piacle against God and man to offer to make up the waight with humane Lawes It is not unworthy your remembrance how one of the later brood of the Scotrish Prelates alleadging or rather mis-alleading before our late Soveraigne King Iames some Act of Parliament for the establishing and maintenance of the Prelacy the King asked a Noble-man being by being a great Legist and Officer of State what he thought of those Acts the Noble-man replyed That it went never well with them since their Church men laboured more to be versed in the Acts of Parliament than in the Acts of the Apostles But to the matter for all this cry we are more than halfe confident they shall have but little wooll for the Service-booke from the Acts of State when they are well looked into Wee know not any colour of confirmation for this Service-booke except that Statute prefixed to it which how little it maketh for it let the words of the Statute testifie of which we shall set downe those that are most pertinent for it is needlesse to write them all In the fifth and sixth yeare of King Edward the sixth an Act was made for the establishing of a Booke called The Booke of Common-prayer the which was repealed in the first yeare of Queene Mary which Statute of repeale was made voide by this same Act the first yeare of Queene Elizabeth and that the aforesaid Booke with the alterations and additions therein added shall stand and be and all Ministers shall use the said Booke authorized by Act of Parliament in the said fifth and sixth yeare of King Edward the sixth and no other This is the summe of the Statute in relation to the Subject namely What service-Service-booke it is that the Statute establisheth and for any thing we can see there is not one passage or title for confirmation or establishing any other Service-booke but that of King Edward the sixth divers Ministers in King Iames his time urged vvith subscription answered the Prelates True it was that if they refused they and theirs were like to bee desolated but if they yeelded they should make themselves transgressours of the Lawes of the Kingdome in subscribing to another Booke than that established by Law the Prelates in pressing this subscription forced two Statutes namely the Statute alleadged by the change of the Booke and also another Statute requiring no subscription but barely to the Articles of Religion which onely concerne the Confession of true Christian faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments Now to come to further answer let us grant by way of Confession that there were an Act or Acts for ratifying of the Booke which in terminis we cannot see as Statutes use to be expressed yet by the Law of charity and duty we hold our selves bound to beleeve that a State professing the truth of Religion would never inact so for a Service-booke of mans device as that it might be a snare to the people of God having other ends as a kinde of uniformity supply for want of Ministery and bringing Papists to the Church but not to presse it in the bulke beyond the spheare of any mans Conscience witnesse a Rubricke in King Edward the sixth his Booke but give it to speake as punctually for the Booke as they would have it shall it be simply good for that it is onely in the power of a divine Statute simply to make a thing good all Divines Humanists and Lawyers that have written on the Laws concurre in this Maxime Omnium legum inanis censura nisidivinae legis imaginem gerant the power of all Laws is void except they beare the impression of the Law of God the Orator gives a reason for it â—ex divina omnium legum censura the divine Law is the standard of all lawes yea a thing evill in it selfe established by a Law becommeth worse as the learned tell us it becommeth armata injustâ—tia an armed injustice or with Laciantius to the same purpose legitime injurias inferre to do injurie in forme of Law just with the Poet jusque daâ—um sceleri well Englished and licenced Which truth also is cleared from divine Authority the Psalmist complaineth of the injurious evill done upon Gods Church and People aggravating it from this that is it was framed by a decree which place the Authour of Zyons Plea applyeth very pertinently to the Hierarchie proving it to be the Master-sin wherewith the Church and State are pestered and for which especially God hath a controversie with us because it is decreed by a Law and as a Law for the Hierarchie proved of no force to keepe it up no more then the late Lawes of Scotland could uphold their Prelates so grant that there were a Law for the Service-book the thing being naught what could it help it Within these hundred yeeres there was a Law in England for the Popes supremacie say that were not repealed stood it either with Reason Religion or Loyalty to submit unto it Yea some fragments of Lawes are yet unrepealed in this land that no judicious man will obey neither have we alledged those evidences upon this suspition to encounter with any Statutes but to stop the mouthes of those men who would make the Statute-Law a blinde guide under which their unlawfull callings and superstitious service might march furiously against the word of truth Now to come to an end for we are sorry we could be no briefer we will onely answer this Quaere consisting of these two heads First whether we do approve of any set-prayer in a more private way And secondly whether we do approve of any set-liturgie in publike to both these we answer ingenuously as we thinke and for the former we do thinke that parties in their infancie or ignorance may use formes of prayer well and wholsomely set for helps and props of their imbecillity yea riper Christians may do well to read such profitable formes the matter whereof may by setting of their affections on edge prepare and fit them as matter of Meditation the better for Prayer but for those parties so to continue without progresse to conceived prayer were as if children should still be poring upon spelling and never learne to reade or as if children or weak should still go by hold or upon crutches and never go right out We may say of set-prayer used for infirmity as Divines say of the legall ceremonies in the interim that they were tolerable not necessary and so vvhatsoever is or may be said in the behalfe of it is not so much as vve conceive for the commendation of it as for the toleration of it for a time and for giving satisfaction to scrupulous consciences for the vvarrantable use of it in case of necessity To the second head for a set forme of Liturgia in publique vve ansvver that vvith all the Reformed Churches vve do allovv a sound forme of set-liturgie as an exampler or president of our performance of
a Curbing bit to stop to wind and turne them at their pleasure yea sometimes to cut them in the mouth if they delivered any such part of Gods Counsell as touched their copy-hold besides the scoffing calumnies that the Prelats and their Janizaries would put upon them how did they grieve the soules of divers worthy men that divers of them were forced to breake through that Egyptian bondage with danger of their liberties and lives if they had beene reached by the Prelates ill Angels but flying with the Woman into the Wildernesse the flood of the Service-booke out of the mouth of the Serpent was sent after them but both fire and water conspired to the devouring of it witnesse its arrivall at New England two fellowes being drunke addressed themselves by water to disperse some bundles of them one of them swearing that he would have a pipe of Tobacco in despight of the Devill striking fire the sparks fell into a barrell of Gun-powder which blew both men and bookes all into the ayre the men were saved by swimming in the water and the Liturgie sunck when it could not swimme and so we hope it shall Some of us heard a painefull Minister complaine with abundance of teares a little before his death That so long as he and such as he carried the Prelates fardell after them they would never downe We will shut up this point with a very remarkable observation though God made conforming Ministers being the Dispensers of his Word the meanes to turne many from their evill wayes yet this proved for the most part but in the point of life and conversation and not in point of parity of worship according to our Lord and Masters practice upon his patient that Samaritan woman whom he reclaimeth not onely from uncleannesse of life but also from a polluted worship the Woman here is not onely touched in conscience for her evill life but also desires to bee rectified in the case of Religion Christ healeth her of both those diseases and having given check as a Father observed both to the arrogancie of the Samaritans and of the Jewes for the latter was faulty as well as the former though not in the like degree hee layeth downe an undeceivable rule for both that they and all who will worship God acceptably must worship him in spirit and in truth in spirit that is opposed to bodily service as washings annointings garments c. In truth that is opposed to shadowes and figures whereof Christ is the substance and the body such converts then as will reape comfort out of respect had unto all Gods Commandements they must come downe from the mountains of impure worship Austin hath a pretty saying upon this that he that will draw neare to God must come downe from his owne mountaine or from the mountaine of his owne device in Gods worship it is a duty laid on Christs Messengers in preparing of his way to lay those mountaines levell as well as others but the good men durst not meddle with the Gerezim of the Service-booke because they were captives to it and partly because the Philistims that kept it would fall upon them We come in the second place to the Ordinances blocked up by the booke as close as the Ministers we must give but a touch as our Liturgian Masse-mongers esteeme more of the Service than Preaching so they justle out and keepe out Preaching with it For the former let Howson speake not being ashamed to assert that Preaching is no part of divine worship agreeable to that Canon of the constitution Anno 1603. making a cleare and positive distinction betweene Preaching and Worship in these words in time of divine Worship or Preaching And for the later we vvill cite but one testimony for brevities sake namely from the same Canons If any Minister having subscribed to the Articles and to the Liturgy and to the Rites and Ceremonies therein contained doe afterward omit any thing he is liable to the penalty of suspension for one moneth and after that if he amend not to excommunication and lastly if he continue so the third moneth to totall deprivation they have their patterne from Pope Pius the fifth who made the same impious sanction for the Breviary that at no time nor in any case any thing thereof should be omitted yea the Congregations of London have had too much experience of Service for Sermons which exchange is very robberie contrary to the Proverbe for it is ordinary with the Iourney-men Levites and Letanie-priests to spin out all the time in making up that course thred of the Service that is allotted for Sermon and this they do of malice like the dog in the manger but were it good they would never be so eager upon it for the Countrey Priests will cast it thorow a riddle and curtall it to the waste to gaine a long after-noone for prophane sports but judge ye Honourable Senatours if this be not a miserable case that Hagar should not onely insult over Sarah but also thrust her out of her owne house How unreasonable yea how dangerous a thing is it that the wholsome and soule-saving Word of the Lord Iesus should give place to a fardell of mens devices in the worship of God We come now in the third place to the People there are three things of note in every common-wealth {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the People Religion and Law the Service-booke intrencheth upon all these as first upon the Law in so many particulars though we cannot name them all that it justly may be called Nomomastix a scourge to the Law we will instance in one or two particulars first by the Law of England no Clergie-man to the very Pope himselfe shall beare any Rule or Exercise any Iurisdiction Nisi in rebus spiritualibus Except in spirituall things witnesse the second Lawyer that ever wrote of our Lawes namely * Bracton who lived in the time of King Henry the third when Popery was in the â—uffe for a little before in King Iohn his time the Crowne of England was at the Popes disposing which I alledge the rather to shew the Insolency and Impudency of our Prelates managing of the service-Service-booke against the Law to which book if Ministers will not conforme and subscribe they out them of their free-holds contrary to right and law the iniquity of which course hath been clearly manifested in Caudryes Case Another witnesse yet more antient appears in this particular namely * Glanvill the first that ever writ of our Lawes in the time of King Henry the second under whom the said Authour was Lord Chiefe Iustice and speaking of the Case of the triall of advowsons belonging as he alledgeth Ad Coronam dignitatem Regiam To the pleas of the Crowne he produceth a prohibition to the spirituall Court which he calleth Curiam Christianitatis that they meddle not with the matter though it might seeme collaterally to
THE ANATOMIE OF THE SERVICE BOOK DEDICATED TO THE HIGH Court of PARLIAMENT Wherein is Remonstrated the unlawfulnesse of it And that by five severall Arguments Namely From the Name of it The Rise The Matter The Manner and The Evill Effects of it Whereunto are added some Motives by all which we clearly Evince the Necessitie of the Removeall of it Lastly We have answered such Objections as are commonly made in the behalfe of it John 9. 31. Now we know that God heareth not sinnâ—s but if any man be a Worshipper of God and doth his Will him he heareth {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} A pure Prayer is Gods Temple By DWALPHINTRAMIS Printed in the yeare c. TO THE RIGHT HONOVRABLE THE LORDS AND The Knights Citizens and Burgesses of the Honourable House of COMMONS GReat Senators though in those stormy times and Illiads of great affaires wee present to your Honours as one did to Antipater a Treatise the subject whereof is Happinesse {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} yet wee are Confident wee shall have a better Answerthen I am not at leisure Our humble suit is for the Pure Worship of the true God and the quite abolishing of the Service-Book with the Hierarchicall Maintainers of it both Enmity to Christ Kingdome this as we conceive is the prime Worke of the day saving health is the greatest good and Purity in Worship is the onely meanes to attaine the End and you are the Instruments of Instruments to advance this Worke We desire no more of your Honours but that the Reasons of our requests may be weighed in the Ballance of the Sanctuary ut res cum re ratio cum ratione comparetur that Matter with Matter and Reason with Reason as a Father saith may be compared and that which is found light may be cast out of the Sanctuary It suits neither with the Honour of your Place nor greatnesse of the work that you should either see with Dr. Halls eyes or with ours but that Eye-clearing word should be the light of your Eyes as we hope it is the Doctor his Charging upon Gods people with Passionate reproaches recoyles enough upon himselfe though Tully telleth us that bad Orators instead of Reasons Vse Declamations we could not have expected it from so great an Orator as the Doctor we seeke not Corban nor Mammon as our adversaries doe but the Kingdome of Christ in the Purity of his Worship which is first of all to be sought for Reformations begins at the Sanctuary You are those Eliakims that must set the Lord upon his glorious Throne and hee will make you as Nayles in a sure place to whose Honours wee shall ever he devoted In all humble Service To the well-affected READER THE Waters of Affliction not long agoe had so overflowed the Bankes of Zion that wee might truly say with the Oratour that our Contention with our Adversaries was not for Mounds and Marches only but even for the whole Possessions of our heavenly Inheritance but blessed bee our High and Mighty God who hath not onely limitted those proud waves but beaten the Authours backe with shame and confusion so that wee may now with boldnesse challenge and maintaine the Mounds and bounders of our heavenly Rights and that before such a lust and Supreme Iudicature as cannot deny Christ of any part of his Right before them we have our suit against the Service-Booke which we have clearely evinced by the Anatomizing of it to bee a ranke Impostor in Gods Worship and notwithstanding of its long possession to be a violent Intruder in the House of God upon which grounds we desire and hope to have an Injunction for Casting of it out Then a word to you Readers which are of three sorts either doubtfull in suspence who by this Treatise may bee fully resolved or such as use it who by strength of Reason may be brought off and lastly such as cannot brook it who by this â—reatise may be strengthened and incouraged not onely as a learned Author observeth because many of Gods people are of the same minde but chiefly because God is of the same minde Let us then with sound mindes and solid love quit our selves like Men as the Scripture phraseth in Contending for the Truth and the Truth shall overcome and make us free or as Iob Behold my signe that the Almighty will witnesse with me although mine adversaries write a Book against me Cap. 31. 35. AN ANATOMIE OF THE SERVICE BOOK CHAP. 1 The Preface ASloyaltie to King and Countrie is the very fortresse and wall of Politie being commanded and commended both by the Lawes of God and nature so pure and 〈◊〉 filâ—d Religion is the Fountaine and Rocke of approved loyaltie yea equity charity sobrietie and loya tie are the viâ—gin daughters of unspotted piety as the foresaid place witnesseth we could be large in this Theme but we hasten to the particular the Subject whereof is one of the weightiest pieces that yet hath beene presented Namely The Service-Booke which notwithstanding the present surfet of bookes yet we hope it shall finde a place in the most serious and judicious thoughts we may well call it with the Comick Fundi nostri calamitas The 〈◊〉 helming storme of the purity of worship for as it is true No Ceremony No Bishop because the Ceremonies are the pitchie wings whereon they flie so it is as true that no Service-booke no Ceremonie for that is the Mâ—gazine of nimble Ceremonies Doctor Boyes in his epistle Dedicatory to Richard Canturburie upon his Exposition of the Liturgie complaines heavilie yet causelesly that the Liturgie is crucified betweene two Malefactors on the left hand Papists on the right hand Shismatiques meaning Puritanes both of those he calls Foxes but by a just retortion we shall set the saddle on the right horse and shall make it appeare that the puritie of Christ his worship in this land hath long been crucified between two theeves namely that superstitious and Popish Liturgie and ranke Atheisme varnished with superstition to whom we may well apply that saying of Luther They are tyed together by their tailes to do mischiefe though by their heads they seem to be contrary and though we have no time to tunne over the common places of Athâ—isme and superstition and to shew how like Pilate and the superstitious lewes they concurre to the crucifying of Christ in his worship yet thus much the Scripture witnesâ—eth and experience proveth and we humbly desire your honours to minde it that all superstition and the purity of Gods worship ever have been and shall be at continuall warres and can no more dwell under one roofe than a chaâ—te Spouse and a proud inveigling Strumpet or no more in one Temple than Dagon and the Arke Superstitioest res insana Superstition saith one is a mad thing and so indeed it is for it is contrary to the wisdome of the Word and of the
theirs and thence it is that our Lyturgian Patrons doe meet the Jesuite mid-way by owning the name of Masse to our Service-Booke witnesse Pocklington who calls the second service just the same with the Masse so Cozens witnesse Master Smarts Sermon and not onely so in relation to the second service but even in regard of the whole bulke as Pocklington in the end of his Altare c. and Mountague In name you see then there is an unanimous agreement and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} names are the very Images of things And for their agreement in Matter Manner in all things of importance we shall make it as evident as the former in the meane time what reason is there that wee should groane still under the burthen of a Lyturgie borne in upon us under the Name and Nature of the Masse which is nothing but a Masse of Idolatrie and an Idol of Abominations the name is a name of blasphemy out of the Devils Cabala as we take it for what language it is or what it signifieth for any thing we know was never yet knowne the Hebrewes call their Tribute by the name of Missa witnesse that place in Exodus laying out the oppression of the Israelites by Pharaoh and his Princes or Officers who are called Officers of the tribute set over Gods people the word tribute in the first language is Missa of the word Messas as the Learned observe which signifieth to melt both the name and Etymolâ—gie sute very well with the Popish Mass for it hath melted away true Religion and spirituall devotion and as it inslaveth the soules of people by leaving them naked as Solamon saith of the preaching of the Word for so the word signifieth so it is made an engine to screw out the bowels of their estates wasting melting mens substance as the snow against the Sunne besides the universall experience of the extortion of the Masse where ever it beareth sway we may instance it too fully in this Island where infinite masses of money have beene melted away within these few yeares without any profit to the King or Subject but to the great prejudice of both for the exhausting of the Subject is the emptinesse of the King Tiberius could say Adulterinum est eurum quod cum subditorum lachrymis exprimitur it is a base kinde of gold that is squeezed out with the teares of the subject but who hath cast the State in this consumption of money Who hath made the hearts to ake and the soules to groane of honest housholders when they have beene forced it may bee to part with more then they had Who in time of peace and under good Lawes have caused mens houses and fields forcibly to bee entered their goods to be carried away Who have caused the Kings Leige people and that for obeying the lawes of God man to be carried to stifling prisons contrary to the lawes of the Land and priviledge of the Subject Who have caused some to be tormented and tortured with unparallel'd cruelty both for kinde and continuance Lastly who have beene the Incendiaries or firebrands to melt away if they could the Kings love to his Subjects and the Subjects true loyalty to the King who we say but these Lyturgian Lords and their Iesuited confederates together with their Popish and hellishly prophane Priests Officers and Appeâ—diceâ— to prove these or any of them were to shew a man the Sunne and many sheets could not hold the particulars But to the purpose in hand the Service or Masse-Booke as they call it is the maine engine it is the Saddle and wee to speake a homely truth are the Asses for Englishmen are called by the Jesuites the Popes Asses the Hierarchie and their adherents are our riders the saddle hath so pinched and galled our backes that wee know not how to take on the burthen of the Lord Jesus though it be very light our riders have with spurre and rod of their Radamanthean Courts and temporall usurpations so jaded us with leave be it spoken that they have almost rid the spirit of zeale and courage out of us and had they but got the saddle with some more new girts and trappings upon the Scots as they intended they had gone neare to have rid Religion and Politie to death but as the Scots have proved like Dan Lyons for prowesse and Sâ—rpents for providence in overturning both the saddle and rider up in the name of the Lord and doe the like what should we doe with the Masse some of whose friends not so well acquainted with the nature of it would storme if we should call a spade a spade but they must beleeve their Booke-mens testimonies published under the favour of their little great land-lord of the soyle who knowes best how it should be called one of whose Bandiliers tells us in great heat none but Schismatiques will deny the harmony of missification away with it then to finish this point I will enforce the conclusion with this argument We are not to name an Idol but with detestation much lesse are we to offer it as a worship of God But the Service or Masse-booke is an Idol Ergo we are not to mention it but with detestation much lesse to offer it to God as a worship The Spirit is abundant in the proofe of the former proposition Exod. 23. 13. Hos. 13.2 2. 17. Psal. 16. 4. all remarkable places teaching us to be wary with what worship we joyne with but in the first of these places there is a triplication of the charge in divers termes yet all beating upon the same thing to make us to looke to it In the later proposition there are two things one implyed namely that the Service-booke is the Masse-booke for proofe whereof Habemus confitentes we have their owne avouchment and if they should deny it we shall in the point following prove it whereunto now we come CHAP. III. Of the Originall THe second thing considerable for the matter in hand is whence the Liturgie hath his rise or Originall namely from the Masse-booke that whose originall and rise is naught must be naught in it selfe Can there come cleane water out of a corrupt Fountaine note that the Liturgie is wholly from the Masse-booke and other Popish pieces as it shall be fully cleared First by comparing of the Bookes Secondly for that mutuall liking that our Liturgie-masters and the Masse-booke men have one of anothers peace And thirdly from the evidence given from the King and Councell of England Sect. Now to the first every piece and parcell of the Liturgie word for word is out of these pieces namely the Breviary out of which the Common-Prayers are taken the kituall or booke of Rites out of which the Administration of the Sacraments Bâ—riall Matrimony Visitation of the sicke are taken the Masse booke out of which the Consecration of the Lords Supper Collects Epistles and Gospels are
cast themselves upon the ends of the earth to injoy with much affliction the purity of the ordinances yet Esau his hatred slaked not like a a boyling furnace till he cast the scum of his cruelty after them doing them all the mischiefe he could in word and deed the serpent cast not onely the flood of waters out of his mouth that way after the woman but also pursued others in other parts who endeavoured to sacrifice that which God called for for proofe whereof take Doctor Laud his owne words This hand saith he shall reach them and threatning a Scottish-man for refusing to take the oath against his Countrey he laid his hand on his breast and vowed and protested as he lived he would make the hearts of all the Scots to ake and what had the Scots done to him nothing but maintained that worship that was an abomination to him and his One instance more very pat to the purpose God having appeared to Abraham as often he did Abraham in thankfulnesse builded an Altar but immediatly after he is said to remove to a Mountai ne Eastward of Bethel but what was the cause he staid not by it the learned tell us that it was dangerous so to do for the erecting of the Altar of God was so offensive to the Idolatrous Inhabitants that it was a wonder he was not stoned of them where observe now by the way that if the Altars now erected were of God they would be an abomination to the Prelates and their faction and dangerous for God his people to stay by them but as they are Altars of Baal erected and maintained by Baalites and Balaâ—mites so they and all their ceremoniall accoutrements and the Service-booke it selfe are an abomination witnesse that place of Exodus already quoted The abominations of the Egyptians shall we sacrifice to Iehovah our God saith Moses to Pharaoh it is not meet so to do The last ground or evidence of this particular is from the undeniable testimony of King and State namely King Edward the sixth and the Councels letter to the Papists of Cornwall and Devonshire making of Commotions and Insurrections against the King and State amongst many they give this satisfaction for the service-Service-booke that it was the very same word for word with the Masse-book the difference onely was that it was in the English tongue the extract of the letter recorded in the Acts and Monuments are these as for the Service in the English tongue it perchance seemes to you a new Service and yet indeed it is no other but the old the selfe same Words in English that were in Latine a few things taken out If the Service of the Church was good in Latine it remaineth good in English for nothing is altered but to speake with knowledge that which was spoken with ignorance we have the whole letter in print at large for your Service we thought fit for brevity onely to transcribe so much as made for the clearing of the point the summe of that which hath beene said by way of open discourse we draw up in this Argument That which is word for word out of the Popisâ— Masse-book is not to be offered to God as worship but to be abolished as an abomination to him But the Liturgie in controversie is word for word out of the Masse-book as hath been proved abundantly Therefore it is not to be offered as a worship to God but to be abolished as an abomination to him As the later proposition of the Argument is proved to the full so the former is as clearely by the parallelling place of Exodus twice quoted to which we will adde for abundance these places following Deut. 7. 25. and 12. 31. 2 Kings 23. 13. Ezra 9. 1. Esa. 44. 19. in all which places the Lord commands all Idols and Idolatrous Service to be utterly detâ—sted and abandoned and still the ground and reason is given that they are abominations to the Lord for so the word is in the number of multitudes to speake impartially we see no colour of way to evade this proposition but by undertaking the defence of the Masle-booke for as Mountague and others produced that their Service is the same in most things with the Church of Rome the differences are not great nor should they make any separation then a necessity is laid upon the Prelates and the rest either to defend the Masse so farre to be the true worship of God against the truth and all Orthodox Writers or else to give up the Service-booke to fall with the Originall and though the Treatise will not give us leave to limne out the Masse in every piece patch'd up by divers Popes having given a specification of some parts of it most concerning our Liturgie yet will it not be amisse to lay down from the learned the first entrance of it into England and then to take off briefly the silly defence that the Papists seeme to make for it To the former Augnstine the Monke sent from Gregoriâ— called the great for what we know not except for his grand devices of wil-â—orship his man Austin finding not all things for his tooth in France put over into England and there finding an ignorant King and a superstitious Queene there like the envious man he sowes his corrupt feed of all Popish trumpery as Masses Letanies Processions Copes Vestments Altars Candlesticks Holy waters Consecrations c. having like a serpent deceived the people and as the Apostle faith corrupted their mindes from that simplicity that was in Christ sore against the mindes of the godly and learned Preachers of the times yet to make them as Beda witnesseth adde this condition vvhich he never meant to keep that no man should be forcâ—d or coâ—strained thereunto but having played the wyly Fox in his entry to finish the vvorke he had begun he took on the Lyons skin and being opposed by one Dinoth a great Divine vvho vvithstood him to his face in a publike Synode avouching that he ought not to change the ancient form of Religion neither vvould he acknovvledge him for Archb. but the bloody Prelat to be revenged on him incensed Etheldred King of Northâ—mber land against him vvho murdered the servant and Minister of God and tvvelve hundred of Monks vvith him aftervvard about the yeer 637. Pope Iohn the fourth sends over Malitus Honorius Iustus his Bandogs one after another to hold out and confirme the continuance of this dismall alteration as they might easily do once having got footing for Pompous superstition sutes too vvell vvith corrupt nature then came in keeping of Easter after the Romish manner Ministers called Priests chanting and playing upon Organs with all which godly Beda his soule was grieved who vented his griefe in this sad complaint heretofore instead of these things the principall service of God consisted in preaching and hearing of God his word Here we may observe for matter of humiliation how
16. 2 Cor. 6. 2. Matth 4. 10. cleare contrary to the divine law and indisputable prerogative of God the Homilies appointed by the Law of the land the most and best reformed Churches and the harmony of Confessions none siding with them in it but Papists and popishly affected Now we come to touch and but to touch upon the foppish and foolish things in the Booke besides the foolish and senslesse iranslations of some Psalmes pressed by the Service-booke as Psal. 58. 9. Psal 68. 30. which would be too large to set downe and canvasse What can be said for those Tautologies and Battologies used in the Service-booke as Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us the very Popish Kyrieleison Christeleison condemned Matth. 6. 7. the word Battologie here condemned commeth as the learned observe from one Battus a ridiculous Poet repeating the same words or verses often and so Christ forbiddeth a vaine repetition of words or phrases and the better the words are the more grievous is the sin so the vaine repetition in Prayer is most odious of all both the heathenish and Popish Battologies are strucke dead at one blow saith Master Cartwright for mumbling up the same prayers againe and againe and can these repetitions of ours being the very same in English go Scot-free one foppery more for we cannot name them all namely that mutuall salutation betweene Priest and people in these words The Lord be with you and with thy spirit which Doctor Boyce girding at the Novellists takes upon him to defend from Ruth 24. with many invective straines with other matter to little purpose is it a good argument from salutation in civill conversment to fall a saluting one another in the worship of God if our Lord and Saviour forbad his Disciples to salute any in the way so farre as it might be any impediment to his service like unto that of Elisha the Prophet how much lesse will Christ admit salutations in the midst of his Service It seemes their devotion is very hot that falleth to tosse a salutation whilest they are upon Gods worship Hence is that apish tricke in the Northerne parts that all the women especially in comming into the Church make a câ—rtesie to the Priest Doctor Boyce for further confirmation citeth the Lyturgie of Iames Chrysostome and Basil but all know as hath been said that they who are acquainted with this subject know these Lyturgies to be as Apocryphal as the subject the Doctor confesseth upon the report of Bellarmine that Tritenhemius writ a whole booke upon Dominus Vobiscum in which are many fruitlesse questions and so we are sure the thing it selfe is fruitlesse CHAP. V. Of the Letany WE come now to the last piece of the matter of the Lyturgie but not the least sinfull but rather the most offensive Namely the Letany not a stump or a limb of Dagon but the head of the Masse booke appointed to be said on Sundayes Wednesdayes and Fridayes yea and at other times if the Ordinarie appoint it of this it may truly be said as one said of the Pharisees sinne that it was either the sinne of the holy Ghost or a sinne very nigh it so the Letany is either blasphemie or very nigh blasphemy upon these dayes one of every house must be present setting a note of some preheminency both upon these weeke dayes and the Service yea from the Etymologie of the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} or Letany the defenders of it will have it to be a more serious and cordiall prayer than others it is observed by the learned that the Antients had the order and manner of the Letany from the Heathens as Dtonysius Halicarnassius witnesseth and Causabon observeth in these words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the Letanies or Supplications about the altars of their gods Polybius renders the words very handsomely and significantly by the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth to intice the gods by blandishing allurements these words and others used by humane Writers to the same purpose as by Homer and others falls in with the same fault that our Saviour accuseth the Pharisees of namely vaine repetition and multitude of words for which saith Christ they thinke to be heard Now this Letany is a very fascinating fardel of tautologies and Battologies besides its other faults in this Letany there is Lord deliver us eight times Heauens we beseech thee twenty times to omit many desires to be delivered from things from which there is not the least appearance no more than of the french pox the danger of being drunke at a Whitson ale or a purse cut at a stage play and not so much In that prayer to be delivered from fornication what meaneth that addition and from all other deadly sin as though some sin were not deadly Againe after a tautological summing up and repetition of the titles and Elogies of the Trinity tossed with responses they fall on in a heathenish way to act the word Letany or Maggany as it is well rendered namely as it were to conjure and as if the divell were now to be dispossest which no Priest must dare to doe by the Canon without license from the Ordinary they would use the very same pieces namely By the mysterie of thy holy incarnation by thy holy nativity and circumeision by thy baptisme fasting and temptation by thine agony and bloody sweat by thy crosse and passion by thy precious death and buriall and by the coming of the holy Ghost Good Lord deliver us This piece of the popish Masse-booke whence we have it is no better than that conjuring or jugling of the Magitians whereby they seemed to imitate Moses his working of miracles which they did not as the learned in that art testifie without Magick spels they use ridiculous invocations saith the same Author and so be the invocations in the Letany and the better the words are as we have said the more grievous the abuse and that we may not come short of the Papists Idolizing of this Letany we have not onely our ordinary and weekly Letanies but also our annuall or yeerely Letanies acted in procession It is true we have left out the Saints in our Lyturgie that was too grosse but had the Laudenses got their colours fixed ere this the Letany had been flancked with this stuffe But why did they expunge that suffrage in King Edward his Booke against the Pope From the tyrannie of the Bishop of Rome good Lord deliver us To shut up this cursory triall of the matter for it is no more how can the Service-book-men justifie these words of the Collect on the twelfth Sunday after Trinity giving unto us that which our prayer dare not presume to aske It is true we obtaine more than we pray for but what we dare not pray for either in act or desire we shall never obtaine The summe of that which hath been
belong to belong unto their Courts and if they should persist after the prohibition then they are commanded by apparance to answer it in the Kings Bench But how many of the Kings Prohibitions have been slighted by the High Commission threatning those that have brought them the Case then depending having its rise from that service-Service-booke Another Instance we will cite of their incountering of the Laws it is decreed that Ecclesiasticall power shall neither Imprison nor fine except in case of mutation of Penance but how many good Christians both ministers and others have been not onely Fined more then they were worth but also closly Imprisoned in the nastiest dogholes they could devise never parting with them till their breath departed from them and what was the ground of all these Illegall and cruell courses contrary to the Common and Statute Laws but Non-conformity to that Service-booke and Ceremonies We might be large in this point but the Treatise will not bearâ—t only we pray your Honours who are Iudices Vindices Legâ—s the Judges and revengers of the Laws and breaches thereof to looke upon this Law-destroying-piece and to manifest that the Law of God is in your hearts with which it cannot consist cast it out of Gods house that he may delight to dwell amongst us In the second place for the Service Books affronting of Religion somewhat hath been said and more we have to say in the Fourth Evill Effect namely against God but now a little more of its malignity against the people wherin we wil be briefe People are of two sorts Good and Bad how the better sort have suffered from this Iron Furnace it is more then manifest in spoyling of their Goods losse of Liberty desolating of their Families being forced to wander from place to place their nigh friends and acquaintance not daring through feare to lodge them at last forced either to forsake their native soyle and dearest friends with no small griefe gento patriae plangente the genius of their Countrey to speake vvith Lypsius amenting after them or if they staid by it and vvere catched in the Prelates clutches they told them vvhen they petitioned they should lye till their bones rottâ—d as Doctor Abbot then Prelate of Caâ—turbury said of Master Baiâ—s vvhom they stifled in the Gate-house and all this because they could not eate and svvallovv dovvn to the choking of their conscience the Arsnical gobbleâ—s of that poysonable Booke vvhich is vvorse than the Iron furnace for so the spirit termes it Gods people came out of that but the furnace heated for the not adoring by their Service-booke as Nebuchadnezzers for not adoring of his Idoll did ordinarily consume such as vvere cast into it so that it became like the Lyons Denne vvhereof the Poet speakes Omnia te advorsum spectantia nulla reâ—rorsum Many impressions of ingresse but none of regresse but is this all no though it be too much if any out of their zeale to Gods worship stand up in opposition against that Geliah vvilling to redeem and buy the truth at vvhatsoever rate they shall buy it Indeed if the adversaries may have their vvill not only vvith hands spoiling of their houses exposing of their families to all manner of miseries but also vvith blowes and that not of an ordinary size but vvith torments and tortures unparalleld as cutting branding slitting whipping besides shamefull pilloring vvith censures of fines upon one more than they vvere all vvorth after all this they cannot satisfie their rage in devising Goâ—gotha's bad enough vvherein to draine out their hearts bloods being deprived of the company of their vvives families and friends and used vvorse than dogs Of such heavie inflictions upon Ministers and Gods people vve professe vve never read nor heard neither under the Heathen Rome nor Antichristian Romes persecution for though they tortured the Martyrs of Christ yet they rid them out of their miseries vvith their lives yea the cruellest kind of American Savages called the Mohaukes though they fattened their captive Christians to the slaughter yet they eat them up at once but the Service-booke Savages eat the servants of God by piece-meal keeping them alive if it may be called a life Vt sentiant se mors that they may be the more sensible of their dying One instance and but one occurs to our reading that hath some resemblance of this dealing Catulus to revenge his brothers death desired Sylla to let him have Marius his brother to revenge himselfe upon vvho is said thus to torment him Cum laceros artus aequataque vulnera membris Vidimus toto quamvis in corpore caeso Nil anime letale datum c. Which a Poet Englisheth thus His mangled joynts as many wounds as limbs We see yet no wound deadly given to him Through his spoil'd body an example rare Of cruelty a dying life to spare Yet this Catulus did so but with one but our Catuli Siâ— canibus similes Like old dogs have filled their shambles with many the aforesaid Poet gives a good reason for it in these words Nullus semel ore receptus pollutus patitur sanguis mansuâ—scere fauces Englished thus Never againe grow those jawes pure that blood did once distaine And why are these harmelesse men made worse then sheep to the slaughter but that they meddle with Diana the Service-book and the Master and Wardens of that Company who may truly say with Demetrius {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} By this craft we get our goods so we have better grounds than Zipporah had calling Moses a bloody husband to say and maintain it that the Service-booke is a bloody booke Another sort of Gods people there were who were so terrified with the cruell usage of their brethren that either they durst not search into the rottennesse of this Piece and so like blinde men that swallowed many flies and some it may be that did see the evill of it durst not avoid it for feare of a worse turne from the Scribes and Pharisees then casting out of the Synagogue Lastly some people professing the Lord Iesus and having been very usefull in Gods House by the necessary avoiding of this quick-sand have for want of good take heed been cast upon the rocks of Separation Anabaptisme and other unsound Tenents which hath made a very great breach in profession For which see more in Zyons plea and though the rise of Separatisme and other Sects be there justly charged upon the Hierarchie yet by shunning of this sowre pasture they fall unadvisedly foule on breaking of the hedge Now we come to the worser sort of people of whom we may truly say that which the Pharisees said falsly of Christ A cursed people not knowing the Law all the provocations in the Land have not made havock of so many soules especially under colour of good as this hath done if Ignorance be the mother of
we translate it which might be more emphatically rendred sincere service unmixed service according to the Word for so the originall word signifieth as the Apostle Peter calls the word {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the sincere milke of the Word Now to draw to an end for we are forced in the bulke to exceed our intention we crave leave further of your Honours to binde our desires with three strong motives for effecting of the worke namely from Example or Patterne for doing of it from danger if it be not done and from the universall Covenant binding every one in his place to the doing of it CHAP. IX I. Of the Patterne FOr the first as the Apostle willeth to shew our selves to others Patternes of all good workes and words we should make others good Examples matter of our Imitation Brevius iter per exampla quam per praecepta Patterne is a more compendious way then Precept good Examples from Gods people have the force of a Generall rule to apply all the Reformed Churches when God turned them from darknesse to light they expelled the Prelates as the Officers of the Kingdome of darknesse and the Popish Liturgie as a false worship and worke of darknesse To passe France the Low-Countries Geneva the Palatinate and others bee pleased to cast your eye upon our Neighbour Nation of Scotland who have neither left root nor branch of Prelate or Popish Liturgie and have not wee the same reasons to reject both It is an infallible rule both in Divinitie and Politie both in Church and Common-wealth Vbi â—unt similes causae circumstantiae ibi locum habet exemplum where there are the like causes and circumstances there example takes place the causes why they cast both out were their offensivenesse to Christ his Church King and State and hath ever Nation beene so prejudiced in all these particulars as we have beene and have we not beene and are partly yet environed with a mantle wall of evill circumstances as the Prelates aggravation of their cruelty in pressing of that Booke and other like stuffe their insolent domineering over Nobility and others yea their daring attempts to set a-foot their interdicted power and their supercilious insultations their proud words and affronting attempts vented by themselves and their Priests even now when the hand of the Lord is lift up against them which they will not see but they shall see it in this they are worse than the Egyptians or Philistims who were content the Lord his hand being upon them not onely to let the Arke of the Lord goe but also sent it up in the handsomest way that they could taking Egypt for an example in this their insolent striving against God and his Truth they may be compared to the Peasants of Lycia whom the Poet fayneth to bee transformed into Frogs for their cruell and barbarous usage of Latona of whom Lactantius also makes mention but the Poet tells us that for all the Metamorphosis they left not their old manner Litibus exercent linguas Et quanquam sub aqua sub aquis maledicere tentant Englished thus Their brawling tongues but setting shame aside Though hid in water under water chide Or with Du Bartas in this posture they may be compared to Lyzards or Snakes cut in pieces Threat with more malice though with lesser might And even in dying shew their living spight Or as God said to Moses of Pharaoh that he would not let his people goe no not with a strong hand that is he will stand out with God so doe they they will not let the Ordinances goe the Liberty of the Ministery goe they will not let the Kingdome of Christ goe though Gods strong hand be out against them but as he fell at last so shall they and all their houshould-stuffe and never rise againe the Scots have put them in the Pond let the love of the truth lead you and their practice be to you as a speaking Embleme in the words of Gedeon Looke on me and doe likewise We will shut up the point with a parallel of loyall entertainment of Kings in their inthronization the men of Iudah and the men of Israel contended zealously who should be most officious in crowning King David though he was crowned before Iudah annoynted him King over them and Israel did the like over them and to bring the parallel nearer home what pious emulation was betweene us and out brethren the Scots to set King Iames of blessed memory upon the Throne of England they might both deservedly say for they shewed it in effect that they were his flesh and bone as Israel said to David he was no stranger as the Scripture hath it but a King from among his brethren never King was received with greater concourse higher magnificence and more applause this made the Kingdomes as Ierusalem as a Citie compacted in it selfe which the Septuagint translateth {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a participation or communication together often indeed attempted but never effected till then but now blessed be the name of God in a more loving league and stricter bond than ever contending who shall doe God and his Majestie that now is most service shall we not then joyne with them heart and hand in bringing the Lord Iesus the King of glory into his Kingdome hee hath shewed himselfe no Stranger amongst us but done great things for us but to the woe of our hearts we have used him too long like a Stranger in keeping him at doores and the doore upon the hinges Now let us set open the gates and bring him in with triumph which will never be done so long as the Prelacie and the Liturgie or either of them keepe the house Non patitur regni socios Christ will have no consort in his Kingdome much lesse an Antichrist Christ bare many casumnies and injuries from the Iewes at his arraignment under Pilat and past by many things not answering againe but when Pilat came to meddle with his Kingdome he would not let that passe but freely avouched it Art thou a King saith Pilat thou sayest I am answered Christ and to this â—nd was I borne and for this cause came I into the world that I should beare withessse unto the truth of which words Paul giveth this testimony that Christ before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession which words of the Apostle have two remarkable things in them First that Christ hath a Kingdome which he will vindicate in despight of all opposing power wherein he will have his owne Officers Government and Service to take place Secondly that this course must continue till the comming of the Lord Iesus and every one that is of the truth especially Ministers and Magistrates must maintaine it as they wiâ—l answer it at that day for this worke God hath brought you together and if you should divert this worke so exemplnied and pressed by command
which God forbid then might Christ say unto you as David to his kindred yee are my brethren yee are my bones and my flesh wherefore are ye the last to bring back the King Wherein if you will not be faulty but intend as we verily hope you do to bring back the King then let it be your speciall honour to make the paths of the Lord straight by removing of that rubbish that the King of glory may enter in The second Motive is from the Danger of not removing of the service-Service-booke Danger as all know is the strongest motive to cause a people or nation to take heed Histories report that danger hath made a dumb man speak The danger from this Service-book may be looked upon in a twofold respect namely à priori from that which is past and à posteriori from that which is like to ensue the former may also be looked upon in a way of prophesie or in a way of performance the men and servants of God to whom he was pleased to reveale himselfe in more then an ordinary way especially in time of persecution or some pressure lying upon them have foretold how the house of David should wax weak and the house of Saul should wax strong that is Popery should make head and the truth of Christ should suffer much and many in triall should forsake it according to that of Simeon a sword shall pierce thorow thine own soule also that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed Luke 2. 35. where by the swords piercing of the soule according to all the ancient is meant the wounding sorrowes of the mother of Christ at his sufferings and by the revealing of the thoughts is meant the discovery of some stumbling or taking scandall at his death Chrysostome Austin Origer Ambrose Theophylact and what is the ground of all this but these dregs of Poperie now in controversie and the hurtfull Hierarchie one of these upholding another a godly and famous Minister preaching to the banished beyond Seas in Queene Martes time that Gods anger was much provoked against England for slacknesse to reforme when they had time place and power and so it was indeed for he cast back that partiall reformation into the flames of Antichristian tyrannâ—â— and gave many up unto fearfull Apostacy Further the good man said it stood them upon it to looke to it and to be circumspect for fear of after-claps meaning that a partiall reformation would not serve God will never indure as hath been said the posts and threshold of Baal and his to stand together the like more fully was delivered by Master Râ—gers that honourable Proto-martyr in his dayes when the Gospell should be established in England if the Kingdome of Antichrist were not utterly cashiered and totall reformation made in Gods worship that our persecution should be greater and our triall hotter then in the dayes when he and other suffered if we will not remove that which is an abomination to God as this Booke is proved to be it is just with God to cast us away One more of this kind from a Peer of this land who on his death bed cryed Wo to England because they turned all their religion into politie dangerous experience hath taught us the truth of these predictions for from that halting reformation after Queen Maryes death wherein we pleased our selves with Agrippa his almost in the originall {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} but a little the Babylonians and Edomites Prelates and Jesuits under the favour of their Canons got at length such footing and made such head for Popery Arminianisme and that especially by causing the Nilus of that Service-booke to swell and heating the furnace of persecution that Religion and Politie the two twins of Gods favour were ground like to Archimedes his tomb so overgrown with thornes that it could not be found yea the woman in the Revelation was brought againe unto that strait as to think on nothing but of flight to the wildernesse And further how nigh were our neighbours and brethren the Scots to the pits brinke of ruine both of Religion and State and that by readmitting of these synonicall Prelates and the Trojan horse the Service booke to enter out of which if God had not beaten the braines we were like to have had a new Babylonish captivity yea we may both truly say with David There was but a step between us and death had not God set in as a present helpe in our distresse and raised you and others the men of his right hand in the very nicke of need our enemies as the Psalmist hath it had swallowed us up alive As we are gone thus far with the danger past and partly present so we desire your Honours leave to present the appearance as we conceive of future danger and that partly to the Church and State in generall and partly more particular to your selves if this Service-book be not removed to make both these dangers more visible let us compare our presentment with the ninth Position of Zions plea in these vvords If the Hierarchy be not removed and the Scepter of Christs Government namely Discipline advanced to its place there can be no healing of our sâ—are no taking up of our Controversie with God yea our desolations by his rarest Iudgements are like to be the astonishment of all Nations As the parts of the Position are soundly proved so the same may be said of the Service-booke and the very same Arguments concerning our danger will serve the one aswell as the other wherefore we intreat your Honours to review the Position and its proofes the Hierarchy and the Service-Booke are resembled already to Mother and Child so may they be to two twins begotten and born of Pride and Superstition nursed and brought up in the lap of Covetousnesse these twins are born together live together and must dye together a great Judge returning from the Circuit of the Emperours service and hearing his Wife to be alive replyed si vivat illa morior ego if she live I am dead so if they live we meane their Callings then our life may prove worse then death God will beare with many sins in a People professing Christ but with keeping Christ out of his Throne by intruding Officers and a Superstitious worship he will not beare especially of a long continuance but will be avenged of such a People if they be as the Apple of his eye witnesse Samuels speech to the Israelites who besides their desiring a King before the Lords time were faulty in many other things as appeareth verse the 20. yet he telleth them If they and their King will follow the Lord they should both continue for that is the best reading where by following the Lord is meant especially the serving of him according to his will but if they should turne aside from following the Lord in a corrupt way of his worship then the hand of
Body is come for us then to imitate them in this foolish Relique or to devise a Priestly garment of our owne head in Gods worship is to rob Christ of his honour exceedingly and to make our selves deeply guilty of will-worship Had not God himselfe clothed those garments in the Law with a particular and punctuall command for matter and monner they had beene foolish and ridiculous things they made the holy garments saith Moses as the Lord commanded which later words as the Lord commanded are repeated as the learned observe nine severall times in this Chapter intimating that they did not swarve one jot from Gods direction teaching all Gods servants thereby as the learned apply it ut se contineant intra limites verbi Dei that they containe themselves within the limits of Godsword bring nothing into the service of God of their own invention for the Apostle cals that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} wil-worship this being so it appeares what evill workers those Ministers are who with an high hand doe display this Banner of the Man of sinne against Gods owne face in the time of his worship interposing betwixt Gods presence and the worship and diverting of the blessing upon the worship for Moses is said to blesse the worke of the worship upon on this ground because he saw it done as â—ehovah had commanded The Hebrewes adde and that truely that because of this the presence of God was in it Wherefore we humbly intreat your Honours as ye would have God to be in his worship and his blessing upon it and upon you and us in a perfect hatred of that menstruous Cloth and garment spotted with the flesh to cast it out and all the rest as Carcasses of abominable things but withall we intreat you to set the Masters of the Wardrobe on packing with them It is observed as a custome among the Papists that they bury their Prelates in all their Pontificall robes of which a learned Divine tels us he could give no reason except they meant they should doe service when they were dead that had never done any being alive If your Honours will lap up the Prelates in the Seare cloth of their owne Surplices and intombe them them in the Tabernacle of the Service-Booke imbalmed with the strange oyntment of their owne Ceremonies and bury them under the Oake that is in oblivion as Iacob did the Idols of his family and as our neighbors brethren have done with the like stuffe then the fear of you shall be upon all your enemies and the childe that is to come shall blesse God for you CHAP. XI The Objections NOw we come in the last place to remove some Objections which we shall shew to be of no great weight and therefore we use the fewer words The first is from the Antiquity of the Service-Booke to which Doctor Halâ— and others have received an answer by Smectymnuus but say it had Antiquity without truth it were no better than a custome of errour Et nullum tempus occurrit Deo there is no prescription to the King of Kings The second Objection Many good men have used it and liked it well for answer Testimonia humana non faciunt fidem Mans approbation is not current of it selfe but as it buts upon the faithfull witnesse otherwise it is an inartificiall argument as Logicians call it the Patriarchs used and did many things that were not approveable some good Kings of Iudah as Amaziah and Iehosaphat tooke not away the High places were they any whit the better for that yea the suffering of them is set up as the Kings fault it were better to follow Hezekiah that tooke them away Master Wommâ—cke alleadgeth for the service-Service-booke that Rome is not demolished in the first day and so we alleadge against it that good men in mending times did either see as farre as their Horizon or at least as they durst So wee have more light and are set upon their shoulders therefore it is both sinne and shame for us not to see more and doe more than they did Hezekiah did more than Iosaphat and Iosiah more than they both Thirdly it is objected that it hath many good things in it that is answered already the Alcoran and Talmud have many good things in them yea the Apocrypha Bookes have many excellent truths in them are they therefore to be presented in Gods worship The fourth objection is from a more convenient course of correcting of it than of cashiering of it For answer what King or State did ever yet thrive in moyling and toyling themselves to make cleane the Popes leprous stuffe to bring it into the worship of God but all that ever prospered in that worke made utter extirpation Popes will be content to heare of reformation and give order for it to their Cardinals but they are joyned to their Idols as God speakes of Ephraim Let them alone Secondly this is not Gods course in reforming of his house as the rubbish of the Leprous house was to bee cast out into an uncleane place as hath beene said so polluted pieces of Idolatrous service are not to be brought by any cleansing into the House of God God commandeth his people to throw downe the Altars of the Canaanite where under Altars are comprehended all other abominations they were not to set a new trim upon any of them but because they obeyed not the Lord they smarted for it Blessed bee God who hath put it into your hearts to strike at Altars 〈◊〉 Pictures Crosses and all the Popish Idols wee are in good hope you will not leave a Popish Relique in the Land neither in Church or Street and then we may be sure there shall no Canaanite dwell in our Land this scraping and picking that Master Wommock speakes of will be no better then paring of the nayles and shaving of the haire which as the Great Turke said of his Army will quickly grow againe yea and grow againe the faster too good medicines in naturall things may be extracted out of ranke poysons but so cannot pure worship out of things polluted being mans inventions therefore the Prophet Esay telleth us that nothing will serve but the casting away of the polluted thing not cleansing of it The fifth and last objection is from Acts of Parliament which the Service-book-men make the staffe of their confidence and yet in truth being well tryed it shall be found that they abuse the state and consciences of men most grossely Doctor Hall and others strike much on that string as Parliamentary Acts peremptorily establishment yet they make but very harsh Musicke A man would thinke that Doctor Hall being a learned Divine would first have laid this worship of Liturgy in the ballance of the Sanctuary and tryed the weight of it there and if it had proved too light as surely it would then to have counted it a