Chapter. 1. the. 7. Diuision.
I omit that there be examples of Pulpits in Esdras, of chaires in the. 23. of Math. whereby the chaire of Moses our sauioure Christ meaning the doctrine of Moses, doth also declare the manner which they vsed in teaching: of sitting at the Communion (whiche the Euangelist noteth to haue bin done of our fauioure Christ with his disciples) whiche examples are not to be lightly chaunged, and vppon many occasions.
Examples of Pulpits you say, we find in Esdras. True it is that in the. 8. of Nehem. we reade Esdras stoode vpon a Pulpit of wood, which he had made for the preaching, but the same was placed in the open stréete, neyther did Esdras any thing but reade. The other persons with the Leuites mentioned vers. 7. of that Chap. did cause the people to vnderstand the law: that is, made them giue diligent eare to the reading of the law. And although there be words in the. 8. verse, which (as they be translated) séeme to insinuate some kinde of interpretation, yet the meaning is nothing so: for these be the words, Et apposuerunt intellectum, & intellexerunt scripturam illam, that is (as learned men do interprete it) aduerterunt animum, they were attentiue to the reading, or* 1.1 as some translate it, Et legerunt in libro legis Dei distinctè & appositè ad intelligendum: & intellexerunt cum legeretur, And they read in the booke of the law of God, distinctly and in such sort, as they might easily vnderstand. Hereof may I much better gather that rea∣ding is preaching, than you can do that the scripture appointeth Pulpits. For though Esdras did so, is it therefore by and by a rule to be followed? You reade not of any of the Apostles that did in like manner, neither is there any mention made of Pulpits, from the beginning of the new testament to the end of the same. And this place ma∣keth rather for Pulpits to reade in, than for Pulpits to preach in.
It is most certaine that by the chaire of Moses in that place, is ment the doctrine of Moses, whether it declare any place or no made for Moses to teach the people in, that is but coniecturall: neyther haue we any example expressed either in Moses himselfe, or in any other that may resolue that doubt. Howsoeuer it is, the matter is not great. For things vsed in the old Church do not prescribe any rule to the Church of Christe, vnlesse it can be shewed Christe himselfe and his Apostles to haue vsed the same.
My meaning is that in the whole scripture, there is neither Pulpit nor chaire pre∣scribed to be vsed in the Church of Christe, but that and such other like things left to the disposition of the Church, as shall be thought most conuenient from time to time.
What though Christ sat at his last supper, doth it therefore follow that of necessi∣tie we must néedes sit? why must we not then as well be bound to receiue the same after supper? I say agayne that the scripture dothe no where prescribe, whither we shall sit, stand, or knéele, at the communion: if it do prescribe sitting why do some of