Downame - BV209_D69_G6_1640_v1

of thegefiures of the body in prayer. 119 prefcribed: r. That it be decent and comely, ac- cording to the generali rule, i.Cor. 14. 40. The which decencie is for the more part to be meafured according to the cu ftome of the countrey. 2. That it be correfpondent to the affections and difpofition of the foul, ferving as to expreffe fo alto to incite and inlarge the fame, otherwife the devouteft ge_ !lures are but hifirionicall, that is, hypocritical!. The varietie of geflures mentioned in the Scri- ptures do íhew that we are not perpetually tied to any particular as neceffiaryin it felfbut that in them - felves they are indifferent and arbitrarie if not de- termined and prefcribed by the Church. By the ex- amples of the godly in the Scriptures admonemur .mod sJrptd _ ( faith Auguftine) non effl f riprum quomodo corpus cian.liG. Z. conflituatur ad orandurn, dummodo animus Deo prxfens 2'.4 Tom... peragat intentionem foam: We are admonifhed that it is not written how the bodie is to be difpofed to pray,fo that the mind prefent with God do perform its intention. But firít I will Phew the varietie ofge- fiures which have been and may be ufed ; and then I will commend that which is molt conveni- ent to be obferved ufually. The geftures to be confidered in prayer are either of the whole body, or ofthe parts. As r. the turning of the body towards fome part of the heavens, eaft or weft, &c. Among the Jews it was required and obferved, that wherefoever they were when they prayed they turned themfelyes towards the temple, wherein was the ark, which was a type of Chrift , in whom alone we are to come unto God. If therefore they were in the eaft from it, I 4 they