a the Disciples 'received the Sacrament at the Lord's hand. For the right underftanding and full proof of this Matter, we must remember that there was Twofold. Feaft which was Celebrated at that time, the Jewish Paffover first, and after that was ended, this Christian Banquet. Now as to the posture both of our Saviour, and his Difciples at the Pafchal Supper, there is not much difficulty; for it was for the moft 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 Cuftom was *Vid. Dr. Lightfoot, generally used in the Eastern Hor. Heb. in. Matth.26. Countries (efpecially by the Grot. in Matth. 26. Affyrians) thence it came a * mong the Greeks, and from them the Romans borrowed it too. Now this fame Custom was obferved by the Jews in our Saviour's time, and indeed long before, especially at the Paffover Supper; 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 used *Tenemur ad accubitum dum Comedimus, ut comedamus more Regum & Mos fervorum eft, ut edant ftantes; R. Levi, cited by Dr. Lightfoot, ubi fupra. Magnatum Maimonid. ufed (faith my Author) by Princes, and *For * ἀνέκειτο μετὰ τῶν der Matth, as a given autav, Marc. ἀνέπεσε, Luc. ἀναπε σῶν πάλιν, Joan. they that are skilled in the where where three Guests were in company the Chiefeft of them lay on a Pallet in the Middle; the next on a Pallet Cum duo effent, dignior primus accubuit in lectu- behind his Neck, fomewhat alo fuo, & fecundus ab eo bove his Pillow; and the third, fupra eum accubuit, id eft, in le&tulo juxta cer- on a Pallet before him, with his vical dignioris pofito. Si Face towards the most Honoutres effent, dignifimus ac rable Person, and near his Bo cubuit in medio, & fe cundus ab eo fupra eum, fom. And our Saviour and tertius infra eum, id those two Apostles being, thus 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 ereEtus fedeat. Ibid. 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 fomewhat neceffary, had he talked with St. Peter. And if this be not enough to fhew, that a leaning pofture was cuftomary among all the Jews at their Solemn Feafts, I fhall only add, that the Hebrew Doctors do usually distinguish between fitting and Recumbency, before a Table; 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 & requifitif quets; but at the Pafchal Supfimum. Ibid. 9. v. per most necessary, unless it was Iftiufmodi recumbentiam in capiendo cibo If at at the eating of the bitter Herbs, and of the drinking of the two last 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 thofe Geftures which they use 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 pofture 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 cafe of kneeling. part I. by fome learned Men to the contrary.) And after the most humble Ministration in all probability it was, that the Blessed Sacrament was inftituted; but what the exact minute was, is uncertain; and what the Disciples posture was at the receiving of it, is uncertain alfo. That it was a fitting pofture with their Bodies erect, there is not the least Colour to imagine. See the For though variety of gestures was used at the Pafchal Solemnity, yet I do not find that a fitting gefture was used then at all, rather, it was look'd upon then as an Irregular, Indecent, and Scandalous posture. That the Difciples communicated in the ufual Table posture, as they lay along upon Beds, is an Opinion that is fomewhat favoured by a Paffage in Joh. 13. where we read, that having washed his Difciples Feet, Chrift laid himfelf down the second time; and after that, we read of St. John's leaning. by his Bofom; fo that fince this was St. John's posture, 'tis reasonable to believe that 'twas the pofture of the rest too; and then it may feem probable that they all received the Sacrament as they lay in that manner. But then on the other hand, all this is but bare Probability; for it is uncertain what part of time it was, that the Disciples were leaning a gain |