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
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 〈◊〉
nothing during the Fast. Nothing at all If our Fast be for a day we are to eat nothing till night when the Fast is ended Such was Nineueh's Fast. Nor can that be a Fast of fourtie dayes in which space any thing is eaten or drunke But is that a Fast to eat no Flesh and to fill the stomacke with good Fish and the best Wine To eat no Butter but the purest Oyle To eat no Egges but the most restoratiue Figges Sint tibi Iâ—iunia pura casta simplicia moderata non superstitiosa saith St IEROME Quid prodest c. What auailes it not to eat Oyle and to seeke out meats hard and troublesome to be gotten As dryed Figges Pistacke nuts Almonds Dates Meale and Honey Tota hortorum cultura vexatur vt cibaria non vescamur pane dum delicias sectamur a regno Caelorum retrahimur All the Gardens and Orchards must bee troubled to serue our palate And while wee follow such delicacies wee are haled away from the Kingdome of Heauen And why should our Authour impose vpon vs such a Lent-Fast as a matter of Religion and a speciall part of his Deuotion Whereas this Noble and Religious STATE doth not prescribe or inhibite the vse of any Creatures but out of a ciuill regard and for a ciuill end In that case doe not men take Licences from the Exchequer And doth not the KINGS Proclamation inioyne forbearance of Flesh during that time of the Spring and that expresly for the increase of Cattle But if our Authour will needs vrge the Authoritie of the Church for the Lent-Fast I doe but referre him to the Order of Pope VRBAN the third afore cited We know no such constitution in the Church of England Neither after CHRISTS Resurrection wherein all Iewish ceremoniall obseruation of dayes was abolished remained in Scripture any one day in the weeke or weeke in the moneth or moneth in the yeere to be religiously and yeerly obserued of Christians but onely the Lords day The Church of Galathia intangling herselfe in Iewish Ceremonies the Apostle sharply reproueth them saying Ye obserue dayes and moneths and times and yeeres I am in feare of you least I haue bestowed on you labour in vaine This was as he tells them to begin in the Spirit and to end in the Flesh. And Col. 2.16 17. Let no man iudge you in meat or in drinke or in respect of an Holy-day or of the new Moone or of the Sabbaoth-dayes which are a shaddow of things to come but the Body is Christ. Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the Rudiments of the World Why as though liuing in the world are ye subiect to Ordinances Touch not tast not handle not which all are to perish with the vsing after the Commandements and Doctrines of men c. But now they that goe about to destroy or at least to defalke from the due obseruation of the Lords-day consisting in all religious exercises both publicke and priuate excluding all prophane pastimes and licentious mad mirth so as Christians being thereby inured to a religious conformitie of life in all seemely sobrietie haue the lesse need of superstious obseruations to be imposed or obtruded vpon them for their priuate humiliation seeing the whole tenure of their life is a constant walking in a sober and moderate course not mad to day and sad to morrow for fashion so adding drunknesse to thirst and neuer well as we say full nor fasting whereas euerie day to a true Christian is a day of sobrietie and all his life a Lent while all along his life is seasoned and sanctified with a conscionable keeping of the Lords day wherein he prouides his store for euerie weeke I say they that goe about to cut away a a great part from the religious and sober keeping of the Lordsday no maruel if they would fill vp the want of true Religion with some satisfactorie Superstition of mans deuising and so to expiate all the yeeres prophanesse with the seeming sanctitie and superstitious solemnitie of a pretended Lenten Fast which indeed is no Fast as men doe vse it And yet for all it is so abused it hath monopolized and ingrossed to it selfe all other true Fasts wherein Gods people in time either of any present publicke calamitie or eminent danger ought to be humbled in making their peace with God deprecating as the sinne so the punishment the consequent fruit of it But the Lent-Fast must keepe out all beat downe all other Fasts Good Lent either fast as thou pretendest thou shouldest or giue place to other Fasts which being performed as they ought may stand in the gap to turne away that wrath which thy Superstition and Hypocrisie is like to bring vpon vs. But the Authour cites St IEROME to proue the Quadragesimall Fast to be an Apostolicke constitution Indeed we read of one ABDIVS who tells strange Tales of St MATHEVV the Euangelist and among the rest that he taught that Saints must looke to goe into Heauen by their Merits That the time of Lent must be kept with abstinence from Flesh from coniugall beneuolence or else a man becomes polluted and commits a haynous offence which must be washed away with many teares These and other the like be so likely to be true as it may be lawfull for vs to belieue St MATHEVV wrot one thing and spake another But we must know that the Misterie of Iniquitie began to worke euen in those prime times while Satan wanted not his Instruments to lay the foundation thereof in superstitious Deuotions the strongest supporter of Antichrist As for S. IEROME and other of the Ancients who knowes not that many things of this nature haue been foysted into their Workes Neither is it necessarie that we should either labour in all things to cleare the Fathers nor in euerie thing to follow them But howsoeuer our Authour would draw down the Lent-Fast from the obseruation of the Church although he still meanes the Church of Rome yet wee know that the ancient Churches which were no members of the Church of Rome but as all then were ioynt members of the Catholike did obserue their Quadragesima after a different sort both for the time and manner Socrates who was much about the time of S. Ierome saith that in those dayes Qui sunt Roma c. They that are at Rome do Fast three weekes before Easter the Saturday and the Lords day onely excepted In Illyria and all Greece at Alexandria they begin their Fast 6 weekes before Easter and call that time Quadragesima Others begin their Fast 7. weekes before Easter although they keepe their Fast but 15. of those dayes scattered â—mong the rest and yet they call that time Quadragesima too Nor differ they onely about the time but about the maner of abstinence For some eate Fowles and Fishes as both comming of the water Others abstaine from shel-fruits and eggs some feed onely vpon drie bread and others