.

ever that posture was) it is a thing of Foreign Confideration, and impertinent to the Question, and concerns not Vs, because the Customs of the Jews at their Paffover (being grounded upon Peculiar and Special Reasons) lay not the least tie upon Chriftians at this Sacrament. The Enquiry among Us is, touching Chrift's Example at this new Solemnity; and 'tis Ridiculous to conclude, that to kneel in the act of Receiving, is against the Example of our Lord, when it appears more than probable that he himself received I not; what he did at that time with his E Difciples, he did purely as their Master, and Priest, but not as a Guest with them then; so that if any Directions be to be taken from the Example of Chrift, they ferve to guide those who in Christ's stead Minister at the Holy Table, rather than to Govern any that are Partakers of the Altar.

2. SEEING then there is no Argument against Kneeling from our Saviour's Example, let us proceed to the second branch of the Objection, and fee whether this posture be against the Example of our Saviour's Difciples? And for the voiding of this pretence alfo, I think we may lay down this as a very fafe Propofition, that 'tis utterly uncertain in what posture

the

the Disciples received the Sacrament at the Lord's hand. For the right understanding and full proof of this Matter, we must remember that there was a Twofold Feaft which was Gelebrated at that time, the Jewish Paffover first, and after that was ended, this Christian Banquet. Now as to the pofture both of our Saviour, and his Difciples at the Pafchal Supper, there is not much diffi culty; for it was for the most part a Recumbent or Leaning Pofture upon little Beds. According to the ancient Cuftom of Feafting, every Gueft had his Pallet, and thereon he rested himself, with his body leaning upon his left fide, that his right hand might be at liberty for Food. *This Custom was

Grot. in Matth. 26.

*Vid. Dr. Lightfoot, generally used in the Eastern Hor. Heb. in, Matth.26. Countries. (efpecially by the Affyrians) thence it came a mong the Greeks, and from them the Romans borrowed it too. Now this fame Custom was observed by the Jews in our Saviour's time, and indeed long before, especially at the Paffover Sup per; and they used this Recumbent or Leaning posture the rather, because it was a fignification of Liberty, a Token that they were at Reft in the Promised Land; and it look'd Great and Stately, as being

ufed

Tenemur ad accubitum dum Comedimus, ut comedamus more Regum d Magnatum; Maimonid. Mos fervorum eft, ut edant ftantes; R. Levi, cited by Dr. Lightfoot, ubi fupra.

ufed ffaith my Author) by Princes, and Great Men, whereas to ftand was an argument of a Slave. *The Holy Jefus being defirous to Eat the Paffover with his Difciples, yet not willing to cross an innocent Custom, fendeth two of his Company before hand, to make the Banquet ready in a large upper Room, that was ready furnisht and prepared, Mar. 14 15. and there he sat down with the Twelve, as it is, Matth. 26. 20. But in truth the Phrafe is not fitly rendred in our English Bible, though it be rendred fo in every one of the Evangelists. It should be Tranflated rather, he laid down with the Twelve. *For they that are skilled in the Greek Language, do know that none of those words which are 3 used in the Original, do strictly Signifie a Sitting (nor indeed any minate) posture, but note at large an Inclination of the Body. And that this was a Leaning Pofture we may easily gather out of St. John 13. Where 'tis faid that (Jefus having declared that one of them fhould betray him) Peter beckned to John (who was leaning on Jefus's Bofom, and lying on his breaft) to ask who it was? For the Custom was, that

* ἀνέκειτο μετὰ τῶν

der, Matth. avaxewkiva autav, Marc, o maney, Joan.

ἀνέπεσε, Luc. αναπο

deter

where

where three Guests were in company the Chiefeft of them lay on a Pallet in the Cum duo effent, dignior Middle; the next on a Pallet primus accubuit in lectu- behind his Neck, fomewhat alo fuo, & fecundus ab eo bove his Pillow; and the third, fupra eum accubuit, id on a Pallet before him, with his vical dignioris pofito. Si Face towards the moft Honoutres effent, dignifimus ac rable Perfon, and near his Bocubuit in medio, & fe cundus ab eo fupra eum,

eft, in lectulo juxta cer

tertius infra eum, id

eft, juxta ftragulas pe

Loc. land.

Si vult digniffimus cum fecundo ab eo colloqui, ne ceffe eft ut fe erigat à recubitione fua, ita ut ere

fom.

And our Saviour and

those two Apostles being thus dum ejus. Hebrew Glofs, placed, St. Peter could eafily quoted by Dr. Lightfoot, becken to St. John, by looking over the holy Jefus, and our Lord could as eafily anfwer St. John's Question, without lifting up his Body, which would have been somewhat neceffary, had he talked with St. Peter. And if this be not enough to fhew, that a leaning posture was cuftomary among all the Jews at their Solemn Feafts, I fhall only add, that the Hebrew Doctors do ufually diftinguish between fitting and Itiufmodi recumbenti- Recumbency, before a Table; am in capiendo cibo If- and do tell us, that the Ifraelites raelita geftum maximè, thought a recumbent posture veidoneum reputarant, in epulis facris requifitum, y decent at an ordinary meal, in cœna Pafchali fummè very requifite at all holy Banneceffarium & requifuifquets; but at the Pafchal Supfimum. Ibid. 9. v. per most necessary, unless it was

Aus fedeat. Ibid.

at

at the eating of the bitter Herbs, and of the drinking of the two laft Eucharistical Cups.

2. Now by this that hath been spoken it doth appear, that our Diffenting Brethren get nothing at all on their fide for either of those Gestures which they ufe at the Sacrament, though we should grant the Example of Chrift and his Difciples at the Paffover to be imitable. But for the further fatisfaction of fuch deluded people, let us go on ftill. And the firft point being already cleared, touching the Example of our Lord and his Retinue and the Pafchal Solemnity, I proceed, fecondly, to fhew how difficult it is to determine what posture the Difciples used at the Sacrament that fucceeded the Paffover, and how very uncertain that Principle is, which our Diffenting Brethren go upon, whether it be a fitting or a Standing Gefture which they are for, and how vainly and weakly they argue from the practice of the Apoftles.

THE Pafchal Supper being ended, and our Saviour being now at perfect Liberty, how to employ the reft of his time, he rifeth from his Pallet, and washeth his Difciples Feet, as we find, Joh. 13. (for this washing was, as I conceive, at that time, whatever reasons have been offered

by