Five disputations of church-government and worship

§. 19. And therefore I durst not have reproved any of the ancient Christians, that used the sign of the Cross, merely as a ⟨p. 405⟩Professing signal action, to show to the Heathen and Jews about them, that they believed in a Crucified Christ, and were not ashamed of his Cross. The occasional, indifferent use of this, when it is merely to this end, I durst not have condemned. Nor will I now condemn a man, that living among the enemies of a Crucified Christ, shall wear a Cross in his hat, or on his breast, or set it on his doors, or other convenient place, merely as a professing sign of his mind, to be but instead of so many words, q. d. [I thus profess my self the servant of a Crucified Christ, of whom I am not ashamed.] Whether these things be fit or unfit, the time, place, occasion, and other circumstances must show: but the Lawfulness I dare not deny.

§. 19. And therefore I durst not have reproved any of the ancient Christians, that used the sign of the Cross, meerly as a ⟨p. 405⟩Professing signal action, to shew to the Heathen and Jews about them, that they believed in a Crucified Christ, and were not ashamed of his Cross. The occasionall, indifferent use of this, when it is meerly to this end, I durst not have condemned. Nor will I now condemn a man, that living among the enemies of a Crucified Christ, shall wear a Cross in his hat, or on his breast, or set it on his doors, or other convenient place, meerly as a professing sign of his mind, to be but instead of so many words, q. d. [I thus profess my self the servant of a Crucified Christ, of whom I am not ashamed.] Whether these things be fit or unfit, the time, place, occasion, and other circumstances must shew: but the Lawfulness I dare not deny.

§. 20. 12. He that hath commanded us to celebrate the public worship, and to preach, pray, praise God, &c. doth imply in this command that we must do it in some Gesture or other: For it is impossible otherwise to do it. But he hath not tied us to any one: In prayer we may kneel or stand: In singing Praises (and Petitions) to God, we may kneel, stand, or sit: At the Lords Table, though we have an example of sitting at the celebrating and receiving that Sacrament, yet no express command, nor a certain obligation. It is therefore left to humane prudence, to order our gestures by the general Rules, of Order, Decency, Edification, &c. in Preaching, Praying, Hearing, Singing, Receiving, &c. For God hath not tied us himself to any one particular gesture.