ople did kneel before the offerings at all (for it
speaks only of bowing before God), far less, that they kneeled before them
in the very act of offering, and that with their minds and senses fixed
upon them, as we kneel in the very act of receiving the sacrament, and
that at that instant when our minds and senses are fastened upon the
signs, that we may discern the things signified by them, for the
exercising of our hearts in a thankful meditation upon the Lord's death.
2. As for the other examples here alleged, God was immediately present, in
and with the ark, the temple, the holy mountain, the bush, the cloud, and
the fire which came from heaven, speaking and manifesting himself to his
people by his own immediate voice, and miraculous extraordinary presence,
so that worshipping before these things had the same reason which makes
the twenty-four elders in heaven worship before the throne, Rev. iv. 10;
for in these things God did immediately manifest his presence as well as
in heaven. Though there be a difference in the degrees of the immediate
manifestation of his presence in earth and in heaven, yet _magis et minus
non variant speciem_. Now God is present in the sacrament, not
extraordinarily, but in the way of an ordinary dispensation, not
immediately, but mediately. They must therefore allege some commendable
examples of such a kneeling as we dispute about, in a mediate and ordinary
worship, else they say nothing to the point.

_Sect._ 18. Yet to no better purpose they tell us,(747) that when God
spoke, Abraham fell on his face, and when the fire came down at Elijah's
prayer, the people fell on their faces. What is this to the purpose? And
how shall kneeling in a mediate and ordinary worship be warranted by
kneeling in the hearing of God's own immediate voice, or in seeing the
miraculous signs of his extraordinary presence? Howbeit it cannot be
proved, neither, that the people fell on their faces in the very act of
seeing the fire fall (when their eyes and their minds were fastened upon
it), but that after they had seen the miracle wrought, they so considered
of it as to fall down and worship God.

But further, it is objected,(748) "that a penitentiary kneels to God
purposely before the congregation, and with a respect to the congregation,
&c. When we come to our common tables before we eat, either sitting with
our heads discovered, or standing, or kneeling, we give thanks and bless,
with a respect to the meat, whi