and exact enumeration of all a mans sins in the eare of the Priest like the streame of a puddle or kennell emptying it selfe into a common sinke or Sewer Hereupon he receiues his Absolution which is a broome to sweepe the kennell to make it fit for more puddle water though sweet I wis to the Priests palate For Dulcis odor luchri ex re qualibet as the Emperour said of his Doung Gaine smels sweet though is come from a Dunghill The second of his misnamed Sacraments is for extreame vnction visitation of the sicke all is one with him Visitation of the sicke or Extreame vnction which yee will So that if our Author doe at any time goe to visit the Sicke as I feare he doth seldome at leastwise hio sicke flocke it happly someone desire his Ghostly father-hood in cafe when the Priest or Iesuite is not in the way I hope he carries his annointing or annealling bottle at his girdle like a carefull Shepheard with his tarre Botâ—le In the meane time it would diligently here bee weighed what a mistery of iniquity is wouen and wrapt vp in these Sacraments of the Church mentioned by the Author The summe whereof is to reduce vs all euen the Câ—urch of England to one Church the Church of Rome the onely Church which maintaineth 〈…〉 which Church he calleth the Catholicâ—e Church of Christ. Which summe doth 〈◊〉 and naturally â—â—â—olue it selfe into these particular 〈…〉 conclusionâ— First that the Church of 〈…〉 reformation and repurgaâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 chismaticall Church as 〈…〉 Church of Rome to be the 〈…〉 nor her selfe a member of the Romish Church Secondly that these being but one Church and that the Church of Rome and this Church of Rome hauing but one supreame Byshop the Pope and this Pope challenging a supremacie of headship ouer all other Churches as the Head ouer the Members and the Church of England being no otherwise distinct from the Church of Rome but as a member is distinguished not diuided from the Head or as a branch from the Tree or as a daughter from the Mother therefore it followeth that the Pope must be supreame Head of the Church of England Thirdly Jf the Pope be supreame Head ouer the Church of England he comes ouer our gracious Soueraignes Head and with his foote striketh off his crowne Fourthly hereupon it followeth that the Author and his Abbetors and Approuers doe impinge vpon and most impiously infringe and violate that sacred and solemne Oath which euery Deacon Minister and Bishop doe take at their ordination and consecration in which they sweare to renounce refuse relinquish and forsake the Bishop of Rome and his authoritie power and jurisdiction neuer to consent or agree that the Bishop of Rome shall practise exercise or haue any manner of authoritie jurisdiction or power within this Realme or any other within the Kings Dominions but shall resist the same at all times to the vttermost of his power to accept and repute and take the Kings Maiestie to be the onely supreame Head in earth of the Church of England yea to his cunning wit and vttermost of his power without guile fraud or other vndue meane to obserue keepe maintaine and defend the whole effects and singular Acts and statutes made and to be made within this Realme in derogation extirpation and extinguishment of the Bishop of Rome and his auâ—horitâ—e â—nd all other Acts and 〈◊〉 made or to be made 〈…〉 and corrâ—boration of the Kingâ— powâ—r 〈…〉 this to doe against all manner of persons of what estatâ— dignity or degree or condition they be and in no wâ—se to doe nor attempt nor to his power suffer to be done or attempted directly or indirectly any thing or things priuily or apertly to the let hinderance damage or derogation thereof or any part thereof by any manner of meanes or for any manner of pretence c. So helpe him God But our Author who set him a worke or subornd and animated him therein let them looke to it and let them be well lookt vnto contrary to the contents and tenure of this sacred and solemne Oath which how many times he hath taken I know not hath published a booke bearing Authority in the front wherein this whole Oath is crackt from the top to the bottome for all along speaking of the Church one Church the Catholicke Church of Christ which hee markes out in all points for the Church of Rome making and taking it for the Catholicke Church wherevpon the Pope makes himselfe the sole supreame Head ouer all particular Churches which acknowledge themselues members of that his Catholicke see he necessarily not only not renounceth refuseth relinquisheth and forsaketh the Bishop of Rome with his authority power and jurisdiction nor only consenteth and agreeth that the Bishop of Rome shall practise exercise or haue authoritie jurisdiction or power within this Realme and other the Kings dominions without resisting the same to the vttermost of his power nor doth accept repute and take the Kings Maiestie to be the only supreame Head on earth of the Church of England if this Church be a member of the Church of Rome as his whole booke mainely driues at and so the Pope will come in for the best share in the Headship nor only to his cunning wit and vttermost of his power doth obserue keepe maintaine and defend the whole effects and contents of all and singular Acts and statutes made within this Realme in derogation extirpation and extinguishment of the Bishop of Rome and his authority and all other Acts and Statute made in reformation and corroboration of the Kings power of the supreame Head in earth of the Church of England but with guile fraud cosening and vndue meane goeth about to defeat and frustrate the same and to bring in the Popes authoritie againe by the Head and shoulders yea and led no doubt with personall respects to some great ones of some high estate dignitie degree and condition he and his abbettors partly attempt to his and their power by such meanes and pretences as this his booke of priuate Deuotions a faire pretence to couer a whole packe of villany and partly suffer to be done and attempted directly and indirectly not onely priuily but apertly if not most malapartly past all shame or feare in their audacious daring the let hinderance damage and derogation of all the said singular Acts and statutes for the corroborating of the Kings Maiesties sole supremacie of the Church of England and for the perpetuall extirpating and extinguishing of all Papall pretence or interest in this Church and State and therefore the author with his Abbettors how will they not be found most notorious violators of this most sacred Oath and so guilty at least of periury in a high degree In the fift and last place it is lest to the wisedome and judgement of his Maiesties learned Councell and Iudges of the Land whether thus to go about to bring in Popery and the papacy againe
sinceerest meaning expressed in clearest and most nâ—ked words yet as J vttered with a cleere voice in the carâ—â— of the Lord Bishop of London at my first examination about Israels Fast I haue done nothing but with a true intent and desire for Gods glory the good of my King and Country and the Church of England whereof we are members and for which I am ready if need were to lay down my life So little doe I esteeme the Serpents hissing or the dogs barking Not to stay thee too long in the threshold here take a full view of my answere to a Popish booke bearing in the Front A collection of priuate Deuotions or The houres of Prayer If I haue not fully vnfolded the mystery of iniquity wrapped therein let thy charity pardon my imperfections and thy sharper judgement supply my defects Onely J confesse J haue purposely omitted many things for breuity sake wherein the Author rather expresseth his popish if not apish affection in symbolizing with Iesuiticall catechismes Officium B. Mariae c. then giueth occasion of solid confutation as being partly ridiculous though mostly superstitious and some erroneous for example The lawes of nature the Precepts of the Church the three theologicall vertues three kinds of good workes seuen gifts of the Holy Ghost the twelue fruits of the Holy Ghost the spirituall workes of mercy the corporall workes of mercy the eight beatitudes seuen deadly sinnes the contrary vertues Quatuor nouissima c. To which he might haue added The fiue senses c. The foure Cardinall vertues as they are set downe in Officium B. Mariae whence he hath the rest and in Las horas del nuestra senora The houres of our Lady As also the 15. mysteries of the office of our Lord Iesus Christ for to meditate and say the Rosary of our Lady whereof fiue joyfull fiue sorrowfull fiue glorious which with the rest are numbred vp by Ledesmâ— the Iesuite in his Catechisme of Iesus Maria. But he would first try how these would relish Yet his seuen deadly sinnes at least deserued to come vâ—der the ferula or censure Wherein wee might haue shewed the absurdity of Popish distinctions of sinnes mortall and veniall yea how it verifies and cryes downe the inestimable price of Christs death and extenuates or annihilates the rigor of Gods law and eleuates or sleights the nature of sinne the least deseruing eternall death Againe we might haue shewed how by Christ al sins are veni-that pardonable but without Christ mortal and vnpardois nable seeme they neuer so small Thirdly we might haue shewed the absurdity of his number of those seuen deadly sins of the of which ye shall not find the breaches of many of the Commandements of the second table ranked nor of any of the first Table as if Athiesme infidelity idolatry blasphemy periury profanation of the Sabboth and the rest were not deadly sins but to be reckoned if the Author account them any sins at all onely among his venials But J hope some other will supply what I haue omitted Jn the meane time take this in good part and so Farewell Thine in Christ HEN BVRTON A TRIALL OF Priuate Deuotions OR A DIALL FOR THE houres of PRAYER Charis GOD saue you Madam Curia Lady Charis My loue salutes you much ioying to see you Madam it is newes to see you at Court Some good winde no doubt hath blowne you hither Cha. Madam no other wind but of duety and affection to visit your Ladiship Onely I must confesse that the late Booke of Deuotion which your Ladiship sent mee hath occasioned mee to come sooner then otherwise I should or well could Cur. Madam you are the more welcome And I pray you how doe you like that Booke Ch. Madam it were good manners I should first howsoeuer giue your Ladiship thankes for I dare say whatsoeuer the Booke is your Ladiship out of good Deuotion sent it me as a token of your loue vnto mee Otherwise for the Booke it selfe I must confesse that so soone as I looked but vpon the Frontispeece of it and seeing it to weare the vsuall Badge of Iesuiticall Bookes I had certainly without any more adoe flung it away but for the due respect I bore to the sender your Ladiship And yet I thought with my selfe that haply your Ladiship had mistaken one Booke for another Otherwise I knew not what to thinke whither some might haue gone about if not to seduce yet at leastwise to induce your Ladiship to a friendly opinion of the Popish Religion or I wot not what Cur. But Madam though I haue but little Latine yet I haue learned by rote one Prouerbe Fronti nulla fides The outward front or face of things is not to be belieued But haue you looked within the Booke and read it ouer Then you will be of another mind and conceiue a better opinion of it Ch. Surely Madam to the front or face of it I confesse I gaue but small credit But looking further into the Booke and according to the scantling of my slender capacitie and shallow iudgement taking a view of the whole frame and mould of it it seemed to me to hold sutable enough to the Front and to be much what the same in substance that the Title made shew of Cur. But Madam I hope you are none of those that censure the Booke for Papisticall as Puritans haue slandered it Cha. Madam I dare not take vpon me to passe my censure vpon Bookes Yet I confesse seeing your Ladiship vrgeth me that it smelleth strongly of Poperie Yet not relying vpon mine own conceit I desired some learned Ministers to tell me their iudgement of it and none of them could approue of the Booke Cur. I pray you what Ministers were those Cha. Madam I dare be most bold to name mine own Chaplaine for the rest Cur. But doth your Chaplaine hold the Booke to be Papisticall Ch. Madam I had rather I had some good occasion to be a suiter to your Ladiship for some good preferment for my Chaplein and no better then he deserueth 〈…〉 present occasion which I feare may perhaps preiudice his preferment We poore Countrey-people cannâ—â—â—â—use sometimes when our leasure serueth but as 〈…〉 discerne which way the game goeth 〈…〉 to hazzard our stake where we see such infinite odds of Court-wit to Countrey-simplicitie Cur. Madam you speake merily But in good sadnesse I desire for mine owne satisfaction to heare what your Chaplaine can say to this Booke either in whole or in part I promise you of mine honour it shall be no manner of preiudice vnto him but I will rather doe him all the good I can Ch. Madam vpon these conditions my Chaplaine shall attend you when you please to appoint the time Cur. Madam I thanke you Then if it may stand with your conueniencie I shall entreat your Ladiship to bring him with you on Friday morning by eight of the clocke I will set all other businesse apart for
yeeres agoe He indeed sets downe the Seuen houres in the Title of his Chapter iust as truly as our Authour in the Title of his Booke deriuing the same from some spring of antiquitie and namely the Agathen Councell Prouinciall in France which was some 800 yeers before his time But the Pope there committed a foule errour in setting downe Seuen canonicall houres for two The Agathen Councell mentioning but two houres of prayer the morning and euening So that the best authoritie and hoariest antiquitie for your Seuen canonicall houres is GREGORY the Ninth Pope of Rome This is that ancient Church wherein this practise appeareth first to be decreed and solemnely obserued This Pope then first decreed the Seuen canonicall houres But of whom to be obserued Namely of the Priests Friers Monkes and such like holy-day-persons for the most part Male feriati homines as Rome could afford â—now Of others he saith nothing saith the glosse although it say Others seeme not to be bound but surely they are But the Priests Monkes and other Votaries were specially bound to keepe them constantly Which seemes to be the reason why it is probable that some haue coniectured PELAGIVS the Second to haue beene the first institutor For about his time did all kind of Monkes and such like Orders begin exceedingly to be multiplyed many of them taking vpon them such a strict discipline as might admit yea in some sort necessarily require so many Canonicall Houres of Prayer at least to refresh the tediousnesse of that austeritie wherewith they exercised their extreame patience Some Monkes were called Insomnes for their continuall watchfulnesse And what could they doe better but pray to entertaine the tedious nights and vacant daies Some did so macerate themselues with immoderate fasting and course faire of small quantitie that they made themselues vnable to doe any thing but pray if that Others coopt themselues vp in such short and narrow and low Cells as vneath they could either lye along or stand vpright so that the best and easiest posture for them was to be on their knees praying Others forsaking humane societie and liuing among the wild Beasts called therefore Armenta Droues or Heards feeding on roots and grasse and lodging sub Dio or in the Caues what could they doe else but if they had so much sense left them pray Now seeing our Authour will needs reuiue and recommend to the Church of England these his seuen Canonicalls Vpon whom will hee impose their obseruation Vpon Courtiers Alas they are taken vp with a thousand thoughts perhaps how to rise higher perhaps how to keepe their standing perhaps how to preuent and take off enuie perhaps how to appease such an Opposite perhaps how to purchase such a Friend perhaps how to compasse such a preferment but specially the Female sex incombred with a thousand womanish Ceremonies if not State-proiects or their owne honours as I heard once a great Lady of the Court say there was neuer a day went ouer their heads but once at least their heart aked so as they cannot attend such tedious Canonicall Seruice Or Citizens or Countrey-men They haue their vocations to follow which if they should intermit to say ouer this Booke of Deuotion daily and duely as it prescribes how should they liue Except ye could perswade them to a thinner diet and courser habite too good an allowance for an idle life Or will you impose it vpon the Priests or Ministers of the Church But you know our golden Priests I meane in the best sense are not like those woodden Ones in the Church of Rome who hauing little else to doe but to say ouer their Masse or a few Mattens had need to be exercised with Canonicall houres to keepe them at least from worse exercises But you know most Ministers in the Church of England are labourious in their calling who if they should precisely â—uerie day say ouer your Booke of Deuotion they should haue little time left to prepare conuenient Food for their Flockes on the Lords day Although perhaps you could be content to dispense with that Nay rather if yee will needs inforce your Houres vpon vs lay them vpon dumbe Priests such as either cannot or dare not or at lâ—ast will not preach the Word to their people These being the men that cry so much for long prayers and short preaching you might doe well to bring them to a Canonicall obedience of your Canonicall houres and that they performe the same not by Proxie or Curacie but in their owne persons Otherwise if you cannot find Holy-day-men enough to take your Booke to taske what doth it import else but a necessitie of bringing in Monkerie and so of erecting Cells againe for the practise of your Deuotion Which I trust all your Deuotion will neuer bring to passe In the second place from the practise of the ancient Church the Authour descends to defend his Septiformious Deuotion to be Much after the manner published by authoritie of Quéene ELIZABETH 1560. Much after the manner is indeed a prettie qualification of the matter Much-what not so altogether But for your Much Distingue tempora Distinguish the times That Horarie the Authour speakes of was set out neere the first yeere of her Raigne when as Poperie was not buried nor the Gospell out of her Cradle That noble Queene of euer blessed memorie in the beginning of her Raigne did for the present prudently conniue at and act some things which afterwards by degrees she suffered to vanish For the purpose In the verie beginning of her Raigne before her first Parliament she set forth a Proclamation inhibiting all Ministers in and about London and else-where to preach at all lesse or more but onely to read Seruice vntill further order from her Maiestie Is this a good argument for the Author or any his Fautors by his seeming deuotion of making many long prayers to sholder preaching out of the Church or to wayne the people from hearing because forsooth QU. ELIZAB. once by Proclamation prohibited preaching and allowed onely reading of Seruice But how long lasted this restraint No longer then the Parliament approaching wherin was most happily established the liberty of preaching the Gospell and administring the Sacraments Take another example in the dawning of the Gospell in England before her time in King Henry 8. his raigne The Lord Cromwell in his English Primer 1535. in the Preface before the Letany apologizing his leauing out of the Letany in his former Primer saith wherefore for the contentation of such weake minds and somewhat to beare their infirmities I haue now at this my second Edition of the said Primer caused the Letany to be printed and put into the same c. Marke for the contentation of weake mindes Thus in the Primitiue Church some things were tolerated during the infancy of it which afterwards were quite abolished as Act. 15. The abstaining from blood and strangled was inioyned the Gentiles for a time And why for
to be repeated ouer euery day Doth he not hereby rob vs of the rest of the Scripture Chapters and Psalmes Wee like our Communion booke better then so thus to exchange it to our losse All Priests and Dâ—acons are bound to say dayly the Morning and Euening Prayer either priuately or publikely except they be letted by Preaching studying of Diuinitie or by some other vrgent cause Thankes be to God there are plenty of manuall Psalters and Testaments as easie to carry in mens pockets and I am sure farre more profitable to edification then this booke of Deuotion Yea and it will appeare all along this booke howsoeuer he seeme tenderly affected and deuoted to his mother Church and to our diuine Seruice that neuer any though Popish booke published this threescore yeares vnder the name of Deuotion hath more slily and subtilly vndermined the state of this our Church then this doth while it would confound our Church with that of Babylon whereof more hereafter in the proper place So much in generall of the state of this Booke occasioned by the two first title Pages The Preface NOt to intangle our selues with perplexed questions aâ— whither all prayers other then set prayers and those either the Lords prayer or the Churches publicke formes of this Authors priuate formes bee denyed to Gods people or Ministers as vttered from priuate spirits and Ghosts of their owne they are the words of the Preface wherein perhaps the Author takes the liberty to bewray his malice or ignorance or want of experience of the supply of the spirit of Christ helping our infirmities in prayer Rom. 8.26 Phil. 1.19 as not hauing his wits exercised that way we haue occasion giuen in the first place to touch vpon the second reason of these his houres the words are To let the world vnderstand that they who giue it out and accuse vs here in England to haue set vp a new Church and a new faith to haue abandoned all the ancient formes of piety and deuotion to haue taken away all the religious prayers and exercises of our forefathers to haue despised all the old Ceremonies and cast behind vs the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholick Church c. Is not here a sound reason for the bringing in of old Popish Ceremonies and superstitions and such trumperies into our Church to the end that Popish mouthes may be stopt who slander our Church in this behalfe for antiquating all old Ceremonies whereof the obseruation of the seuen Canonicall houres is one Then belike we must set vp Popery againe at least in a good part onely to appease the clamours of Papists accusing vs for Nouelists But take heed what you doe for vnlesse you meane thus by degrees to reare vp the whole tower of Babylon again in England you striue in vaine to stoppe their mouthes who will haue all or none But in the meane time remember what your Mother the Church of England if ye be indeed her true bred sonnes saith Of such Ceremonies as be vsed in the Church and haue had their beginning by the institution of man Some at the first were of godly intent and purpose deuised and yet at length turned to vanity and superstition some entred into the Churh by vndiscreetâ— deuotion and such a zeale as was without knowledge and for because they were winked at in the beginning they grew dayly to more and more abuse which not onely for their vnprofitablenesse but also because they haue much blinded the people and obscured the glory of God are worthy to be cut away and quite râ—iâ—cted c. Heere consider whether your seuen Canonicalls be not of the number of those Ceremonies which haue had their beginning by the institution of man by Pope Gregory 9. as we haue shewed and perhaps for a good intent and purpose yet at length haue turned to vanity and superstition as is manifest both by the doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome or such as hauing entred into the Church by vndiscreet deuotion and zeale without knowledge and for because winked at in the beginning and growing dayly to more and more abuses our Church not onely for their vnprofitablenesse but because of their much blinding of the people and obscuring Gods glory hath thought worthy to cut away and cleane reiect Consider it I say For hath not our Church among many other superstitious ceremonies quite casheered this of your Canonicall houres But thereupon she heareth A nouellist a setter vp of a new Church and a new faith to haue abandoned all the ancient formes of piety and deuotion to haue taken away all the religious â—xercises and prayers of our forefathers to haue despised all the old Ceremonies c. But of whom doth our Church heare this Of the Church of Rome And can she blame Rome for it But charity would or Christian prudence or I wot not what tender care of her owne reputation being thus exposed to the obloquy of her enemy she should salue the wound againe which the venemous tongue hath made How The Authors of this booke her pregnant young sonnes though no small babies I wis can tell their old Mother shee must now after threescore yeares and more seing there is no other remedy in her old age turne ouer a new leafe begin to renew her old acquaintance with her stepmother or elder sister at least the Church of Rome intertaine some of her old ceremonies againe as religious which long agoe she abandoned as superstitious receiue reuiue that faith and religion as the Old which earst she reiected as the New thus after shee hath begun yea so many yeares continued and growne vp to a ripenesse in the spirit she must with the foolish Church of Galatia be made perfect in the flesh But we hope better things of our reuerend Mother that with aged Sophocles accused by his sonnes of carelesse improuidence in gouerning his family she will vindicate her wisdome and motherly authoritie ouer her darling but ouerdaring sonnes As for that other clause of hauing it cast in our dish that we cast behinde vs the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholicke Church which cannot be obiected to our Church but onely because we allow no more Sacraments but two a point not a little materiall if well weighed of this we shall haue occasion to speake more when we come to his Sacraments of the Church Onely by the way this is a faire inducement to draw on his 7. Sacraments for otherwise how shall he thereby acquit vs forsooth of the grieuous scandall and imputation which the Church of Rome layes to our charge of our reiecting the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholicke Church As if he should say as in effect and almost totidem verbiâ— he doth say They charge vs falsely in saying that we cast behind vs the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholicke Church alas silly simples these men do little else but bewray their owne infirmities and haue more violence or will then reason or
judgement for what they say the common accusations which out of the abundance of those partiall affectious that transport them the wrong way they are pleased to bring so frequently against vs being but the bare reports of such people as either doe not or will not vnderstand vs what we are Doe we cast behind vs the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholicke Church Who told you so I pray you at Rome No I would yée well wist it we hold seuen Sacraments the same Sacraments that the Church of Rome Christs Catholick Church holdeth as shall appeare by good proofe anon But leaue we his proofe to the fit and proper place and prosecute we the rest His third reason for his 7. Canonicals is for the ease of those whom earnest lets and impediments doe often hinder from being partakers of the publick here they may haue a dayly and deuout order of priuate prayer c. First what an incongruitie is this to prescribe thâ—se his houres to men earnestly imployed in worldly affaires Indeed the obseruation of these houres is proper if for any for such as liue a Monasticall life Abbey Lubbers as we say such as haue nothing else to attend but to be busied with their beads And againe for all sorts of persons in our Church blessed be God we haue plenty of Psalters and Testaments wherein they may as profitably I trow exercise their vacant houres as in these consarcinated and new moulded prayers And in the third place doth not this new Rubrick of our Author trench intrude vpon those formes of prayer both publicke and priuate which by our Church are generally prescribed for all persons in the daily practise of their Deuotions And are not Ministers in particuler admonished to read the Morning and Euening Prayer priuately euery day in case at least if hee bee not hindered by his studies and other imployments of his calling Againe in the same Clause he glancingly giues a sound by-blow to those that stand vp in maintaining the quarrell of Gods truth against Popish perturbers and Pelagian innouators the continuall and curious disquisition of many vnnecessary questions among vs being nothing else but onely the new seedes or the old fruits of malite and by consequence the enemy of godlinesse and the abatement of true deuotion This man would willingly fold his hands and wrap vp all his Deuotion in the mantle of ignorance the Mother of his Deuotion Like to the glowoâ—me or rotten post that shines not but in the night so shines his deuotion without light or heat Or at the best like a wandring ignis fatuus And how should the lampe of true Deuotion flame forth and burne in holy feruency of effectuall prayer if it be not fedde with the oyle of sauing knowledge being pressed forth more copiously by the ventilation of errours and dissipation of mysts which would dampe and extinguish all Nor is he content herewith but this blind Deuotion of his he dare call that true deuotion wherwith God is more delighted and a good soule more inflamed then with all the subtilties in the world when at one dash he interesseth God as an approuer of his superstitious and blind Deuotion and a disallower of his owne fundamentall diuine Truthes as busy needlesse subtilties yea as new seedes or old fruits of malice and as the enemy of Godlinesse and abatement of true Deuotion His last reason is that this his booke of Canonicall houres might stirre vp all those who are coldly affected to the like heauenly dutie of performing their daily Christian deuotions c. Thus this man hopes to conuert all England at a cast and bring them within the circle of his Canonicall houres wherein they may trauerse and turne round their Beads as a blind mill-horse in the â—ound Impius ambulaâ— in Circuitu As for his exact and compleate Calender of Saints we omitt it as too tedious and fitter for the Almanack-maker to examine Onely we cannot but touch vpon his times wherein Mariages are not solemnized as from Aduent sunday vntill 8. dayes after the Epiphanie from Septuag sunday vntill 8. dayes after Easter From Rogation Sunday vntill Trinity Sunday All which times summed vp together according to the computation of his owne Calendar take vp aboue 19. weekes from the yeare Now vnder Benedicite be it spoken where doth Gods sacred word suspend or prohibite any times from sacred solemne nuptiall rites I remember it warnes vs of the perillous times of the last dayes wherein men should giue heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of Deuils And what be those The Apostle there tels vs Forbidding of marriage and abstaining from Meates Now God blesse the Church of England from such seducing spirits and Doctrines of Deuils And is not the prohibiting of marriage for some certaine times in the yeare and those no small times neither as incroching vpon aboue a third part of the yeare as well as forbidding of marriage to certaine persons as Priests a branch at least of that very forbidding of marriage which the Apostle calleth a doctrine of Deuils And might not the same Church which prohibited aboue the third part of the yeare haue also with the allegation of a few more plausible pretences of holinesse or so brought all marriages to secke and sue for licâ—nces in the Court Buâ— blessed be God that these prohibited times are not any where set downe either in our booke of Common Prayer or any other bookes containing the Doctrines of the Church of England wherevnto Ministers subscribe least all should either haue cause absolutely necessary not to subscribe or subscribing to such a Decree they should proue a very packe of spirits of Frrour teaching or at least subscribing to Doctrines of Deuils But let vs heare the Authors reasons why in such times marriages are not vsually solemnized Some of these saith hee being times of solemne-fasting and abstinence some of holy festiuity and ioy Both fit to be spent in such sacred exercises without other vnnecessarie auocations So he Alas Neither times of fasting nor times of feasting for marriage Indeed for time of fasting and prayer something may be said Yet with qualification The Apostle saith speaking to the man and wife Defraud you not one the other except it be with consent for a time that yee may giue your selues to Fasting and Prayer and come together againe that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency A respect then might be had to fasting and prayer euen to them that are married But how Doth the Apostle inioyne them by some Apostolicke Constitution or Canon to abstaine for such or so long a time vnlesse they will purchase their liberty with a Licence No such thing He leaues that to their owne liberty and referrs it to their mutuall consent not limiting themselues to any set time least in the meane time Satan tempt them for their incontinency Much lesse doth he confine them to mutuall separation ten leauelong weekes together A shrewd 〈◊〉
for Satan haply to worke vpon Yea and this ten weekes limitation from 〈◊〉 by the Authors allegation falls vnhappily if wee goe according to the course of Natures rules vpon the most dangerous 〈◊〉 of the yeâ—re the Springtime wherein the blood and spirits are most stirring But our Authour takes order for that hee will haue them well macerated and mortified tempered and tamed with Nine wéekâ—s 〈◊〉 The which had need to be full strictly imposed vpon young people not married to discipline and keepe them in order especially such as haue not the gift of continencie and cannot without danger stay till those ten weeke be expired And we know that our Communion Booke alledging the authoritie of the Apostle saith expresly That such persons as haue not the gift of continencie might marrie and keepe themselues vndefiled members of Christs Body where also no time is limitted or excluded But whatsoeuer our Authour may pretend for the time of solemne fasting and prayer as not seasonable for marriage Yet to restraine men from marriage in times of Festiuitie and ioy may seeme to be verie vnreasonable For what times fitter for Solemnizing the Rites of Marriage then times of Festiuitie and ioy Yea but the Authour doth not exempt all fast of festiuall times but onely such as are Solemne and Sacred holy times That 's somewhat to the purpose Holy times Alas poore Marriage art thou now become so vncleane vnholy as to be shut out from holy times Thou wast wont to be Honourable among all and the bed vndefiled If wee may belieue the Apostle And our Church calls it The holy estate of Matrimonie Yea and if we may belieue our Authour and if hee haue not forgotten himselfe he placeth Matrimonie among his Seuen Sacraments And if it be a Sacrament is it not holy And if Holy is the celebration of it vnsutable for Holy times But Marriage it seemeth is an vnnecessarie auocation as our Authour termes it An vnnecessarie auocation And is it not a necessarie vocation How then an vnnecessarie auocation But why should Marriage if rightly vsed according to Gods Ordinance be either a necessarie or vnnecessarie auocation Was the Marriage in Cana whereat it pleased CHRIST himselfe to be present any impediment or auocation to him from working a gracious Miracle whereby all the guests had abundant cause and occasion to prayse GOD and his Disciples especially to belieue more firmly in their MESSIAS And I pray you when was this Marriage in Cana When Not I hope within any of the holy times exempted from Marriage And least of all within Fourtie dayes of the Passeouer the Holy time of Lent Yet if wee may belieue all those that haue written and calculated the verie time of that Marriage they say all with one vnanimous voyce for the most part that it was within a little of the Passeouer or Easter yea within lesse then 40. or yet twentie dayes But we hope then that the married couple had procured a Licence out of the High Priests Court Alas they were a poore couple not able to prouide Wine as the vsuall manner of the Countrey required but water onely and scant of that too For there were sixe water-pots of Stone but wanting filling vp But no Wine at all And ten shillings or more for a Licence would haue said well to the filling of those Pots with Wine as Wine went in that plentifull Countrey But neither doe we read that on any such time or times Holy or Sacred or call them what you will were marriages euer prohibited to bee celebrated no not in that present corrupt state of the Church of the Iewes where notwithstanding the verie High Priests office was ordinarily bought and sold enough to haue put them to their wits to improue all meanes to scrape vp their disbursments again by hooke and by crooke by pilling and polling as well the people as the inferiour Priests But this particular improuement was not hatched in those dayes as bad as they were Antichrist was not yet knowne not yet ascended out of the Bottomlesse-pit to bring into the world such a Doctrine of Diuels Ob. But it may be obiected How then is this practise crept into the Church of England Answ. It is an easier matter to find which way it crept in then it seemeth how it may be swept out It lurked among some rubbidge of Romish Reliques and so escaped shipping away with other of Romes trinkets Yea it may well in my iudgement be answered That it is not professed or auowed in the Church of England but in certaine Courts onely And it were to be wished that the Authour with all his Deuotion could perswade those Courts that forasmuch as the times prohibited for Marriage are holy and sacred fit for fasting or festiuall ioy they would by these reasons disswade their Suters from taking Licences Marriages also being an vnnecessarie auocation and the like Thus by putting a difference betweene the times sacred and common the Courts may either disswade from Licences for the time or pully vp such Licences to a higher rate so putting a pecuniarie mulct vpon such Delinquents But a light gaine makes a heauie purse And Licenciâ sumus omnes deteriores And Auri sacra fames can easily dispence with the most Sacred times whether of Fasting or solemne Festiuitie Ob. But though the Ministers of the Church of England find it not as a Decree or Doctrine to subscribe to yet they conforme to the practise of it They doe not marrie in any prohibited times without a Licence Answ. This is a thing but taken vp of a fashion as I imagine and so practised as a Tradition not well thought of They I am sure I know no more reason or authoritie for this in the expresse Rubricks or Rules of our ministeriall Order then either by Tradition or from the anniuersarie Almanacke and now at last from our Authours Canonicall Booke of Deuotion And certainly there is no other law for it that I know but the Popes Canon Law I dare say it is not in all the Common Law of England nor yet in the Statute Lawes of the Land And whether the Popes Canon Law bee cancelled in England to be frustrate de iure at least though not de facto I cannot say But enough if not too much of this matter But come wee to the body of the Booke wherein we purpose not to insist but to touch vpon some points and passages lightly according to the moment of each Vpon the Second Commandement hee glosseth no otherwise in some particulars then a Iesuite may safely doe for the defence of Romes Doctrine of the worship of Images Offenders of the second Commandement saith he are they that make any other Images to wit of the Creatures or the likenesse of any thing whatsoeuer be it of Christ and his Crosse or be it of his blessed Angels with an intent to fall downe and worship them Now a Iesuite with a distinction can easily make this good for
others that were therewith acquainted before the printing of the Booke Stay a little I pray you for my memory is bad if your period be long who were those that were acquainted with the booke before the printing of it Were they Iesuites or of what profession were they But I will not presse you too farre least I loose my labour Onely goe on with your sentence who are as ready to ingage their credits and liues in defense of the faith of the present Church of England by Law established and in opposition of Popery and Romish superstition as any others doe with griefe obserue the maleuolencie of some dispositions of these times with whom a slip or misprision of a word or two as liable to a faire and charitable vnderstanding as otherwise doth not onely loose the thankes due for all the good contained in the worke but also purchase to the Author a reprochfull imputation and way-making to Popish Deuotion and apish imitation of Romish superstition Nay I pray you Mr. Printer continue out your speech to the end And howsoeuer he may be requited for his paines herein he shall neuer depart from his good intention and wishing that the reader may at all times and for all occasions be assisted with diuine grace obtained by continuall prayer And for the misdeeming Censures and detractions of any hee feareth them not but rather hopeth that his prayers to God for them wil be more beneficiall to them then any their Censures or detractions can be any way preiudiciall to him who doth in this and all things else humbly submit himselfe to the judgement of the Church of England whereof he is a member and though inferiour vnto most yet a faithfull Minister Haue you said all Mr. Printer Now surely I cannot but smile to see how pretily and smoothly you can plough with anothers he yfer what an infinite disproportion there is betweene your style and your person and yet both you and your leare-father are strongly conceited that you are able to cosen all the world by making them beleeue that you are the man that framed this Apologeticall Epistle Alas you doe but dance in a net all this while Do not you thinke I smelled your cunning conueyance till now Or doe you thinke the world is so simple as to prayse or applawd you for the Author of this your pretty witty Epistle And now by the Epistle it selfe will I conuince it to be a very packe of knauery And to put you out of conceit that you are the Author of this Epistle Mr. Printer I will goe no farther then the last words of it Dare you be so bold with the Author who is no small man and hopes yet to be greater at least for his good seruice in this booke as to say he is inferiour to most I know this neuer came out of your lips though it went through your presse Ex vngue leonem This could not come but from the modesty of the Author himselfe or from some frend to helpâ— out at a dead lift But be it his or yours or whose iâ— wil be I wil be bold to go ouer the rest where I lâ—â—t You say your Authors are as ready to ingage their credits and liues in defence of the faith of the present Church of England by law established and in opposition of Popery and Romish superstition as any others Hoe there Here Master Printer I must tell you you take a greater ingagement vpon you then your credit wil be taken for If they should openly by word as here you haue set downe in print ingage themselues in this point euen the principals if they should haue as little credit giuen them as the surety they may blame themselues Verba quid audio cum facta videam Let this booke speake for them whence a Iesuite may conclude farre stronger arguments to assure the Church of Rome of these her sonnes Then the Authors themselues with all their powerfull eloquence can â—uer perswade vs that they are the true brâ—d sonnâ—â— of the Church of England The Iesuites haue the Aâ—â—â—ors booke to shew a prooâ—e vpon Record but we haue nothing to shew but a poore Epistle and that written in the Printers name And how shall they euer ingagage their credits and liues in defence of the faith of the present Church of England by law established a clause of some waight had we any better authoritie for it then the single assertion of a Printer who haue beene both so prodigall of their Credit aduenâ—urous of their liues if the lawes established be of any force and all to win countenance and credit to the holy Catholicke Church of Rome and who will belieue that they will oppose Popery that labour to aduance it and to suppresse the truth of the Gospell by law established in the present Church of England Or how shall they oppose Romish superstition that tooth and naile would haile it in by head shoulders in a most superstitious forme of Romish deuotion But you proceed and say They doe with griefe obserue the maleuolency of some dispositions of these times with whom a slip or misprision of a word or two as liable to a faire and charitable vnderstanding as otherwise doeth not onely loose the thankes due for all the good contained in the worke but also purchase to the author a reprochfull imputation of way making to Popish Deuotion and apish imitation of Romish superstition O good God What a packe of hypocrisie and senselesse absurdities and shamelesse impudencie is here All their damnable foysting in of popery and that no lesse then infidell prayer for the dead must be excused for sooth and all the blame laid vpon the maleuolency of some dispositions of these times And who are those and why maleuolent surely those that espying the craft of Iesuited spirits in these our dayes in broching grosse and palpable Popery dare oppose themselues and cry out against such bold attempts These be the men of a maleuolent disposition in these times and all because these times doe breed such Iesuited spirits And therefore no maruaile if the author of this booke cannot but greeue that his Popish booke cannot finde a generall approbation But they are maleuolent as with whom a slip or misprision of a word or two c. But a word or two at the most misprinted or misplaced the matter of all this maleuolency Nay but a slip or misprision of a word or two Why we know that in Coyne he that is the author of a slip and would vent it for the Kings Currant Coyne is guilty of treason Now much more a slip or false doctrine foysted in for Gods Currant siluer such a slip once broched is an errour but stiffly maintained it becomes an heresie And is not this such a slip here A most wicked Popish doctrine was published by the Author or Authors in print namely Prayer for the Dead against the Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England and yet