Of I(neeling at tiJe Decalo,!;ue. Of Worjhip Geftw-es. Of Difagrcemmts, &c. 859 Qgefl 88. Ir it larvful to k1reel rvlmz t/,e Decalogue iJ read ? AnfrP· r. IF I lived in a Cburch 1hat mifiook the Comm:mdrnents for Prayers, as nuny ignorant pc:ople do, 1would nor fa lnrdcn chc:m in t~at enour•. 2 . And t~· 1 knew that m.my c.f rhe people prefcnt arc of thilt mind, I had ra1bcr do norhmg chat m1ght fcand~hi.~ or harden them in it. But ,, That the thing in it felf is Lawful, is pall doubt : As we may kneel to the R.ing when we hear him or fpeak to him ; fa it is lawful to kneel to God, when we rtad a Chapter or hear it read, and fpecially the Dec~t.logue fa terribly dc1ivered, and written by_his own finger in !lone. z, And ific be peremptorily comnianded, and the orniflion would be otfenhve I would ufe it though mi!laking p:rfons are prcfent, 1· B:;>caufc I cannot difobey, and alfo ~~tfe~ from rhe whole A!fembly, without a greater hurt and Ccandal, than fccming to harden that m11lakmg pcrfon! ~· A~d bccau[e 1 t?uld and would by other mea1tJ remove that pcrfons danger, as from me, by makmg hun know that Jt is no prayer. 3• And the rather in our times, becaufewe can get the Minittfr in the Pulpit publickly to reil the people the Contrary. 4· And in Cate<hizing it is.his appointed duty fo to do. 5· And we find thlt the f•me old filly people who took the C<rmmandmrnts for a prayer, took the Creed to be fa roo: When yet none kneeled at the Creed; lly which it appcareth that it· is not kneding which deceived them. ~efl:. 89. What Geftures are jitteft i11 all t~e publick Worjhip ? •Anfw. ,, THE. Cu!lomes of fevoral Countrey•, putting feveral fignifications on .gtllures, much varieth theC:;~,fe. 2· \Vc muft not lightly _ditf~r from the: cuftorncs of the: Churches where we live in fuch a thing. 3• According to the prefent ]fate of our Clmrchtr, and the _fignificatianof gcjlttrcr, and the nece.ffiliet of mens bodies, all conlidrred, I like bdl, I· 'To JtneeJ in Prayer aJtdConftffion of ji1t ( unlcfs it be in crowded Congregations where there is not room. ) 2. To jland up in actions of metr Praifc to God, that is, at thc:jinging and read~ngof the P{dlr!uof praife,"a.nd at the orhcr £!ymnu. 3· To fit at the bwing of the Word rtad and ·prtached•(Becaufe the body hath a neceUny of fame re!!). 4· Had l my choice, I would receive the Lords Supper fitting : But whcr .: I have not; I will ufe the ge!lure which theChurch ufeth. And it is to be noted that the Church of E11gland rcquireth 'the Communicant only to Rtcti:~e it ~necling; but not to Eat or drinlt it kneeling When they have received ir. Theancient Churches took it for for an univerfal cutlome, efiabliOu:d by many gene– ral Councils, (and continue·d•many hundred years ) that no Churches ·lhould kneel in any ad- of Adoralionupon any Lords day in the year, 01 any week day between Eajler and fYhitfim:ide; but only ftmzd all the time. Bllt beca.ufe the ·wcarincfs of the body i~ptw draw the mind into Confent, and make Gods [crvic:e burdenfomc to us, it fecrncth a fafficknt complyancc with their cuttome and the J Chr. 17 , r6. reafans of it, if wc)fand up only in a[l.r flj Praifi ( and at the profdfion of our Aifc:nt to the Chrifiian :1: S:u11. 7· 1¥. faithand Covenant). 5· And becaufc there' is fo ~re:at a difference between the auditors in mofi Aff'cmblic:s, fome be– ing weak and not able ro fiand long, &c. therefore it is u«._c:rly unmeet to be too rigotour in urging a U11ifurmicy of Geilure, or forany to be too cenforious ol other men for aGdlure. Quefl:. 90. What·if tl;ePaftor·mzd [lmrch camM agree llhout finging Pfalms, or JVIJ.Jt Vcrfion or TranJLatiOil to u{e, or time or place of meeting, &c ? Anfw. I· JT is the office of the Pallor to be the Guide and Ruler in fuch things, (when the Magiliracc interpofeth not) And the people iliould obey him. 2· But if the Pallor injure the Churchby his mif.guidance and male·adminill:racion, he ought to amend and give them fatisfatiion : J mtdd!!.'not And if he do nor, they have their remedy bc:fore-mc:ntionc:d. 3• And if the people be obrlinate in h~rc~vith rhe difobediencc: upon caufclt:fsquarrels, the P.d\or mufi fir£\ labour ro convince them by rcafon and Love, M2gdlr:ncs and his authority 1 And if no means will bring them to fllbnMfion, he mufi confider whether it be pllt. better as to the pblick good of the Church of Chritl that he comply with them, and fuffer them,or that he: dcput and go toamore tractable people ; And accordingly he is to do. for they cannot conrim1c R r r r r wgetbc:r
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