ch is purposely set on table, &c. The
pastor, when he begins the holy action, hath the bread and the cup set
before him purposely upon the table, and with respect to them he gives
thanks," &c.

_Ans._ Though a penitentiary kneel to God purposely in the presence and
sight of the congregation, that he may make known to them his repentance
for the sin whereby he hath scandalised them, yet is the confessing of his
sin to God, kneeling there upon his knees, an immediate worship, neither
doth the congregation come betwixt him and God, as belonging to the
substance of this worship, for he kneeleth to God as well, and maketh
confession of his sin, when the congregation is not before him. But I
suppose our kneelers themselves will confess, that the elements come so
betwixt God and them when they kneel, that they belong to the essence of
the worship in hand, and that they would not, nor could not, worship the
flesh and blood of Christ in the sacrament, if the elements were not
before them.

To be short, the case of a penitentiary standeth thus, that not in his
kneeling _simpliciter_, but in his kneeling publicly and in sight of the
congregation, he setteth them before him purposely, and with a respect to
them, whereas our kneelers do kneel in such sort that their kneeling
_simpliciter_, and without an adjection or adjunct, hath a respect to the
elements purposely set before them, neither would they at all kneel for
that end and purpose for which they do kneel, namely, for worshipping the
flesh and blood of Christ in the sacrament,(749) except the elements were
before the eyes both of their minds and bodies, as the penitentiary doth
kneel for making confession of his sin to God, when the congregation is
not before him.

And if one would say, that in kneeling at the sacrament he worshippeth not
the flesh and blood of Christ, but the Lord his God only, yet is the same
difference to be put betwixt his kneeling before the elements, and the
kneeling of a penitentiary before the congregation, for the very kneeling
itself (simply considered) before the elements, respecteth them as then
purposely set in our sight that we may kneel before them, whereas, in the
case of the penitentiary, it is not his kneeling to confess his sin to God
which hath a respect to the congregation as set in his sight for that
purpose, but some circumstances of his kneeling only, to wit, _when_? At
that time when the congregation is assembled. And _where_? Publi