Against the apple o◠〈…〉 of antichrist or the masse 〈…〉 lurking darknesse making way for the apple of the right eye of antichrist the compleat masse book of palpable darknesse This apple of the left eye commonly called the liturgie or service book is in great use both among the halting papists and compleat papists and the things written heere are also against the compleat masse book IOHN X. veâ—â—â— All that ever came before mee ar◠〈◊〉 and robbeâ—â— but the sheep did not heare them vers 9. I am the doore by 〈…〉 man 〈◊〉 in bee shall be saved and shall go in and 〈◊〉 and find◠〈◊〉 vers 10. The thief cometh not but fâ—◠〈◊〉 steale and to kill and to destroy I am come that 〈◊〉 â—ight have life and that they might have it more 〈…〉 Printed Annâ— 16â—â— The Contents of this Book IF superstitious rites be comely in Gods Kirk Quest 1. How many wayes doth this masse book restraine the libertie of Gods Spirit Of crossing confirmation how Gods worship bindereth other parts of Gods worship Qu. 2 By what clouds of darknesse is the light of the gospell obscured in the kingdome of antichrist Of governing the kirk by prelats the oath of intrains Quest 3. The evidencies of idolatrie in this book how all wil-worship is idolatrie The sorts of Idolatrie Qu. 4. What popes first ordeined the superstitions of this book Of feasts or holie dayes and fasting dayes Of reading Scriptures out of their owne canon their incorporation with witches charmes with the Alcoran c. Privat Sacraments the surplice crossing c. Q. 5. Should Scriptures bee left out for obscuritie Qu. 6. Wherefore omitted in reading Qu. 7. If they edifie lesse and yet should bee read Qu. 8. If the reading of this book be Divine service because of the Scriptures contained in it Qu. 9. 10. Of fixing the Scriptures vnto set dayes Set dayes of fasting and thanksgiving Qu. 10. Of set formes of prayer and conceived Q. 11 Conceived prayers are also set formes c. Qu. 12. We may use some set formes Q. 1â— The Scriptures are a set forme the Lords prayer the 10. Commands and Articles of belief Qu 14. Of catecheticall Doctrine Qu. 15. Of libertie in indifferent things Qu. 16. when lawfull ceremonies become vnlawfull Qu. 17. The patriarkâ— were taught without Scriptures Ergo wee may want some Scriptures Qu. 18. Are not traditions best when reading and preaching the Scriptures profite nothing Qu. 19. The pride and covetousnesse of the Clergie at Divine service Qu. 20. Pride at the communion Qu. 21. If this book may be used when it is corrected Qu. 21. The vse of a table taken away Q. 23. 24. Of giving the elements out of the Ministerâ— hands If Christ did so to all c. The meaning of the words I will not drink of the fruit of the vine The signification of the elements Qu. 25. The minister goeth about to distribute Qu 26. Of kneeling to the Sacrament for humilitie It is as lawfull to honour Christ by giving the inward as the outward worship to the elements Qu. 27. Of adoring the Sacrament because it is 〈◊〉 holy ordinance Qu. 28. We bow towards a king Ergo. Qu. 29. We should vse the Sacraments reverently Ergo c. Qu. 30. It is an excitative mids Ergo c. Qu. 31. If the sacrament bee worshiped when wee adore before it Qu. 32. Of vncovering the head c. Qu. 33. Of sitting Jackfellow like with Christ Q. 34. The midses and objects of indifferencie Oâ— necessitie Of a determinat religious adoration which is the mids of neceâ—â—â—tie that iâ— neerest unto God who is adored Salomon worshipped before the altar By what sorts of union was GOD united to the things wherein he appeared Qu. 35. If more learned men should bee obeyed Qu. 36. We can not cast away all rites c. Qu. 37. Nor worship God if we eschew all that idolaters doe Qu. 38. Why doe you who kneel not deâ—â—â— from our communions Qu. 39. Whether I preach or not mere is danger Qu. 40. Better to yeeld to some abuses then 〈◊〉 theefe or wolf should enter into my place Qu. 41. The profitable meanes to keepe men from apostasie Qu. 4â— QUESTION ALL the rites and ceremonies prescribed in this masse book are they not used in Gods kirk for comlinesse and decency Answere Thus you do calumniat Christ our Lord and his apostles as if they had worshipped God undecently because they used not these rites 2. Is it decent that a Queene shall be clad with the garments of a whore you do cloath Gods kirk with the garments of the whore of Babylon by idolatrous and superstitious rites 3. Is it decency in Gods kirk that either rulers or usurping prelats by their lawes shall burden mens consciences persecute them if they obey not such laws 4. If a servant binde his masters hands and feet that he may not stir nor walk nor move himselfe If the servant I say being accused for the same shall answer I did it for decency think you this a decent answere But the authors obtruders of this book do binde Gods spirit so far as lyeth in them by restraining the free passage of the gifts of Gods Spirit in their lawfull and right use among Gods people Quest How many wayes do the popish prelates by this book restraine the libertie of Gods spirit so far as their power may reach Ans They lay bands on Gods spirit by hindering the register of Gods truth viz. the Canonicall Scriptures to be read in publick divine service placing in stead thereof rent and clipped pieces of Scriptures with humaine traditions 2. They destroy the holy order wherein God◠〈◊〉 placed the Scriptures as if the most High had 〈…〉 them like a God of confusion They have turned this order into Babylonish confusion and Gods Spirit is restrained from the use of his own holy order among his people 3. By obtruding this book they hinder oftimes preaching and interpretation of scriptures which are the gifts of Gods Spirit 4. They hinder the indifferent use of time in reading his word by fixing the reading of the scriptures unto set dayes of the year 5. They hinder and restraine Gods spirit in not making known the whole extent of his word for there are a hundreth and twentie chapters of the scriptures unto the publick reading whereof they appoint no time of the yeer 6. They binde and restraine the gifts of Gods spirit in his Ministers at publick prayer so that whatsoever holy meditations God shall put in their hearts they may not expresse them if they be not in the forme of the words of this book This is a forbidding of Gods Spirit to give any meditations to his servants otherwise then this book prescribeth 7. They force the people to kneel when the priest rehearseth the law and giveth the sacramentall elements so that God is hindred of that honour that if himself were rehearseing the law he shall not
they therefore be read for Divine service And also they and the scriptures called Aâ—â—â—crypha can prove nothing which may beget nor establish saving faith in the hearts of men 4. God in His word did registrat the lives doings and sayings of many Pagans and wicked men as are Nimrod Balaam Pharaoh and Haman and of the devill plagueing Job tempting Christ and entring into Judas c. these should bee read in Divine service But who dare censure GODS doing and who dare imitate his practise in hatching new Scriptures All fire in Heaven and in earth is but fire yet if God send fire from himself upon the sacrifices who dare burn them with strange fire Qu. 11. Is not this book good for publict prayer in that it setteth down some formes thereof for in conceaved prayer men spend their time in thinking what should be their wants and what way to expresse them before God Ans 1. The knowledge of the wants of Christians is alwayes present to such as are nor senslesse and carelesse the manner of expressing of them is at hand to such as are frequented with Divine service for use maketh promptnesse 2. Your set formes of prayer know not mens particular nor yet their common wants which occasionally may fall out into Gods kirk and therefore they can not make the time shorter by discovering unto men their wants neither can they expresse their occasionall wants There is more time â—pended before that thou canst apply a set forme unto thy heart and stir up thy desires thereby without the which thou doest not pray but prat 3. Thou must also take time to consider if thou hast need of the things contained in the set forme for it will perturb 〈◊〉 prayer to seek deliverance from war tempest famine thunder and pestilence when such things are not neer unto thee This prayer is commanded to be said in the Litany which is appointed for the Wednesdayes Fridayes and Sundayes such a prayer is a mocking of GOD. 4. The set forme perturbeth thy minde in publict prayer when true griefs and wants come into thy minde and thou hast no libertie to expresse them unto GOD because they are not mentioned in the set forme 5. Thou that condemnest a conceived prayer doest also condemne the set formes for all set formes were conceived by these who first published them Why may not wee then use now also conceived prayers If any pray for things unlawfull let the kirk censure them If any pray for things agreeable to GODS glory and the well of his kirk how dare any accuse it This masse book teacheth men not to be Christians but apes in unpertinent gestures of standing sitting kneeling c. and parrats in reading praying vociferation and crying unpertinently All is hypocrisie the very substance of antichristian devotion Qu. 12. Doth not the conceived prayer used by the preacher become also a set forme unto the people if they fixe their meditations and devotion unto his prayer why then may not both the preachers and people use the set formes of this book Ans 1. When the Preacher conceiveth a prayer GODS Spirit is no wayes restrained for he expresseth as Gods Spirit informeth him And if the people in the meane time have the same information at the hearing of the Preacher then no man hindereth 〈◊〉 expression thereof by themselves But if GODâ— Spirit put in them any heavenly meditations different from the words and meditations of the Preacher they may also secretly expresse them 2. Every day as troubles or changes shall fall out in kirk or common-wealth GOD offereth unto men new occasions to have variety of meditations and of the expressing of them in prayer The set formes in the masse book do hinder both Preachers and People from such expression Qu. 13. May not preachers sometimes vse some ordinary set forme of prayer Ans They may if the prayer conteine only things that are perpetually needfull for GODS kirk as Confession of sins mercy and remission of sins sanctification of life a blessing to the present exercise increase of faith c. that thereby ignorant people if there be but one of them in the whole flock who understand nothing and have neither form nor words of prayer at all at the least they may learne some form of prayer to call upon God in such a forme is better then not to call upon God at all This forme so used restraineth not Gods Spirit both because the matter of it is perpetually needfull as also because it hindereth none to say conceived prayers before or after as men think good Experience hath shown that the memories of some people have beene so weak that neither painâ—s nor travell nor repetitions could make them get perqueer the LORDS Prayer Others have learned the LORDS Prayer but no further others learned also some set forme but could never conceive a prayer â—â—â—refore these preachers are both undiscreet and uncharitable who deny altogether a set forme of prayer unto weak Christians who can neither understand nor imitate a conceived prayer It is mercilesse Divinitie that showeth no pitie upon the infirme and ignorant Christians Then when the Ministers have thus taken care for the ignorant people they do best afterwards to conceive their prayers that the libertie of GODS Spirit in his gifts may be enlarged and not diminished and that the more learned people by the diversitie of the Preachers meditations may bee edified as well by his prayer as by his preaching Paul become as under the Law for them that were under the Law he became weak for them that are weak he became all things unto all men that he might gaine some So the faithfull and true Pastors that are not hirelings neither puft up with a conceat of spirituall gifts they will accommodat themselves not only to strong Christians with diversitie change of meditations in a conceived prayer but also to the weak and infirme for whom Christ dyed with a set forme containing things ever needfull for Gods Kirk that the infirme may be gained untill the Lord bring them to greater perfection Qu. 14. Their are set formes of Divine service in scriptures as the Lords prayer and the 10. commandments may not wee make set formes following this example Ans 1. The whole word of GOD in the Old and New Testament is a set forme of Gods revealed will for us to make use of in the practise of a holy life but not in the practise of making new formes May wee then make new Scriptures and Gospels as we please containing the form set down by Gods Spirit 2. 〈◊〉 set formes in Scripture do not lay bands on Gods Spâ—â—rit they were the effects of his libertie which hee used at his pleasure He may restraine and command us we may not do so unto him 3. Masters who appoint set formes of service are offended if their servants do not obey them as they command but as the servants like to obey The antichristian Prelates themselves are not
sworne lawfull albeit they pretend true religion and divine worship yet oftimes it subverteth both 20. By obscuring the evidency of the visible word to wit Christs sacraments both by forging confirmation and other popish sacraments and in giving privatly baptisme and the communion when as the Sacraments should be publict badges of our Christian profession and by adding unto the true Sacraments superstitions which Christ never ordained as crossing unto baptisme altars unto the LORDS supper 21. By confounding the signes with the thing signified as in affirming the bread and wine to be the naturall body and bloud of Christ 22. By confounding humaine traditions with divine ordinances for they observe as strictly crossing the saying of Ave Maria praying for the dead c as any point of Christian religion 23. By equalling in honour the creatures with the Creator as in appointing fixed dayes of the year unto Saincts and observing them as solemnly and religiously as they do the LORDS Sabboths as in praying to Saincts and Angels in dedicating religious places to Saints and Angels as the temple of Ierusalem was dedicate unto GOD. 24. By attributing divine vertue unto creatures unto actions and unto imagenarie things as unto works of charitie that they merite any thing from GOD as believing that Saints and Angels can heare our prayers or interceed for us and that crossings relicts holy water altars and masse cloathes have power to sanctifie other things as by giving Divine vertue to Baptisme and the Lords Supper saying Opus operatum the work done may save or sanctifie that purgatory can purge from sin or satisfie for sin 25. By forged and lying miracles and other lies in Popish legends 26. By miraculous things in nature calling them supernaturall and saying they are done of GOD to confirme some points of superstition and idolatrie Upon a Christmas day about the yeer 1606. in London a woman handled her apron rudelie oftimes it did cast out fire like flint Some said It was a divine miracle proving thereby that this superstitious day should be keept holy But the truth was that the apron was dipted into melted suggar and thereafter it was dryed at the fire and so hardned and then when any did touch the apron or smite it rudelie fire came out of it It is the nature of well dryed suggar if it be not mixed with other matter to cast fire when it is smitten violentlie 27. By misinterpreting the terrors of GODS judgements for the defence of antichristian errors In the yeer of GOD 1621. in a Parliament holden at Edinburgh it was concluded that these superstitious articles should be embraced and observed in Scotland to wit Geniculation to the Sacrament private Baptisme private Communion Confirmation and some holy Dayes At the very moment of concluding this Parliament there was heard such terrible thunder with raine that the LORDS within the Parliament house and the Citizens without were striken with great fear astonishment Some taking it for a signe GODS anger for the superstitious errors that were â—â—â—â—â—blished that day Neverthelesse some Time-serveâ—â— blasphemouslie said that GOD was shooting his Gunnes and Canons from heaven for a show and a signe of approbation that these articles were then concluded 28. By deluding Kings and Princes perswading them that their dignities and estates can not be established except the bastard offices of Bishops be also established Some of them presumptuouslie affirm that no Bishop no King and so sacrilegiouslie by treasonable vsurpation they ascribe unto themselves that honour which belongeth unto Christ who Prover 8.15 saith By me Kings reigne Princes decree justice The antichristian prelats say no lesse then By Bishops Kings reigne and Princes decree justice By what Bishops were David Salomon and Hezekia c. established Whether did the Bishops of Rome reigne or the Kings when some kings led the Popes horse bridle When the Pope did cast down with his foot the crown off some Kings head when the Popes usurped both civile and ecclesiasticall government c. 29. By spoiling the people with oppression and by povertie they must want the meanes of learning and so they shall be ignorant not knowing the Scriptures neither perceiving the craftinesse of the clergy The prelates themselves both doe spoile the people and also they cause civile Magistrates oppresse them with taxations and heavy burdeins 30. By denying the morall observation of the Lords Sabboths and by giving libertie unto men to spend the halfe of the Lords day in games playes and civile exercises saying â—his should bee the refreshment from their bodily labours of the week Iudge you if this bee a hallowing of the Sabboth The Pagans did keepe all the LORDS Sabboths and many of them did keep all the dayes of their life with this kinde of holinesse The antichristians hereby do hinder the light of the Sun of righteousnes to shine upon GODS People in interpreting the Scriptures and preaching the same the one half of the day and also indirectly the other half for they who look for a liberty of playing and games c. in the after-noone can hardly affixe their mindes upon the reverent hearing of GODS word before noone their thoughts before the time will bee so exercised upon the after-noone Playes c. 31. By beguiling mens senses at Divine service with outward vaine objects as with tapers torches candles and with their gesticulations c. to exercise the sight By the sounding of Organs and musicall instruments to exercise the hearing Faith is bred and increased in mens hearts by hearing of the word preached and not by the hearing of Musick When the Priests offered sacrifice in the old Testament there was great need of Musick because killing of beasts was a melancholious exercise But now the Preaching of the glad tydings of Salvation should be more delightsome then all the Musick of the world The damned people in hell would think it ten thousand times sweeter then all instrumentall musick The vocall musick of the Psalmes not only is a praising of GOD which dead instruments can not doe but also it expresseth the Gospell in the very proper termes thereof Quest 4. I see all that is conteined in this masse bâ—â—â— is wil-worship For the using of the Scriptures themselves as this booke prescribeth is wil-worship that is as they are fixed to the solemne dayes of Sancts and determinate times of the yeer and as they are cutted diminished and incorporated with errors and superstitions they are made a matter of wil-worship but what evidences of idolatrie finde you in this book Ans If you take idolatry in a generall sense for such worship as men used to give to idols and false Gods then all the will worship foresaid is idolatrie The most part of all idolaters did worship their idole Gods according to humaine inventions and as they pleased themselves because their idols being dead stocks could not direct nor teach them in any manner of worship If a wife rule and governe
Gelasius brought in the respondes and the collects to be said at mateins Durandus 11. Pope Damasus appointed this sentence Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost as it was in c. to be said at the end of every Psalme and at the mass He other Popes caused these words of praising God to be said frequently that thereby the idolatrous worship might seeme a very holy and religious thing having such holy sentences in it This hideth the sacrilegious wayes whereby they rob God of his glory see Volateranus This Pope appointed also what prayers and how many Psalmes shall be said every day of the week Gulielmus Durandus He also ordeined that the Priest before the altar should say the confession standing and that the people should say Misereatur vestri and thereafter the Priest should pronounce the Absolution before he go to the altar Platina Polidorus 12. Pope Stephanus the 1. ordeined the Preists at Divine service to use no other but hallowed garments Sabellicus 13. Pope Silvester the 1. commanded the Priest at the masse to we are no silk nor coloured clothing but a white linnen alb only for Christ saith he was buried in a fine white linnen cloath Platina 14. Pope Adrian the 1. ruling it was deâ—â—â— in a popish councell at Frankford that every man shoâ—â—â— weare a surplice upon his back at service time Mossaeus 15. Pope Anacletus put to the masse this salutation Dominus vobiscum The Lord be with you and this answere of the people cum Spiritu tuo and with thy Spirit Some say it was Pope Sotherus Gratianuus de consecrat distinct 1. can Hoc quoque c. Ioannes Laziardus writâ—tâ—h That Dominus vobiscum was taken out of the book of Ruth I know not saith he by whom And cum Spiritu tuo was brought saith he by the councell of Arles 16. Pope Gregorie the 1. ordeined the Kyrie Eleison That is Lord have mercie upon us and that it should bee sung nine times openly of the Clergie onely at the masse Which Pope Silvester before commanded the Clergie and the people to sing together Durandus Platina 17. Pope Gregorie the 1. added to the masse the Alleluia That is Praise ye the Lord Platina 18. Pope Marcus ordeined the Clergie and the people to sing the Creed together with a loud voice to confirme their faith Platina this loud voice then is as good as a sacrament 19. Pope Pelagius the 1. ordeined funerall exequies or dirigies with masses of requiem to be sung or said for the dead Platina Gratianus This booke also hath funerall devotion and service 20. Pope Pius the 1. ordeined the keeping of Easter holy on the Sunday 21. Pope Gregorie the 1. appointed the feast of Trinitie Durandus 22. Pope Gregorie the 9. appointed the feast of the nativitie of S. John Baptist called Midsomer Chronica Germanica 23. Pope Silvester the 1. ordeined the feast of Lammes called ad vincula Petri Gratianus Polidorus 24. Pope Felix the 3. ordeined the feast of the archangel Michael lib. conciliorum 25. Pope Gregorie the 4. ordeined the feast of all Sancts on the first of November Platina 26. Pope Sergius ordeined candlemasse day feast called the Purification of Marie Sigebertus 27. Pope Boniface the 8. ordeined the feasts of the four Evangelists Matthew Mark c. 28. Pope Innocent bearing rule it was ordeined in a Popish councell at Lyons what holy dayes in the year should be specially observed viz. All Sundayes The feast of the Nativitie of Christ Of S. Steven Of S. Iohn the Evangelist Of the Innocents Of Silvester Of the Circumcision Of the Epiphany Of Easter with the whole weeks that goe before and after Of the Rogation dayes Of the Ascension of Christ Of Whitsuntide with the two dayes following Of S. Iohn Baptist Of the twelve Apostles Of S. Laurence Of blessed Mary Of the dedication of the Temple Of all Sancts Of S. Martine Of all such canonized Sancts as every Bishop of his Diocesse with consent of the Clergie and people appoint to keep holy Polidorus Durandus 29. Durandus saith after the minde of S. Gregorie de consecrat dist 5. Lent is counted to begin on the first Sunday in Lent and to end on Easter even which is 42 dayes of which taking away the six Sundayes there remaines only 36. dayes Therefore that the number of 40. dayes that Christ fasted might be perfected this Pope Gregorie added to Lent foure dayes of the week that go before viz. Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Durand in rational divinâ—â— offic Pope Telesphorus first ordeined Lent to be fasted and that more by the Priests then by laicks for they should be holier show more abstinence then others 30. Pope Silvester the 1. ordeined the Wedinsday Friday and Saterday should be fasted every week thorow the whole year Bergomensis 31. Pope Gregorie the 1. ordeined neither flesh nor other thing that hath affinitie with flesh as chiese milk egges c. should be eaten in such dayes as are appointed to bee fasted Polidorus Gratianus There is not a dog in the kitchin but it can keep these holy fasts as precisely as the Papists do if they can get their bellies filled with fishes bread and sweet meats and sauces and such delicats as Papists use in Lent But when will the Papists bee as abstinent in their fasts as horses are who are content neither to eat fish nor flesh all their lifetime The papists doe brag that they keep Christs fast when they can not reach to the fasting of horses no not in Lent 32. Pope Gregorie the first devised the anthems and made the tune or song unto them Guilielmus Durandus Ioan. laziardus Yet some write that in the time of pope Euaristus anthemes were brought into the kirk by Ignatius the disciple of Iohn the Evangelist Phil. Bergomensis Tripartita histor 33. Pope Damasus foresaid ordeined the order of the Queer that the Queer being divided into two parts they should sing one verse of the psalmes on the one side and an other on the other side Durandus Polidorus 34. Pope Gregorie the 1. appointed this service book which is now used and keept in Europe but â—ope Damasus first began the book when as the service book made by Ambrose was first more used in kirks but Charles the Great with the Popes in his time caused the service book of Gregorie to be made common through Europe and the book of Ambrose to be only used at Millaine where Ambrose was Bishop Of this writeth Iacobus de voragine In vita Gregorii primie Guilielmus Durandus 25. Pope Nicolas the third decreed that the Bread and Wine which are set upon the Altar are not onelie after the consecration the Sacrament of the body and blood of Christ but they are also the very selfe same body and blood of the LORD Jesus Christ that was born of the virgin so that his very body is truely handled with the Priests
apparitions and visions we have need therefore of greater abundance of the evidency of his revealed will in the Old and New Testament Qu. 19. But now neither the reading nor the preaching of the Scriptures profiteth the people They loath the word as an unsavory thing They live without zeale without faith repentance Therefore they will make better use of humaine traditions Ans Thou should have said also that GODS word doth no good unto the preachers else they would not have beene so presumptuous as to have thralled GODS kirk with humaine traditions and carnall instructions 2. I confesse that wesps will make more use of poison then of hony The children of darknesse love rather the night then the day yea GODS people when 〈◊〉 spirituall graces decayed liked better of the flesh 〈◊〉 of Egypt then of the heavenlie Manna 3. Humaine traditions may work in men blinde zeale a temporarie faith a Pharisaicall repentance but no saving grace for God will rather blesse his own ordinances then humaine traditions If he do not so he will give no blessing of saving grace at all If GOD forsake Saul the Prophet Samuel can do him no good albeit he honour him before the people much lesse shall witches and devils help him in his distresse The waters of Damascus shall not cure Naaman of his leprosie if the waters of Jordan GODS ordinance do it not If God make not effectuall the ordinary meanes of his word it is time to fast and pray that GOD may turne back his spirituall iudgements least He plague us with finall desertion Qu. 20. Do not the prayers in this book witnesse that there is great humilitie in the Clergy and prelates Ans 1. The ambitious obtruders thereof upon GODS kirk for establishing their bastard orders have declared their greatest pride in the exercise of prayer wherein should be seene greatest humilitie for first because they dare not do otherwise in the Letany used on Sundayes Wedinsdayes and Fridayes they have a forme of prayer for the King the Queene and their children next for the prelats Bishops and elders of the clergy Thirdly for the Nobility then for the rulers and Magistrats lastly for the people So they must come before God as they ride in Parliament usurping place before the Nobility and magistrats They stand 〈◊〉 for off like the Publicane They who humble not themselves like little children shall not enter into the kingdom◠〈◊〉 heaven Also in the same Litany there are 3. particâ—â—â—â— prayers one for the King an other for the Queene their children the third for the Bishops and clergy but no prayer for the Nobility Magistrats and people 2. Neither can they hide their covetousnesse in their religious service wherein they should be most charitable for this book commandeth the halfe of the almes which the communicants give to the poore shall be given to the presbyter that celebrateth the coÌ„munion That which is given to the poore is given to God for they are the members of Christ If the clergy rob the sacred almes from Christs members they will not have it called sacriledge but if a superstitious portion be taking from them when they have more then sufficient that is called sacriledge when as the antichristian clergy and all that teach errors and idolatrie live only upon sacriledge for God as he alloweth neither false nor idolatrous doctrine so neither alloweth he meanes for sustaining false teachers though he permit the same This book appointeth them also to have an accustomed duety at mariages what will they do at baptisme at the kirking of women and at the making of testaments when they are so shamelesse at the Lords supper and at marriages Ambition covetousnesse idlenesse cause them praise this book highly in their pulpits Qu. 21. If wee correct this book and take away the faults of it may it not then be read for Divine service in Gods kirk Ans 1. That is Repugnantia in adjecto a speech contradictory to it self for if you take all the blemishes away this book can have no being for it is 〈◊〉 it blemish because it usurpeth the place of Gods word and it layeth bands on Gods Spirit in that if God would give as excellent gifts unto his servants as ever he did unto my Prophets or Apostles they may not exercise these gifts being hindered by the formes of this book and albeit the Scriptures contained in this book are in themselves good yet as they are placed in this book they are but a blemish as a gold chaine is an ornament about the neck a of queen but it is a blemish about the neck of a sow for how much so ever these Scriptures do procure credit and respect to this book and to the superstitions thereof so much they procure discredit and contempt to the rest of the Scriptures as when Dinah was defiled with Sechem it was a shame to the whole family of Jacob and if the son of a Prince become a theefe he shameth all his kinred If any wold glew the nose and lugs of a man to the face of an ox or the nose lugs of an ox to the face of a man both these wayes it is a disgrace unto man So the glorious banner of Gods word is disgraced whither it be incorporat and sewed together with the dishclouâ—s of humaine traditions and errors or whether they be incorporat with Gods sacred word 2. They make choose of some Scriptures to be insert in this book as if the rest of the Scriptures were but babling and not beseeming the wisdome of God and as if God unadvisedly had sent them unto his kirk 3. If nothing were in his book but these few Scriptures the clouting and clamping of them together is a despising of the order wherein God Spirit placed them as if he were not a God of order And it is a restraining of Gods Spirit by the continuall reading of them to hinder the free passage of the reâ—â— as an herald receiving many ordinances from his king by the oft repitition of one or two of them he leaveth no time to promulgat the rest In the Kalendar they ordeine the Psalmes to be read twelve times in the year They appoint not the rest of the Scriptures to be read six times in the year and 122. chapters of the scripture are never appointed to be read 4. They miscall some Scriptures is a historie in Act. 10. vers 34. which is read on Munday in Easter week and Act 7.55 c. read on S. Stevens day Joel 4.12 c. read on the first day of Lenâ— Revel 7.2 on all Saints day these and such other places are niknamed Epistles Qu. 22. In what order do they minister the communion Ans Their pride is seene also in this for all bishops presbyters and deacons must alwayes first receive the coÌ„munion before others they say it is done that the clergie may help to distribute the elements but they do it when there is no need of help