WE have the exemple of Christ and his Apostles at the first supper to warrant the communicants Sitting warrantable . to sit in the act of receaving . No man ever doubted of it , till of late two or three wranglers hath called that in question , which hath been holden as an undoubted truth in all ages . After the ordinarie washing of their hands they sate downe to the first course of the paschall supper to eat the paschall lambe with the unleavened bread , then they rose againe to the washing of their feet . Thereafter they sate downe againe to the second course of the paschall supper , and did eat of a sallet made of sowre hearbs , which they dipped in a composed liquour as thick as mustard . This second course was a part of the paschall supper , Scaliger de emendat temporum lib. 6. as Scaliger and others of the learned prove out of the Jewish writers , and not their common and vulgar supper . M. P. yeeldeth to this , because the paschall supper was a sufficient meal of it selfe , and therefore they needed no other supper . It is clear that they sate howbeit not upright , yet leaning on their elbowes at the paschall supper . Scaliger citeth out of a booke set forth before Christs time , entituled Kidd●sh pesach , a canon for twice washing , and that kinde of sitting at the eating of the paschall supper . The Evangelists likewise make mention , that after they rose , and Christ had washed their feet , they sate downe againe . Now while they were eating after this sitting downe to the second course of the paschall supper , and consequently while they were yet sitting , Christ took bread , and gave thankes , &c. that is , he instituted , and ministred the evangelicall supper , Matth. 26. 26. Mark . 14. 22. Yea the very close or conclusion of the second course , or whole paschall supper was changed by Christ into the evangelicall supper . Luke and Paul relate that Christ tooke the cup after supper . The consecrating , breaking , and eating of the bread had interveened betweene the second course and the taking up of the cup. Therefore they might well say , After supper he tooke the cup. Yea they might have said also after supper hee tooke the bread , to wit after both the first and second course of the paschall supper , but then it must be meant immediatly , and without any other action interveening , because Matthew and Marke say , While they were eating . Hear Ba●radius a Jesuit , Barradas in concor . evangelist . Tom. 4. lib. 3. cap. 2 Howbeit the whole Sacrament was instituted after supper , yet it was instituted in the end of the supper , while as they were sitting and eating , for they did eat other meat , till the time of the institution of the heavenly food , and therefore Matthew and Marke say , That the Sacrament was inst●tute while as they were eating , for they were yet eating when the Lord tooke bread , blessed , and brake . Quamvis autem totum sacramentum post coenam institutum fuerit , in ipsius tamen coenae fine institutum est , cum adhuc discumberent & m●nducarent , Nam manducarunt cibos alios quousque ad institutionem caelestis cibi ventum est . Ideoque Mattheus & Marcus aiunt , manducantibus ipsis effectum sse hoc sacramentum . Adhuc enim manducabant cum Dominus accepit panem benedixit & fregit . Barona●●al . ●om. 2. an. 34. num. 14. Baronius the Cardinall collecteth that they were sitting , beca●se Matthew and Marke say , they were supping or eating , Vnde quod dicit Matthaeus coenantibus autem iis accepit Iesus p●nom & benedixit , & quod Marcus ait , & manduoantibus illis accepit Jesus panem & benedicens fregit , idem est acsi dixisset , Chrys. hom. de prodit . Iud. And Pope Leo serm. 7. de passione Domini . recumbentibus illis . Chrys●stome likewise , that wh●le they were eating and drinking , Christ ●ooke bread . The collection is so cleare , that none either of the ancient or moderne Writers , Popish or Protestant did call it in question . In steed of many testimonies therefore I co●tent me with the old hymnes . M John Mair on Matth. 26. bringeth in an old hymne to this purpose , as followeth , Rex sedet in coena turba cinctus duodena . Se tenet in manibus , Se cibat ipse cibus . And the like we have in the Romane Rituall , In supremae nocte coenae Recumbens cum fratribus , Observata lege plenè Cibis in legalibus , Cibum turbae ducdenae , Se dat suis manibus .

But it is likely , That Christ and his Apostles kneeled not . Athenaens lib. 4. say some , when Christ gave thank●s , that he and the Apostles kneeled . I answer , There is no likelihood at all . What the Naucratits did at their idol feasts on the birth day of Vesta , or Apollo Cumaeus , is ●o matter . It is noted as singular in them , and not accordi●g to the custome of other Ethnicks . It was the custome of the Jewes to sit in time of blessing the bread and cup at the paschall supper . The words , which they used , were sooner uttered , then they could conveniently change sitting in kneeling and rise againe . Luk. 24. 30. Mat. 14. 13. Mark . 6. 〈◊〉 7. Luk. 9. Ioh. 1. & 27. We never read that the Jewes kneeled when they blessed their meat . Christ sate when he brake bread and gave thankes at Emaus . When hee sate with the multitude , which hee fed with five loaves , and two fishes he blessed the bread .

P. granteth that Christ and his Apostles used the same gesture in blessing and giving thanks that hee did in receiving . Suppose they had kneeled in time of the blessing before the breaking of the bread , it would not follow , Pag. 39. that they continued kneeling , or received the elements with that gesture . All agree , ancient and modern that they were sitting , when Christ spake to them , Haec verba ( nempe bibite ex eo omnes ) dicuntur solis Apostolis , De eucharist lib. 4. ca● . ●5 qui tum ad mensam cum Christo sedebant , saith Bellarmine , Becanus , and others , as ye may see in the testimonies cited in this and the chapter following . The Naucratits after they had supplicated upon their knees , sate downe againe upon their feasting beds , as Atheneus reporteth .

We prove also by collection from some circumstances , That Christ and his disciples sat . and the forme of the celebration , that they sat . They neither stood nor kneeled . Therefore they sate . They stood not , for the beds upon which they sate leaning on their elbowes , were so neer to the tables , that they might reach to it , so that they could not easily stand betwixt . It were ridiculous to alledge that they stood upon the beds . Iohn 14. 31 And Christ when he had ended , sayeth to them , Arise , let us go hence . If they had beene standing , hee could not say to them , Arise . It may bee gathered likewise that they kneeled not . 1. If there had beene a change from sitting , which was the ordinarie gesture at the Paschall supper , into kneeling a gesture of adoration at the Evangelicall supper , some of the Evangelists would have made mention of it , for they make mention of other changes . 2. If there had beene such a change , then kneeling should have beene institute , and all have sinned that have not kneeled since the first supper , which our opposits dare not affirm . To what end should the change have been made , if not that that gesture might be observed afterward . 3. The form of celebration could not comply with the gesture of kneeling : for Christ spake in an enunciative form , and not prayerwise , and the elements were carried from hand to hand , and divided by the Apostles among themselves . The distributing of the elements by the Communicants among themselves is not compatible with kneeling , a gesture of adoration which should bee directed to God . Wee conclude then with Mouline , that the Apostles continued sitting at the table to the ve●y end of the action . On the Lords supper . 1 part pag. 136.

But say they , the site or posture of Christ and his Apostles at the first supper was lying and not sitting . Therefore their example is no warrant for sitting . That their gesture was a kinde of sitting gesture . I answere , it was not lying altogether , but partly sitting , partly leaning , and therefore saith Casaubone the Hebrew doctors call that posture sitting on beds . Hic situs neque plane jacentis est , Exercit. pag. 490. neque plane sedentis : idcirco Hebraei hoc dixerunt sedere in lectis . And to this purpose he alledgeth also Ezechiel 23. 41. where the Prophet expresseth that posture by sitting in a bed . And where the scriptures speak of upright sitting as in Genes. 43. 33. Onkelos expresseth it by a word which signifieth sitting with leaning : and Iosephus in his historie by a Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , signifying the same , as if it were indifferent which of the expressions to use for any of the formes . Christ himself while he was at table expresseth it by another word , which expresseth upright sitting , Luke 22 , 27 , and alludeth unto it in the same word , verse 30. As a man may stand upright , or stand leaning , so hee may sit upright , or sit leaning . There sitting , our sitting , and the Turkes answere analogically to other . L. at Perth assemblie confessed the two gestures were analoga . D. Mortoun confesseth it was a kind of sitting gesture . The English translators expresse it by sitting , and not by lying . Neither are the words used by the Evangelists the proper words which expresse that gesture , but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , as Beza observeth on Matth. chap. 8. 11.

M. P. pag. 69 , protesteth and witnesseth to the world , that the holdeth the gesture of sitting at the Lords table in it self lawfull and commendable . P. acknowledgeth sitting lawfull . What a madnesse is it then to drive poor souls from a sure way to a dangerous and doubtsome way : In dubiis animae insistendum est in via tutiori , In all doubts of the soul we should insist in the surest way . But we shall clear the doubts , and prove it pernicious .

THat the sitting of Christ and his Apostles at the first supper serveth not only for a warrant , but also for a direction to us to follow , appeareth by these reasons .

First , Christs example our direction . Examples in setting down a patern , serve ordinarly for directions in times to come , if there bee not some singular occasion to hinder him that setteth downe the patern to do otherwise . D. Mortoun in his late work of the institution of the Sacrament , pag. 47. while as hee is maintaining Communion under both kindes , layeth downe the same rule in these words , Were it not that wee had no precept of Christ to do this , but only the example of his doing it in the first institution , this should bee a rule for us to observe it punctuallie , except in some circumstances , which onlie occasionallie & accidentallie happened therein , and therefore dar not give a non-obstant against the example of Christ as your councel of Constance hath done , and which your Iesuite also teacheth , as if the example of Christ were no argument of proof at all . Ye see he acknowledgeth the force of Christs example , even where there is not a commandement in expresse words , unlesse there bee circumstances occasionallie or accidentallie hapning therein .

Moulius in his heavenlie alarum , pag. 56. saith , Christ and his Apostles sate at the table , without any kinde of adoration , and that the first institution was given for a patern , whereunto we ought to conforme . When our opposits object , that if we must imitate the patern , then we ought to celebrate in an upper chalmer , exclude women , put off and on our upper garment , wash our feet , sit leaning on beds , eat unleavened bread , with twelve in number , in the even-tide after supper . But these particulars were accidentall and occasionall , and therefore excepted in the rule , or were not in the time of the evangelicall supper . The washing of the disciples feet , the putting off and on of Christs upper garment , were ended before they sate down to the second course of the paschall supper , and consequently the second course interveened between and the evangelicall supper . The evangelicall supper being instituted after the paschall supper , to which it was to succeed , and Christs suffering so neere at hand , they might not lawfully eat leavened bread , nor at any other time eat the paschall supper , to which the evangelicall supper was to succeed , but in the evening .