c Ruth 2. 4. Boaz and his reapers Though the phrase haile were abused by hypocriticall Iudas and the prophane heard of the people which preferre their salutations before their saluations Can it not therefore with conuenient reuerence bee vsed by the Angell Are not some sudaine ciaculations reuerent prayers As for your Scripture it is wrested For Saint Iohn forbiddeth only familiar greetings of knowne heretiques The same Apostle elsewhere permitteth vs to pray for all except the d 1. Iohn 5. 16. sinners against the holy ghost N. I esteeme not what you speake of prayer who seeme to be ignorant of the meaning thereof forasmuch as you loue the masse a fatall enemy to all true prayer And this appeares not only because you familiarly name Lammas Michelmas Christmas Candlemas But also because I take it you haue there in your hand an English mass-Masse-booke I. The Saxons vsed this word Mas or Mes for a feast in which sense these times are so termed by vs without any imitation of the Popish masse Now if you can proue that the booke of Common prayer is a Masse booke I shall not be so backward as not to consent nor so froward as not to confesse the truth N. First in generall I thus obiect against your Liturgie That which is taken out of the Masse booke of the Pope who is an Idolater Antichrist and out of the Church the same is to be reputed as the Masse booke But such is your Liturgie Ergo c. I. I answer to your Maior First that the two former attributes which you ascribe to the Pope are impertinent except your speech bee thus limited That which is drawne from the Pope as he is an Idolater c. For else Saint e Acts 17. 28. 1. Cor. 15. 33. Titus 1. â—2 Iames 1. 17. Paul and Saint Iames had erred in borrowing the speeches of heathenish and Idolatrous Poets N. But it is written f Deut. 12 4. thou shalt not doe so Therefore we may not pray as Idolaters doe I. If wee referre that precept to the fift verse where the Hebrewes are forbidden to sacrifice elsewhere then at the Tabernacle it is meerely Ceremoniall neither can bind vs But if it bee referred to Images in the third verse it is morall indeed but forbiddeth only communion with idolaters in that wherein they are such and not otherwise For example kneeling in prayer before Iupiters image is forbidden Heere simply and absolutely in prayer kneeling is not interdicted For it is a Dictate of nature that kneeling is a gesture agreeable to Gods worship But to doe this before the idoll of Iupiter who was but a King or is but a Planet that is only prohibited as idolatrous N. We shall dispute more largely of the particular obiections wherefore I proceed The Pope is Antichrist Therefore whatsoeuer is taken out of his Portuise is Antichristian I. This is not vnlike an argument of a certaine Arrian confuted by Zanchius The Trinity is Defended by the Pope who is Antichrist It is therefore Antichristian In like manner wee might thus reason The Turke whom some count Antichrist and all an Apostate yea the Deuill acknowledgeth one God The Pagans also beleeue that there is a God To acknowledge therefore and beleeue these things is Turkish Deuillish Heathenish In all these arguments there are the same g Ab accidente A dicto simpliciter Principij petitio non causa c. fallacians for ignorance of a limitation N. Antichrist is an Arch-heretique whatso-soeuer therefore he maintaineth is hereticall I. To the old errour you adde a new like Drunkenesse to thirst the old appeares in the Consequence For heresie as the Greeke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to choose word sheweth is a choice of some errour direcly impugning the foundation of Religion Now where election is there must needs be some refusall so that he which reuolteth from all points of truth ceaseth to be an heretique and becommeth an Apostate A Pagan An Atheist or some other monster Your new errour is in the antecedent wherein you say that Antichrist is a chiefe heretique For antichristianitie consisteth not so much in errour and heresie as in tyranny ouer mens Consciences to which it ioyneth things indifferent as necessary to Saluation N. I am glad you haue swallowed this bait For I shal hereafter proue by this definition that your Seruice Booke is Antichristian Meane while tell me is the Popes third attribute namely that he is out of the Church impertinent also to the matter I. More pertinent but lesse true For though the Pope were neither in nor of the Catholique Better Catholique yet certainly he is in the visible Church As thus may appeare First Antichrist whom you take to be the Pope sitteth in the Temple of God that is in the Church visible Secondly the Pope by your confession is an heretique Now that an heretique is in the Church we know both because none can be excommunicated but tbose that are within the Church Neither will any deny that heretiques doe deserue excommunication As also because heretiques repenting after excommunication are receiued into the bosome of the Church without new Baptisme which could not bee if they werc vttterly cut off from the Church Thirdly no Baptisme can be out of the Church But in the Popes iurisdiction is true baptisme which by no meanes can be iterated vnlesse there come some violent h Smith at Amsterdam spirit which for haste will rebaptise himselfe Not vnlike a frantque man who though meate be present yet vpon pretence of hunger eateth the flesh of his owne arme The Pope therefore remayneth within the territories of the visible Church Hitherto of your Maior Now to your Minor wee say That wee extract our Liturgie not from the loynes or lines of the Pope but from Gods Word and the primitive Church howsoeuer the Pope may seeme to haue vsed or vsurped the same N. Let not him that putteth on the Sword boast as he that putteth it off For I hope shortly to refell what you haue said Now from the Platforme of your Liturgie I come to treat of the i Second generall obiection the Liturgie a Lethargie end and purpose thereof which seemeth to be first the hindrance of Preaching Sermons I. Proue that and then raile your â—â—ll N. That whose length is such that it taketh from the Minister both conueniencie of time alacritie of minde and strength of bodie in regard of preaching the end thereof is the hindrance of preaching but such is your Liturgie Ergo. I. A cloud without raine Your minor is vntrue For first oftentimes the Preacher is not the same with the Reader Especially in Catherall Churches and Chappels as also where there is a Curat or Coadiutor Secondly one of the Chapters is in many Churches read by the Clark Thirdly part of the Psalmes and other answers are dispatched by him and the people Fourthly the Commination Letany the Nicene and Athanasian Creedes and
you not against the rule of Pythagoras digged in the fire with a sword But now to reuisite your argument First I might denie your Maior and render foure reasons for it First the Epistle written from a Coll. 4 16. Laodicea was read in the Church and yet it was out of the Canon vnlesse you thinke it was some Epistle of Saint Paul which is lost some thing therefore not Canonicall may be read in the Church N. I thinke no Canonicall Epistle could bee lost For it were to derogate too much from Gods prouidence and the faithfulnesse of the Church which should bee the Keepresse of the Volumes of the Couenant I rather suppose that it was some Epistle written from the Laodiceans to Paul to the demands whereof this Epistle to the Colossians did answere And therefore that it might more plainly be vnderstood it was meete that the other of the Laodiceans should bee read in the Church also For such a like thing is probably collected to haue beene done by the b 1. Cor. 7 1. Corinthians I. To sift the ground of your assertion were now vnseasonable But you haue giuen in a faire euidence against your owne Maior as shall hereafter appeare My second reason is this Nine Chapters of the Booke of Iob wherof foure were vttered by c Iob 4. 5. 15. 22. Eliphaz three by d Chap. 8. 18. 25. Bildad two by c Chap. 11. 20. Zophar are read in the Church But these Chapters are not of the Canon seeing no doctrine can be establisht by them forasmuch as Go himselfe disallowed the f Iob 42 7. saying of Iobs three friends wee may therefore in the Church reade some thing which is not of the Canon N. The generall positions of Iobs friends are true howsoeuer they erred in the application of them to Iob himselfe as if hee had beene an hypocrite I. That is but a shift for the maine maxime of all the Dispute is taken from Iob's wiues g Iob 2. 9. speech The summe whereof may thus bee demonstrated He that fals into great miseries is an hypocrite But Iob is so falne He is therefore an hypocrite So then let him not continue in defending his vprightnesse but blesse h Ios 7. 19. God in the acknowledgement of his hypocrisie and so let him die with repentance and patience By this it is plaine that the Maior Proposition was false and not the Assumption onely as you pretend N. I hope you will not exclude these nine Chapters out of the Canon considering they containe an historicall though not a positiue truth For it is true that these men so spake though they erred in their speech I. You haue made a faire distinction whereby you will cut off your owne arguments made against the Apocryphall Bookes as shall bee shewed in due place My third argumeÌ„t is this Sundrie Bookes of Traditions were read in the Church of the Iewes and yet were neuer of the Canon Or else how could the names of i 2. Tim. 3. 8. Iâ—â—nes Iambres the k Heb. 12. 21. foure of Moses the time of the famine in the dayes of l James 5. 17. Elias the combat of Michael with the m Iude 9. Deuill the prophesie of n Iude 14 15. Enoch haue bin rehearsed as things vulgarly knowne My fourth last reason is this Set Prayer may bee read in the Church and yet is no part of the Canon as was proued in the first o Lib. 1. Chap. 2. conference Besides this your Maior admits of a distinction which is this Whatsoeuer is read in the Church must either bee the Canon of faith or manners To this latter kinde we may referre the Apocryphall Bookes N. This is a rotten deuice They cannot bee the Canon of manners seeing that in the Doctrine of manners they may erre I. This answere shall bee sifted in your Minor But now wee tell you further that things may be read in the Church for the explanation of the Canonicall Scriptures For as you remember you said the Epistle of the Lacdiceans was read for the explanation of Saint Paul's Epistle to the Colossians N. But the Bookes Apocryphall doe rather obscure then explaine the Canon I. The Booke of Wisdome doth open the Storie of Exodus concerning the ten p See Wisdome 16. 17. plagues of Egypt Ecclesiasticus is a Commentarie to the Prouerbs The Sixt of Baruch is a most famous epitome of sundrie things in Moses the Psalmes and the Prophets against Idolatrie The first Booke of Maccabees is a key to the mysteries q Especially to the 8. 11. Chapters thereof of Daniel N. Because you cauill so much at my Maior I will change both it and my whole reason Whatsoeuer is read in the Church ought either to be Canonicall Scripture or agreeable thereunto But the Bookes betweene Malachie and Matthew are neither And therefore may not be read I. As the change of your Maior is to the better so is that of your Minor to the worse whereof wee desire the first part to bee explained the latter to be confirmed N. That these Bookes are not Canonicall it is plaine because they are Apocryphall I. Some Serpent lurketh vnder this grasse why call you them Apocryphall N. First because they containe sundrie errours I. How many errours thinke you there be in the Booke of the Petition to the Parliament defended by T. C N. Wee suppose no errour can bee found therein I. A Booke Apocryphall hath errours But this Booke hath none and therefore is not Apocryphall and is by consequent Canonicall N. It may be Ecclesiasticall and so neither Canonicall nor Apocryphall I. You see then that your reason is infirme These Bookes are not Canonicall because Apocryphall and therefore Apocryphall r Non causa pro causa because they containe errours N. Secondly then they are tearmed Apocryphall because they are capable of errours as being the writings of men I. This is to make them Apocryphall in possibilitie not in act Now euery possibilitie is reducible to some act Tell then what is the actuall cause why they are Apocryphall N. Can a priuation haue an actuall cause I. The cause may be actuall though rather deficient then efficient N. Thirdly then They are deemed Apocryphall because their Authour is not knowne I. No more is the Authour of Ioshua Iudges Ruth Samuel Kings no nor of the Epistle to the Hebrewes in your opinion N. Their Authour is knowne to bee Gods Spirit though we doubt of the Penman I. But how is that knowne N. The Propheticall Church receiued the Bookes as from God and hath deliuered them to vs by Succession Fourthly then these Bookes are Apocryphall because the Iewish Church neuer receiued them For neither were they written in any tongue which the Iewes vnderstood neither doe the Iewes at this day admit of them but as of Interludes I. You haue at the last stumbled vpon the true cause
but withall haue ouerwhelmed it with sundrie errours The first is this You pretend them to bee refused by the Iewes because they were written in a language not vnderstood by them What Did not Hierome out of Chaldie translate Tobit Did not the Iewes in their Dispersion vnderstand the Greeke tongue namely in the Greekish Septuagint Why was the Epistle to the Hebrewes written in Greeke if they were ignorant of the language The like is to be said of the Epistles of Saint Iames and Saint Peter Now tell me Doe not you acknowledge our Apocryphall Bookes to haue beene written in Greeke and yet was not Sirach's Sonne a Iew Did not Philo and Iosephus being Iewes write in Greeke The second is rather a scoffe then an errour Not vnlike that of some men partly Arrians and partly Barrowists which call the Athanasian Creed the Creed of Sathanasius This is like that which is more then yea and nay for it comes of euill Your third errour is that you acknowledge the traditionarie testimonie of the Church for the Bookes of Scripture and yet explode all tradition not only as needlesse but euen as damnable Your fourth errour is that you ascribe more to the Iewish Synagogue then to the Christian Church For you heard before out of Hierome that the Christians receiued these Bookes N. They receiued them but as Apocryphall I. And yet they read them in the Church N. They were men and might erre For wee are assured that these Bookes are not agreeable to the Canon as containing and maintaining manifold errours and therefore may bee the Canon neither of Faith nor of Manners I. Wee denie that you can finde any errour in these Bookes concerning Manners Now touching Faith fundamentall errours wee acknowledge none in them If any pettie fault or slip be found our subscription is safe But now bring forth the errours in their numbers and armies N. The Apocryphall Bookes are either such as are reputed so by the Papists themselues namely the third and fourth of Esdras and the prayer of Manasses besides some other Bookes not expressed in our Common Bibles or such as are so accounted of by the Protestants onely whereof some be not read some be Of the first kinde are certaine portions of Hester also Susanna Bell and the Dragon and the two Bookes of the Maccabees And here I maruell much that the first Booke of Maccabees is not read in your Church considering you say it is a key to the Mysteries of Daniel I. Euen for the same cause that wee reade not other Bookes of the Chronicles and Other Volumes of holy Scripture N. This cause shall hereafter be tried Now the Bookes that you read are Historicall or Dogmaticall The Historicall be either whole Bookes or a fragment Of the first sort are Tobit and Iudith The Booke of Tobit containeth errours of things to be beleeued or to be done The first sort concerneth either Angels or the Meanes of our preseruation Angels bee good or euill In the good we may consider the name and nature concerning the first The Booke setteth downe the name of an Angell calling him Å¿ Tobit 3. 17. Raphael whereas Angels names ought not to be enquired t Gen. 32 29. after as being u Iudg. 3. 18. secret I. The Bookes of x Dan. 19 21. â—0 21. Daniel of y Luke 1. 19. Luke of z Iud. 9. Iude and of Saint a Apoc. 12. 7. Iohn doe set downe the names of Angels after which we should not enquire because they be secret are they therefore Apocryphall N. These names are not secret to God's Spirit which hath reuealed them to vs in these Bookes I. And why may not God's Spirit reueale the name of Raphael in this Booke N. This name Raphael is not extant in any other Booke of Scripture and therefore it seemes to be a tearme Apocryphall I. If a Iew should thus reason I finde the names Gabriel and Michael specified no where but in Daniel it seemes therefore the Booke should be Apocryphall what answere would you returue if you were a Iew and beleeued neither S. Luke S. Iude nor Saint Iohn N. I would answer It is sufficient that these names are recorded in one Booke of Scripture I. So it is sufficient though Raphael bee named no where but in Tobit vnlesse you beg the question Besides the names of Angels are of two sorts Some expressing their nature some their office Of this latter kinde is the name of b Isa 6. 2. Seraphim which signifies burning because one of them touched the Prophets lips with a burning coale To this head wee may referre Raphael which signifieth one that healeth from God because he healed Sara and Tobit Lastly the place in Iudges by you alleadged is impertinent The Angell which appeared might bee Christ who said his name was Secret or Wonderfull The like Isaiah saith of c Isa 9. 6. Christ hee shall call his name the Wonderfull and so forth So that the Angell may seeme rather to haue reuealed his name to Manoah then to haue d God shewed the burning of Sodom to Abraham and yet not to Lot The time of death to Ezekiah not to vs. concealed it from him N. From the name of Angels we come to their nature wherein wee will trie their number and their office Touching the first this Booke determineth that their are seauen e Tobit 12. 15. Angels c. which is partly Magicall partly Popish For first the Magitians especially the Iewes numbred seuen Angels according to the seuen dayes of the weeke For Sunday Raphael then Gabriel Sammael Michael Izidkiel Hanael f See Iunius vpon this place Rephariel I. The Booke of Tobit doth not designe these Angels by dayes much lesse reckoneth their names though two of them namely Gabriel and Michael are found elsewhere in Scripture By what tradition the Iewes vnderstood the rest we know not But first we are sure the Angell tels Daniel that hee was one of the chiefe g Dan 10. 13. Angels Secondly this number of seuen may probably be thus collected The seuen eyes in h Zach. 3. 9. Zacharie are by Saint Iohn expounded to bee the seuen spirits which are sent into all the i Apoc. 5 6. world And what should be meant by these Spirits but Angels Againe Saint Iohn twice mentioneth seuen k Apoc. 8. 6. 16. 1. Angels it is not sufficient for you to exclaime that this is Magicall Wee rather credit the Scriptures affirming then your negatiue supposals N. The seuen spirits are expounded the Holy Ghost I. The exposition is but your owne N. What Doe you suppose that Iohn prayes for grace and peace from Angels I. Not as from causes but as from instruments Againe though they be interpreted of the Holy Ghost in the first Chapter yet in the Vision of the fift Chapter that exposition will be violent For there it is said that the Lambe had seuen hornes and seuen eyes which
A DEFENCE OF THE LITVRGIE OF The Church of England OR Booke of Common Prayer In a Dialogue betweene NOVATVS AND IRENAEVS BY Ambrose Fisher sometimes of TRINITIE Colledge in CAMBRIDGE Coecorum mens oculatissima Reade him that neuer read for by this wise The Blinde leads thee to Church who hast thine eyes LONDON Printed by W. S. for Robert Milbourne in Pauls Church-yard at the signe of the Greyhound 1630. TO HIS MVCH HONOVRED FRIEND SIR Robert Filmer Knight SIR IT was your care that preserued this Treatise and it will bee your honour that you haue preserued it From you I had it in writing to you I returne it printed Pitie that hee who was depriued of sight in his life should be depriued of the light of his true-worth after his death Pitie that he who though his eminent abilities could not altogether bee hid liued in some obscuritie if not vnregarded yet vnrewarded should hauing left this Monument of his Learning and Loue to his and our Deare Mother the English Church be vtterly forgotten as if shee neuer had brought forth such a sonne I confesse many of Our Worthies and be they euer acknowledged and remembred with honour haue by parts vpon occasions vindicated and iustified Our Common Prayer Booke against opposers but a through defence thereof neuer met I withall before this It was conceiued in the braine and brest of this learned Authour in your Vncle Argall's house at Colchester and the first draught thereof was there made Perhaps the Laconicall breuitie thereof the Socraticall disputing on Irenaeus part and the Ramisticall Dichotomies on the part of Nouatus may perplexe some Reader but questionlesse to the Learned as familiarly therewithall acquainted they will be acceptable To gather and contriue much into a little was his ordinarie course and he was happie in it It was his labour in like manner rather to speake to the vnderstanding then to the affections yet closely withall in a Crypticke Rhetoricke he moues them Brought vp hee was in his tender yeares among those whom he here confutes by them was designed to vphold the faction His conuersing with them besides their Books printed made himselfe acquainted with their plots arguments and had wel-nigh framed him for their purpose But the Great-Ouer-Ruler of all plots and purposes gaue this Blind-Man when he came to maturitie Inward-Light and drew him out of that Schisme which euen with the milke was instilled into him and vnder the ferule was pressed vpon him It was his happinesse to come to Cambridge and in Cambridge to that Renowned Colledge sacred to the Sacred Trinitie There as your selfe remembers we were coequalls in time and companions in studies There attained he to the knowledge both of the Tongues and Arts and improued them by his vndefatigable industrie euen almost to a Miracle This deepe-learned-man was readie euer-readie to impart his knowledge whether in Philosophie or Diuinitie freely vnrestrainedly cheerefully To many young Schollers there and at Westminster afterwards where hee liued in my brother Doctor Grant's house was hee a lightsome Guide though his owne eyes were darke Knowledge and Charitie stroue in him which should exceed the other so that his departure hence so soone was a great losse to many if I said to this Whole Church of Ours I said but the truth It was his Charitie grounded vpon Knowledge that compiled this Dialogue And the like Charitie excites me to draw it out of obscuritie into the publique light and view of the Church And I am encouraged the rather hereunto by His Maiesties late Blessed-Instructions for the countenancing of the to-much-neglected-Prayers and despised Rits of Our Church This occasion iustly mee thought called for it and would haue laid sacriledge to my charge had I with-held it It attends on the Scepter and good successe God send it that the Publique Liturgie of Our Church may hence-forth iustly bee valued and duely obserued I confesse ingenuously that it is Catechizing and Preaching which enable vs to the required performance of God's Worship but Prayer it is especially Publique Prayer in the House-Of-Prayer which is God's-Immediate-Worship The more Publique this is and the more frequent the-more-likely yea more then likely is it to diuert iudgements and draw downe blessings And my priuate Prayer shall euer be that Publique Prayer in Our Church as it is reuiued so it may be continued while the World continues euen till Our Iesus returnes in glorie So prayes Saint Barthol Exchange London April 5. 1630. Yours in the same Iesus who is euer the same § IOHN GRANT TO THE Reader WHat Master Fisher was these three Epitaphs may further show Two in Latine the Last in English On his Marble in VVestminster Great-Cloisters neare the Librarie they could not be engraued This Booke his truer Monument may preserue them too The first Latine One was made by that Honorable Knight Sir Robert Ayton then Secretarie to Queene Anne and now to Queene Mary The other by Dr. Thory that Worthy French Physician the English by a True Louer and Knower of this Authour Master Iohn Harris sometimes one of the King's Schollers in VVestminster and afterwards of Christ's Church in Oxford EPITAPH I. AMbrosius iacet hic Piscator coeperat hamo Ambrosio pisces queis Deus esca fuit Hoc agens vitam non lucem liquit ab istâ Annos vix natus quinque relictus erat Octo tamen vixit non vidit lustra nec vlli Mens oculata magis vitaue sancta magis Historiae Sophiae Vatum sacra abdita norat Norat Adae atque Remi Cecropis ore loqui Et nunc est positus mutam propè Bibliothecam Ipse loquens quoniam Bibliotheca fuit EPITAPH II. Nisi lapis es AVdi Viator loquentem lapidem Hîc cubat propter Aedem Sapientiae Merito maior quam famâ Sapiens Immortalis Piscator Is citò amissâ oculorum luce perspicacior Quantum homini fas est animo penetrauit Omnis Diuinae Humanae Scientiae adyta Oculatis Caecus facem praetulit Mundo merso◠coelesti radio ad Deum sustulit Generosae Iuventutis quasi Parens Miserorum consolator Sui Dominus In terrâ extrà terram auribus ingenio intentus Deo sibi Patriae defaecato semper animo Idem vixit Tandem nullo vnquam lucis ablatae desiderio tactus Aetate integrâ ex haec vitâ velut illustri nocte ad Patrum Luminum Lubenter translatus quod mortale fuit tumulo Immortale sui desiderium bonis reliquit Gaudete caeci veniet vohis Dies EPITAPH III. MEn Women Children all that passe this way Whether such as here Walke or Talke or Play Take notice of the Holy-Ground y' are on Least you prophane it with obliuion Remember with due sorrow that here lies The-Learned-Fisher Hee whose darkned eyes Gaue light such as the Mid-Day emulates To either Sexe each Age and all Estates For as on the Full-Sea soon His-Brest All-Vessels rode All-Wayes He vnopprest And deepe-enough for all
those words consecrated to such a mysterie ibid. Marriage not acounted by vs a Sacrament ibid. towards the end and so to the end of the Chapter Of the Ring in Mariage p. 195 CHAP. XVIII Of Churching and Buriall p. 196 What purification is abrogated p. 196. how p. 197. Our Churching of Women no Iudaisme and of the Vaile then vsed p. 198. and of the Offering imposed p. 199. Of Tithes ibid. They are God's Stipends not Almes p. 200. They are not Iewishly Ceremoniall p. 201. They are due to Ministers and so proued ibid. Of competencie p. 204. Citie Tithes p. 205. The Apostles were not maintained by Almes ibid. Priests bury not but assist the Funerall p. 207. Of Prayers then vsed and of Sermons p. 208. The place of Burial p. 209. The second Booke CHAP. I. Of the Booke of Tobit p. 211 THe Apocryphall Bookes no Canon with vs for Doctrine p. 211. And yet vpon good grounds read in our Church p. 212. As namely for the explanation of the Canonicall Scriptures p. 215. Why they are called Apocryphall pag. 216. Of the Angell Raphael in the Booke of Tobit p. 220. Of the seuen Angels in the twelfth Chapter of Tobit p. 221. That number is neither Magicall nor Popish p. 223. The Office of Angels p. 224. Whether they pray for vs p. 225. Whether the Angels eate really p. 227. Of the Angels speaking p. 228. Of Asmodeus the euill spirit p. 230. Of the Nature of Angels both in their Affection ibid. any limitation in respect of the meanes and manner p. 232. Of Almes and how they purge sin p. 235 Of contract before Marriage p. 237 CHAP. II. Of Iudeth and the Song of the three Children p. 241 Of the word Titans and of borrowing words from Peets p. 241. The time of Iudeth's Storie p. 249. Of Bethulia p. 248. Iudeth's fasting whether superstitious p. 249. Her prayer whether impure p. 251. Her craftè whether wicked p. 254. Her course is warranted by the like of Iael in the Booke of Iudges p 257. Of the Song called Benedicite the vse thereof p. 259. The clearing of that Historicall Fragment from obiections p. 260 The Storie of Susanna vindicated p. 262. The Storie of Bel and the Dragon opened p. 264 CHAP. III. Of Wisdome Ecclesiasticus and Baruch p. 265 Of the Booke of Wisdome's Authour p. 265 The explanation of those words But rather being good I came into an vndefiled body p. 266. And of those when a Father mourneth grieuously for his Sonne c. p. 268. Of Tammuz ibid. Of the Argument of Ecclesiasticus p. 269. Of the Prologue p. 270. Of the Treatise p. 272. How Enoch is said to be taken away p. 273. Of Samuels death foreshewed ibid. Of Elias pag. 274. Of the time when Ierusalem was burnt in Baruch's account p. 276. What he meanes by those words Heare the dead Israelites p. 277. Of Ieremies Epistle p. 278. CHAP. IV. Of the Translation of the Psalmes p. 280 Of the Psalmes-Tiles p. 280. Of words detracted p. 283. The sense not corrupted in that 68. Psalme verse 27. p. 284. Nor in the 105. vers 28. p. 285. Of additions to the Psalmes in sentences p. 287. In words 288. Of the obscuritie in translation or euer your pots bee made hote c. p. 291 And of that humbly bringing pieces of siluer c. p. 292. And of that it shall not breake my head pag. 293. Of falshood in translation as in that thou shalt learne frowardnesse pag. 294. And in that Psalme 125. 3. shall not fall ibid. And in that Psalme 107. verse 40. though hee suffer them to bee euill intreated of Tyrants ibidem And in that Psalme 68. 6. Men of one minde p. 295. And in that Psalme 75. 3. when I receiue the Congregation ibid. And in that then stood vp Phinees and prayed pag. 296. And in that make mee to delight in good ibid. CHAP. V. Of the Lessons Epistles and Gospels p. 297. Of the omission of Chapters p. 297. The terme of Lesson p. 299. Of that translation Luke 1. 36. this is the sixt moneth that is called barren ibid. Of cutting the Bible into Epistles and Gospels p. 300. Of those words left out Col. 3. 12. Holy and beloued p. 101. Why we call Prophecies Epistles p. 302. The place Galat. 4. 5. cleared p. 303 How wee are the naturall sonnes of God ibid. How Paul calleth Timothy his naturall sonne ibid. God in a different degree loueth vs as his sonne Christ ibid. Iohn 1. 1. Cleared page 304. Of that Gal. 4 25. bordereth for answereth pag 305. Of that Ephes 3. 5. Father of all that is called Father ibid. Ephesians 5. 13. cleared p. 306. Heb. 9. 25. cleared ibid. Rom. 12. 11. cleared pag. 307. Luke 1. 48. cleared ibid. 1. Cor. 9. 27. cleared ibid. Phil. 2. 7. cleared p. 308. 1. Pet. 3. 20. cleared ibid. A Dialogue concerning the Liturgie OR The Booke of Common Prayer The Speakers NOVATVS A curious Corrector of things indifferent IRENaeVS A peaceable Conformer to the state of the present Church CHAP. I. Generall arguments against the Liturgie I. GOod morrow to you friend Nouatus how haue you fared this cold Christmas N. Brother Irenaus as my body is in health so my minde is ill apaid to heare your good morrow sauouring of Paganisme being drawne from Bonum mane vsed by the Romans and your Christmas of Poperie which ioyneth the Masse to Christ as an Asse to an Oxe or Dagon to Gods Arke I. The Latine word mane properly seemeth to signifie nothing but gracious or peaceable whence we translate Manes good spirits and immanis Cruell In which sense if we interprete Bonum mane it shall betoken nothing but grace or Peace be with you which kind of salutation soundeth more of heauenly Scriptures then of earthly heathens But if mane be taken for the morning as being the most gracious time of the day wherein the brayne is Cooled the stomacke strengthened the heart tempered and the spirits repaired How can this greeting of good morrow more displease then haile or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vsed by a Luke 1. 28. the Angell to the Virgine which as it seemeth to be deduced from b Ionice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vt in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a season So before Luke vsed it the heathens did vsurpe it For Agylla chiefe Citie of Hetruria was called Coere as some thinke of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which was vsed by a Citizen in scorne to a Pelasgian besieger the same day the Citie was surprised N. To let your Latine and Poetry passe praier in common talke bewrayes little reverence Againe Iohn 10. we ought not to salute or pray with them whose religion is to vs vnknowne I. To let passe your hard Censures by which you cut out the tongues of tongues and plucke out the hearts of artes Is there not a prayer exprest in the common talk of
by the art of Ecclesiasticall men Secondly you will hardly alledge any particular occasion of these Songs especially of the two former N. But of the last wee may For Simeon desired to die because hee had seene Christ I. Hee desired to bee dismissed in peace because he had seene Gods promise fulfilled And so may wee desire to be with Christ vpon the acknowledgement of his reuealed will in the Gospell N. The second thing that we dislike is That these Psalmes are more often repeated then the Psalmes of Dauid I. You know it is written That the least in Luke 7. 8. the Kingdome of Heauen is greater then Iohn the Baptist So we say That the Songs of the New Testament are greater and more to our edification then those of the Old Couenant because they concerne the Gospell which is both a greater and a neerer light N. Wee will speake more of the Magnificat when wee come to treate of the translations The second kinde of Hymnes was inuented by men As Te Deum and Benedicite wherein first we dislike that mens inuentions should bee obtruded vpon the Church I. Why set you before vs twice sodden Coleworts Set Prayers to bee lawfull wee haue proued before Now Hymnes inuented by men are nothing but Set Prayers And therefore lawfull N. In the Te Deum wee dislike those words When thou hadst ouercome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the Kingdome of Heauen to all beleeuers Whereby wee suspect you meane that Christ after his death deliuered the Fathers from Limbus from which time all beleeuers immediatly enter into Heauen I. Did not Christ first goe into Heauen to Iohn 3. 13. 14. 2. Heb. 9. 8. 1â— 11. 40. prepare a place for vs as saith the Scripture N. Hee went thether first not actually but virtually because hee merited our going thether I. Did hee merit it by any other meanes then by the vertue of his Death Resurrection and Ascention N. Hee did not But we feared some Snake lurking vnder this grasse I. I leaue your iealous suspitions Forasmuch as you know that Lymbus Patrum is generally reiected by Our Church CHAP. X. Of Collects and Creeds N. I Should speake of the Benedicite but that it is amongst the Apocryphall Bookes and therefore it shall be deferred till we speak of the Lessons Now from the Ordinarie Prayers wee proceed to the Collects whereof the most be extraordinary But in the forefront of them we will place the third Collect for Grace being also an ordinarie Praier and taking part of both wherein wee approue not these words Grant that this Day wee fall into no sinne Against which we thus reason It is vnpossible that wee fall into no sinnes And therefore to pray for it vtterly vnlawfull I. Your Antecedent is ambiguous as may thus appeare Not to sinne is possible But to fall into no sinne is all one with not to sinne and therefore possible The Maior is proued by Saint Iohn who saith hee that is 1. Iohn 3. 9. borne of God sinneth not neither indeed can sinne N. That place admitteth sundry good expositions As first the regenerate cannot finally fall into sinne Secondly no not totally for a time Thirdly a man so farre forth as hee is regenerate cannot sinne but only in regard of the flesh which lusteth against the spirit I. Which-soeuer of these interpretations you apply to this place there may be sufficient iustifications to the words of the Collect especially the two former For it is very lawfull for vs to pray that wee may neither finally nor totally for a time fall into sinne That is as the Prophet saith that wee may bee kept Psal 19. 3. from sinnes presumptuous Againe this truth may be thus manifested Not to bee led into temptation is possible But not to fall into sinne is all one in effect with not to bee led into temptation And therefore equally possible N. Your Minor seemes to reele For a man may bee led into temptation and yet not fall into sinne For Christ sinned not and yet was led into temptation I. The speech were blasphemous were it not vttered of ignorance For to bee led into temptation is to be carried into the midst thereof and to bee ouercome by it which as you know cannot agree to Christ This exposition may thus bee proued Either wee pray that wee may not bee led into temptation or that wee may not yeeld to temptation The latter to bee lawfull no man doubts But the former I hope you will not auer It remaines therfore That the scope of the Prayer is that wee may not bee surprised with temptation so that it may occasion vs to fall into any crying and habituall sinne N. There bee other Proper Collects at whose words and doctrine wee are offended The first Defect in the words is obscuritie I. By this argument you might condemne many of the Psalmes which though they bee meere Prayers yet in many places are as obscure as truth which is hidden in Democritus pit But what is the obscuritie which you pretend N. In the Collect vpon Trinitie Sunday as you terme it These words are as darke as the leaues of Sibilla and in the power of the Maiestie to worship the vnitie I. No maruell in a matter as profound as Hell if some phrase be not so cleere For if a man should demand of you the difference betweene the generation of the Sonne and the proceeding of the Holy Ghost Or how the Sonne should be called a Distinct Person and yet be in his Father Or how the Father should communicate all his being to his Sonne and yet continue his owne being distinct from that of his Sonne Or how the Father by the Sonne should actiuely breath out the Holy Spirit Or how the wisdome of God should differ from his iustice considering in God there can bee admited no composition I beleeue though you had the aid of all Phrasologistes you would hardly reconcile and explaine these phrases which notwithstanding are receiued in the Church as most necessarie But as for the difficultie at which here you stumble it is of no moment For it is plaine that we worship the Vnitie of the Three Persons in the power of the Diuine Maieistie acknowledging them Three to be one in powerfull Maiestie or Maiesticall power according to a vulgar a Hest 1. 4. 7. Acts 8. 23. Hebraisme knowne to children N. There are some other words in shew dangerous as first the tearme of Penance in the Collect vpon Iohn Baptists day I. Either Penance is an old word signifying Repentance or else it betokeneth the Ecclesiasticall Absolution which is giuen to men that shew the signe of penitence N. The former signification is vncertaine Of the latter wee will reason in the Visitation of the sicke Your second perillous terme is that of Chances in the first Collect after the Offertorie Whereas this name Chance howsoeuer it bee vsed by the Heathen Philistim Priests yet is
N. That part of the Minor is to bee applyed to Orders and Matrimony I. Belike then you affirmed that ioyntly of all the Sacraments which should haue beene deuided among them N. We most insist vpon the last clause Namely that they haue no visible signe I. Neither is that built vpon a Rocke For haue not Confirmation and Orders the visible signe of imposition of hands Can you conceiue of Matrimonie without hand-fasting Or of Extreame Vnction without Visible Infusion of oyles Nay if Sensible bee Visible and Audible be Sensible Is not Confession in Penance directly Audible so Visible by your owne interpretation N. What then Doe you reuiue the Seauen Popish Sacraments I. Nothing lesse But onely I manifest vnto you with what leaden weapons you impugne the iron enemie namely the Papist Against whom while you deferre to fight our Church becomes like the Oake cleft with wedges made out of her owne bodie N. If this Argument be weake you condemne the Booke of Articles which propoundeth the Art 25. same reason I. You mistake the meaning of the Booke yea and the words also The words are thus Being such as are growne partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles Partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures but yet haue not like nature of Sacraments with Baptisme and the Lord's Supper for that they haue not any visible Signe or Ceremonie ordained of God Here first you perceiue that the word Partly was twice left out of your argument wherevpon came your fallacie of Compounding and Diuiding And so it may bee the hauing of a visible signe taking Visible in his proper sence doth exclude Penance They being onely a state allowed in Scripture doth shut out Matrimony as the corrupt imitation of the Apostles doth Anoyling Some such like thing may bee thought of Confirmation and Orders But it is vncertaine N. Yea but they all fiue are denied to haue a visible signe I. Some coniecture that by Visible is meant that which is perceiued by many senses and this kind of Signe may bee proper to Baptisme and the Lords Supper But the plaine answere is That no Sacraments excepting those two haue a visible signe generally necessarie to saluation N. Without Orders there can be no Ministery without the Ministery no Visible Church without which there can bee no ordinary salution I. Orders are mediately necessarie for all but immediately for Ministers alone N. From the number of the Sacraments I come to their end Namely their necessity against which I thus argue Those things without which saluation may be obtained are not necessary to saluation But such are the Sacraments Ergo. I. I thus encounter your Maior Those things without which saluation may bee obtained are not necessary to saluation But without Miracles Saluation may be had And therefore Micracles euen those of Christ shall bee needlesse to saluation N. Miracles are no ordinary meanes to saluation but extraordinary I. So Sacraments are not extraordinary Which heresie denieth all outward Sacraments but direct and ordinary meanes for vnlesse you be a Swingfeldian you must acknowledge that neglect or contempt of Sacraments is a Barto life eternall And so both the doubtfulnesse of your Maior and falshood of your Minor doe at once appeace in their colours N. My second reason is this Things necessary to saluation doe conferre grace But Sacraments do not and so are not necessary I. Your Maior is not well poised For is therefore the Sabbath needlesse to saluation because it doth not conferre grace Againe your Minor wants the bridle of bondage and limiting distinction For though Sacraments doe not actiuely Physically and by infusion conferre grace yet none but publique enemies to all Sacraments will denie that they bring grace passiuely and by the assistance of the concurrent Spirit of God Euen as the Circles of Magicians and Spels of Witches are said to bee operatiue not of themselues being meere quantities but by the concurrent assistance of Satan with whom the bloudie couenant is stricken Now that Sacraments are necessary to Saluation it appeares by three things First because they are Gods Ordinances and so most needfull Secondly because they are markes of the Church visible out of whose bosome there is no ordinary saluation Thirdly because faith is begun in Baptisme and strengthned in the Lords Supper The necessitie whereof is greater then of water and fire nay then of friendship N. This shall bee tried in the particular Sacrament to which wee now descend It seemeth then that you make fiue Sacraments Baptisme Confirmation The Lords Supper Penance and Orders which last because it is not expressed in the Liturgie we will now omit I. You confest before that wee made only two Sacraments generally necessary why doe you then place Confirmation betweene Baptisme and the Lords Supper And where doe you finde our Sacrament of Penance N. The reason of these things shall afterwards be z In Confirmations and the Visitation of the sicke declared Now I come to Baptisme In the dignitie you giue to Baptisme we note two errours First you corruptly cite the words of Christ to Nicodemus Vnlesse a man be borne of water and of the Holy Ghost For by water you vnderstand the Baptisme of the Floud as you terme it Whereas indeed by water you should conceiue nothing but the purging efficacie of the holy Spirit I. Wee embrace the literall sense why doe you flie to a figure without important necessitie N. Yea necessitie doth vrge vs so to doe For else we should grant the necessitie of externall Baptisme to saluation I. You heard before that Sacraments were thus necessarie Why doe you now rowle the same stone N. Proue in particular now Baptisme to bee necessary to saluation I. First Circumcision was thus necessary For the soule vncircumcised was to be a Gen 17. 14. cut off from the people of God Yea God would haue slaine Moses because hee neglected the Circumcision of his b Exod. 4. 24. Sonne Nay the necke of the Asse-coult not c Exod. 13. 13. redeemed was to bee broken which redemption was proportionable to Circumcision as appeares by the d Exod. 22. 30. time thereof But Baptisme is answerable to e 1. Pet. 3. 21. Circumcision therefore equally necessarie Secondly Baptisme is tearmed the lauer f Titus 3. 5. of regeneration whereby the Church is g Ephes 5. 26. sanctified It is also called the Baptisme of repentance vnto remission h Marke 1. 4. Acts 19 4. of sinnes Yea Peter and Paul being demanded what men should doe to be saued The one in direct words both in practise did vrge i Acts 2. 37 38. 16. 30 33 34 Baptisme aswell as beliefe Yea Christ himselfe saith Hee that beleeueth and is baptized shall bee k Marke 16. 16. saued And Peter peremptorily auerreth that Baptisme l 1. Pet. 3. 21. doth saue N. First it seemes by these places That saluation is not ascribed to Baptisme
things created by God Secondly the brazen Serpent being Gods Ordinance was notwithstanding broken in pieces by Ezekias Thirdly Churches of Christians are neither Gods creatures nor his direct ordinances yet may not be demolished howsoeuer they haue beene polluted with Idols N. First your instances may bee disproued For it is not certaine that God destroyed the Gods of Egypt It may be also that by Gods are meant the Images only The Groues were to bee burnt not as created by God but as ordered by mans art The Horses of the Sunne were remoued by the King but not destroyed Secondly Churches were ordained by God as appeares by Salomons Temple Thirdly if God neither spare his owne Creatures nor ordinances how shall we spare the inuentions of men I. First your answeres to my instances leane vpon vncertaine supposals and wrested distinctions Secondly what you say of Churches is vntrue For both the house of h 1. Sam. 5. 20. Dagon was more ancient then Salomon's Temple and by your owne i In the third Chapter of this Booke confession this Temple was a part of the Ceremoniall Law and so hath no agreement with the Churches of Christians Thirdly you confesse your owne exceptions to be false Forasmuch as God neither spareth his owne creatures nor his ordinances being defiled with Idolatrie Fourthly you seeme to answer nothing to the Brazen Serpent N. I will reserue that to another place Now what answere you to the Lawes and Examples by mealledged I. They proue only that the same indiuiduall idolized things are to be destroied but not their whole kind For example We may not burne all trees because one tree hath beene transformed into an Idoll And now I pray you confirme your Minor Namely that the Crosse is an Idoll N. Euery humane ordinance adored by Papists is an Idoll But such is our Crosse and therefore to be reckoned amongst Idols I. Your Maior must be thus limited Euery humane ordinance which was idolatrous in the first institution is an Idoll Else Churches shall be Idols and the Brownist iust that wisheth their ruine Againe your Minor is vntrue For our particular aeriall Crosses were neuer worshipped by Papists Now we may not for the abuse of some indiuidualls abolish the whole kinde Neither indeed is our Crosse of the same kinde with the Popish differing therefrom in operations For their Crosse is said todriue away Deuils to Consecrate things vnto God and the like which things wee ascribe not to our Crosse Now the diuersitie of operations doth sufficiently distinguish the kindes of things artificiall of which number is the Crosse N. I will in an other sort inforce this Argument The brazen Serpent ought to haue beene destroyed because it was worshipped But our Crosse is as the brazen l Iohn 3. 14. 8. 28. 12. 32 33. Serpent And therefore being worshipped is to be destroyed I. If the premises were true they would onely inforce the destruction of the Popish Crosse which hath no affinitie with ours But indeed first your Maior is vntrue N. Ezekias is praysed for m 2. Kings 18. 5 it Therefore hee ought to haue done it I. Your Consequence is weake First because it may bee it was a thing indifferent namely whether he would destroy or remoue the Serpent For tell mee A Prince is praised for building a Church or Hospitall shall wee say hee was bound to doe it Was it not left arbitrarie to him whether he would by this or some other meanes declare his Princely magnificence to the Church or to the poore Secondly it is probable that the King did this by a diuine instinct N. When I vsed the like n In this first booke Chap. 3. answere you disallowed it as vnsound I. But I haue a firme reason for my Assertion A diuine ordinance could not bee disanulled but by a diuine ordinance and instinct But such was the brazen Serpent And therefore without some such instinct could not be lawfully defaced But this instinct being speciall cannot bee exemplarie Besides your Minor is not well confirmed out of Saint Iohn First because a figure cannot be the signe of a figure but of a thing figured except you meane that it was a paralel figure as Baptisme o 1. Pet. 3. 21. to the Floud But so you honour the Crosse more then we Secondly these places especially the first for the two latter make no mention of the Serpent doe resemble Christ to the Serpent and the Crosse only to the Pole or Instrument on which the Serpent was eleuated So that if you had spoken pertinently you should haue thus reasoned The brazen Serpent being worshipped was to be defaced But Christ was as the brazen Serpent And therefore being worshipped is to bee defaced This conclusion would serue well vnder the standard of Christ's Enemies N. My second argument to proue the Idolatry of the Crosse is this The Crosse is an Idolothite or thing offered to Idols and therefore is with them to be abolished I. Your reason is firme against the Popish Crosse and so drawes in the same yoke of impertinencie with the former Againe it is a phrase of hard concoction to say that an Idoll was offered to Idols Lastly meates consecrated to Idols might not be refused but in case of p 1. Cor. 10 25. scandall and therefore you may reserue this bul-rush till you come to that place N. Thirdly I thus proue the Idolatry of the Crosse It is a Relique and Monument of Idolatrie and therefore Idolatrous I. If this word Monument be deduced from q Monimentum à 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 permaneus vel à monendo monumentum vt documentum ac nocumentum à docendo nocendoque ducta remayning then how can our transient aeriall Crosse be a Monument But if it be taken from warning then is it onely a Monument as it is a motiue to Idolatrie And so your third and fourth Arguments iustle together as the Rockes called Symplegades in the Euxine Sea And this your fourth reason you may let passe till you speake of Scandall For if it be not Scandalous it is no motiue to Idolatrie N. From the Idolatrie of the Crosse I flie to the Superstition thereof which I proue also by foure Arguments First the Crosse was inuented by Valentinus the Heretique and confirmed by a Fabulous Vision fathered vpon Constantine namely that he saw the figure of the Crosse in the aire and heard these words Ouercome in r 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or by this or to this namely to Christ of whom this Crosse is a remembrance this whereupon hee is said to haue made the signe of the Crosse in his Standard Whereas it is more likely that he saw the Letters of Christ's name and therefore it cannot be but superstitious I. That Valentinus vsed it wee denie not But you cannot proue that he was the Inuentor thereof This is some thing like your Storie you told of Iubal the inuentor of Musique Againe
noble then the heart N. In a man it speaketh also and so is more noble I. But what say you to the tongue of a beast N. It is not more noble then the heart by it selfe but as it is a part of the head I. Will you conclude then that tassing is better then touching N. Nothing lesse For touching is the roote and first borne of sense yet touching with tasting is more excellent then simple touching I. In like manner though Baptisme be most necessarie because Children baptized haue all things necessary to Saluation yet Baptisme ioyned with Confirmation is more excellent then simple Baptisme No maruell then though it be assigned to a more excellent degree that is the Episcopall Especially seeing that Philip Acts 8. 16. though hee preached and baptized yet might not confirme this being reserued for the Apostles And now tell me where is our Contradiction N. You contradict your selues both in regard of your Doctrine and Practice For the first you teach that Children baptized haue all things necessary for saluation which if it bee true then what need of Confirmation I. Had the Israelites in the Wildernesse all things needfull to Saluation N. They had else their sinne should not want excuse I. They had only the the fiue Bookes of Moses were these sufficient to saluation N. They were for that time I. What then Were Iosua and the other Bookes needlesse N. They were also needfull in their season I. In like manner Baptisme of Infants is sufficient to them for eternall life if they die incontinently after Baptisme Neuerthelesse if they come to yeares both Confirmation and the Lords Supper may bee necessarie euen as repentance and the hearing of Sermons may not by you bee affirmed to bee needlesse to the purchase of heauen N. Againe you contradict your selues in practice For which of your Prelates doth vrge or vse Confirmation I. To reason from Practice to Lawes doth argue but a distempered mind Now the reason why the Fathers of our Church doe not so often Confirme Children is partly drawne from the shortnesse of time wherein they hold their Seates partly from the infinite molestations with which they are infested but principally from the obstinacie of the People who disdaine these things And no maruell considering your Frogges are permitted to croake in each Chamber CHAP. XV. Of the Lords Supper N. YOu may mis-tearme vs at your pleasure Neuerthelesse I proceed from the Sacraments appertaining to Children Namely Baptisme and Confirmation to those which belong to men of yeares Namely the Communion and Penance whereof the former belongs to men in health and the latter to sicke men onely I. Doe not wee also minister the Communion to the Sicke N. So you doe indeed as also you make it an appendix to Matrimony But of these wee shall intreate in their due places Now wee returne to your Publique Communion wherein three things wee dislike whereof two come before the third is in the act of receiuing Of those that come before this is the former Least after the taking of that holy Sacrament the Deuill enter as he entred into Iudas by which wordes you intimate that Iudas receiued the Lords Supper which is vntrue I. What then did he receiue N. He was only partaker of the Passeouer I. Be it so as you affirme yet is our argument most firme For if Satan entred into Iudas because hee did vnworthily receiue the Passeouer which was immediately to be abrogated what punishment shall abide vs if wee doe not duly partake of that Sacrament which shall not be altered till the Second Comming of Christ But now let vs heare how you proue that Iudas did not receiue the Lords Supper N. The Sop was before the Communion as being a part of the Passeouer For Luke saith the Communion was celebrated after the Supper meaning the a Luke 22. 20. Passeouer But immediately after the receiuing of the Sop b John 13. 30. Iudas departed and therefore could not bee made partaker of the Communion I. How doth it appeare that the Sop was a part of the Passeouer N. The Iewish Rabbins declare that a Cake was broken at the beginning of the Passeouer into two pieces whereof the one was eaten before the other after the Paschall Lambe both dipped in sawce of c Exod. 12. 8. sower hearbs I. Of the hearbs I reade in Scripture but neither of the sawce nor of the cake N. It seemes that Christ receiued it from some Tradition of the Elders who by their discretion did apportionate this Cake and Sawce to the Hearbs mentioned in the Law I. Could the Elders in the Synagogue appoint externall Ceremonies in God's seruice besides the letter of the Law And will you make Our Church like the seruile wife of a Russian not attempting to order the most indifferent things without expresse warrant from her husband And now to returne to Iudas How will you satisfie this argument After Supper was the d Luke 22. 20. Communion celebrated after which yet followed the words of Christ The hand of him that e Luke 22 21. and therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mat. 26. 26. is to be translated not comedentibus but cum comedissent being the second Aorist betrayeth me is with me at the table It seemeth then that Iudas was present at the Communion N. There is an Hysterosis in the Story of Luke For Matthew recording the same words doth repeat them before the administring of the Communion The like Preposteration is seene in the temptations of Christ. I. It would trouble you to tell which temptation was the second which the third and whither the Hysterosis were in Matthew or in Luke The like may be said of this Story Thus you perceiue for ought that you haue alleaged your opinion is but probable in this matter and yet as I before declared our Liturgie doth not contradict you N. The second thing that we dislike is that you allow the Confession before the Communion to bee vttered by any one of the Communicants in the name of the rest whereby a priuate man or woman is made the mouth of the Congregation N. The meaning of the Rubricke is this That one at the least necessarily shall ioyne with the Priest If all doe it voluntarily they See more Chapter 5. shall not bee prohibited as appeares by our Daily Practice N. In your receiuing of the Communion wee disallow your Idolatrous kneeling I. When we pray kneeling is a gesture most conuenient But in the receiuing wee doe pray by the commandement of the Church For both the Minister prayeth and wee also are commanded to receiue it with thankesgiuing which is a kind of Prayer and therefore kneeling cannot be denied to be expedient N. Your Maior is not firme For I suppose that few are accustomed to kneele when they giue thankes at meate I. You reason from a short Prayer to one of a more determinate nature From a Prayer in priuate businesse to one that
belonging to the liuing we come to the Buriall of the Dead wherein wee dislike the Person Manner and Place Touching the first we maruell that you make Buriall a Ministeriall Dutie seeing the Law prohibiteth the Priests to defile themselues by the e Leuit. 21. 1. Dead I. You were lately displeased because we vsed Purification being Iewish And now you would haue vs vse the Iewish manner of Buriall Wee like not this that with the same breath you blow both hot and f Reclusis illud hoc clausis Lahijs cold Againe tell I pray you what meane you by that defiled with the Dead N. It seemeth that g Leuit. 21. 3 4. lamentation is thereby meant I. Where is then your Argument The Priest may not lament for the Dead He may not therefore be present at Burials to comfort them that lament with his deuout exhortations and prayers N. We reade not that the Priests did burie any man and therefore to make this their office is against Scripture I. It is not against but besides Scripture were it as you pretend But the truth is we doe not appoint the Priest to burie that act being in a manner meerely ciuill but only to assist the Funerall for the comfort and instruction of the liuing N. The manner of your Burials doth also displease vs Forasmuch as you vse sundrie Prayers therein which seeme to fauour the Popish Purgatorie I. The Dumbe Shewes of Other Churches though wee condemne not yet wee cannot suppose that they containe so much reuerence and deuotion as our custome doth As for the Purgatorie you mention it is a forgerie of your owne Iealousie considering wee pray for nothing in the behalfe of the Dead saue only that wee seeme to be in good hope of their ioyfull resurrection of which matter wee treated in Baptisme N. Yea but Prayers being rehearsed at the Graue haue some smell of Superstition I. Were you as quicke-sented as the Vultures of Romulus yet could no such sauour bee here felt forasmuch as our Prayers being in the mother tongue are discerned by the meanest auditor to containe nothing but matter of consolation and hope to the liuing N. Funerall Sermons are of the same branne and therefore iustly abrogated in the Reformed Churches N. If those Sermons containe flatterie or errour wee may not defend them But if they be replenished with hopefull and consolatorie doctrines we doubt not to thinke them to bee of that nature of which was the famous lamentation of Dauid made for his King h 2. Sam. 1. 17. and his Friend Or of which were those worthy Orations i The Funerall Orations of Basill and Gregorie Funerall which deserue to bee written in Plates of gold celebrated in all antiquitie And certainly if a Word in Place k Prou. 25 11. and l Prou 15. 23. Time bee so precious If wee bee commanded to preach in m 2. Tim 4. 2. Season Can any Sermon be more seasonable then when God's iudgements concurre with his word when the sense of mortalitie doth kindle deuotion and griefe quickneth Charitie Thinke you that when the men of Iabesh fasted n 1. Sam. 31. 13 seuen dayes at the buriall of Saul and his sonnes and when Mary wept at the Tombe of her o Iohn 11. 31. brother a Sermon would haue beene vnseasonable Suppose you that in all those seuen dayes before mentioned prayers were not mingled with their fasting As for the Reformed Churches wee censure them not neither may they condemne vs Forasmuch as the Strangers amongst vs being men of their owne Countrie and Discipline doe still retaine Funerall Sermons N. Wee are most offended with your Place of Buriall which is the Church or Church-yard wherein you seeme to place great holinesse I. Wee doe in some Cities allow men to be buried in a field set apart for that purpose N. But euen that field is reputed holy ground I. And that most iustly For did not Abraham refuse to be buried among the p Gen. 23. 6. 9. Hittites Did he not there buy a field for buriall wherevpon the Place was called Hebron Did not Iacob desire to be buried with q Gen. 49. 30. Abraham Ruth with r Ruth 1. 17. Naomi The old man with the Å¿ 1. King 13. 31 man of Iuda Did not the Pharises purchase a field for t Math. 27. 7. strangers called Acheldama a field of u Acts 1. 19. Bloud Is it not probable that the brethren of Ioseph desired to bee buried with him in x Acts 7. 16. Shichem Did not the men in the Primitiue Church desire to be buried neere the Martyrs by whose Tombes afterwards in the Halcionian dayes of Peace Oratories and Churches were built for the honour of Martyrdome not for the worship of Martyrs Are not the bodies of Saints departed still members of Christ being vnited to their soules not onely by the relatiue hope of the resurrection but euen by the vnion of Christ's Spirit And by what more liuely signe can we testifie or signifie this our beliefe then by interring them in or neere some Church where they may be reserued better then in the y Where the Kings of Egypt were buried Pyramides of Egypt till the second comming of CHRIST Finis Libri Primi THE SECOND BOOKE Of the New Liturgie CHAP. I. Of the Booke of TOBIT FRom the Old wee passe to your New Liturgie wherein you haue both added the Apocryphall Bookes to the the Canon And haue in sundry sorts depraued the Canonicall Text it selfe I. The Apocryphal The Booke of the Articles of Religion Article 6. Bookes as Hierome saith the Church doth reade for example of life and instruction of manners But yet doth it not apply them to establish any Doctrine N. Against the reading of these Bookes I thus argue Whatsoeuer is read in the Church ought to be Canonicall Scripture But these Bookes are Apocryphall not of the Canon Wee may not therefore be vrged to reade them in the Church I. First your conclusion strayeth from your reason like a bird from her nest It should haue beene thus framed They may not therefore be read in the Church You pretend as if you were vrged and inforced to reade them the â—utâ— is if you did not delight in contention as the Viper that was pleased with the bloud of her owne tongue which shee grated against the file you might easily perceiue that the Booke leaueth it to your discretion whether you will read a Canonicall or an Apocryphall Chapter N. If we may not reade them then much lesse bee vrged to the reading of them So that my Conclusion was a Secondarie or Corollarie naturally following out of the proper conclusion of mine argument I. In the meane time you see that your oft complaints of vrging and hard vsage being both causelesse and respectlesse doe deserue to exasperate the State against you For many things â—o doubt had beene either altered or mitigated had
The Poets doe sufficiently shew that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth betoken a place of Ioy aswell as of Paine I. Indeed they place Elisium in Hell but that they mingled Heauen whither they sent their Heroes with Hell cannot be confirmed out of their Poems But now I pray you tell me had you beene at the framing of that Booke of Iudeth what word would you haue vsed instead of Titans which should haue bin equipollent to the name of Giants vnlesse you condemne that name also N. I will not busie my selfe about amending that which is all faultie and yet I must ingenuously confesse that I cannot dislike the name giant forasmuch as it is found in c Gen. 6. 4. Genesis and d Io◠15. 8. Ioshua I. Doe you remember whence the name giant is deriued N. It may bee from Gyges or Gog the King of the Lydians But the receiued opinion is that it is deduced from being borne of the e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 earth I. Indeed wee reade that the earth in the Poets did bring forth giants but will you beleeue that men came of the ground like mushromes By this you may perceiue that the word giant is as poeticall as that of Titan as also that the Storie of Iudeth is not as you pretend like the verses of Dionysius amended only by blotting out But now I pray you cease to bee like Antoninus a cutter of f 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cummin and so come on to the matter N. In the matter then wee disallow both the circumstances and actions Of the first ranke are time and place Concerning the time of this Storie it cannot be declared with any certaintie and therefore it must needs be a Fable or at least a Parable I. The Stories of Iob and Ruth and it may be of Hester will hardly admit any determination of time will you burie these also in the graue of Fables I beleeue it would molest you to make a true Chronologie of the Booke of Iudges or of Daniels seuentie weekes Yea if you were strictly examined in what yeare or age the eleuen Tribes fought with Beniamin Or in what yeare of Herod Our Sauiour was borne or how many yeares he preached vpon the earth or how long time is calculated in the Storie of the Acts you would be as dumbe as a man at the first fight of a Wolfe Shall all these things be fabulous therefore because wee liuing in the prison of ignorance cannot cleerely discerne the light of truth Againe it is more then probable that the Storie of Iudeth fell out vnder the raigne of King Manasses N. The vntruth of this assertion may be shewed three wayes First thus In the time of Manasses the Temple was not destroyed as appeareth by his g 2. King 21. 4. Story But it was leuelled with the ground in the dayes of h Iudeth 5. 18 Iudeth she was not therefore in the time of Manasses I. To your Minor First I oppose other places in i Iudeth 4. 2. 8. 24. Iudeth yea indeed the whole tenour of the Booke euery where affirming the Temple then to haue stood N. This is but to shew what contradictions are in the Storie I. Nothing lesse For tell mee whose words did you alledge N. They were the words of Achior before Holophernes I. Doe you beleeue the speech of Rabshakeh when hee said that Hezekiah had taken away the Altar of the k 2. King 18. 22. Lord N. It was an ignorant speech of a Pagan For the Altars demolisht by Hezekiah were not the Lords but heathenish and deuillish I. So it may be Achior being an ignorant Amonite might vntruly report the destruction of the Temple N. It is not likely hee should erre in a matter of fact especially being so famous I. His words may be otherwise interpreted after this manner the Temple was made as the ground that is was reputed prophane and common ground namely during the captiuitie of l See Iunius vpon this Place Manasses N. My second argument is this It is said that Iudeth was a faire m Iudeth 8. 7. woman also that shee liued an hundred and fiue n Iudeth 16. 23. yeares Lastly that there was no trouble in Israel for many yeares after her o Iudeth 16. 25. death Now wee know that from the death of Mansses to the destruction of the Temple were but fiftie fiue yeares and to the captiuitie of Ieconias out fortie foure So that if she were sixtie yeares old at the death of Manasses she must liue a whole yeare after the deportation of Ieconias I. Your computation holds together like ropes of sand And first I pray you how old was Sarah when she was said to bee faire by p Genes 12. 11. Abraham N. Shee was about the sixtie fift yeare of her age I. The Iewes also doubt not to say that she was beautifull at the hundreth yeare N. What is that to Iudeth I. It may be she was sixty yeares old when shee came before Holophernes It may be this was done twentie yeares before the death of Manasses and so she might die twentie yeares before the Captiuitie of Ieconias Can you produce any thing against this but your owne confident coniectures Should you vpon so light grounds disgrace the Stories of Thucidides Diodorus or Suetonius would not men thinke of you as of the Estridge in q Iob. 39 20. Iob that you were depriued of vnderstanding N. I can swallow your bitter or rather poysoned pils But I come to my third reason on this manner This act was done by Iudeth either before or in the time of the Captiuitie of Manasses or after his returne from Babel I. The first is affirmed by none as farre as I remember N. The second is refuted by the words of Achior who saith that they were then returned from q Iudeth 5. 19. captiuitie I. They that defend this opinion may answere that as some returned from Babylon in the daies of Cyrus and some not till the time of Darius Nothus about an hundred yeares after So some of these captiues might haue returned and yet the King remaine in Bondage N. This is but the opinion of Bellarmine one of the Knights of the Poast for Romish Religion I. Wee rather thinke it was done after the returne of Manasses N. First then Why is r Iudeth 4. 6. Ioacim the Priest onely named in this action of warre no mention at all being made of the King who was most interessed therein I. Why is not the Deuill named in the temptation of Euah and in the Vision presented to King Saul forasmuch as hee was principall Agent in both enterprizes N. These Stories are declared not according to things done but after their appearance I. It may be King Manasses did not appeare in this matter For it is probable that he was lately deliuered from the King of Assiria Hee was not willing openly to be seene in an action which
I vsed Polygamie The second exposition is this But rather being good that is in regard of my soule which though it were not free from Originall sinne yet was endued with as much strength of nature as may bee namely in respect of vnderstanding memorie or fancie came into a bodie vndefiled either with a too fierie or to foggie a complexion whereby the operations of my soule might haue beene made ouer dull or precipitate If either of these two meanings bee admitted your two imputations will vanish Lastly your latter errour which you pretend hath no ground For he saith not because I was good but being good I came into a bodie vndefiled shewing not the cause but the concurrent condition of the soule when it obtained a good bodie Neither indeed is your former aspersion very probable For though he say I came into the Bodie it followeth not herevpon that the Soule was made before This rather may bee the meaning My soule being created and infused came in an instant into the bodie N. In the second place wee mislike these words f Wisdome 14. 14. 15. When a father mourneth grieuously for his sonne c. By which place is intimated that the first beginning of Idols was the custome of the mourning for the dead whereas wee reade of Idols long before namely in the dayes of Rahel yea of Abraham and g Gen. 31. 19. 53. Ios 24 2. See Caluin Instit Lib. 1. Chap. 11. Sect. 8. Terah I. First the Authour maketh this only the occasion of the publique adoration of Idols by the commandement of Tyrants What is this to Rahel or Abraham which for ought you can produce had only their priuate wil-worships But tell mee I pray you what was Tammuz for whom the women mourned in the h Ezek. 8. 14. Prophet N. Some thinke he was Adonis Others say better that he was Osiris King of Egypt and husband to Isis who being slaine of his Brother Typhon was by her lamented and deified I. At what time raigned Osiris in Egypt N. Surely he was a most ancient King For he with his wife instructed the Egyptians in the vse of Wheate and Barley So that it may seeme hee was before the time of Abraham who went into Egypt when there was a famine in Canaan which he had not done if the vse of graine had not beene there knowne I. You see then by all probabilitie that the Idoll Tammuz was before Abraham and it may bee also before Terah For was not Prometheus the sonne of Iapetus or Iapheth the elder brother of Shem which first framed Idols much more ancient then Terah N. We insist not so much vpon the Antiquitie of Idols Only we say that man's minde desirous of a visible God was rather the originall cause of them then the fashion of the lamenting for the dead I. The Authour speakes not of the inward cause but of the outward and publique occasion Now you cannot proue that the Idolatrie of Rahel or Terah was not thus occasioned N. From the Booke of Wisdome I come to the Booke of Ecclesiasticus wherein we first mislike the Argument and Prologue then the Treatise it selfe I. The Argument is extant only in some Greeke Copies Neither seemeth it to be compiled by the Authour of the Booke Haue you not obserued that the subscriptions of Saint Raul's Epistles haue beene blamed by Ancient Diuines as things added by some vnskilfull Clarkes And what if the same should fall out euen in this Argument But now declare the fault thereof N. These words seeme to be very i The argument of Ecclesiasticus verse 8. according to Iunius arrogant This Iesus did imitate Salomon and was no lesse famous in wisdome and doctrine c. I. Why doe not you translate them as Iunius did namely thus He was a follower of Salomon no lesse endeauouring to proue wisdome and Learning what is the scruple N. He seemeth to equallize Iesus to Salomon I. When wee say Let thy will bee done on earth as it is in heauen And forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue Also when k Math. 5. 48. Christ saith You shall bee perfect as your father which is in heauen is perfect is it intended that we should doe Gods will equally to the Angels Or that we should pardon sinne or bee perfect in equalitie God N. These phrases doe not import a iust equalitie but a likenesse of proportion according to the degree and measure of our weaknesse I. The same may be here affirmed For as Salomon by his infused gifts did search out wisdome so Iesus no doubt by his purchased habits might tread the same steps though in an vnlike degree and bee as famous in his time and kinde as Salomon was in his N. In the Prologue these words declare the spirit of the Authour to bee nothing l In the Prologue of Ecclesiasticus verses 6 7. according to Iunius propheticall And to this take it in good worth though wee seeme to some in some things not able to attaine to the interpretation of such words as are hard to bee expressed For the things that are spoken in the Hebrew tongue haue an other force in themselues then when they are translated into an other tongue c. Furthermore the first words take in good worth are in the m 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Greeke to haue or giue pardon A phrase nothing befitting the maiestie of God's Spirit I. First the Greeke word may signifie some thing else then pardon or remission Saint Paul vseth it for n 1. Cor. 7. 6. Permission Besides it is a strange phrase in Greeke to haue pardon for to giue pardon The simple meaning of the place is to permit willingly or beneuolently or take in good worth as wee translate it Secondly he saith not if we be vnable but if wee seeme to be vnable Thirdly he maketh a translation to be inferiour to the originall and the Greeke to the Hebrew The former is plaine by daily experience The latter may be thus explained First the Greeke tongue came by the confusion at Babel whereas the Hebrew was more ancient and diuine Secondly the Hebrew roots are verbs and those few and are easily found by certaine Letters whereas the Greeke Theames are variable infinite intricate Thirdly whatsoeuer the Greeke doth adde to or take from the Hebrew proceedeth from imperfection as namely the adding of the neuter gender and of cases as also of indefinite tenses is a thing most needlesse So the taking away of genders out of verbes and the future tense out of the Imperatiue Moode which only should haue beene therein as also of the fiue last formes of Coniugations wherein the Arabians were imitated doth argue great confusion Fourthly if this Prologue were penned by the Authour and your argument were in full force the Booke were only excluded the Canon but not out of the Church wherein we defend that Apocryphall Bookes may be read for morall vse Fiftly to
the Citie might be set on fire in the fift yeare and yet the flame being extinguished the last burning of Ierusalem might bee deferred till the eleuenth Another coniecture may be this that the fift yeare is put for the fift moneth that is of the eleuenth yeare For in the fourth moneth of the eleuenth yeare was the Citie k Jer. 52. 6. taken and in the fift moneth of the same yeare came Nabuzaradan who burnt the l 2 Kings 25. 8. Citie For it may seeme strange that Baruch should set down the yeare and day but not the moneth N. As strange as you make it it is vsed in the Storie of the m 2. Kings 15 3 Kings where it is said and the ninth day of the moneth the famine was sore no number of the moneth being expressed I. But Ieremie resolues that this was the fourth moneth which if hee had not done we should neuer haue vnderstood that place in the Kings And some would haue coniectured by moneth to be meant the first moneth which as you see is refuted by Ieremie N. To leaue your intricate Chronologie the second place wee disallow is in these n Baruch 3. 4. words Heare the dead Israelites where it seemeth the Prayers of the Saints in Heauen are allowed after the Popish manner I. Where doe you reade that by dead Israelites are meant the Saints in Heauen N. Were not Abraham Isaacke and Iacob now dead I. But Christ tels vs that they are o Math. 22. 32. liuing For he is their God But he is not the God of the dead but of the liuing N. Saint Paul saith that hee is the God of the p Rom. 4. 9. dead also I. Christ speaketh of God in mercie in regard of redemption the Apostle treateth of God in power in respect of creation and moderation of things But tell mee is it not an vnreuerend and vnproper phrase to say that God heares the prayers of the dead Saints for it is confessed that the Saints in generall pray for vs. The first is plaine for it can be little then profane to call them dead which liue with God The latter is euident For seeing they pray as they are aliue not as they are dead it is but a rough-hewne speech to tearme them the prayers of dead men Besides two other interpretations may be brought First by dead Men may be meant men dead in q Math. 8. 22. Ephes 2. 1. sinnes This is confirmed by the wordes following in the same verse which haue sinned Secondly they may be said to be dead in regard of their infinite troubles and so they are said to bee defiled r Baruch 3. 11. with the dead To the same purpose is the vision of the bones shewed to the Å¿ Ezek. 37. 1. Prophet N. But how doth it appeare that here are not meant dead men whose soules are out of their bodies I. Baruch directly t Baruch 2. 17. denies that such men pray for so Iunius expoundeth it N. In the Epistle of Ieremie we allow neither the title nor the treatise The title seemeth to make Ieremie the Authour of this Epistle which we finde not in his prophesie I. Your negatiue argument is an old Pigmies bul-rush against the Craines as it is in the Fable But we pray you coniecture with Iunius that Ieremy sent this Epistle by u Ier. 51. 59. Seraraâ— N. In the Treatise first we dislike these words x Baruch 6. 2. seuen generations where a generation is taken for ten yeares against the vse of Scripture phrase I. It will be hard for you to binde Baruch to the calculations of Iubilies If you doe the answere will bee that the Greeke Interpreter vsed the Greekish accompt For example Hee that translated Xiphilin into Latine for the Greeke Drachma doth vse the Latine Denarius and aureus for twentie fiue y Drachma or Denarius is 7. d. â—oo aureus 15 s. â—d ob Drachmaes So the Greeke Expositor finding seuenty yeares in in the Hebrew expressed it by seuen generations which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Romans z Pergama quum caderent bello superata bilustri tempora bilustâ—â—a that is times of ten yeares Wee in England would haue tearmed them ten liues that is seuen yeares to a life N. Secondly we cannot in dure your immoderate prayses of this Chapter For you haue publiquely taught That it is more able to conuince the Papists of Idolatrie then the Canonicall text I. This was said not because it was equall with the Canon but first because they haue added it to the Canon and yet it crosseth their Idolatrie For whatsoeuer arguments are here brought against the Idols of Pagans the same may be alleadged against Popish Images Secondly because this Chapter is a compendious collection of those things which are largely propounded in Scriptures And thus your arguments against the reading of the Apocryphall Bookes in the Church are become like a white cloud without raine or like an Eunuch embracing * Ecclesiasticus 20. 3. 30. â—0 a Virgin CHAP. IV. Of the Translation of the Psalmes N. FRom the Bookes Apocryphall I ascend to the vndoubted Canon consisting of Psalmes and Chapters First of the Psalmes as being wholy set downe in your Liturgie We say that you haue deformed them both in quantitie and qualitie Concerning quantitie you haue detracted and added You haue detracted sentences and words Of the first kind are the titles of the Psalmes which you haue omitted I Declare I pray you the number and kinds of those titles N. Twentie and fiue Psalmes haue no title at all Now of those which haue titles annexed about fortie two haue distinct titles shewing their cause outward or inward The outward is the end or efficient Titles declaring the end are such as these A Prayer of Dauid A Psalme of prayse for remembrance or of Instruction Whereby it appeareth that some Psalmes are Petitions some Thankesgiuings which are two kinds of Prayer Others bee Instructions The titles shewing the Efficient are these A Psalme of Dauid To Ieduthun To Asaph c. whereby the Penman or Singer is described The inward cause is the matter or forme The matter is expressed in the titles setting downe the occasion of the Psalme as in Psalmes 3. 7. 18. c. The outward forme is seene in those titles which describe the Musicall keyes to bee vsed in song as in Psalme fourth ninth and others I. To speake in order of these tittles I say three things First I probably thinke that they were not compiled by the Authours of the Psalmes Secondly that they be not needfull Thirdly that they are imperfect The first I thus explaine First it is not likely that Dauid would haue set downe the foureteenth and fiftie third Psalmes forasmuch as they differ scarcely in three words excepting the titles which are so different that they seeme not to come from the same Authour The like is to be thought of
it as we p 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ◠doe intimating a prayer conioyned to his valiant act by both which he wrought the attonement N. But where doe you reade in the Storie of Phinees that he prayed I. Where finde you in Exodus that Moses said I feare and quake N. Though it bee not extant in Moses yet we find it in the Epistle to the q Heb. 12. 21. Hebrewes which is to vs most authenticall I. In like manner Though Phinee's praier be not found in Moses yet dare wee not denie credit to Dauid reporting the same N. Your last r Psal 119. 122 corruption is where you interpret thus make me delight in good whereas it should be answer for me in that is good Or bee my suretie in the thing which is good I. This Cobweb is not worth the sweeping downe For who conceiueth not that God causeth vs to delight in goodnesse when he becommeth our sure suretie for our good And thus your twentie obiections against the Psalmes are become like the apples of Sodome turned into smoke ashes and brimstone CHAP. V. Of the Lessons Epistles and Gospels N. FRom the Psalmes I proceed to the Chapters wherein we blame your reading and Translation In your reading we disallow your omission of so many Chapters Namely about two hundred and ten So that of 1039. Chapters you reade but 829. I. The cause of our action is double First sundry Chapters be exceeding hard and therefore not fit to be read without a 1. Cor. 14. 28. interpretation N. This place hath beene fitly applied by some of our brethren against reading in the Church where there is no preaching I. Digresse not now You know the place is meant of the interpretation of tongues and not of preaching But to let your opinion goe currant now if no Chapters may be read without an Interpreter How much more should those be vnread which be intricate and such only are by vs omitted These are of foure kinds First some containe Genealogies as Gen. 10. 11 36 Exod. 6. Likewise the first of Matthew and the third of Luke in b Math. 1. 1. to the 18. Luke 3. 23. to the end part N. By this reason you should omit the fist of Genesis which is nothing but a Genealogie I. That is vntrue For besides the Doctrine of Originall sinne and the taking away of c Gen 5. 3. Enoch the long liues and deaths of the eight Patriarches are declared also the time of the Floud and the Preseruation of the Church is made knowne Secondly some be Ceremoniall as Exod. 25. to the 32. and 35. to the end of the Booke Leuit. 1. to the 18. Likewise 21. to the 26 also the last Chapter of the same Booke The like is to be said of sundry Chapters in Numbers and those two in Deuteronomie the 14. and 23. Thirdly some containe the description of places as Ioshua 15. to the 23. Fourthly some are Prophetically mysticall as all the Song of Salomon and many Chapters in Ezekiel especially the nine last And Apocal. 2. to the 22. The second cause of our action is For that some Chapters doe onely repeate things else-where deliuered Of this kind are the Bookes of the Chronicles and the seuenth of Nehemiah N. But why doe you omit the eighteenth of Iob I. I haue shewed you else-where That those Chapters vttered by the three friends of Iob containe an d Chap. 1. of the first booke errour and therefore if none of them were read without an Interpreter it were more safe for the people Of this number is this Chapter vttered by Bildad What other particular reason may be rendred thereof I am ignorant N. But why doe you not reade the thirtieth of the Prouerbs I. The Chapter is very loftie and obscure and therefore an easier Lesson were fitter for the people N. This tearme of Lesson is Childish I. It is but the English of Lection and Lecture a word vsed by e Acts 13. 15. 15. 21. Saint Luke N. To leaue your reading I proceed to your translation wherein twentie other faults are obserued aswell as in your Psalmes These also are in quantitie and qualitie In the quantitie as before Substraction and Addition I. The aduersaries of Paul gaue him one stripe lesse then fortie You giue your Mother the Church full fortie stripes Besides you are bad Arithmeticians setting Substraction before Addition But if instead of Substraction you had put Detraction the thing the name had kept time together Now declare what materiall thing haue we taken away N. You haue cut of wordes twice in Saint Luke and once in the Epistle to the Colossians The first place in Luke is where you reade this f Luke 1. 36. In the Gospel of the Anunciation is the sixt moneth which is called barren whereas it should be this is her sixt moneth or the sixt moneth to her I. Few hearers are of so leaden vnderstanding which hearing this Storie read will not conceiue that Elizabeth and not the moneth is here termed barren Wherefore you doe but trifle about words especially considering that your first correction this is her sixt moneth which is also extant in our Church Bibles makes the sentence neuer the lesse subiect to caption if a man list to straine at a gnat And your latter emendation This is the sixt moneth to her though smelling of the Greeke phrase yet will neuer agree to our English Idiome N. Secondly in Luke you omit these words g Luke 10. 1. In the Gospell on Saint Lukes day After these things whereby the coherence of the text and Chronologie is declared I. When wee reade the Chapter wee omit not these words But when wee reade the Gospel the coherence you pretend is not so needfull but that it may be omitted As for any particular Chronologie out of these wordes it is hard to be gathered N. You haue not a little erred in cutting the Bible into these Epistles Gospels which are more like to shreds and fragments then to true Chapters I. Forasmuch as the whole Bookes could not bee read at once it was thought fit besides the Diuision into Chapters to extract certaine smaller Models yet containing whole matters that the people might bee instructed more plentifully by the reading of the text And herein you nod your head at the Primitiue Antiquitie N. In the Epistle to the h Col. 3. 12. In the fift Sunday after the Epiphanie Colossians you geld these words Holy and beloued I. You are not vnlike Cham who according to the fable of the Hebrewes made his Father vnapt for generation So would you make your Mother the Church vnfit for the regeneration of men for that watching much she winked once and let slip a brace of words the Emphasis whereof she retaines notwithstanding in the Sentence For they which put on the bowels of pitie as the elect of God are they not Holy and Beloued N. You haue added also