Yet for all this he sets downe a farre longer prayer then can be said at the verie point of time when the Soule is departing from the Body Yea and among the rest to lengthen it out he sets downe thirteene eiaculatorie Meditations and Prayers which he will haue said plainly distinctly and with some pawses So that of necessitie the Soule must bee departed before his prayers be halfe ended And what then Is that so great a matter thinke you His first printed Booke which is yet extant and walkes abroad wherewith Iesuites are mightily helped to draw on Disciples after them blusheth not to make a solemne prayer for the Soule and that expresly and distinctly after it is departed from the Body For after his Eiaculatories ending with Lord Iesus râ—ceiue my Spirit He putteth these words of direction next vnder And these to wit the foregoing eiaculatorie Meditations and Prayers to be repeated vntill the Soule be departed Well The Soule being now departed What then Then O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world grant him thy peace With this Prayer O Lord with whom doe liue the Spirits of them that dye and by whom the Soulâ—s of thy Seruants after they be deliuered from the burthen of this Flesh bée in perpetuall ioy and felicitie Wee most méekely beseech thée for this thy Seruant that hauing now receiued the absoluâ—um from all his sinnes which he hath committed in this world he may escape the Gates of Hell and the paynes of eternall darkenesse That he may for euer dwell with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the Region of Light and thy blessed Presence where there is neither wéeping nor heauinesse And that when the dreadfull day of the generall Iudgement shall come he may rise againe with the Iust and receiue this dead Body which must now be buried in the Earth to be ioyned with his Soule and be made pure and incorruptible for euer after in thy glorious Kingdome for the merits of thy deare Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen Thus runs the Prayer for the Dead word for word But here the PRINTER steps in and setting forth a second Impression he in an Epistle before the Booke styled The Printer to the Reader Excuses the Authour and verie courteously takes all the blame vpon himself Which he is the bolder to doe because this Booke is Censured as he tâ—rmeth rather through false reports and mistakings in them that either iudge before they see or out of disaffection make sinister construction of that which deserueth better vnderstanding and so good intentions are wrested and truth impeached Note here the fruit of the Authours Deuotions how soone they haue blindly led him into Errour which he desireth may be excused by his good intentions howsoeuer it goeth he meant no harme good man Which also the most ignorant Papist is able to plead for himselfe You must take his good meaning Well Let vs heare out his Apologie So hath it befallen this Hand-full of Collections for priuate Deuotions which was compiled out of sundry warranted Bookes c That 's something But out of what warranted Bookes could he collect or compile Prayer for the Dead That he might expile from Popish warranted Booke as out of the Romane Missal and the like wherewith the Authour seemes to be better acquainted then with GODS Booke So that I feare me some hath taught the PRINTER here to equiuocate a little But what followes It was for the priuate vse of an honourable well-disposed Friend He or She Protestant or Papist Or betweene both Or one whom the Authour by the vertue of this Booke was about to conuert to be a Roman Catholike yet being an honourable person it deserues some pardon for their honours sake Nay rather it is the more censurable that the author should dare to attempt to seduce any honourable personage vnder the colour of his painted-popish Deuotions But what more without any meaning to make the same publicke to the world This is one part of his good intentions Published it is but it was not his meaning How then Though to saue the labour and trouble of writing Copies to be sparingly communicated to some few friends a certaine number of them by leaue and warrant of the Ordinary were printed at the charge of the partie for whose onely vse the same was collected Good Pitty but such a Booke with such deuout prayers collected should be copied out and rather then faile for more expedition to be printed but to be sparingly O warily spoken to some and but some and those but a few friends One of the best reasons you gaue hitherto to extenuate the fault for the fewer were printed and the more sparingly and to the more few communicated the better But how comes it to be printed againe and againe and so lauishly communicated and dispersed euery where Is it not but by leaue and warrant of the Ordinary I assure you the author had extraordinary fauour to get the Ordinaries leaue and warrant for such a Popish Booke for beleeue me Orthodox Bookes and such as impugne Popery and Heresie and propugne the established Doctrine of the Church of England cannot haue the fauour to obtaine ordinary leaue and warrant to be printed but vpon to speake mildely extraordinary tearmes But goe on It hath therefore seemed good to AVTHORITY to giue leaue to the reprinting thereof and permitting the same to be sold to such as please to buy it onely for priuate vse as in former times way hath beene giuen to the printing of priuate Prayer-Bookes Stay there Me thinkes Mr Printer you begin to gather a great deale of confidence already I pray you if I may be so bold what authority is that which you so boldly build vpon and which you put in such Capitall Characters as if you would affright the Reader withall But good Subiects and honest men obey honour reuerence loue Authority are not terrified with it It is for such Printers that are so ready to print Mountebanke Arminianisme and cosâ—ning Popery as you haue done to be frighted with Authority for it carrieth not the sword for naught But if thou dost euill feare Did you neuer heare of one Tucker a printer in Queene Elizabeths raigne who for printing a Booke of Popish Deuotion was arraigned and though the Queens mercy saued his life yet he was confined to perpetuall imprisonment Yet you feare not not only to print reprint but to sell your booke to euery buyer to some who exchange it also for all other bookes which a little before was thought fit onely to communicate and but sparingly to some few friends being set forth at first onely for the vse of the party that bore the charge But do you make no more difference betweene this Popish booke of priuate Deuotions and other priuate prayer bookes formerly printed by Authority and as good Authority as you can bring any in this Church I pray you how long haue you beene a Mr. Printer But
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
rate no doubt much sweat much oyle hath beene spent in this laborious Collection of priuate Deuotions Such a worke as this may be a rich price for such a purchase But Mr. Printer are you sure the Author accounts it a reproachfull imputation to be a way-maker to Popish Deuotion Is not that your bare imagination as perhaps not discerning the Serpent lurking vnder the greene leaues of Deuotion or perhaps hauing some sparke of loue to your Mother Church left as to judge your Author in tâ—is case by your selfe if it were your owne Nay doth not your Author account it an honour to him to be a deuout instrument among others to bring in again and re-eâ—ect the Religion of Rome in England Onely it may be two or three words doe not well relish with him to wit Popish Apish Romish superstition and perhaps imitation too All these put together in this forme the Author may account it a reprochfull imputation as to be a way maker to Popish Deuotion and Apish imitation of Romish superstition But let Popish be turned into Catholicke and apish imitation into absolute refoundation and Romish superstition into Religion of the see Apostolicke Then set the sentence in more handsome tearmes thus and for a reproachfull imputation will he not trow you account it an honourable commendation of way-making to Catholicke Deuotion and an absolute refoundation of the Religion of the Apostâ—licke see You goe on And howsoeuer he may be requited for his paines herein he shall neuer depart from his good intention of wishing that the Reader may at all times and for all occasions be assisted with diuine grace obtained by continuall prayer It seemes you are very intimously priuie to your Authors good intentions and no lesse solicitous of his rich requitall for his paines herein And pitty but he should be requiâ—ed to the full as he hath deserued and if not in this world he may looke for it in the world to come But hath he but a good intention of wishing c. But this good intention it seemeth bath relation to his worke wherein his intention was good to occasion vnto the reader at all times and for all occasions assistance of Diuine grace obtained by continuall prayer namely by continuall prayer out of this booke of priuate Deuotions in obseruing his 7. Canonicall houres Neuer will he depart from thâ—s his good intention of well-wishing And as for the misdeeming censures and detractions of any say you he feareth them not but rather hopeth that his prayers to God for them will be more beneficiall to them then any their censures or detractions can be preiudiciall to him He that durst publish such a popish booke as this was armed before hand from top to toe not to feare any mans censure or detraction when not euen the armed lawes of the Land could deterre him from aduenturing vpon such a bold attempt as to go about to bring England backe againe to Popery But yet he hopeth that his prayers to God for his Censures wil be more beneficiall to them then any their Censures or detractions can be preiudiciall to him You know that the Fox the more he is cursed the more he thriâ—eth Their Censures and detractions cannot preiudice the Authors rising higher and higher to preferments for his good demerits to the Church But yet he hopeth his prayers will be beneficiall to his Censurers No doubt but the Author hath learned the Art of Deuotion to a haire But what prayers hath he in that kind He must not pray of his owne head but what the Church puts in his mouth And surely I find but one prayeâ— in all his booke except the repetition of it in sundry Letanies a prayer borrowed from the Church too and not from his owne bowells for such as he calles his censurers and detracters as That it may please thee to forgiue our enemies persecutors and slanderers and to turne their hearts But sâ—ing his hope of doing tâ—em good by his pâ—ayâ—rs stands rather vpon comparatiue then positiue tearmes for he rather hopes good to them by his prayers then feares euill from them by their Censures therefore we leaue his prayers as doubtfull of their successe it being rather to be hoped for by his Censurers that his prayers shall doe them as little harme as good In the meane time let him looke that he wrong not his Censurers in miscalling their Censures Misdéeming Censures For Conclusion Hee doth in this and in all things else humbly submit himselfe to the judgement of the Church of England whereof he is a member though inferior vnto most yet a faithfull Minisâ—er I like your conclusion well yet that your Author doth in this and in all things else humbly submit himselfe to the Church of England· But I hope that he doth not meane that the Church of England is pend vp in a corner or ingrossed by Monopoly to this or that man or that any one man hath a Papall definitiue voyce to determine the doctrines of the Church of England for I remember your former apology That he will defend the faith of the present Church of England by law established 〈◊〉 oppose Popery and Romish superstition Well I hope then that the Church of England whose body representatiue is now happily assembled â—n Parliament I meane not onely the representatiue body Ecclesiasâ—iâ—k but ciuill both together ioyntly representing the Church of England will take such order with this booke of Deuoâ—ion as he shall haue no just occasion to complaine he and his booke are vniustly dealt withall censured or iudged but that he will be as good as his word himselfe· Onely two things I heartily pray for as fruits and effects of his humble submision that he may henceforth approue himselfe a better member of the Church of England and a more faithfull Minister and that hee may striue as much to excell others in the best indowments as he is not inferiour to most in temporall preferments Which that he may be and doe a more ingenuous and humble confession is requisite then is made vnder your name of a slip or misprision of a word or two Now to conclude all in a word with his owne Conclusion pag. 417. The blessing there he is not content with the peace of God c. The blessing of God Almightie the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost but he addes the vertue of Christs blessed Crosse c. This forme of Blessing he hath no where learned out of the Communion booke The vertue of Christs blessed Crosse is of his owne addition But the Crosseâ—uâ—ts â—uâ—ts well with his Deuotion He both begins and ends it with a Crosse. And seeing you Mr. Printer haue so well appologised for your Author there is one Crosse for you and another for him whereon you may crucifie at least your slâ—p and misprision But pray rather that laying aside all disimulation and daubing ouer of your rotten booke and that dealing ingenuously with God and Man in the humble confession of your grosse faults and true repentance of the same you may find that Mercy of God which followeth vpon all true belieuers through the only soueraine vertue of Christ Crucified Now the grace of the Lord Iesus Christ and the loue of God and the Communion of the Holy Ghost be with all them that loue the Truth in sincerity Amen FINIS Cicero de Senectute 2. Cor. 11.23 Acts 26.16 Reuel 2. Reuel 3. Prou. 23.34 Iohn de Serreâ— in his History in Henry 3. Decret de Celebratione Missar C. Praesbiter tit 41 Concil Agath Niceph. l. 15 c. 23. Euagrius l. 1. c. 21. See Centuria 5. c 6. de Ceremoniâ—s Compare this with pag. 86. in his later edition where he mentioneth the Decrees of the Church Cypr. de Orat. Dom. Clem. Constit. l. 8. c. 40. for 34. Preface to the Communion booke Ciâ— deseâ—ectute The Authors owne words in is Preface * In the end of the Preface before the booke of CoÌ„mon prayer 1. Tim. 4. 1. Cor. 7.5 a Iudei seruillter obseruant diem Sabbati ad luxurâ—am ad ebrâ—etatem guanto meliùâ—â—emina eorum â—â—nam facerent quà m eo die in Neomeâ—iis Saâ—tarenâ— Al siâ—â—raties vt illos dicamus oâ—seruaâ—e SabbatuÌ„ c. Agu. Tract 3. â—n Iohan. b Sermo 95. de Tâ—mp tom 10. Aug. Epist. 86. Casiâ—lano Prasbytero Sermo super salue Regina Domini Resurrectio promisit nobis â—ternum diem et consecrauiâ— nobis Dominicum diem De â—erbis Apost ser. 15 Math 13 Esa. 55 1 2.3 Esa. 42.23 * As I told my reuerend Ordinary wheÌ„ I was called before him the second time of my Examination about Isâ—aels Fast. Attic. â—â— Cathol Tradition q. 20. P. 119. In his Preface in the 2. reason The Oath of the Kings supremacie in the booke of Ordering of Deacons Psal. 50. Pag. 86. * And i◠〈…〉 see 〈…〉 of it 〈…〉 lately to â—ee at a 〈◊〉 Printing house an old Communion booke â—cored and noâ—ed all along with this Authors owne 〈◊〉 where â—mong other â—hâ—nâ—s which he â—ould haue 〈◊〉 hee 〈…〉 that 〈◊〉 pâ—iuâ—tâ—â—â—aâ—ers 〈◊〉 â—ettâ—r 〈◊〉 â—hen there 〈◊〉 iâ— the CoÌ„munion 〈◊〉 * * Homâ—â—â—7 â—7 〈…〉 Ierom. ad Neâ—otâ—an Epist. 7 Gal. 4.10 As the Pharisee who will neither enter into Heauen himselfe nor suffer those that would to enter in Cent. 1. lib. 2. c. 10. De vitis Doctorum Socratis Hist. Eccl. lib. 5. cap. 21. Also Zorom Hist. Eccl. lib. 7. cap. 19. Eusebu Eccl Hist. lib. cap. 23. Pag. 104. see his first impression * To wit that the old lâ—aues may yet be had for money See the CoÌ„munioÌ„ booke at the Buriall of the Dead * The words of the Printers Epistle * The Prinâ—â—r goes on For 〈◊〉 fundo parsimâ— niapunc * For the Pontificians say that Purgatory is in the suburbs of Hell and that must needs be close to the gates of Hell and that the paines of Purgatory are for the time no whit inferiour to the paines of eternall darknes Nor let any man think the Author would be so grosse to name Purgatory here in plaine termes no more then he doth Limbus Patrum when he sayth the Region of â—ight distiâ—ct from Gods glorious kingdome
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
that the Church of Rome is Christs Catholickâ— Church For the Sacraments of the Church and of Christs Catholicke Church being seuen and no Church euer holding seuen Sacraments but the Church of Rome and that of late dayes too it followeth necessarily that the Church of Rome must be The Church yea the Catholicke Church of Christ. But how will â—e proue that the Church of England holdes these seuen Sacraments Because she hath not despised nor cast behind her the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholicke Church How proues he that Namely out of the Catechisme of the Sacraments and out of the 25. Article which hee hath alledged in the Margent Now let vs for more cleernesse compare his proofes with his owne text The Authors words The Sacraments of the Church The principall and truely so called as generally necessary to saluation are Baptisme and the Lords Supper The Catechisme Q. How many Sacraments hath Christ ordained in his Church Ans. Two onely as generally necessary to saluation that is to say Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord. Article 25. Of the Sacraments Sacraments ordained of Christ bee not onely badges or tokens of Christian mens profession but rather they be certaine witnesses and effectuall signes of grace and Gods good-will towards vs by the which hee doth worke inuisibly in vs and doth not onely quicken but also strengthen and confirme our faith in him Let the judicious reader but well obserue and compare the Church of Englands doctrine of the Sacraments with this our Authors and he shall find the differenâ—e to stand vpon tearmes mainely opposit For first is it all one to say The Sacraments of the Church and the Sacraments which Christ hath ordained in his Church And betweene the Church that which the Author expresly meaneth and Christs Church His Church there is I wis no small difference Againe The principall saith our Author implying there are other besides but Two onely saith the Church of England excluding all other And as for the words of the Article cited they so set downe the nature of the Sacraments as that they exclude all other Sacraments from hauing any fellowship with them And therefore hath the Author cautelously suppressed the definition of a Sacrament But yet hee findes fiue other Sacraments following in the Article which he quotes ouer against his fiue in the Margent Let vs therefore paralell them The Authors words The other fiue that is to say Confirmation Penitence Orders Matrimony Uisitation of the sicke or extreame Unction though they bée sometimes called and haue the name of Sacraments yet haue they not the like nature the two principall true Sacraments haue Article 25. Ibid. Those fiue commonly called Sacraments that is to say Confirmation Penance Orders Matrimony and extreme Vnction are not to bee counted for Sacraments of the Gospell being such as haue growne partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles partly are states of life allowed in the Scripture but yet haue not like nature of Sacraments with Baptisme and the Lords Supper for that they haue not any visible signe or Ceremony ordained of God Note here the vast difference betweene the sincerity of our Church and the egregious sophistry of this our Author Those fiue saith the one as pointing to those which now the Church of England in the beginning of the blessed Queenes Raigne newly then purged from Popery as in 1562 when those Articles were compiled had cut off from the number of the Sacraments although those fiue were euen then in high esteeme still with too many not yet powred from their Leâ—s but the Author comes roundly with the other fiue inducing necessarily Seuen Sacraments of the Church Two and the other fiue His Conclusion is this in effect and forme We hold the Sacraments of the Church But the Sacraments of the Church are two and the other fiue to wit seuen Therefore wée hold the seuen Sacraments Againe our Church saith Those fiue to wit Confirmation c. are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospâ—ll But our Author saith They are the Sacraments of the Church and that no lesse then the other they all tunne vnder one title The Sacraments of the Church Thirdly our Church saith these are such as haue growne partly from the corrupt following of the Apostles but saith our Author in his Preface They are the blessed Sacraments of Christs Cathoâ—icke Church receiued from our forefathers a good argument to proue the lineall descent of Popery so farre is he from sayâ—ng or assenting with the Church of England that they haue growne partly from the corrupt vse of following the Apostles In a word the Church of England saith These haue not any visible signe or Ceremoâ—ie or 〈◊〉 of God but our Author saith no such thing but in generall shuffling them vp vnder the tiâ—le oâ— the Sacraments of the Church he will needs haue them to be Sacraments But Sacraments must haue a visible signe ordained of God or else they are no Sacraments And these haue no visible signe ordained of God saith our Church Therefore our Author crosseth the doctrine of our Church expresly Onely he confesseth that these the other fiue haue not in generall the like nature that the two principall and true Sacraments haue If in this his speech their lurke no equiuocation for he may closely meane by The like nature that these are not generally necessarie to saluation as the first two hee must needs inferre that these his other fiue are no true Sacraments therefore false and bastard Sacraments And if we take the word Sacrament in the largest sense as those fiue are then according to that reckoning the number of Sacraments will quickly amount from other fiue to fiue hundreth For as Saint Chrisostome obserueth in his 11. Hom. on Luke Omnia quaecunque fecit Christus Sacramenta sunt siue ambulauit c. All things whatsoeuer Christ did are Sacraments whither hee walked or eate or dranke or fasted or wept c. All these saith Chrysostome Sacramenta nostra sunt they are our Sacraments To conclude this point of difference there is some oddes betweene their naming of these Sacraments Our Church calls them Confirmation Penance Orders Matrimony and Extreame vnction Our Author is pleased to call his fiue thus Confirmation Penitence Orders Matrimony and visitation of the sicke or Extreme vnction In two of his fiue hee varies hee calls Penance Penitence and Extreme vnction he calls Visitation of the sicke In which two new names of his new Sacraments there lurkes not a little of Serpentine poyson For first he would bring Penitence to be all one with popish Penance For doth hâ—e not meane by Penitence Repentance I trow so Repentance then hee will make to be Penance as the â—esuites in their Rhemes and Doway Traâ—sâ—ation turne the word for Repentance Penance Now Penance is a Popish word and implyeth the Popish practise in this their Sacrament Their practise is to inioyne Shrift or Confession to wit a strict
into this state and Church from which Antichristian religion and Tyranny we haue bin through Gods incomparable mercy to this Land now so many yeares deliuered hauing thus long inioyed the light of the Gospell attended with all outward blessings of a peaceable and happy Gouernment till now of late a generation of vipers eating to themselues away out of their spirituall Mothers bowels that they may turne tayles and joyne with the great Beast of Babylon against the Lambe and those of his side the called and chosen and faithfull haue made a fearefull breach in this beautifull Body like to be vtterly wracked if it be not all the sooner made vp againe Whether to goe about with a high hand to frustrate and make void to violate and breake in sunder all those sacred and religious lawes which haue bin made for the firme establishment of the Gospell the truth whereof hath beene sealed with the blood of so many Martyrs and is and will be witnessed by Millions of faithfull Confesâ—ours of his Maiesties Crowne and Scepter and religious gouernment of vs his people and the rest of his Dominions whether I say to go about to bring in a new forme of Papall religion and dominion in this Church and state of England be not more then matter of periury to cost a mans eares but of high Treason and that in a high degree against God and thâ— King the Church and State Who would euer haue thought that in this shining of the Gospell any Romish owles hoodwinckt with the vaile of superstitious Deuotion durst attempt sâ—ch things as the bringing backe of the Church of England to the captiuity of Babylon What Achitophel duâ—st counsell all-daring young Absolon thus to offer to goe lye with his fathers Concubines on the toppe of the house in the sight of the Sunne and all Israel And wherefore But in Policy thereby to fasten the fickle false hearts of those traiterous Israelites to the Crowne aspiring Absolon when they should see him become an open abomination to the King and be at an vnreconcilable defiance with him And what made Achitophel so confident and Absolon to take such wicked counsell but the great strength wherein they presumed But is the Popish faction growne so great and strong as already to aduance their crest and colours in defiance of Religion and Lawes and with strong hand to suppresse and beare downe Dauids Kingdome It should seeme their confidence is arriued at a high pitch But God bring it downe as he did that subtil-headed and shag-haired conspiracie against the King and state He can send Achitophel to his halter and Absolon to his fatall Tree He can Nay assuredly he will For as Dauid saith The wicked and blood thirsty men shall not liue out halfe their dayes but my trust shall be in thee O Lord. And againe God shall wound the haiâ—ie scalpe of such a one as goeth on still in his wickednesse O consider this yee that forget God least I plucke you away suddainly and their be none to deliuer you Proceede we to other particulars· In his later and corrected edition Pag. 17 he bewrais a peece of old superstition as formerly about his Houres so here about the place of Prayer where he hath one special saying of Scripture for a man to vse at his entrance into the Church and another for the Chancell Thus by his Jgnis fatuus Deuotion he will leade simple mâ—n through a maze of superstition that they shall noâ— know where they are if they will but follow him He quoteth the decrees of the Church for his third houre Those are the Decretals of the Church of Rome for with our Author no other Church but the Church of Rome is The Church as he often in this booke giues vs occasion to remember that we may not easily forget a matter of such importance But of the Decrees of that Church of Rome concerning the seuen Canonicall houres we spake in the second Title-page So that here remaines no more for vs to reioyne but to oppose and preferre the formes of priuate prayer prescribed in the end of our Communion booke against and before the Decrees of the Church which he expresly meaneth or before those cuâ—ious formes which the Author hath deuised for all his 7. houres Our Church hath set downe very good formes in the Communion booke both for morning and euening and some of them such as I dare say our Author could wish were cancelled As that for the whole estate of Christs Church in the end of the singing Psalms wherin is this prayer Roote out from hence O Lord all rauening wolues which to fill their bellies seeke to destroy thy flocke c. What would then become of our Author and a great many of his Consorts if all such rauening wolues were rooted out of this land And that morning prayer for priuate houses a little before wherin are these words And forasmuch as they cannot belieue except they heare nor cannot heare but by preaching and none can preach except he be sent therfore O Lord raise up faithfull Distributers of thy Mysteries who setting apart all worldly respects may both in their life and doctrine only seeke thy glory Contrarily confound Satan Antichrist with all Hierlings whom thou hast cast oft in a reprobate sense that they may not by sects schismes heresies errors disquiet thy litle â—â—ocke And because O Lord we be fallen into the later daies and dangerous times wherein ignorance hath gotten the vpper hand and Satan by his Ministers seeketh by all means to quench the light of the Gospell we beseech thee to maintaine thy Cause against these rauening wolues and strengthen all thy seruants c. I dare say this praâ—er doth not relish well in the palate of our Authors Deuotion He could wâ—sh it either expunged or at leâ—st excused to be vsed by interposing his owne priuate forâ—â—â— For this prayer was not fitter for those 〈…〉 was first composed then for these of ours 〈…〉 sâ—ands vp for Preaching of the 〈…〉 who in these times would cry 〈…〉 with their long prayers shoulder it out of the Church This prayer is against all worldly respects in Ministers against the shamelesse ambition of this age It prayes against Antichrist contrary to those that would raise vp againe the throne of that Beast in this our Church It prayes against all hirelings such as in these dayes for preferments will sell soule and body to the Diuell turne time-seruers and mens seruants It prayes against men possest with a reprobate sense who are Authors of sects and schismes heresies and errors whereof this present age is full Although the ring-leaders of sects and schismes who make a pitifull and rufull Rent in the Church of England by Siding with Popery Arminianisme yet forsooth cry out vpon the true Ministers and Professours of the Gospell as the onely sectaries and schismatickes And if this were true then no lesse now when Ignorance if not hath
the Authors will not acknowledge it an errour but put it vpon the Printer But the thing it selfe cryes shame vpon the authors of such iuggling tricks And if there had not beene some maleuolent dispositions in the world to quarrell such impious affronts giuen to Christ and his blessed truth maintained in the Church of England there had not beene so much as one word amisse being all so exactly waighed in the Goldsmiths ballance before it came to bee minted for currant then prayer for the dead would haue passed for a doctrine of the Church of England But maleuolent dispositions haue troubled and marred all But it was nothing but the misprision of a word or two aâ— liable to a faiâ—e and lawfull vnderstanding as otherwise Indeed if so such dispositions cannot bee excused from maleuolency if they judge not chariâ—ably where there is no cause to the contrary Euer take a mans meaning rather with the right hand then with the left if it bee capable of a good instruction But â—ere the quarrell is not about the slip of a word but of a positiue false doctrine The question is whether prayer for the dead may not be taken as well in a good sense as in a bad Charity being judge Yes if blind popish Charity may be judge Nor is it a word or two but a whole solemne prayer of many words and sentences wherein the state of the dead is deuoutly prayed for and that in expresse words After the soule is departed Then O LAMBE OF GOD c. and That he may receiue this body How are these things as liable to a faire and charitable vnderstanding as otherwise Vnlesse it bee a charitable worke to pray for our deare brother after his soule is departed from the body that in his passage betweene earth and heauen which is a farre journey he may not misse or mistake his way by falling into the Pit of Hell or Purgatory Or what faire and charitable vnderstanding are these words liable to when after our dead brother hath receiued a formall absolution from all his sins which he hath committed in this life yet he hath need to be prayed for that he may escape the gates of Hell and the paines of eternall darkenesse What other construction can be made of â—hese words if Charity her selfe were the judge but â—hat according to the doctrine of that Church which â—olds Purgatory after this life and after absolution from a mans sins which Church our Author all along this booke of Deuotions graceth with the name of the one and onely Holy Catholicke Church the Mother of vs all c the soule being in danger to go into purgatory for all his Absolution shadowed heere out by the Gates of hell and the paines of eternall darkenesse close vnto which as it seemeth the soule passing may be in danger to fall therein Therefore the Author deuoutly prayeth that in his paâ—â—age to heauen he may escape the gates of hell and the paines of eternall darkenesse Nor need the Authors impute it to a maleuolent disposition to expound the gates of Hell and the paines of eternall darkenesse of Purgatory especially of finding them wrapped vp mistically in an expresse prayer for the dead But if the Author or any of his consorts can make a more â—haritable vnderstanding of this prayer for the dead we will giue them a charitable hearing But being vnderstood in the worst sense it doth say you not onely loose the thankes due for all the good contained in the worke but c. That were great pitty that so much good as is contained in this worke should be all lost by loosing the due thankes and all by the mistaking of a word or two let fall too but by a slip or misprision But for all that let not the Pretence or good opinion of the good contained in this worke so farre charme our affection to it as thereby to be drawne to take downe withall the poison contained therein as in a mingled golden Cup. It is Scaligers note that Malum non est nisâ—â— boâ—o The originall nature of the Deuill is good wherein all his wickednesse subsisteth But is euery booke to be inrertained for the much good though the Printer say All the good as if it were all good except the slip or misprision of a word or two as liable notwithstanding to a faire and charitable vnderstanding as otherwise contained in it Why The Roman Missall or Maâ—le booke hath much good contained in it in so much as when a motion was made to the Pope to haue it translated into the Mother tongue for all countries he answered Not so least the â—lies to wit the common people should come to taste of the good ointment Yea the Turkes Alcaron hath much good contained in it Are these bookes therefore to be approuâ—d in the true Church of God When one highly commended the Cardinall Iulian to Sigismund he answered Tâ—â—en Româ—nus est And though the Authors predicate neuer so much good to be contained in this booke of priuate Deuotions yet we may answer Tamen Romanus est It is a Romish booke for all that And let me tell you Mr. Printer and so tell your Author that the more he commends all the good contained in this worke the more pernicious and perilous he makes it to our simpler people Satan is neuer more dangerous then when he comes transformed into an Angell of â—igâ—t And that poyson proues the most speedingly mortall that is administred in a cup of the best wine which being of a more penetrating and searching nature then other duller liquor conueyes the poyson into euery vaine of the body spurring the spirits post to their finall period A booke of Deuotion is a golden cup of sprightfull wine pleasant to euery palate but if it be mingled with poison it is the more dangâ—rous especially to vulgar palates who want the quicke and acute judgement oâ—â—ast and relish to discerne it primoribus labris at the first touch taste or sent which as the best and safest antidote may preuent the taking of it downe And so the case standeth with this worke Mr. Printer that the better it is the worse it is â—ith vnder the colour oâ— venerable Devotion that execrable strumpet of Rome vaiâ—ed and hoâ—ded vnder the name of The Church The Church The Holy Catholicke Church the Mother of vs all which is the maine summe and scope of the Authors Deuotion is obtruded and thrust vpon vs to inchant and charme euen those who should be most vigilant and most oculated Aâ—gusses among vs. But besides the good losâ— it doth also say you purhcase to â—he 〈◊〉 nor a reproachfull imputatiâ—â— of way mâ—kiâ—g to Popish Deuotion and apish imitation of Romish superstition If the Author hath purchasâ—d to himselfe such an Imputation it is all at â—is owne cost he hath payd or it and who shall deny it to be due vnto him as his peculiar chattell Yea he hath bought it at a deare
A TRYALL OF PRIVATE DEVOTIONS OR A DIALL FOR THE Houres of Prayer By H. B. Rector of St. MATHEVVâ—S Friday-street MATH 6.7 When yee pray vse not vaine repetitions as the â—â—athen or hypocrites doe for they thinke that they shall bee heard for theyr much Babbeling Gloss. Ordinar in Math. 6. vers 6. In fide interiori dilectione oratur Deus non strepitu verborum sed deuotione virtutum LONDON Printed for M. S. 1628. TO THE MOST BLESSED AND BELOVED SPOVSE of IESVS CHRIST the Church of England my deare Mother DEare Mother SOPHOCLES the Tragedian when being intent vpon his Studies in his Old age hee was of his Sonnes called before the Iudges and accused by them as one vnfit to gouerne his Family and so worthy to bee remoued and dismissed from that charge then the good old man in defence of himselfe produced and recited before the Iudges the Tragedie of Oedipus Colâ—neus which he then had in his hands newly written asking of the Iudges whether that verse seemed to be written by a foole which when hee had recited hee was by the sentence of the Iudges â—reed The like plea seemeth to bee commenced against you deare Mother and that by some who call themselues your Sonnes Your reuerend old Age joyned with a too motherly indulgence as is too vsuall towards your younger Sonnes they requite no better then to sue out such a Writ For proofe hereof may it please you but with your maturest judgement to 〈…〉 so called lately published 〈…〉 â—ou may see how one of your sonnes at 〈…〉 about to reduce you to an vnion with the Church of Rome as your only Mother to entertaine againe a conformitie and communion with her in her superstitious Rites and Ceremonies Wherein â—ow nearely it concerneth you to vindicate and acquit your honour reputation your selfe can best judge Nor need you as Sophocles to produce some new proofes of your old and venerable wisedome in the gouernment of your so noble a Family it being not onely established vpon the pure doctrines of â—he word of God but sealed with the bloud of so mâ—ny Martyrs and witnessed by the â—estimonies and writings of so many of your ancient learned and reuerend sonnes both Bishops Doctors and others Nor onely so but the same Religion anciently and for so many yeares continuance avowed and maintained by such a cloud of Witnesses hath beene withall backed hitherto from the first Reformation and your just separation from Babylon by so many Parliaments all along So that neyther doth your Motâ—erhood need to solicite Gods Vicegerent your royall Gouernour and Protector next vnder Christ to call a nâ—w Synod for the discussing and determining of those Tenents which for so many yeares you haue holden and maintained It was the serpentine Craft of the Arrians to procure a Councell at Ariminum wherein they might if not by number of voyces wherein they exceeded the Orthodox there present cry downe the Conclusions of that famous Councel of Nice touching 〈…〉 with the Father in pugned by 〈◊〉 yet at least so shake waue them by calling them into question as thereby to disable their validity and authority Which fraud the Orthodox part smelling out did openly protest against them avouching that they there assembled not now to dispute or discusse the Decrees of Nice but altogether to ratifie subscribe vnto them by common assent May it please you therfore in your wisedome to resolue whether it were not expedient to petition his gracious and excellent Matieâ—ogether with the Hon Court of Parliament now assembled that an Act of ratification may be decreed for the Religion hitherto maintained and an Act of Prohibition for the suppressing of all Popish Arminian bookes henceforth sith the Arminian section â—ath abused the Kings Proclamation so dishonoured the King as if it gaue liberty to Popish Arminian bookes to be published and restraint to their opposites which maintaine your Orthodox doctrines quite contrary to the intent of the Proclamation and an Act of qualification that in case any Orthodox booke such as tendeth to found edification in piety as in Eltons booke of the Commandements if it be in some one particular or other found faultie may not presently all at a clap be coÌ„mitted to the mercilâ—sse fire as his was but purged rather wheras on the contrary such books as here is answered the whole frame body whereof is Popish and worthy the fire yet vpon the pâ—iring onely of a naile as if now thoroughly purged is suffered to passe without controule to be prinâ—ed and reprinted As if the Truth now were brought to such nice termes so weake an estate as the least straw is enough to stumble it and cause it to fall and wholly to suppresse and bury it in the ashes and contrarily Popery and Heresiâ— so highly aduanced as it can easily leape ouer all blocks Bulwarks of opposition Againe be pleased to take notice of one great inconuenience if not rather mischiefe which is like speedily to incroch vpoÌ„ your indulgence if not preuented Some of your sonnes haue already dared to add to the CoÌ„munion booke as the whole forme of the consecration of Archbishops Bishops Priests Deacons being now inserted in the said book I wot not by what authority Yea and if such may be suffered to goe on they will correct Magnificat For if it please you but to make search you shall find in the great printing house at London a Communion Booke wherin the Author of the booke of private Deuotions and I saw it with mine eyes hath in sundry places noted with his owne hand as they say how he would haue the CoÌ„munion booke altered as in the Rubrick or Calendar he tels where and how he would haue such a Saints day called and where he would haue red letters put for the blacke and so to canonize more Holidayes for you to obserue Also throughout the Book where he finds the word Minister he would haue Priest put in stead thereof such an enemy is he to the very name of Minister as if he would haue the world belieue he had rather be a popish Priest then a Minister of the better Testament as Christ himselfe is called or a Minister of Christ as the Apostles were called I haue ordayned thee a Minister saith Christ to Paul And in Conclusion for those private godly prayers in the end of the reading Psalmes he thinkes them fitter to be omitted then added I doe but briefly touch them leauing them to your fuller inquirie more particular examination But if such liberty may be indulged to such like Sonnes it will shortly come to passe that as neither you can owne them for your sonnes so nor they you for their Mother such a new face of Religion are they like to induce if they bee not the better looked vnto Yea what a Metamorphosis haue wee seene already in these our daâ—es How vnlike is the present time to the
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
thinke it fit to trouble your Ladiships eares with any tedious canuasses to and fro but rather to recommend it to your Ladiship in one briefe view to peruse the same at your best leasure And here it is in writing praying your Ladiships honour to pardon my rudenesse and plainnesse therein according to your honours promise to my Lady here Cur. Sir I thanke you very kindly wishing I could as easily requite your paines and courtesie as I can hardly otherwise deserue it Ioh. Madam your noble acceptance shall be to me as a most ample recompence Cur. I promise to bestow the reading of it thorowly Ioh. Madam God grant you may reape much fruit thereby The Lady CVRIA reades the Writing of M. Iohannes here set downe concerning the Booke intituled A Collection of Priuate Deuotions OR The Howres of Prayer And hereupon as it seemeth such is â—he affection of the Authour or Authours and Abbetters of this Booke of Deuotion that rather then they will be scrupulous to auow themselues affectionate well-willers at least of the Church of Rome if not rather symbolizers and intercommuners with her yea and to be Authours of reducing this Church of England backe againe to that spirituall Aegypt while all along without difference they shuffle all together in one Church as more particularly will appeare in the sequell They sticke not to prefix the Iesuits vsuall Marke IHS vpon the Frontispiece of their Deuotion and vnderneath it a votarie or two with a Crosse deuoutly erected As if they would with the Name of IESVS Inchanter-like coniure downe the Spirit of Truth and coniure vp the spirit of Pontifician errour and sedition againe in this our Church So that this Booke of Deuotion bearing and wearing the Iesuits badge vpon the Forehead we cannot better parallell then to that egregious dissimulation and counterfeit Deuotion which HENRY the Third of France tooke vpon him when he found that he could not by downe-right force suppresse the Truth with the Professors of it Therefore he attempts what force there is in framing and conforming himselfe to be a patterne of Deuotion to others Hereupon he builds Monasteries vndertakes Prilgrimages confirmes the Brotherhood of Penitents erects the Order of Hieronymites is daily and familiarly conuersant with the Capuchins and Fueillans called Iesuites carries a Crucifix and Beads in Procession with a whip at his girdle causeth many Bookes of Deuotion to be printed and to conclude he institutes the Order of the Knights of the Holy Ghost founded vpon such conditions as tye them by a strict and sacred bond to the Church of Rome And wherefore all this Saith the Storie to omit other complementarie ends For the entertainment of a number of Minions and Horse-leeches to whom they must rather weigh then tell money but chiefly to pull downe the Protestants to vndermine them by this lure of worldly greatnesse withdrawing the chiefe Heads who could not attaine to this high and stately degree of Knighthood but by renouncing of their Religion But see the mischiefe of it this dissembled Deuotion not so well suiting with his other hâ—mours of Feasts Maskes sumptuous pastimes drawing on new impositions to maintaine them led the first dance of rebellion While saith the Storie the Queene-Mother and those of Guise seeing the King drowned in these delights of Court did willingly entertaine him in that humor that either busying himselfe in numbring his Beads or treading the measures of a dance themselues might hold the Raines of Gouernment and dispose of affaires of State without controule What way also this made for the Spanish-faction working by his Indian-Gold the Storie sufficiently toucheth But this by the way The parallell I confesse is vneuen in regard of the persons compared the one a Prince the other meane Parsons But the things compared are not so vnequall as Popish deuotion on both sides that adorned with the Badge of the Holy Ghost this of Iesus in both those two Diuine Persons in the Trinitie most hellishly and impiously prophaned being made the Badges of those who are professed Vassalls of Antichrist that Man of Sinne and being worne by such as would still be reputed Protestants they are the verie Ensignes of Apostacie from CHRIST to Antichrist and therefore how true Seruants and Subiects such can be to Protestant Princes who by their Order of Knighthood are sworn Liegemen to the Pope I leaue to others to iudge Onely that King caused to be published sundry Bookes of Deuotion yet all of one meale But this Booke hath no fellow must alone be published for a singular and vniuersall Platforme of all Deuotion silencing and suppressing all other Bookes of the like nâ—ture So that what entertainment in time is this deuout Booke like to find in the world when none else shall be permitted to be printed yea when as not onely Bookes of religious Deuotion but also of sound Doctrine may not be allowed to see the light As therefore Popish Deuotion is the Daughter of blind Ignorance So on the contrarie this Deuotion is like to proue the Mother of Ignorance verifying that Riddle of the Water and Ice mutually bred of each other Mater me genuit eadem mox gignitur ex me And so plausible is this Booke of Deuotion to all Papists as they begin to triumph not sticking to say that they hope ere long these faire and towardly beginnings will grow on apace to the full and vniuersall reestablishment of their Roman-Catholicke Religion here in England telling their seduced Disciples as one of them now reformed blessed be GOD told me that we had now already at London a Booke of Seuen Sacraments publickly allowed In summe therefore let not the Authours of that Booke disdaine to be vulgarly reputed and reported for the Seruants of the Church of Rome whose Badge specially that of the Iesuites they sticke not to put vpon the Front of their Deuotion And so much for the first Frontispeice of the Booke Now to the next Page wherein they father this Septenary horary forme of deuotion vpon the practise of the ancient Church And these houres of prayer are compiled much saith the Booke after the manneâ— published by authoritie of Quéene ELIZABETH 1560 c. First for the ancient Church of CHRIST No Church did anciently obserue or precisely prescribe these Seuen houres of prayer duely and daily to be vsed as the Authour or Athours would beare vs in hand How ancient I pray you is this Canonicall obseruation Forsooth Pope PELAGIVS the Second was the first instituter of the Seuen houres and that was towards 600 yeeres after CHRIST This somewhat ancient But what authoritie haue we for it PAMELIVS vpon CYPRIAN saith They say so that this PELAGIVS was the first instituter Onely They say so Though POLYDOR VIRGIL speake a little more confidently Satis constat It is apparant enough but tells vs not whence Nor doe I find this Septenary to be more ancient then Pope GREGORY the Ninth who composed the Decretals about 400
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
perfection And now when all is done would the author with his bring vs backe at least to the brinke borders of Popery againe by his Canonicall houres and the like Being now men of ripe yeeres would he haue vs to become children againe And after we haue begun and gone on so farâ—e in the spirit now to be made perfect in the flesh by turning back to beggerly rudiments After the cleare meridian Sun-shine of the Gospell would he reduce vs to those duskish dawning shadowes out of which that first Horarium was but newly peeped but to last no longer then till time might more fairely shake hands with all Popish shadowes As the Iewish Ceremonies had a time euen after the establishing of the Gospell for their solemne obsequies But to conclude the plaine truth is to such a passe is Popery now come in these our dayes that if euer the Church of England ought henceforth to haue the least correspondence and conformity with it yea to be so farre from renewing any old acquaintance with it as vtterly to shake hands and if any ragges or reliques of that Whore haue beene patched to our Mothers Robe we ought to rip it off and strip our selues of it Rome is now fully reuealed to be the Whore of Babylon the Pope the head thereof to be that man of sinne that grand Antichrist which for any learned man not to see in these dayes of the Gospell is to stumble at Noone-day yea to be strucke blinde at the cleare light It followeth in the Title Taken out of the holy Scriptures the ancient Fathers and the diuine Seruice of our owne Church Here be three authorities the least whereof not to be contemned The first is that he saith his houres are taken from the holy Scriptures His quotations are strowed all along the booke but so as if we amasse all the generall precepts and particular practises of prayer in Scripture into one Canon or rule there should not be one houre or minute throughout the day and night which we should not spend altogether in prayer So that the abusiue vnderstanding of Scripture in this kinde was that which brought the Euchetâ— to do nothing else but pray The Scriptures commend to vs specially two times of publicke prayer for the day the Morning and the Euening prayer the one about our nine in the forenoâ—ne the other about three in the afternoone which our Church followeth these two were called the Morning and the Euening Sacrifice Hence it is that Christ began to bee offered from the Morning Sacrifice to the Euening Sacrifice as sanctifying all our Sacrifices of Prayer and Prayse Morning and Euening in that Sacrifice of himselfe But he speakes here of Priuate houres of Prayer And where will he find in Scripture any such practise as the obseruation of his Seuen Canonicall houres DANIEL prayed three times a day Yes DAVID saith Seuen times a day will I prayse thee But that 's of Prayse And though it may be meant also of Prayer it signifieth onely his frequent praying farre from a superstitious obseruation of Canonicall houres in those dayes not hatched or heard of But of Prayer he saith Euening and morning and at noone day will I pray c. But for all this mans colouring the matter with Holy Scripture he hath no other Scripture for his Canonicall houres but the Popes Scripture in his Decretalls where the Pope takes all his Canonicall houres from the actions about CHRIST in his death As in the Glosse Haec sunt septenis propter quae psallimus heris Matutina lâ—gat Christum qui crimina purgat Prima replet sputis causam dat Tertia mortis Sexta cruci nectit latus eius Nona bipaertit Vespera deponit tumulo Completa reponit Indeed the Scripture doth so command this excellent dutie of Prayer to vs as that no time should exempt vs from it but that we should be diligent in the practise of it vpon all occasions and especially keepe constantly ouâ— morning and euening sacrifice priuate and publike also as the day requireth Yea to let no oportunitie slip wherein we are not breathing out some eiaculations out of a sense and feeling of our manifold infirmities and necessities But nowhere doth the Scripture prescribe a set septenarie forme of Deuotion as the Authour would impose vpon vs. In the second place he nameth the Ancient Fathers But these faile him as much for his purpose as the Scriptures doe Indeed the Fathers doe euerie where following the Scriptures inculcate and prâ—sse the incessant practise of Prayer Hora nulla a Christianis excipitur quò minùs frequenter ac semper Deus debeat adorari c. saith CYPRIAN No houre is exempted from Christians that God might not frequently and alwayes be adored And he saith indeed that in his time the times and exercises of Prayer were much encreased Yet hee no where setteth downe seuen Canonicall houres Yea CLEMENS ROMANVS a great Authour with him though misquoted in his Constitutions which euen Pontificians themselues haue confessed to bee counterfeit yet fayle him at least in two of his houres as Câ—mplene and the last Onely GREGORY the Ninth fayles him not being as I said his first complete Authour of his seuen Canonicalls But after the Ancient Fathers in the third place hee nameth the Diuine Seruice of our owne Church out of which his Houres are taken Now surely for ought that euer I could learne out of our Seruice Booke I can find but two set Houres of Prayer besides certaines priuate Prayers recommended to priuate Families for Morning and Euening with a godly Prayer to bee said at all times in the latter end of the Booke Vnlesse out of this Prayer to bee said at all times hee would picke out his seuen Canonicall houres But whereas hee seemeth to ground the forme of his Deuotion vpon the Diuinâ— Seruice of our owne Church On the contrarie hee offereth foule violence to that more exact and profitable forme prescribed in our Liturgy For whereas the forme of Prayer in our Communion Booke is so compiled as that by a daily practise thereof the whole or most part of the OLD TESTAMENT is read ouer once in the yeere and the NEVV TESTAMENT three times and the whole Booke of PSALMES once euerie moneth The Authour or Authours of this Booke intruding a new forme of Deuotion hereby coozen GODS People of their allowance in the SCRIPTVRES while in stead of the whole hee cutteth out here a peece and there a peece here a quarter of a Chapter and there a quarter Herein crossing the Communion Booke which in the Preface fâ—atly reproueth this verie practise of the Authour in these words Now of late time a few of the Psalmes haue been daily said and oft repeated and the rest vtterly omitted And is it not so in this Booke of Deuotion Doth he not confine vs to a narrow circle of so many Psalmes so many peeces of Chapters so many Lawâ—eâ— as he calls them
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
fashion of Refection 〈◊〉 in the Licentiousnesse of drunken Songs And ibid It is questioned whither a man must not fast on the Sabbath but not whither he must not reuell it on the Sabbath which neither is done on the Lords day of those that feare God although they fast on that day And deuout Bernard Obserue the Sabbath which is to exercise thy selfe in the Holy-dayes so as by the Râ—st present thou mayest learne to hope for that which is eternall And that a prophane person may not flatter himselfe as though his voluptuous keeping of the Sabbath may teach him to hope for those eternall and true ioyes in heauen Heare the same Bernard or rather Gillibert whose Sermons are added to fill vp Bernards vpon the Canticles inserted in Bernards workes where mentioning Esay 58. hee saith Non dicit c. He saith not onely that the Sabbath is a Delight but he addeth And Holy and Glorious to the Lord that these things may not bee in the confusion of thy Glory Non sit desidiosum Sabbatum tuum operare in Sabbato tuo opera Dei Let not thy Sabbath bee idly spent but in thy Sabbath worke the workes of God Opus Dei in die siâ—o And surely the Lords day is not called so for nought If it be Christs day sanctified and founded in his Resurrection as S. Augustine saith then what workes are proper for that day whereby it may bee sanctified of vs and wee of it but such as are the fruits of those that are risen with Christ from the graue of sin to newnesse of life and not those which with the swinâ— would lead vs backe to our wallowing in the mire And is not the hearing and meditating of Sermons a speciall part of the sanctification of the Lords day How come we to be sanctified but by the word of God Sanctify them with thy truth thy word is the truth saith Christ. And as we noted before that Deuotion is blind whose lampe is emptie of oyle to supply the light A plaine argument that the Authors whole booke of Deuotion is but a meere counterfeit And to inuy or inueigh against the due sanctification of the Lords day what is it but to raze the very foundation whereon all true religion is built To heare Sermons and not to meditate of them is to receiue water into a Sieue to be an vncleane creature that chowes not the cudde to receiue the seed vpon the highway side where it being vnharrowed and vncouered is by the fowles of the ayre that fowle spirit that raignes in the ayre and in the vnsetled hearts of aery and windy braines to be deuoured The Lords day is the Marketday of our foules He that stands idle in the marketplace is justly reproued Or he that buyes those spirituall commodities needfull for his soule in hearing of the word and goes presently and squanders it away and brings it not home to dispose of it for his weekely vses is an vnprouident housekeeper a prodigall vnthrift of grace because he heares not for afterwards for the time to come Such are they that either are carelesse of hearing the Word or when they haue heard goe and dance it away about the May-pole or walke and talke it away in idle prate or any kind of prophane or profuse recreation Those are like the Wolfe who neuer attaine to any more learning of God then to spell Pater but when they should come to put together and to apply it to their soules in stead of Pater they say Agnus their mindes and affections running a madding after the profits and pleasures of the world Such are enemies to all Godlinesse and expresse their enmitie in nothing more then in their proâ—anation of the Lords Holy-Day If any man would know of 〈◊〉 estate and condition of any Parish in generall in 〈◊〉 Land whether it bee religious or no let him buâ—â—â—quire what conscience they make of the due sanctification of the Lords day That 's the true touchstone of a truely religious man And although all are not that sincerely whereof they make outward profession for there will euer be some hypocrites among sound Professors yet none can be a true and sound Christian who makes not speciall conscience of a religious and sober keeping of the Lords day For this day well kept sanctifies to a man the whole weeke The seuenth day sanctifieth our six as the tenth of our goods doth all the other nine As Elias his meate made him strong to trauell forty dayes and forty nights to Horâ—bâ— so the hearing and meditating of sound Sermons on the Lords day ministers strength to our soules to serue God all the weeke in our particular Callings But I may not transgresse the bounds of my proposed breuity For Conclusion of the Commandements among other offenders against the sixt Commandement he reckoneth those that be sowers of strife and sedition among any men whatsoeuer Now how farre the Author is guilty hereof or whether he may not merit to be put in the forefront with the most grand Authors of strife and sedition not onely to set priuate men together by the eares but the whole Church and state of England in a most fearefull hurly-burly and combustion I referre to all wise men to judge that doe but read this most pernitious pestilent and Popish Booke As it followeth Of the Sacraments of the Church What Sacraments trow we are these The Sacraments of the Church This is written I am sure fiylo 〈◊〉 This title is no where learned but from the Church of Rome from the Councell of Trent and from the shop of Iesuiticall Catechists He learned not this of his Mother Church of England if so he account her his Mother and not rather that other Church to which he intitles his Sacraments for the Church of England sets downe the title simply Of the Sacraments saying also Sacraments ordained of Christ. So that she intitles the Sacraments vnto Christ the sole Author of them But let vs heare what those Sacraments of the Church be or how many Namely Two and Fiue which put together as euery Arithmetician can tell make seuen Now England thou art come to thy seuen Sacraments againe This euery Papist can now bragge off And haue they not reason for there is more in it then the bringing of vs backe to the seuen Sacraments againe he would hereby knit vs fast againe to be one Church with the Church of Rome For these seuen Sacraments he calls the Sacraments oâ— the Church Oâ— what Church surely no Church euer held seuen Sacraments but the Church of Rome nor doe I read of seuen Sacraments beâ—ore Peter Lombard set them downe All the ancient Fathers knew but two Saint Ambrose writing six bookes of the Sacraments could find but two The Greeke Church neuer held but two yet saith our Author the Church holdeth them yea the Catholicke Church of Christ as before in his Preface Whereupon here he concludes
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
yet at least striues to get the vpper hand seeking to cast the blacke mantle of blind Deuotion ouer all mens eyes and that by Satans Ministers seeking by all meanes to quench the light of the Gospell Therefore what great need haue we euer to take in our mouthes this worthy prayer recommended vnto vs by our reuerend mother-Mother-Church of England and to pray heartily Wee beseech the O Lord to mainetaine thy cause against all rauening wolues and strengthen thy seruants c. And so much the rather because our Author and he goes not alone hath also in this his booke patched vp a prayer of his owne head which he intitles A prayer and thanksgiuing for the whole state of Christs Catholicke Church wherein he prayeth for the holy Catholicke Church the mother of vs all that beare the name of Christ and that all may become one fold vnder one shepheard Iesus Christ. Now comparing this holy Catholicke Church with that Church which all along his booke he recommends and would obtrude vpon vs as our Mother which is no other Church but that Church of Rome what doth he here pâ—ay for else but that we may all become one with that Churâ—h to be one flocke vnder one shepheard Iesus Christ and consequently vnder the great Antichrist who challengeth the title of sole head of the Catholicke Church and â—ole Vicar generall of Iesus Christ. But to the rest Pag. 232.233 c. He comes with his Septuagesima and therein and thenceforth thoroughout Lent â—e by a suddaine motion brings men vpon the knees of their most solemne Deuotion to expiate all their mad gamballs and Reuels in the Christmas time at least As Saint Chrysostome saith Men thinke to expiate the whole yeares excesse and sinne with forty daies humiliation and then the weeke following they fall afresh to their lusts Only suddainnesse here from one extreame into another is dangerous except it be of our true conuersion from sin vnto God and then the more speedie and suddaine the better and safer Otherwise the saying here may be verified Dum vitant stulti vitia in contraria currunt Yet this suddainnesse from Christmas reuels to Lent-relâ—ntings may seeme to be like that strange and suddaine alteration in those men that being mad liued among the Tombes and kept a pitifull rule to whom Christ comming he cast the Diuell out of them and â—oorthwith they came to their sober and right wits sitting and Christs feete cloathed and heaâ—â—ng his word But heere is the difference commonly out of those mad men the Diuell was whoâ—y câ—st out But in our ordinarie Lent-obseruâ—â—s hee is but at the least wise bound to goo◠〈◊〉 for the time but not cast out when after â—â—ster at the furthest hee breakes loose againe Such Obseâ—uants and selfe-castigators returning to their excesse of riot a fresh These for the most part being much like to the Images in Popish Churches which all the Lent are all vailed ouer in blacke as mourning that they haue beene Idol-obiects to Idolators But beginning on Easter-Eue to peepe out oh how doe the people begin a fresh to be rauished with a glimpse of their glittering Gods so long clouded and ecclipsed from their deuout Adorers But on Easter-day morning no sooner is the Vaile with-drawne by the Priests dexterous hand but down they fall on their Maribones beating their brests more eagerly now then euer as imputing it to their most grieuous sinnes that they haue been so long withheld from their prettie pettie-Gods For euer Nitimur in vetitum semper cupimusque negata And this abstinence from their Images all the Lent makes the people the more to dote vpon them all the yeere after as accounting them the more precious the lesse familiar And such are the most strict obseruers of Lent If there be any sinne or pleasure whereof out of blind superstition they impose and inforce a restraint vpon themselues for Lent-sake while they demurely goe in blacke It giues them but occasion to affect and pursue the same sinne or pleasure with greater desire all the yeere after The affections for the time being but as waters stopt with the Sluce which the longer pent vp breake out againe with greater violence Although in the meane time all the Lent long they abate nothing of their Pride of their Couetousnesse of their Ambition and other habituall Lusts. He that will eat no Flesh in Lent will not intermit his ordinarie Swearing and vaine wicked Oathes though he remit some-what of his Eating yet will not abate an ynch of his Drinking and good-fellowship will take no lesse Vse-mony then at Christmas will not abate an ace of his poore Tenants Rackt-rent will stretch the strings of his Simon Magus pouch as much now for a lustie preferment as he will doe any time out of Lent Though IOHN the Patriarch of Constantinople were for his much fasting called Iohannes Ieiunator IOHN the Faster yet he wanted for no pride and ambition to aspire to be vniuersall Head of the Church that which GREGORY of Rome cryed out against as Antichristian but BONIFACE the Third a little after got that Title wholly to himselfe suffering none to be that Antichrist but the Pope and Bishop of Rome And it is vsuall that as fasting breeds wind in the stomacke So the opinion of fasting specially when it is a part of Will-worship and humane inuention fills the stomacke of the Soule full of windy pride and hypocrisie As Pope VRBAN the Second to make the better speed for the recouerie of the Holy Land ordained that no Cleargie or Lay man should eat Flesh from Shrouetyde to Easter Guil. Malmesâ—ur Lib. 4. Misterie of Iniquitie A meritorious matter I wis so to fast all Lent long as to eat no Flesh. For as nothing displeaseth God more then the worship which we frame to him out of our owne fancifull braines So no deuotion is of more value with vs doth more please our humours then such as we inuent our selues So that it fareth with our Lent deuotion as with the young Ape we so dote vpon it so claspe and hug it as being the barne of our own braine we strangle it so that such Lenten deuotion seldome suruiueth the time of Lent but is dead all the yeere after And what I pray you is all the Lent-fast as it is generally vsed but a meere apish imitation and mocke-fast The example of CHRISTS Fast fourtie dayes and fourtie nights is brought by our Authour for vs to imitate Well Let our Authour begin to imitate CHRIST Let him fast fourtie dayes and fourtie nights without eating and drinking as CHRIST did if he be able to endure such a Fast â— see no reason but others may brooke it as well who haply are more acquainted and inured to fasting at other times then himselfe is Nor doe I see any reason why such a keeping of Lent as our Authour prescribes should haue the name of a Past. For a Fast is to eat nothing and drinke
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
first and second Impressions Now reading ouer diligently both the Bookes I find no difference at all betweene them but only about Prayer for the Dead which we last touched And there we caÌ„not come to discerne your escapes better then by setting downe so much of both the Copies one against the other as is requisite at least for the more full satisfaction of all well disposed Christians The first Impression Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And these to bée repeated vntill the soule be departed Then O thou Lamb of God c. The second Impression Lord Iesus receiue my spirit And these with the prayers following to be repeated vntill the soule be departed O thou Lamb of God c. Here wee obserue a huge difference betweene your Impressions And is this but an Escape or ouersight Certainly it is a very monstrous one and such as a man in his right wits could not easily commit vnlesse in some sit eyther of drunkennesse or madnesse But I spare you Let vs compare the rest With this Prayer O Lord with whom doe liue the Spirits of them that dye c. O Lord with whom dâ—e liue the Spirits of them that dye c. And a little after towards the end And that when the dreadfull day of the generall Iudgement shall come he may rise againe with the just and receiue THIS DEAD BODY which must now be buryed in the earth to bée joyned with his soule and â—e made pure and incorruptible for euer after in thy glorious Kingdome c. And that when the dread-day of the generall judgement shall come he may rise againe with the iust his body being reunited to his soule pure and incorruptible and be receiued into thy gâ—orious Kingdome c. Now Mr. Printer I will not alone take vpon me to judge of these your escapes but rather I referre you to the whole Bench of the most judicious and learned yea and those graue and honourable Sages of the Councell-board Onely this I dare say peremptorily that in the first impression there is an expresse and formall prayer for the Dead but in the second it is qualified and corrected and the case quite altered And yet is all this but an escape of the Printer or ouersight of the Corrector But was not the Author himselfe the Corrector was not his naturall affection earnestly busied in licking his young Beere while it past the Presse and receiued the perfect forme Or being an escape of the Printer how came not the Author himselfe or some of those his neere and deare friends for him first to espy the faults and so to haue them corrected before they came to be found out by others For surely he and his had reason first to read ouer that priuate first impression before it should come to open view it being a booke not of an ordinary stampe and which for the admirable ouerdaring of it was like to runne a most desperate hazzard But it seemeth they would put it to a hazzard They imagined that haply it might passe vnespied and then all would haue beene well enough and you might haue spared your labour of printing your Epistle Apologeticall before the second Impression But yet Mr. Printer you should haue done well which would the more haue cleered the credit of your excuse taking all the blame from the Author to haue cancelled all that Paper beginning O Lord with whom do liue c. Vnto these words Wee most meekely c. Putting all those first six lines among your Errata or Escapes For so much is a part of a gratulatory Collect vsed in the Communion Booke at the Buriall of the dead So that vnlesse this prayer stand still in force for a prayer for the Dead as it was in the first Impression it is very improper for your second and corrected Booke For euen your owne reason Mr. Printer may induce you to thinke that it is improper to vse a Collect for a mans buriall for him that is yet aliue vnlesse you would bury the man quicke And therefore me thinkes you were very ill aduised and seeme to haue for hast committed another fowle escape in that you did not thorowly aduise with your Author about a more exact correction of your escapes that so the booke vpon second and more mature cogitations might haue passed currant aboue all exception to the better satisfaction of all well disposed Christians But did you consult with your Author before you set vpon your correction It may be feared noe Otherwise it is hoped that the Author and his learned friends would haue thought better of the matter then to haue suffered such an absurdity to stand still in the Booke and that vpon a solemne correction And therefore what if they come vpon you and disauoning it themselues lay a further blame vpon you then hitherto you haue taken to your selfe For besides that such an improprietie brings their judgement in question they may seeme to take vpon them to be Innouators turning the Collects which the Church of England hath appointed for the publike buriall of the dead to the priuate visitation of the liuing sicke So that Mr. Printer for all your Apologies and Protestations it is to be feared that your Author will disclaime this your correction as not done by his direction but of your owne head it being left so full of Non sensâ—s and Non sequiturs And what if he shall call in this your corrected Booke and either put out those six lines or else bring his Authoritie for the first to stand in full force and then all will hold a due â—immetry and proportion It will then be the more tollerable to borrow a peece of the Church Collect being a thankesgiuing at the buriall of the Dead turne it into a prayer priuate at least for the dead then to vse it for the liuing But how it was shuffled vp among you you can best tell But tell me in good sadnesse Mr. Printer are you perswaded that any man but of common sense giues any credit to your Epistle Or do you thinke your selfe euer a whit the wittier or learneder that like a Parrot you haue powred it out being infused into you But Dignum patellâ Operculum Will any trow you take these grosse alterations and cobled breakes for Escapes of the Printer Neuer so befoole your selfe Notwithstanding one thing remaines vnaltered that in the same prayer he placeth the soules of Abraham Jsaac and Jacob in a certaine place which he calls the region of light but at the resurrection he allowes them Gods glorious Kingdome This Region of light in his prayer for the dead vnaltered may well be taken for some Limbus patrum different from Gods glorious Kingdome in the resurrection And Limbus and prayer for the Dead will well sort together But to returne to the rest of your Epistle I pray you goe on where we left You see what a trouble your Escapes haue put vs too Onely the Collector hereof and