GRATIAN COLLECTAE in these Editions which were the last best there is not so much as any touch or mentiâ—n of these Canonicall Howers of Prayer or first sixt or ninth howers Neuer could I heare as yet of any Deuotions or Prayer Bookes intituled the HOVVERS OF PRAYER but onely one in Spanish Printed at Paris by William Merlin 1556. Stiled HORAS DE NVESTRA SENIORA The Howers of our Lady Fraught with the very dregs of Popery and Idolatrie The very Phrase and Emphasis therefore of this Title which is neuer mentioned by way of approbation in any Protestant writers nor yet in the Articles Common Prayer Booke the Bookes of Homilies or Canons of our Church nor yet in any Orthodoxe English writer doeth stampe a kinde of Brand and Impresse of Poperie and Superstition on the Booke it selfe and euidence it to be meerely Popish Thirdly the whole Fabricke Frame and Method of these Deuotions doe prooue them to be Popish For they are directly moulded formed and contriued according to our Ladies Primer or Office Printed in Lattaine at Antwerpe 1593. and in Lattaine and English for the vtilitie of such of the English Nation as vnderstand not the English tongue 1604. According to the Breuiary of Pius the fift and Clemens the eight Printed at Antwerpe 1621. and the Howers of our Lady Printed at Paris 1556. For first you haue here a Frontispice with I H S. in a Sunne held vp by two Angels and two deuoute Females one of them holding a Crosse in here hand Supplicating vnto it Then you haue for the Title A Collection of priuate Deuotions or the Howers of Prayer together with a Preface Iustifying Canonicall Howers condemning all conceiued Prayers and confining men to the vnerring Deuotions of the Church and to the Ceremonies Formes and Sacraments of the ancient Church which can bee no other but the Church of Rome as I shall prooue anon Then you haue a Calender with a Preface to it Containing the Festiuall and Fasting dayes of the Church and the Memories forsooth of none but holy Martyres and Saints though many of them were neuer found in rerum natura and others of them were neuer Sainted but at Rome Next you haue a Table of moueable Feasts and rules for them Then you haue the Fasting dayes of the Church or dayes of speciall Abstinence and Deuotion whereof our Ember weekes and Rogation dayes Ash-wedensday the Fridayes after Whitsontide and holy Crosse the Saturday after Saint Lucies day and all the Fridayes and Saturdayes of the yeere must bee the chiefe though our Church enioynes them not Next you haue the times wherein Marriages are not to be Solemnized which times the Calenders Articles and Canons of our Church doe neither mention nor prescribe Then succeedes the Apostles Creed in twelue Articles the Lords Prayer in seuen Petitions the tenne Commandements with the dueties enioyned and the Sinnes prohibited by them together with the Precepts of Charitie the Precepts of the Church the Sacraments of the Church and these forsooth must bee seuen the three Theologicall Virtues the three kindes of good Workes The seuen gifts of the holy Ghost the twelue fruites of the holy Ghost the Spirituall and Corporall workes of Mercy the eight Beatitudes Seuen deadly Sinnes and their contrary Vertues then Quatuor nouissima all Popish trash and trumpery stolen out of Popish Primers and Chatechismes as I shall prooue anon and neuer mentioned in any Protestant writers Then comes in His collections for priuate Deuotions with his Plees both from Scriptures Fathers and Popish Authors for the practise and obseruation of Canonicall Howers both in generall and speciall all taken out of Bellarmine Azorius and the Rhemish Testament And first you haue his preparatiue Prayers before Mattins and among them one at our entrance into the Church and another when we come into the Quire then you haue a preparatiue Hymne Then comes in a Iustification of the antiquitie of Mattins AND THAT AT THE FIRST HOVVER then followes His Mattins for the first the third the sixt and ninth Hower beginning with the Lords Prayer seconded with an Hymne continued with Psalmes and gloria Patri c. with a piece or fragment of a Chapter or Lesson and Consummated with some Prayers and a Thankesgiuing Then succeed his VESPERS then his COMPLINE all of them exactly framed after the Popish Offices Primers and Horaries and not according to our Common Prayer Booke or any Protestants Method Now follow some other Prayers with the seuen Penitentiall Psalmes Next the Collects of our Church with seuerall Aduertisments and Prefaces them then Prayers and Meditations both before and after the Sacrament and among them one WHEN WEE ARE PROSTRATE BEFORE THE ALTER a Prayer worth the obseruing another desiring the MEDIATION OF ANGELS Then follow seuerall formes of Confessions to bee vsed according to the directions of the Church especially before the receiuing of the Sacrament then a deuout manner of preparing our selues TO RECEIVE ABSOLVTION with a Thankesgiuing after ABSOLVTION then followes some speciall PRAYERS FOR EMBER-WEEKES not mentioned in our Common Prayer Booke Then Prayers for the Sicke Prayers at the Hower of Death yea and A PRAYER FOR THE DEAD then other Prayers and Thankesgiuings And as he beginnes with the SIGNE OF THE CROSSE so hee concludes with the VIRTVE OF CHRISTS BLESSED CROSSE yea and with the INTERCESSION OF ALL SAINTS as I haue heard before the leafe was altered and torne out vpon some exceptions taken to it So that if you Suruay the whole frame and modell of these Deuotions and Howers of Prayers either in the whole intire structure or in the forme and order of its seuerall parts you shall finde that it tooke its patterne and sample from our Ladies Primer and the forequoted Deuotions which runne in the selfe same method forme yea matter too not from the priuate Prayers of Queene Elizabeth nor yet from our Booke of Common Prayers as I shall prooue more fully anon Fourthly the very Stile and Phrases of it doe euidence and conuince it to be meerely Popish Take these for all the rest that might bee mentioned The Howers of Prayer which is eighteene seuerall times mentioned and some twelue of them by way of Preface or Title The ancient Church in the second Title page the Ancient Lawes and godly Canons of the Church in the first Preface The Festiualls and Fasting dayes of the Church the Title before the Calender The Fasting dayes of the Church The precepts of the Church The Sacraments of the Church which being all compared together with their subiect matter will plainely testifie that he meanes the Church of Rome and no other since the Ancient Lawes and Canons of the Church for the obseruation of Canonicall Howers the Precepts of the Church there mentioned and the Sacraments of the Church which hee makes seuen can bee appropriated to no Church but that alone and not vnto our own or other Churches which approoue of no such
hee must doe this not when hee is troubled in Conscience onely but as occasion is that is as oft as he receiues the Sacrament if the Priests leasure and his owne occasions will permit him All which are directly contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England and all Protestant Authors and consonant to the Doctrine of the Church of Rome who approoues and practiseth Auricular Confession especially before the receiuing of the Sacrament and makes this one principall Precept of the Church as our Deuotioner doeth here To confesse our sinnes to an approoued Priest once a yeere and to receiue the Sacrament at the least euery Easter Therefore hee is apparantly guiltie of this grosse point of Poperie Come wee now to the eighteth That there are seuen Sacraments of the Church collected from these words The Sacraments of the Church here is the Title then follow the Sacraments themselues The principall and truely so called as generally necessary to Saluation are Baptisme and the Lords Supper The other fiue that is to say Confirmation Penitence Orders Matrimonie and Visitation of the Sicke which no Papist yet accounted any or Extreame-vnction though they are sometimes called and haue the name of Sacraments yet haue they not the like nature that the two principall and true Sacraments haue Loe here a litterall and manifest acknowledgement and publication of seuen Sacraments For first the whole seuen haue reference to the Superscription The Sacraments of the Church Secondly he stiles them the other fiue and names them in particular Thirdly he saith that they are sometimes called and haue the name of Sacraments quoting Scriptures for them in the margent Hee doeth not say that they are so called by the Papists who onely repute them Sacraments but that they are so called and named viz. by the Church to which onely it hath relation Fourthly he doeth not say with our Chatechisme there quoted that Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord are the two onely Sacraments that are generally necessary to Saluation nor with our Homelies and 25. Article that the other fiue that is to say Confirmation Penance Orders Matrimony and Extreame-vnction are not to bee counted for Sacraments of the Gospel but such as haue growne from the corrupt following of the Apostles c. All hee faith by way of exclusion is onely this That Baptisme and the Lords Supper are the principall Sacraments truely so called that they are generally necessary to Saluation and that the other haue not the like nature with them which doeth not exclude the rest from being true or lesse necessary and inferiour Sacraments since all Papists who acknowledge seuen Sacraments doe confesse that Baptisme and the Lords Supper are the principall and most necessary Sacraments of all the rest And the rather am I induced to thinke that I haue not wronged our Deuout Author in his Arethmetique because he ioynes his fiue Precepts of the Church his sixe Corporall and seuen Spirituall workes of Mercy his seuen Deadly sinnes and seuen contrary Vertues his eight Beatitudes and other particulars Transcribed verbatim out of our Ladies Psalter and Iames Ledesma his Chatechisme where the seuen Sacraments are inserted with them with these seuen Sacraments since therefore hee iumpes so fully with the Papists in all the other particulars I doubt not but hee doeth concurre with them in this and so is culpable of this knowne and professed Popish Tenent which our second Booke of Homelies Hom. 9. our 25. Article and all our Orthodoxe writers doe with one consent condemne and disauow From these seuen Sacraments come wee now to his other Popery That there are but three kindes of good workes which doth necessarily result from these words Three kindes of good Workes Fasting Prayer and Almes-deedes which as they are transcribed verbatim out of our Ladies Primer Vaux his Chatechisme Matthias Coschi his Otium Spirituale melliftuarum Praecationum Printed 1617. pag. 105. and other Popish Authors So it altogether iustifieth that Popish Assertion That there are but these three kinde of good Workes Which our Homelies and all Protestant Diuines doe vtterly deny since Hearing Reading and Meditating of Gods Word the Honouring Louing Fearing Obaying and Seruing of God both in our generall and particular calling our beleeuing in his Name together with all other dueties of Pietie and Religion both to God our selues or others and the keeping of all Gods Commandements are as really and properly good Workes as those as our Homelies of good Workes and Scriptures testifie From this wee descend to the ensuing point That there are some sinnes which are but Veniall not Mortall in their owne nature which is euidently deduced from this passage Seuen Deadly sinnes 1. Pride 2. Couetousnesse 3. Luxurie 4. Enuy 5. Gluttony 6. Anger 7. Sloth which as it is directly stolne out of our Ladies Primer Ledesma his Chatechisme cap. 14. The Howers of our Lady Printed at Paris 1556. fol. 3 4 5. Bellarmines Christian Doctrine cap. 19. Otium Spirituale by Matthias Coschi pag. 112. and other Popish Pamphlets Chatechismes and Deuotions not out of any Protestant Authors so it necessarily implies that these seuen Sinnes are the greatest Sinnes of all others and that there are some Sinnes which are not Deadly in their owne nature for so doe the Popish writers inferre from thence whence it is that after they haue discoursed of these seuen Deadly sinnes they then fall immediately to dispute of Veniall sinnes which Veniall sinnes our owne and all other Protestant Churches doe renounce Neither is this any wayes salued by the clause as they are commonly so called which our Author conscious no doubt to himselfe of his owne guilt hath added to his latter Impressions For these are no where commonly called the seuen Deadly sinnes but among Turkes and Papists not amomg Protestants Whence our Ladies Primer and Iames Ledesma the Iesuite his Chatechisme cap. 14 Speaking of these seuen sinnes giue them this Superscription The seuen Capitall sinnes which are commonly called Deadly So that our Authors latter Edition which renders it not Deadly sinnes as his first Impression doeth but Seuen Deadly sinnes as they are commonly so called doeth rather marre then mend his cause because it is now more suitable to Ledesma and our Ladies Primer then before and so more likely to inferre this Popish Conclusion That there are some sinnes which are but Veniall in their owne nature which Protestants doe quite renounce But our Author doeth not set a stop and period to his Popish Errors here for loe hee proceedes euen to a Transubstantiation or a Corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament which I clearely collect from these two passages Christs holy Sacrament his blessed Body and Blood At the receiuing of the Body Lord I am not worthy c. he doeth not say the holy Sacrament of Christs Body and Blood or at the deliuery of the Bread as our Booke of Common Prayers doeth in the Order
Sacraments and knowe of no such Canons Lawes and Precepts as are here recorded To these I may adde his first his third his sixt and his ninth Howers of Prayer His Vespers Suffrages and Compleine his Priests and Priests of Gods Church oft repeated and the word Ministers neuer vsed though we affirme the name of Priests to bee an incongruous word not proper to the Ministers of the Gospel His Times wherein Marriages are not Solemnized The two Precepts of Charitie The three Theologicall Virtues Three kindes of good Workes Seuen Gifts and twelue Fruits of the holy Ghost The 7. Spirituall and Corporall workes of Mercy The eight Beatitudes Seuen deadly Sinnes Quatuor nouissima A Prayer when we come into the Quire The seuen Penitentiall Psalmes to bee vsed in times of Penance c. Septuagessima Sunday was but to prepare the people for their solemne Fasting and Penance and to forewarne them of Lent that when it came they might more strictly and Religiously obserue it Christs holy Sacrament his blessed Body and Blood When we are prostrate before the Altar That the remembrance which we now offer vp to thee may by the Ministrie of thy holy Angels be brought into thy Heauenly Tabernacle At the receiuing of the Body Adding with the Priest A deuout manner of preparing our selues to Absolution A thankesgiuing after Absolution compared with the fift Precept of the Church The vertue of Christs blessed Crosse c these seueral Phrases Passages which are seldome or nowhere found but in Popish Authors and beare a tange and smell of Poperie alwayes with them are a strong and pregnant euidence that these Deuotions are patched vp of shreds of Poperie Fiftly the very Subiect matter of this Booke is meerely Popish therefore the Booke it selfe must needes be such If we branch the matter of this Booke into points of Doctrine and substance Of Ceremonie Forme and Circumstance and consider these either absolutely in themselues or Relatiuely with reference to the Authors whence they were taken we shall discouer much hidden and concealed yea some euident and apparant Poperie euen twined and inuolued in it For Doctrinall and Positiue Poperie you haue these seuerall Limbes and Branches couched and by necessary implication affirmed in it which I shall enumerate and muster vp in order as I finde them scattered by the Author 1. That the Church of Rome is the true and Ancient Mother Church and that her holy Canons Lawes Precepts Ceremonies Constitutions Canonicall Howers and Sacraments are duely and Religiously to bee obserued by vs. 2. That the visible Church of Christ yea the very Church of Rome can neuer Erre in matters of Faith 3. That the Lent-fast is an Apostolicall Constitution that it comes from Diuine Authoritie And that we are to obserue and keepe both it and Ember weekes Rogation dayes together with Wednesdayes Fridayes Saturdayes and Holy day Eues with Deuotion and Abstinence not in politicall respects as prescribed and enioyned by the State but by vertue of the precepts and iniunctions of the Church 4. That the Pictures and Images of God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost may be lawfully made 5. That men may worship them in these Images 6. That men may adore the Persons and Images of Saints and Angels though not with that Solemne worship of Latria which is due tâ— God alone 7. That Auricular Confession to a Priest and Absolution from him are necessary 8. That there are seuen Sacrâ—ments of the Church 9. That there are but three kindes of good Workes 10. That there are Sinnes Veniall in their owne Nature 11. That Christ is corporally present in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper 12. That the Sacrament is a reaâ—l Sacrifice and that we are for to adore it 13. That Angeâ—s are our Mediators to present our Prayers and seruices vnto God as well as Christ. 14. That Prayer for the Dead is lawfull 15. That there is a Diuine blessing and efficacy in the bare Crosse of Christ. These fifteene Points of Fundamentall ranke and Doctrinall Poperie are shrowded and cherished vnder the protection and countenance of these Pious Deuotions For the first of these I collect it from the Title page The practise of the Ancient Church called The Howers of Prayer From the Preface to the Booke Those who accuse vs here in England to haue despised all the old Cermonies and cast behind vs the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholique Church doe but betray their owne infirmities The Fasting dayes of the Church or dayes of speciall Abstinence and Deuotion Whereof Lent Ember weekes some Holy day Eues and all the Fridayes of the yeere except those that fall within the Twelue dayes of Christmas The Precepts of the Church First to obserue the Festiualls and Holy dayes appointed Secondly to keepe the Fasting dayes with Deuotion and Abstinence Thirdly to obserue the Ecclesiasticall customes and Ceremonies established that without frowardnesse or contradiction Fourthly to repaire vnto the publike Seruice of the Church for Mattins and Euening song with other Holy offices at times appointed vnlesse there bee a iust and vnfained cause to the contrary Fiftly to receiue the blessed Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ with frequent Deuotion and three times a yeere at least of which times Easter to be alwayes one And for better preparation thereunto as occasion is to disburthen and quit our Consciences of those sinnes that may grieue vs or scruples that may trouble vs to a Learned and discreet Priest and from him to receiue aduice and benefit of Absolution The Sacraments of the Church The principall and truely so called as generally necessary to Saluation are Baptisme and the Lords Supper The other fiue that is to say Confirmation Penitence Orders Matrimonie and Visitation of the Sicke or extreame Vnction though they be sometimes called and haue the name of Sacraments yet haue they not the like nature that the two principall and true Sacraments haue From all these seuerall passages stolen out of Popish Authors and not so much as mentioned in the Prayers of Queene Elizabeth or in our Common Prayer Booke Homellies or Articles I argue thus If there bee no Ancient Church which enioynes the practise of Canonicall Howers and strict obseruation of the recorded Fasting dayes with Abstinence and Deuotion If there bee no Church which admits or allowes of seuen Sacraments or giues such Precepts as are here recited but onely the Church of Rome then it is certaine that the Author affirmes the Church of Rome to be the True and Ancient Mother Church and that her holy Canons Precepts Ceremonies Canonicall Howers and Sacraments are duely and Rerigiously to bee obserued by vs But there is no Ancient Church which enioynes the Practicall obseruation of Canonicall Howers and the strict obseruation of the Recorded Fasting dayes there is no Church which approoues of seuen Sacraments or which giues such Precepts as are
of the Administration of the Lords Supper But Christs holy Sacrament his blessed Body and Blood and At the receiuing of the Body not of the Bread which doeth imply A Transubstantiation or Corporall presence of Christ in the Sacrament which the Papists doe so eagerly maintaine and our Church and writers so frequently condemne Yet this is not all For our Deuout Author as hee admits a Corporal presence so he impliedly affirmes An vnbloody Sacrifice of Christs Body together with an Adoration of it as these words import A prayer when wee are prostrate before the Altar Thou art worthy O Lord c. Adding with the Priest The Body of our Lord Iesus Christ c. Loe here a Body of our Lord Iesus Christ an Altar a Prostration not a kneeling before this Altar together with a Priest And what Papist yea what Protestant may not hence conclude an approbation of the Popish Masse An vnbloody Sacrifice of Christs Body offered on the Altar by a Priest together with an Adoration of it Things which all Protestant Authors doe abhorre and none but Papists doe admit Our Author still proceedes euen to the very Mediation of Angels in these words Command that the Prayers and Supplications together with the remembrance of Christs Passion which wee now offer vp vnto thee may by the Ministrie of thy holy Angels bee brought vp into thy Heauenly Tabernacle This as it was borrowed from Missale Romanum Canon Missae pag. 272. So it is so cleare an euidence for the Mediation of Angels a Doctrine which our Church and all good Protestants doe vtterly renounce that our Author who in his second Edition did onely alter it from Angels to Angell in his last Edition was euen constrained to rase and blot it out but yet it stands vpon Record both against him and vs in all his first Impressions to the disgrace and scandall of our Church and the great aduantage of our Aduersaries As Wicked men and Seducers waxe worse and worse so doeth our Deuout Author who slips from one point of Poperie to an other from the Mediation of Angels to Prayer for the Dead in these words And these to be repeated till the Soule bee departed Then pray well obserue this word O thou Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the World grant him thy peace with this Prayer which makes it yet more euident O Lord with whom doe liue the Spirits of them that die and by whom the Soules of thy Seruants after they be deliuered from the burthen of the flesh be in perpetuall Ioy and Felicitie a clause taken out of our first Prayer at the burying of the Dead and therefore doeth here necessarily import that this Prayer is a Prayer for the Dead who are deliuered from the burthen of the flesh Wee most meekely beseech thee for this thy Seruant that hauing now receiued the Absolution from all his sinnes which he hath committed in this world hee may escape the gates of Hell and the paines of Eternall darkenesse that hee may dwell for euer with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the region of light a clause transcribed out of the Breuiarie of Pius 5. and Clemens 8. Printed at Antwerpe 1621. Officium Defunctorum pag. 154. and that out of a Prayer for the dead which runns thus Vt animam famuli tui quam de hoc seculo migrare iussisti in pacis ac lucis regione constituas sanctorum tuorum iubeas esse consortem and thy blessed presence where there is neither weeping nor heauinesse And that when the generall day of thy iudgement shall come hee may rise againe with the iust and receiue this dead body which must now be buried in the earth a clause which puts all out of question to be ioyned with his soule c. Lee heere a palpable prayer for the dead which he who runns may reade and see yea and a Limbus Patrum too implyed in these words that he may dwell for euer with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the region of light which region the Papists stile their Limbus Patrum Yea but an Index Expurgatorius hath passed on this prayer True it is that the Author in his last Edition hath rectified this prayer of his after great exceptions taken to it and complaint against it But this doth onely euidence and make cleare his guilt For if there were no apparant Popery in it why should he purge it out not mittigate or asswage his fault The Author is a Scholler he had long since collected these Deuotions for his owne priuate vse as the Printer in his Epistle annexed to the latter Editions testifies and among them hee had inserted this prayer for the dead consarcinated and patched out of sundry other prayers by himselfe alone and not transcribed out of our Common or Queene Elizabeths priuate Prayer Booke which he hath published vnto the world vpon deliberation and aduice and that for 4 weighty reasons as the Preface testifies Therefore this was no slip nor ouersight in the Author much lesse in the Printer who labours to take the blame vpon himselfe though there is not one Presse-error in the Booke but a voluntary wilfull and affected error of purpose to iustifie and countenance the Popish Assertion of Prayer for the Dead which the Church of England and all her Worthies haue hitherto opposed Lastly as our Author began with the signe so he concludes with the Virtue of Christs blessed or of the holy Crosse which implies there is seme diuine vertue in the signe of the Crosse as the Papists testifie and as Master Mountague himselfe auers vpon his owne experience And the rather am I induced to make this coâ—lection from this passage for these two reasons First because the Frontispeece of the Booke is adorned with a Crosse held out in the hand of a deuout supplicant Secondly because I neuer finde this forme of blessing but in Popish Authors who ascribe a Diuine vertue and efficacie to the bare signe of the Crosse since therefore this forme of blessing was borrowed from Papists I doubt not but he concurres with them in the Doctrine as well as in the signe and mention of the Crosse And thus haue you these fifteene dangerous points of Doctrinall and fundamentall Poperie taken out of Romish Primers Pamphlets and Prayer Bookes inuolued and couched in these Pious Deuotions To these I shall adde one more which I had almost ouerslipped to wit The approbation of Popish Penance which is necessarily collected from this clause and passage The seuen Penitentiall Psalmes to bee vsed in times of Penance c. Let any indifferent Reader now consider First that Protestants know no times of Penance but onely Papists Secondly that as they renounce the Doctrine so likewise they disauow the very word and phrase of Penance not onely in their owne writings but in all their English Translations of the Bible for
themselues and to spend â—ome howers of the day at least in Gods holy worship and seruice But questionlesse those who can finde no leasure for the publike will hardly find whole vacant howres euery day at least for these his priuate deuotions his Praeface therefore is but a meere Rebutter and Counterplee to his Booke and a contradiction to it selfe Our Author informes vs in anotheâ— place that Marriage is a Sacrament yet he sticks not to record it that there are times and seasons of the yeare when Marriages are not to be solemnized because they are times of holy Festiuitie and Ioy which are fit onely for such holy Exercises without other Auocations Marriage is a Sacrament therefore not fit for holy times therefore no such holy exercise It is a ioyfull and festiuall Ordinance and alwaies hath bene so reputed therefoâ—e vnseasonable for festiuall and ioyfull seasons this is our Authors learned Argument which needs no other Respondent but it selfe But if Marriages as our Author reasons be incongruous and vnlawfull at festiuall ioyfull and holy seasons then by consequence they are vnsutable and vnlawfull at any season At times of solemne Fasting and Abstinence so himselfe doth reason in the selfesame place because it is a Festiuall pleasurable and ioyfull Ordinance of God At ordinary common and vnholy seasons because it is a Sacrament as he stiâ—es it or an holy Ordinance and so incongruous vnseemely at such vulgar times And so altogether vnlawfull at any season and then no Sacrament Or if a Sacrament then lawfull at any season whatsoeuer which nullifies these non-liâ—et times of Marriage which are no other then the very Deuilsâ— as Saint Paul affirmes A manifold and notable contradiction and yet behold another as worthy note as this Offenders saith hee against the fourth Commandement are they that spend this holy Festiuall away in idle and vaine sports that eate and drinke and discourse and sleepe it way and yet presently in his sixt Diuision he informes vs That the Church allowes the ioyfull Festiuitâ—e of this high and holy day as well for the necessary recreations of the body in due time as for spirituall exercises of the Soule and that they are Sabath-breakers who vnder pretence of seruing God more strictly then others especially for hearing and meditating of Sermons do by their Fasts and certaine Iudâ—izing obseruations condemne the high and ioyfull Festiuitie of this holy day a pregnant and Diametrall contradiction Again he informes vs That it is the fourth Precept of the Church to repaire vnto the publike Seruice of the Church for Mattens and Euening Song and other holy Offices at times appointed And yet hee hath published these priuate Deuotions and Howers of Prayer of purpose to detaine vs from them For he that shall diligently and constantly obserue the one in publike cannot possiblie discharge the other in priuate in his daily practise especially if hee vse our morning and Euening Deuotions at home in priuate as our Author and our Common Prayer Booke dâ—e both inioyne him Againe he enumerates the Visitation of the Sicke among the seuen Sacraments and yet afterwards hee rankes it among the corporall workes of Mercy If a corporall work of Mercy only how then a Sacrament If a Sacrament then no corporall worke of Mercy I wil conclude with that in his prayer for the dead where our Author in his second Edition thinking to auoid this Rocke of praying for the dead by obliterating the word them and transposing with this Prayer in this manner And these to be repeated with the Prayers following vntill the Soule bee departed doeth split himselfe vpon the selfesame Rocke againe at least vpon the Rocke of contradiction praying for the party departing being yet aliue that he may receiue his dead body which must be buried in the earth to be ioyned with his Soule c. If the body bee dead and ready to bee buried how is the man aliue if the man be dead as well as the body as hee must be or else the body is not dead how is this then no Prayer for the dead A Prayer for a dead body must be a Prayer for the dead or else a dead body must bee a liuing man I could muster vp some other such-like contradictions but that breuity contradicts me and calls me to my last Conclusion To wit That this Booke of Priuate Deuotions or Howers of Prayer is scandalous and pâ—eiudiciall to our owne and aduantagious onely to the Church of Rome Scandalous I say it is to our owne Church First because it makes or at least endeauours for to make one of the most renownedst members of our Church euen that vnparalelled Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie the Patronesse Protectresse of all these points of Popery that are published and vented in it Secondly because it giues Papists Brownists Anabaptists Separatists and Nonconformitans occasion to bost report and bragge and many Religious and Vnderstanding persons both of our owne and other Churches to feare and suspect that our Church after so many glorious Triumphes ouer all Romes greatest Champions who haue yeelded vp the wasters to vs and proclaimed vs victors by their silence for some few yeeres past is now degenerating from her ancient Sinceritie Puritie and Glory and Backsliding and inclining to her former Popish superstitions since shee doeth Harbour Nurse and traine vp such gracelesse Sonnes and viporous Children in her bosome as dare prooue open Aduocates and Proctors for the Church of Rome to iustifie her Assertions euen in her owne Domestique Consistorie and that without any Ecclesiasticall controule or censure That shee is now swayed by some such Collauding and Temporizing Prâ—lates and Diuines who out of ignorance carelesnesse wilfulnesse or affection giue publique Conniuance Countenance and Approbation not onely to the persons but likewise to the Papisticall and Arminian writings Doctrines and Deuotions of these Vnnaturall and Treacherous Children who would betray their Mother to the Church of Rome as appeares by their Licensing and Countenancing of these Popish Deuotions and Maister Mountagues writings and their suppression of all such bookes as giue any answere to them which hath caused many both now and heretofore to disaffect the â—â—scipline and Gouernment of our Church and to condemne not onely the persons vices Pride Lordlinesse Idlenesse Flâ—tery Luxury Nonresidency and Monstrous liues but euen the very calling of our Bishops which in it selfe is Honourable Lawfull Good and vsefull in the Church especially if it be rightly managed as Antichristian and repugnant to the word of God both to their owne and our shame and scandall These are the common bruites and rumours these are the feares and iealousies these are the scarres and blemishes yea these are the scandalous and noxious fruites I speake it euen with griefe and shame because I know not how for to disprooue them or excuse them vnlesse â— plead ignorance or carelesnesse which are no plea in Law much lesse in Gospel
Apostolicall Praecepts and Constitutions praescribed and inioyned by the Churches bare Authoritie which opinion both of the Lent-Fast and of these other Fasting-dayes or Fish-dayes rather all Protestant Authors doe disclaime as a meere Popish Assertion And none but professed Papists doe mainteine Wee keepe our Lent and the fore-recited Fasts by vertue of the Statute of 2. and 3 Ed. 6. cap. 19. and by no Ecclesiasticall or Apostolicall constitutions Wee know no expresse Precepts in our Articles Homelies Canons or Common Prayer Booke of our Church that binde vs to obserue these Fasts but onely the fore-recited Statutes which are the Lawes and Precepts of the State not of the Church Therefore our Authors Doctrine in these points of Lent and Fasting Dayes which differ from the expresse words and Preamble of the Statute of 2. and 3. Ed. 6. cap. 19. from the Doctrine of our Homelies and the receiued Tenent of all our Writers agreeing verbatim with the assertion of Iesuites and Popish writers must needes be Popish For the fourth That the Pictures of God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost may be lawfully made it is couertly and necessarily intimated in his first Diuision of such who doe offâ—nd against the second Commandement Offenders against the second Commandement saith he are They that fancie to themselues any likenesse of the Deitie or frame for to make any Image either of God the blessed Trinitie or of God the Father who neuer appeared to the World in a visible shape So that he cleerely admits and intimates in these words that the Images and Pictures of God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost may be safely made because they appeared to the World in a visible shape as hee pretends though God the Father and the blessed Trinitie neuer did His applying then of this reason onely to God the Father and the blessed Trinitie His stopping at the Father without any further mention of the Sonne and holy Ghost together with his ensuing words Those that make any other Image be it of Christ and his Crosse or bee it of his blessed Angels with an intent to worship them Doe fully euidence that hee approoues the making of the Images and Pictures of God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost a meere Popish assertion which the Papists onely doe mainteine and which our owne Homelies and Orthodoxe writers doe expressely condemne as Sinfull and Vnlawfull For the fift Position That God the Sonne and God the holy Ghost may be worshipped in their Images which is necessarily collected from these words Offenders against the second Commandement are They that make any other Images or the likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer be it of Christ and his Crosse or be it of his blessed Angels with an intent to fall downe and worship them They that are worshippers of Idoles or representments of false Gods In which passages our Author onely disclaimes the worshipping of meree Pictures Idoles and false Gods which the Papists likâ—wise doe condemne or the adoration of the bare Pictures of Christ and the holy Ghost intimating that wee may worship them in their Pictures for why else doeth hee allow men for to make them though we may not Adore the Pictures themselues according to the ancient Popish distinction and euasion which our Homelies and the fore-quoted Protestant Authors doe condemne and vtterly reiect as Popish and Erronious For the sixt That the Persons and Images of Saints and Angels may bee worshipped though not with the sâ—lfesame worship wherewith wee Adore God himselfe This is euidently inforced from his Exposiotin on the second Commandement God is to be worshipped with the lowly reuerence of our bodies also This to bee religiously done vnto him This also to be done purely without any such outward and solemne worship to be giuen either to the Person or Image of Saint or Angel or any other creature whatsoeuer which being compared with that which followes Offenders against this Commandement They that are worshippers of Saints Images and out of a false opinion of demeriting the protection of the blessed Virgin or any other Saint of God doe giue a religious Adoration to those vsuall representations that are made of them So that hee doeth here euidently and clearely grant as Maister Mountague also in expresse tearmes doeth That there may bee a religious vse of the Images of Saints and Angels and that wee may Worship and Adore either Saints or Angels at least wise with the Worship of Dulia as the Papists hold though not with that outward and solemne worship marke the Emphasis of the words which is due to God alone For hee onely condemnes the giuing of religious Adoration to the bare Images not to the persons of Saints and Angels which his last words doe seeme clearely to admit and the yeelding not of Religious worship and Adoration but of that outward and solemne Worship onely which is due to God alone which is no more then all the Papists doe acknowledge who appropriate the worship of Latria vnto God alone though they giue that of Dulia and Hyperdulia vnto Angels Saints and Images So that in these Points of Images and Prayer to Saints make the best of them that can be hee goes no further then moderate Papists and not so farre as all Orthodoxe Protestant Authors doe so Frozen are his Zeale and hote Deuotions in these points of Saints and Angels which are meerely Popish For the seuenth That Confession to a Priest and Absolution from him especially before the receiuing of the Sacrament are necessary is euident from his fift Precept of the Church to wit To receiue the Blessed Communion of Christs Body and Blood with frequent Deuotion and three times of the yeere at least whereof Easter to bee one And for better preparation there vnto as occasion is to disburthen and quite our Consciences of those sinnes that may grieue vs or scruples that may trouble vs to a Learned and discreet Priest and from him to receiue aduice and the benefit of Absolution Loe here a pregnant proofe for Auricular Confession wherein there are three things obserueable First that the Confession which our Author speakes of is no arbetrarie or voluntarie but a forced and enioyned Confession and that by the Authoritie and Precept of the Church whereas ours and all other Protestant Churches prescribe it onely by way of aduice and that onely in case of necessitie when as mens Consciences cannot else be quieted Secondly that this Confession must be made not to a Minister of Gods word as our Common Prayer Booke renders it but to a discreete and Learned Priest that is to some Popish Massing Priest or other Thirdly that hee must not lay open his griefe that troubles and disquiets his Conscience as our Communion Booke reades it but hee must disburthen his Conscience of those sinnes that may not that doe grieue him and those scruples that may trouble him Fourthly that