she was to travel to other Churches that obferved different Guftoms from that of Milain: If thou wilt not (faith he) either give Offence, or take Offence, conform thy felf to all the lawful Customs of the Church whither thou comeft.

3dly. I think I may fomewhat forcibly retort the Argument: Our Saviour, say they, ufed Sitting, therefore we ought not to kneel. Yea, let it not feem ftrange to you if I argue thus; Our Saviour used Sitting, therefore we may kneel. This Confequence, which may poffibly feem fomewhat uncouth at firft, I make good thus: In the Institution of the Paffover, God commanded that it should be eaten in a Standing Posture, with their Shoes on their Feet, and their Staves in their Hands: But yet Time and Custom had at length worn out this Obfervation: And therefore when the Ufe of the Nation had brought it to Difcumbency, or Leaning on Beds after the Roman Manner, though at first there were an exprefs Command for another Gesture; yet our Saviour fo far accommodates himself to the received Custom, as to use it with them. Now could there be as much produced to prove the Neceffity of Sitting at the Sacrament, as there might have been to prove the Neceffity of Standing at the Paffover, I doubt

doubt whether those who plead fo much for it, would not mainly triumph in fuch' an Argument, and account it altogether unanswerable: And yet we fee the Cuftom of the Jewish Church prevails with our Saviour to do that which feems literally to contradict a Command of God and rather than he would go contrary to the Obfervances that were then in Ufe among them, he chufeth to omit that which was required in the Primitive Inftitution: How much more then ought we, who have nothing at all left to determine' the Gesture, conform our felves to the Ufage of the Church in which we live, and whofe Members we are; for this is to conform our felves, not indeed to the very Gesture, but what is much more confiderable, to the Will and Intention of Chrift.

But then again, 4thly, Whereas it is objected, That Kneeling is a very improper Pofture at a Table, I think, if I should pass it over with this short answer, That the Peace and Unity of the Church, is more to be regarded than what fome Men account proper or improper, and that it is not the Accuratenefs of every petty Circumftance and Punctilio that ought to be laid in the Ballance against fo weighty and fundamental a Duty as our Participa

tion of this Ordinance; and that it is no Extenuation of our Sin to turn our Backs upon these holy Myfteries, becaufe every Thing is not ordered as we fancy, and deem most convenient: If, I fay, I should give no other Answer but this, yet, I fup, pose, this would be enough to fatisfy all grave and confiderate Perfons. But yet to vindicate this Custom from the Imputation of Impropriety, let us add farther;

First, That that can be no unfitting Gesture, which is moft fignificant of our Humility and Proftration of Soul. Should we grovel in the very Duft before our dear Redeemer, to testify our Abhorrence of our felves, and our most bitter Repentance for thofe Sins which fhed that most precious Blood, and brake and pierced that bleffed Body which our Lord Chrift comes there to offer us as a Pledge of our Pardon and Salvation, would any be fo proudly cenforious as to call this an improper Action? Or is it iniproper for guilty Malefactors, Rebels caft and condemned by Law, to receive their Pardon upon their Knees? Doth not God feal to every penitent and believing Sinner, the Pardon of his Sins, and his Acceptation into Grace and Favour, in this holy Sacrament? And can any Gefture be fo humble and reverent, as to be judged improper for the Re

ceiving

ceiving of fo great and so ineftimable a Mercy as that?

Secondly, Confider that the very Sacramental Action it felf is accompanied with Prayer: There is both Thanksgiving, and Petition in it, and both those are Parts of Prayer. And what Gesture more proper for Prayer, than Kneeling? The Sacrament it self is a Sacrifice of Praise, and therefore constantly called by the Ancients Fugausia, or Thanksgiving. And the Administration of it is attended with Prayer; "The Body of our Lord Jefus Chrift "which was given for thee, preserve thy "Body and Soul; and the Blood of our "Lord Jefus Chrift which was fhed for "thee, preferve thy Body and Soul unto "everlasting Life. Now he must have the Knees of an Elephant, and the Heart of an Oak, who will not bow himself, and with all humble Adoration and Worfhip, cry Amen to so pathetical a Prayer made by the Minister to God on his Be-half.

And fo much for the Second great Ob jection about the Gesture, wherein I hope I have fufficiently evinced, that Kneeling in the A&t of Receiving, is neither idolatrous, nor improper, nor a Deviation from the Example of our Lord and Saviour.

Thirdly,

Thirdly, Another great Stumbling-block which lies in the Way (which yet, I hope, to remove if you your felves do not fäften it by your Prejudices) is that of promifcuous Receiving; and the Admiffion of thofe to the Sacrament who are ignorant; or fcandalous, or both. To anfwer this,

1ft. Doft thou know any of them to be fo? If not, the ftanding Rule of Charity is, to think no Evil, I Corinth. 13. 5. a Doctrine much to be prefs'd upon this wildly cenforious Age, wherein every one judgeth himself to be holy and godly, according as he can judge and condemn others to be wicked and ungodly. And let me tell you freely, this Whifpering and Backbiting, and Entertaining of blind Rumours and idle Reports, screwing and wrefting every Thing to the worft Senfe, and fpeaking Evil of others at Random and Peradventure, is, according to the Obfervations that I have been able to make, a great and reigning Sin in this Corner of the World: And it is a Sin fo contrary to the mild and gentle Spirit of the Gospel, a Sin fo truly fufpicious of Hypocrify and Pharifaifm, that I profefs I think I fhould as foon think a Man a good Chriftian because he is proud,

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