creed the Confession of our Christian Faith may be required to teach blind and ignorant people and to inform them that the Creed is no prayer There be too many ignorant people notwithstanding the great Light we have and the plentiful means of instruction by continual Preaching Teaching and Catechising here among us yet still take this Creed to be a prayer which formerly by most was accounted among their prayers and so used by them as a prayer Now because ordinarily in our prayers we do kneel as is fitting and we are required This very posture of standing up at the rehearsal of this Creed may convince them fully that it is no prayer but a publick Confession and Profession of our Christian Faith 3. The chief reason at all why we stand up at the rehearsal of this the Apostles Creed is to shew our Christian resolution to maintain and defend this our Christian Doctrine For this Creed is a short abridgment and Epitome of all the Apostles Doctrine which they received from Christ our Saviour and delivered to us in the New Testament The rule of our Faith the Touch-stone of Truth the very Pith and Substance of our Christian Religion the very Badge and Cognisance of a Christian whereby he is not only known from Pagans but distinguished from Hereticks Therefore we are injoyned not only to stand up at the rehearsal of it but to joyn our selves also in rehearsing it to testifie to the world our readiness and constancy to maintain this our Religion and Profession being the true Catholick Faith whereof this is a full abridgment that we are willing to stand to it to the death and to live and die in the Profession of it 3. Bowing at the Name of the Lord Jesus this indeed is also required that as all persons should reverently kneel upon their knees when the general Confession and other prayers were made stand up at the saying of the Creed and Belief so when in the time of Divine Service the Lord Jesus should be mentioned due and lowly reverence should be done by all persons present testifying by these outward Ceremonies and Gesture their inward humility Christian Resolution and due acknowledgement that the Lord Jesus Christ the true and eternal Son of God is the only Saviour of the world in whom alone all the Mercies Graces and Promises of God to mankind for this life and the life to come are fully wholly comprised according to that of S. Peter Act. 4. 12. Neither is there Salvation in any other for among men there is given none other Name under heaven whereby we must be saved Though all do not agree that this bowing is either commanded in those words of the Apostle Phil.