The reasons of a pastors resolution, touching the reuerend receiuing of the holy communion: written by Dauid Lindesay, D. of Diuinitie, in the Vniuersitie of Saint Andrewes in Scotland, and preacher of the gospell at Dundy

SECT. 7. That Kneeling hath, and may bee lawfully vsed in the Sacrament, as it is, and was, in Prayer.

O But thou wilt say, that Kneeling was euer vsed in prayer, but was lately brought in vse at the Sacra∣ment by Honorius, to worship the bread. I answered before, that it was not ordained by Honorius to be vsed at the receiuing, but at the eleuation, and carrying of it from place to place: For at the receiuing of it, it had beene the custome before Hono∣rius time to haue bowed, as the de∣cree in speciall commanded the Priest to teach the people to bow themselues reuerently, Cum eleuatur salutaris Hostia, & cum eam defert Presbyter ad infirmum; when the sa∣uing Host is eleuate in the Masse,

and when it is carried to the sicke. So doubtlesse the Priest had beene commanded to teach the people to bow themselues at the Receiuing: for he who so straitly commanded the people to Kneele at the onely sight of this Sacrament, would much more haue commanded them to Kneele, when they not onely did see, but when they receiued it, and ate it, if it had not beene a receiued cus∣tome. But put the case that Kneeling then did first beginne to bee vsed in the Sacrament, yet might not the Church, vpon the Reasons before expressed, haue lawfully kneeled to God and our Sauiour, the Lord Ie∣sus, at the receiuing? Caluin in his 4. book of Instit. cap. 17. sect. 37. affir∣meth it in these words, Christo inqui∣unt hanc venerationem deferimus: pri∣mam si in coena h••c fieret, dicerem ado∣rationem cam demum esse legitimam, quae non in signa residet, sed ad Chris∣tum in caelo sedentem dirigitur. In this

place Caluin finding fault with the worship that was giuen to the Bread at the eleuation, and at the pompous carrying of it thorow the streetes & publike places; saith, that then the worship were lawfull, if it were giuen to Christ in the action of the Supper, & did not rest in the signe, but were directed to Christ sitting in heauen. Peter Martyr, a learned and diligent Diuine, is of the same iudgement, for so he writeth: In Sacramento distingui∣mus symbola à rebus, & symbolis aliquē honorem deferimus, nimirū, vt tracten∣tur decenter, & non abijciantur; sunt enim sacrae res, & Deo semel deputatae: quo vero adres significatas, eas prompte & alacriter adorandas concedimus; in∣quit enim Augustinus hoc in loco, Non peccatur adorando carnem Christi, sed peccatur non adorando, Class. 4. locus X. Sect. 49. & 50. Adoratio interna potest adhiberi sine periculo, neque externa sua natura esset mala; multi enim pij genua flectunt & adorant: In the Sacrament,

saith he, we distinguish the symbols from the thing signified, & some ho∣nour we yeeld to the signes; namely, that they be decently handled, and not slightly cast away; for they are sa∣cred things, & once dedicate to God; but as for the thing signified, these we grant, shuld be readily & chearefully adored: for August. saith in this place, that it is no fault to adore Christs flesh, but it is sin not to adore it. And after a little; Inward adoration may be vsed without perill, neither is the outward adoration euill of it selfe: for many bow their Knees & adore reli∣giously. Caluin in the action of the Supper saith, that it is lawfull to bow down and worship Christ sitting in hea∣uen. And Martyr saith, That not only is it lawfully done; but pie, religiously. Then I say, Albeit it might be, that in the action of the Supper men bowed not before the daies of Honorius, yet certainely they might haue lawfully bowed, for the reasons aboue named.