14 Of Objections to our Communion Service. Ch. Ixviii. xxxv. 6. 11. Book V. gesture; for in kneeling there hath been superstition: sitting agreeth better to the action of a supper; and our Saviour using that which was most fit, did himself not kneel. A third accusation is, for not examining all communicants, whose knowledge in the mystery of the Gospel should that way be made manifest; a thing every where, they say, used in the Apostles' times, because all things necessary were used; and this in their opinion is necessary, yea, it is commanded, inas2 Chron. much as the Levites are commanded to prepare the people for the Passover; and examination is a part of their preparation, our Lord's Supper in place of the Passover. The fourth thing 1 Cor. v. misliked is, that against the Apostle's prohibition, to have any familiarity at all with notorious offenders, papists being not of the Church are admitted to our very communion, before they have by their religious and gospel-like behaviour purged themselves of that suspicion of popery which their former life hath caused. They are dogs, swine, unclean beasts, foreigners and strangers from the Church of God; and therefore ought not to be admitted, though they offer themselves. We are, fifthly, condemned, inasmuch as when there hath been store of people to hear sermons and service in the church, we suffer the communion to be ministered to a few. It is not enough, that our book of common prayer hath godly exhortations to move all thereunto which are present. For it should not suffer a few to communicate, it should by ecclesiastical discipline and civil punishment provide that such as would withdraw themselves might be brought to communicate, according both Num. ix. to the law of God and the ancient church canons. In the sixth and last place, cometh the enormity of imparting this Concil. ii. sacrament privately unto the sick." 13. Can. ix. Brac. cap. 83. Thus far accused, we answer briefly to the first, that seeing God by sacraments doth apply in particular unto every man's person the grace which himself hath provided for the benefit of a "Besides that it is good to leave the popish form in those things, which we may so conveniently do, it is best to come as near the matter of celebration of the supper which our Saviour Christ did use, as may be. And if it be a good argument to prove that therefore we must rather say, Take thou, than Take ye, because the sacrament is an application of the benefits of Christ, it behoveth that the preacher should direct his admonitions particularly one after another, unto all those which bear his sermon, which is a thing absurd." T. C. lib. i. p. 166. Ch. lxviii. all mankind, there is no cause why administering the sacrn- Book V. ments we should forbear to express that in our forms of speech, which he by his word and gospel teacheth all to believe. In the one sacrament, "I baptize thee," displeaseth them not. If "eat thou," in the other offend them, their fancies are no rules for churches to follow. Whether Christ at his last supper did speak generally once to all, or to every one in particular, is a thing uncertain. His words are recorded in that form which serveth best for the setting down with historical brevity what was spoken; they are no manifest proof that he spake but once unto all which did then communicate, much less that we in speaking unto every communicant severally do amiss, although it were clear that we herein do otherwise than Christ did. Our imitation of him consisteth not in tying scrupulously ourselves unto his syllables, but rather in speaking by the heavenly direction of that inspired divine wisdom, which teacheth divers ways to one end; and doth therein control their boldness, by whom any profitable way is censured as reprovable, only under colour of some small difference from great examples going before. To do throughout every the like circumstance the same which Christ did in this action, were, by following his footsteps in that sort, to err more from the purpose he aimed at, than we now do by not following them with so nice and severe strictness. They little weigh with themselves how dull, how heavy, and almost how without sense, the greatest part of the common multitude every where is, who think it either unmeet or unnecessary to put them, even man by man, especially at that time, in mind whereabout they are. It is true, that in sermons we do not use to repeat our sentences severally to every particular hearer; a strange madness it were if we should. The softness of wax may induce a wise man to set his stamp or image therein; it persuadeth no man, that because wool hath the like quality, it may therefore receive the like impression. So the reason taken from the use of sacraments, in that they are instruments of grace unto every particular man, may with good congruity lead the Church to frame accordingly her words in administration of sacraments, because they easily admit this form; which being in sermons a thing impossible, without apparent ridiculous absurdity, agreement of sacraments with sermons in that which is alleged Book V. as a reasonable proof of conveniency for the one, proveth not Ch. lxviii. the same allegation impertinent, because it doth not enforce the other to be administered in like sort. For equal principles do then avail unto equal conclusions, when the matter whereunto we apply them is equal, and not else. Our kneeling at communions is the gesture of piety. If we did there present ourselves but to make some show or dumb resemblance of a spiritual feast, it may be that sitting were the fitter ceremony; but coming as receivers of inestimable grace at the hands of God, what doth better beseem our bodies at that hour, than to be sensible witnesses of minds unfeignedly humbled? Our Lord himself did that which custom and long usage had made fit; we, that which fitness and great decency hath made usual. b The trial of ourselves, before we eat of this bread, and drink of this cup, is, by express commandment, every man's precise duty. As for necessity of calling others unto account besides ourselves, albeit we be not thereunto drawn by any great strength which is in their arguments, who first press us with it as a thing necessary, by affirming that the Apostles did use it, and then prove the Apostles to have used it by affirming it to be necessary; again, albeit we greatly muse how they can avouch that God did command the Levites to prepare their brethren against the feast of the Passover, and that the examination of them was a part of their preparation, when the place alleged to this purpose doth but charge the Levite, saying, "Make ready Laahhechem for your brethren," to the end they may do according to the word of the Lord by Moses: wherefore in the self-same place it followeth, how lambs, and kids, and sheep, and bullocks, were delivered unto the Levites, and that thus the service was made ready; it followeth likewise, how the Levites having in such sort provided for the people, they made provision for themselves, "and for the a Kneeling carrieth a show of worship: sitting agreeth better with the action of the supper. Christ and his Apostles kneeled not." T. C. lib. i. p. 165. b"All things necessary were used in the churches of God in the Apostles' times; but examination was a necessary thing, therefore used. In the Book of Chronicles (2 Chron. xxxv. 6.) the Levites wese commanded to prepare the people to the receiving of the Passover, in place whereof we have the Lord's Supper. Now examination being a part of the preparation, it followeth that here is commandment of the examination." T. C. lib. i. p. 164. What is the true Church. Ch. lxvii. 17 priests, the sons of Aaron:" so that confidently from hence to Book V. conclude the necessity of examination, argueth their wonderful great forwardness in framing all things to serve their turn; nevertheless, the examination of communicants when need requireth, for the profitable use it may have in such cases, we reject not. 11. Our fault in admitting popish communicants, is it in that 1 Cor. v. we are forbidden to eat, and therefore much more to commu- T. C. lib.i. nicate, with notorious malefactors? The name of a papist is P. 167. not given unto any man for being a notorious malefactor: and the crime wherewith we are charged, is suffering papists to communicate; so that, be their life and conversation whatsoever in the sight of man, their popish opinions are in this case laid as bars and exceptions against them; yea, those opinions which they have held in former times, although they now both profess by word, and offer to shew by fact the contrary. All this doth not justify us, which ought not (they say) to admit them in any wise, till their gospel-like behaviour have removed all suspicion of popery from them, because papists are "dogs, swine, beasts, foreigners and strangers from the house of God;" in a word, "they are not of the Church." What the terms of gospel-like behaviour may include is obscure and doubtful; but of the visible Church of Christ in this present world, from which they separate all papists, we are thus persuaded. Church is a word which art hath devised, thereby to sever and distinguish that society of men which professeth the true religion, from the rest which profess it not. There have been in the world, from the very first foundation thereof, but three religions: Paganism, which lived in the blindness of corrupt and depraved nature; Judaism, embracing the law which reformed heathenish impieties, and taught salvation to be looked for through one whom God in the last days would send and exalt to be Lord of all; finally, Christian belief, which yieldeth obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and acknowledgeth him the Saviour whom God did promise. Seeing then that the Church is a a "Although they would receive the communion, yet they ought to be kept back, until such time as by their religious and gospel-like behaviour, they have purged themselves of that suspicion of popery which their former life and conversation hath caused to be conceived." T. C. lib. i. p. 167. Ch. Ixviii. BOOK V. name, which art hath given to professors of true religion; as they which will define a man, are to pass by those qualities wherein one man doth excel another, and to take only those essential properties whereby a man doth differ from creatures of other kinds, so he that will teach what the Church is, shall never rightly perform the work whereabout he goeth, till in matter of religion he touch that difference which severeth the Church's religion from theirs who are not the Church. Religion being therefore a matter partly of contemplation, partly of action; we must define the Church, which is a religious society, by such differences as do properly explain the essence of such things, that is to say, by the object or matter whereabout the contemplations and actions of the Church are properly conversant. For so all knowledges and all virtues are defined. Whereupon, because the only object, which separateth ours from other religions, is Jesus Christ, in whom none but the Church doth believe, and whom none but the Church doth worship; we find that accordingly the Apostles do every where distinguish hereby the Church from infidels and from Jews, "accounting them which call upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be his Church." If we go lower, we shall but add unto this certain casual and variable accidents, which are not properly of the being, but make only for the happier and better being, of the Church of God, either in deed, or in men's opinions and conceits. This is the error of all popish definitions that hitherto have been brought. They define not the Church by that which the Church essentially is, but by that wherein they imagine their own more perfect than the rest are. Touching parts of eminency and perfection, parts likewise of imperfection and defect, in the Church of God, they are infinite, their degrees and differences no way possible to be drawn unto any certain account. There is not the least contention and variance, but it blemisheth somewhat the unity that ought to be in the Church of Christ, which notwithstanding may have, not only without offence or breach of concord, her manifold varieties in rites and ceremonies of religion, but also her strifes and contentions many times, and that about matters of no small importance; yea, her schisms, factions, and such other evils whereunto the body of the Church is subject, sound and sick remaining both of the same Rom. xv. 5. 1 Cor. i. 10. |