ishop of Edinburgh(572) and Paybody(573) have turned
their tongues bravely, and chosen rather to say anything against us than
nothing. They spare not to answer, that kneeling hath a necessary use.
They are most certainly speaking of kneeling in the act of receiving the
communion, for they and their opposites, in those places, are disputing of
no other kneeling but this only. Now we may easily perceive they are in an
evil taking, when they are driven to such an unadvised and desperate
answer. For, 1. If kneeling in the act of receiving the Lord's supper be
necessary, why have themselves too written so much for the indifferency of
it? O desultorious levity that knows not where to hold itself! 2. If it be
necessary, what makes it to be so? What law? What example? What reason? 3.
If it be necessary, not only many reformed churches, and many ancient too,
but Christ himself and his apostles have, in this sacrament, omitted
something that was necessary. 4. If it be necessary, why do many of their
own disciples take the communion sitting, in places where sitting is used?
What need I to say more? In the first part of this dispute I have proved
that the ceremonies are not necessary, in respect of the church's
ordinance, howbeit if it were answered in this place, that they are in
this respect necessary, it helpeth not, since the argument proceedeth
against all things notoriously abused to idolatry, which neither God nor
nature hath made necessary. And for any necessity of the ceremonies in
themselves, either our opposites must repudiate what hath unadvisedly
fallen from their pens hereanent, or else forsake their beaten ground of
indifferency, and say plainly, that the ceremonies are urged by them, to
be observed with an opinion of necessity, as worship of God, and as things
in themselves necessary. Look to yourselves, O Formalists, for you stand
here upon such slippery places, that you cannot hold both your feet.

CHAPTER III.

THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE UNLAWFUL, BECAUSE THEY SORT US WITH IDOLATERS,
BEING THE BADGES OF PRESENT IDOLATRY AMONG THE PAPISTS.

_Sect._ 1. It followeth according to the order which I have proposed, to
show next, that the ceremonies are idolatrous, _participative_. By
communicating with idolaters in their rites and ceremonies, we ourselves
become guilty of idolatry; even as Ahaz, 2 Kings xvi. 10, was an idolater,
_eo ipso_, that he took the pattern of an altar from ido