to seek the help of Saints than to distrust God and to think him either not to have a will or else not to have power to help For if they believed sufficient ability in God for to help and a will agreable to the same they would never run a whoring from God and follow strange Lovers And who knoweth whether all they to whom these Idolaters run on Pilgrimage be Saints in Heaven or rather many of them Devils in Hell Again If they be able to help their Clients why do they not show their power universally as well as in one place but rather compel men to take many weary Journeys upon them to seek their helps and to forsake Country Father Mother Friends Wife Children House Land c. That Saint which is not able to help in all places alike is able to help in none Therefore they that seek the helps of Saints more in one place than in another do nothing else but deceive themselves and walk the ways of weariness and wickedness When the Saints themselves lived in this World they by no means could abide that any glory or honour should be ascribed to them but with heart and voice they cried unto God and said Not unto us O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give the glory And as they themselves did not trust in their own righteousness but in the Merits of Christ's Death only so likewise taught they all other so to do And is it to be thought that they are now become so ambitious and desirous of vain glory that being glorified in Heaven and free from all mortal affections and following the Lamb whithersoever he goeth they should now arrogate and challenge to themselves the Office and Power of God These Pilgrimage-gadders therefore and Rome-runners in running hither and thither to seek the helps of Saints do not only provoke the hot wrath and great indignation of God against them but also deserve no thanks at all of the Saints whose honour they seem greatly to seek It were much better for them to tarry at home to labour according to their Vocation and in their necessities to call upon God who according to his promise both will and can help desiring God to give them grace to follow and practise in their conversation and living in the virtuous and godly manners which the true Saints of God expressed and shewed when they lived in this World and also to set continually before their eyes that in this World they have no dwelling City but are here as Strangers and Pilgrims and that therefore they ought to make preparation for the World to come that whensoever the good Man of the house cometh he may find them watching Now after that the Priest hath hallowed the Wallet and the Staff he must sprinkle them both with holy Water and put the Wallet about the Pilgrim's Neck saying In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ take this Wallet the Habit of thy Pilgrimage that being well chastned and saved thou mayest deserve to come to the places of the Saints thither as thou desirest to go and that when thy Journey is done thou mayest return unto us safe and sound Behold with what Solemnity this Wallet is put on even in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ as though some great Miracle should be wrought As in many other things so likewise in this the Papists do utterly abuse the Name of the Lord Christ The Name of Christ ought with all reverence to be named yea and that not in trifles but in serious weighty and necessary matters And whereas they make the Wallet to be the Habit of a Pilgrim and that he should be known by that Wallet to be a Pilgrim I say plainly that by this Argument all Beggers should be Pilgrims for they also wear Wallets and whithersoever they go they shall go on Pilgrimage by reason of their Wallet seeing that the Wallet is the Habit of a Pilgrim This Wallet is put on about the Pilgrim's Neck to this end as it may seem not only that by it he should be known to be a Pilgrim but also that by the virtue thereof he may merit and deserve to come to the places of the Saints whither he intendeth to go Such Saints such Reliques Such Works such Merits Such Lettice such Lips Such Carpenter such Chips Verily as the Dignity of the Wallet is nothing worth so likewise the Pilgrim meriteth nothing by his Pilgrimage but the wrath and vengeance of God for as much as he forsaking the Lord his God who is present in all places with his most present help hunteth after Creatures and at their hands seeketh all good things both for Body and Soul when all good and perfect gifts come down from God alone as St. James saith After that the Wallet is most Solemnly thus put on about the Pilgrim's Neck then must the Priest also deliver to him a Staff saying on this manner unto him Take this Staff to hold thee by in thy Journey and Travel of thy Pilgrimage that thou mayest be able to overcome all the rabbles of the Enemies and come without fear to the places of the Saints whither thou desirest to go and that when the course of obedience is finished thou mayest return to us again with joy The hallowing of a Sword O Lord holy Father Almighty ✚ bless thou this Sword through the invocation of thy Name and by the coming of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ and by the gift of the holy Ghost the Comforter that he which this day is girded with it in thy mercy may tread under his feet the visible Enemies and at all times injoying the victory may remain unhurt through Christ our Lord. Amen Here the Popish Priest layeth hard to God's charge and willeth him to bless the Sword by the Invocation of his holy Name by the coming of his Son Christ and by the gift of the holy Ghost Who doubteth of the hallowing of this Sword seeing that God is so straitly conjured God hath much to do with these Papists They by no means will suffer him to be at quiet But to what end would they have this Sword blessed Verily that he which is girded with it may tread under his feet the visible Enemies and at all times enjoy the victory and remain unhurt When David should fight with Goliah that proud Philistim he said unto him Thou comest to me with a Sword and a Spear and a Shield But I come to thee in the Name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Host of Israel Likewise saith David in another place Some put their trust in Chariots and some in Horses but we will call upon the Name of the Lord our God They are brought down and fallen but we are risen and stand upright It is neither the Sword nor the Bow nor any other kind of Armour that can give us the Victory over our Enemies but the mighty Power of God alone The Horse is prepared unto the battle saith
Papists steal away the glory of our Salvation from Christ and give it to Creatures Is Christ's ear so stopped that it can no more hear Is Christ's hand so shortned that it can no more help Ah cursed is that Man that putteth his trust in any Creature and suffereth his heart to depart from the Lord. Moreover They give such virtue to their bewitched Salt that it is able to drive away Devils and unclean Spirits wheresoever and whensoever it be sprinkled O blasphemous Priests When Christ sent forth his Disciples into the World to Preach the Gospel he said that they should cast out Devils by his Name that is to say by his power and might He saith not by the sprinkling of holy Water And St. Paul exhorteth us to put on the shield of Faith and with that to quench the fiery darts of Satan so likewise doth St. Peter saying Be ye sober and watch for your adversary the Devil goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour whom see that ye resist with a strong faith In the History of the Gospel we read that Christ drove away the Devil with the word of God And in another place of the Gospel he speaketh of a certain kind of Devils which are not cast out but by Prayer and Fasting Thus are we taught in the Word of God that by the Name of Christ by Faith by the holy Scripture by Prayer and Fasting the Devil is expell'd and put out But that he is driven away by holy Water we find in no place And in the Prayer that followeth the Popish Conjurer desireth of God that the conjured and bewitched Salt may be unto all such as receive it salvation of mind and body so that whatsoever shall be touched or sprinkled by it may be void of all uncleanness and of every assault of spiritual wickedness Here singeth the conjuring Papist one and the same song as before so likewise here he goeth about to bring salvation both of mind and body to the People from his bewitched Salt when as we have heard all salvation cometh from God alone through faith in the blood of Christ as St. Paul saith By grace are you saved through faith yea and that not of your selves It is the gift of God and cometh not of works because no man should rejoyce If salvation come not unto us through those good Works which we work at the appointment of God but is the free gift of God alone as the same Apostle saith also in another place Everlasting life is the gift God through Jesus Christ our Lord With what face than do our Popish sacrificers attribute the virtue of salvation to a beggerly Ceremony invented by the idle brain of some enemy of God and no where commanded but rather condemned in the holy Scripture as our Saviour Christ saith in the Gospel They worship me in vain teaching Doctrins which are the Commandments of men And whereas the Mass-monger prayeth That whatsoever be touched or sprinkled by it may be void of all uncleanness we shall understand that it is God alone which through Faith purifieth and cleanseth us both in body and soul Therefore David prayeth unto God saying A clean heart create thou in me O God and a right spirit renew thou in my innermost parts And God himself by the Prophet saith I will pour upon you clean water and ye shall be cleansed from all your iniquities yea from all your Idols will I cleanse you And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you c. This clean Water which God promiseth here to pour upon his People is not the conjured Water of the Papists seasoned with Salt but it is the holy Ghost which by Faith is received of the true Christians And are not these the words of blessed St. Luke By faith hath he purified and cleansed their hearts As touching the avoiding of every assault of spiritual wickedness whereby is understood the work of Satan and of his infernal Army imployed unto the destruction of the faithful We have before heard that neither Salt nor Water nor any thing of like condition altho' never so much blessed crossed exorcised conjured and bewitched is of such force that they may be able to resist and so quench the fiery darts of Satan By the Name of Christ by Faith by the Word of God by Prayer and Fasting is this brought to pass so that by this means we obtain and get glorious Victories over all Spiritual Wickedness as it is written O Hell I will be thy destruction O Hell where is thy victory God be thanked which hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Moreover As they handle the Salt so do they likewise the Water They bless they sanctifie they exorcise they conjure they charge they command they charm they bewitch the Water speaking unto it as a thing having life on this manner I conjure thee thou Creature of Water in the Name of God the Father Almighty ✚ and in the Name of Jesus Christ ✚ his Son our Lord and in the virtue of ✚ the holy Ghost that thou be a conjured Water to expel all Power of the Enemy and that thou maist be able to root out and utterly to displace the Enemy himself with his Apostatick Angels by the virtue of the same our Lord Jesu Christ who shall come to judge the quick and the dead and the World thro' fire As before in the Conjuration of the Salt the Exorcist and Conjurer went about by charming to make it of sufficient virtue to expel and drive away Satan and all his Ministers so likewise doth he here in the exorcising of the Water But how wickedly and foolishly he doth this we have before sufficiently heard In the Prayer unto God that followeth immediately after the Conjurer is more mad and as one out of his wits he prayeth God that his bewitched Water may be of such virtue and strength that whatsoever this Water shall sprinkle in houses or places of the faithful may be void of all uncleanness and delivered from harm That no noisom spirit remain there nor no corrupt air but that they may avoid all the laying in wait of the privy Enemy and that if there be any thing that is contrary to the health and quietness of the Inhabitants it may through the sprinkling of this Water depart away c. And in the Prayer which he maketh after he hath mingled the Water and Salt together he beseecheth God that wheresoever this Water thus conjured be sprinkled all noisomness of the unclean spirit may be cast out and the terror of the venimous serpent expelled far away and the presence of the holy Ghost may vouchsafe to be present And in the next Prayer following he desireth of God that he will grant by the sprinkling of this bewitched Water health of mind safety of body conservation of health security of hope and strength of faith Who seeth not how this Popish Exorcist
prayeth God to put to his blessing that they may bring unto men health both of body and soul not only upon the Land but also upon the Water that is to say in every place that the sanctified Candle may be known to be a perfect Saviour in all places universally O abomination O blasphemy The mean to bring this matter to pass he allegeth to be the invocation of God's most holy Name as the Charmers Conjurers and Witches do likewise But lest that the invocation of God's most holy Name should not seem to suffice in this behalf as though there were an insufficiency in the same he straightway subjoineth and addeth the intercession of our Lady and the Prayers of all the Saints in Heaven But where hath the Papist learned in God's Book the Intercession of Saints Or where hath he any Scripture to shew that they Pray either for us or for the Candles God alone is to be invocated and called upon in the Name of our only alone Mediator yea and that according to his Will and not after the foolish fancies of Men. And as God alone is to be called upon in spirit and truth so likewise he alone heareth our Prayers and granteth our Petitions All other Invocations and Intercessions are but the idle inventions of Men sprung up of a blind Zeal without authority of God's Word and to say truth meer Idolatry After these and such like Benedictions and Prayers the Candles are sprinkled with holy Water and incensed that nothing should want unto the perfect salvation of them But whether this be false Worshiping or Conjuring or Idolatry or Superstition or Foolishness to incense dead Creatures and to make sweet Perfumes to them that smell nothing let others judge All these things I am sure are but apish toies devised only to blear the simple peoples eyes and to keep them still in blindness that they being occupied about such trifles may have no leisure to spy out the jugling of the Papists God confound Antichrist with his whole Generation These things being dispatched the Candles are lighted and every man taking his Candle and the Priest his with merry singing of Lumen ad revelationem gentium and Nunc Dimittis servum tuum domine Then the Priest holds up his Candle and all the People their Candles and about the Church-yard they go the Prior of Prickelingham and his Covent meerly singing and talking as merry as Pope John with all his College of Cardinals After Even-song the same day distribution is made of the Priest's Candle by the Priest to the People every one taking their Portion in a fair Napkin as a Relique and Jewel so holy so precious and of so incomparable virtue that they think themselves unworthy to touch it with their bare hands These pieces of the Candle they bear home and lay up daintily in their Coffers If any Thunder or Lightning or any other grievous Tempest arise then straightway they light their Candles with this faith and persuasion That that Candle being once lighted driveth away the Devil quieteth the Tempests and bringeth health and safegard to so many as are in the house Again When any sick person is like to depart then this Candle is also lighted and the sick man blessed therewith with this belief That if he be blessed with that holy Candle before he depart he shall be free from all the Assaults of the Devil and the sooner come unto everlasting joy Of Holy Boughs otherwise called Palms NOw as touching the Boughs Branches and Flowers which on Palm-sunday are exorcised conjured bewitched and charmed in the Churches of the Papists First of all before this matter be enterprised because all things should orderly be done the sacrificing Priest is commanded to array himself with a red Cope and then to stand upon the third step of the Altar turning him toward the South Secondly the Palms with the Flowers that shall serve for the Clerks shall be laid aside upon the Altar as for persons of a greater dignity and more excellency than the common sort of People Thirdly as touching the other Palms and Flowers which shall serve for the Laity they shall be laid on the step of the Altar on the South-side All these things set in most comely order at last the Sorcerer falleth to his business and saith I conjure thee thou Creature of Flowers and Branches in the Name ✚ of God the Father Almighty and in the Name ✚ of Jesus Christ his Son our Lord and in the virtue ✚ of the holy Ghost Therefore be thou rooted out and displaced from this Creature of Flowers and Branches all the strength of the adversary all thou Host of the Devil and all thou power of the Enemy even every assault of Devils That thou overtake not the footsteps of them that hast unto the Grace of God Through him that shall come to judge the quick and the dead and the World by fire Amen As we have before heard in the Conjurations of Salt and Water how busie the sacrificing Sorcerer was to dispatch the Devil and all his power out of the aforesaid Salt and Water through his wicked and divelish Incantations even so playeth he now with the poor Boughs and silly Flowers I conjure thee saith he But I beseech you where ever did Christ ordain the Ministers of the New Testament Conjurers Antichrist indeed hath his Conjurers Sorcerers Charmers Witches South-sayers Enchanters Sacrificers c. but Christ in his Ministry knoweth no such Therefore whereas the Popish Priests take upon them to Conjure they shew themselves to be not the Ministers of Christ but the Bond-slaves of Antichrist But what fault find they in the Branches and Flowers which are the good fair sweet and pleasant Creatures of God that they must be conjured We see in them the great Power and mighty Work of God These Boughs which not long before seemed to be dead are now green and flourishing The Flowers which of late were not are now most goodly and pleasant to behold Beholding them we are forced to praise God in his Creatures neither do we see any imperfection in those Creatures that they should need such Conjurations Hath the Devil entred into the Branches and Flowers since they were brought into the Popish Temples For before they were good and undefiled and needed no such Conjurations and Charms But what conjure they the Devil and all his power out of the Flowers and Branches But the holy Scripture saith God beheld all things that he had made and they were exceeding good Flowers Boughs Branches are the Creatures of God therefore are they good If good what place hath the Devil in them Can that which is good and the Devil dwell together What fellowship hath Christ with Belial Light with Darkness Righteousness with Unrighteousness But it is to be thought that whatsoever thing it be although never so good that cometh into the Popish Priests hands it is straightways defiled or else they would never use such Benedictions
Paul saith God hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing through Christ and not by bearing of Palms For he is the blessed seed of Abraham in whom all Nations of the earth are blessed that is to say favoured of God Whosoever therefore will get the blessing of God he must seek it in Christ and not in bearing of Palms In the third Prayer he beseecheth once again Almighty God to take so much pains as to bless those branches of Palms and other Trees that into what place soever they be brought all the Inhabitants of the same place may obtain his blessing so as all sickness being chased away his right hand may defend them whom it hath redeemed In this Prayer the sacrificing Papist doth not only crave of God through these branches and flowers his blessing but also that all the Inhabitants of those houses into which those branches and flowers shall be brought may be free from all sicknesses and diseases and preserved in health And here this marked Merchant marvelously setteth forth his Merchandise as things of great price and dignity of much virtue and force profitable not only for the salvation of the soul but also for the health of the body And here is the matter that maketh their Merchandise so plausible so acceptable and so greatly to be desired chasing away of diseases and who desireth not health of body especially when it costs nothing As though he should say Ye Ideots and leud People Why do ye consume and wast your selves your money your substance in running hither and thither for the safegard and health of your body Make haste and come hither Here is present remedy against sickness and a most precious preservative of health Take these Palms bear them in your hands wear them on your Caps pin them up at your Bed's-head and my body for yours health and wealth enough And verily this was the dotage of the simple people in times past through the false persuasion of these Popish Hypocrites even to look for all these Commodities appertaining to the body or soul through the virtue of those conjured Palms And therefore on Palm-sunday they did not only most joyfully carry them about in Procession but also at the time of the Gospel they made of the Bark of those Boughs certain knots which they did always carry about with them either in their Bosoms or else in their Caps And of the very Wood they made Crosses and some used to pin them upon their Caps some to set them at their Bed's-head with this faith and persuasion That by the virtue of those Knots and Crosses they should be preserved from all evil and obtain all good things Their Houses should be free from burning and spoiling They themselves should dwell safely and sleep sweetly free from all Diseases free from Thunder and Lightning c. But to whom is it unknown That every good and perfect gift is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights To this heavenly Father therefore must we resort when we lack any good thing appertaining either to the soul or body and not unto the hallowed Flowers and Palms or unto Knots and Crosses made of the same In the fourth Prayer the Sorcerer hath these words Vouchsafe to ✚ bless ✚ and sanctifie these Branches of Palms and other Trees and Flowers that whosoever in the service of thy virtue shall take any thing thereof being sanctified with the Benediction of Heaven may deserve to enjoy Remission of Sins and the Rewards of everlasting Life Here we see to what point at the last the Conjurer is come with his conjured stuff Verily even to this end That so many as take and carry about any portion of those Branches and Flowers may deserve to enjoy Remission of Sins and the Rewards of everlasting Life What will ye have more Ye have here remission of Sins ye have everlasting Life Is there any other thing behind O blasphemous Papists We are taught in the holy Scripture to seek remission of sins not from Palms and Flowers but from the hands of our heavenly Father through faith in the blood of Christ And as touching everlasting Life it is the frank and free gift of God to the faithful through Jesus Christ our Lord as the Apostle saith But Antichrist goeth on still to be Antichrist After these things the branches and flowers are sprinkled with holy Water and incensed solemnly because they should be holy and holy again This thing done the Priest and all the People take the Palms and boughs in their hands and away they go together for company about the Church-yard This Procession is so full of mysteries that not one Papist of a thousand understands them On Palm-sunday the flies are more affraid than they are all the year after But the Idolatry that is committed afterward with the Rood at their return into the Church is most damnable God destroy all Idols with their Idolatry Of Hallowing the Fire on Easter-Eve HEre followeth more work for the Tinker Now must he fall in hand with hallowing of the Fire For although the Fire by nature is of all the four Elements most subtil pure and most estranged from corruption yet when it comes into the Papists hands it is not so pure but it must be made more pure not so holy and good but it must be made more holy and good Therefore must he fall in hand with this matter also yea and that on this manner First of all The Fire once made the Priest must stand by the Fire turning himself Eastward Secondly The Deacon must stand on the Priests left hand and the Subdeacon on the left hand of the Deacon Thirdly One Taper-bearer must stand against the Priest and at the right hand of the Taper-bearer there must stand a Child holding the Book near to the Priest Fourthly Another Taper-bearer must stand behind the Priest and at the right hand of the same Taper-bearer must he stand that carrieth the holy Water near unto the Priest Fifthly In the last place behind all on the West-side must he stand that beareth the long Staff with the Taper Sixthly Beside the Fire namely on the South-side must he stand that shall cast Incense to take fire into the Censer after benediction Seventhly All these Ministers being turned toward the Priest the Quire in the mean season standing round about namely on the North-side there shall follow a blessing of the Fire solemnly the Priest saying thus Dominus vobiscum and Oremus Among all other things in the blessing and hallowing of the Fire the Popish Priest hath these words O Lord holy Father Almighty and everlasting God in thy Name and thy Son 's our Lord Jesus Christ and the holy Ghosts We ✚ bless this Fire and ✚ sanctifie it with the Wax and all the nourishments of the same and we mark it with the Sign ✚ of the Cross of thy most high Son Christ Jesus that whether it be kindled within or without not only that which
in the name of our only Mediator Christ Jesus To believe that our sins shall be forgiven us if we ask in Faith and in fine to take upon us a new life and above all things to take heed that we fall no more into a lewd life lest the last be worst than the first and so this common Proverb be verified of us The Sow being washed is returned to her wallowing in the mire and the Dog unto his vomit But afterward the Papist maketh it more plain and desireth of God that so many as shall sprinkle those Ashes upon them for the redemption of their sins may receive health of Body and Safeguard of Souls Here is a plain Doctrine of the Papists That by sprinkling those Ashes upon them they believe to have redemption of their sins What is Blasphemy if this be not Blasphemy What is it to work ignominy and dishonour to the precious bloud of Christ if this be not Who denieth the Lord that bought them if the Papists do it not Is it come to pass now that Ashes work the redemption of our sins We hitherto believed that Christ alone hath wrought our Redemption by his Passion and Death For so are we taught in the Word of God Christ saith St. Paul died for our sins and rose again for our justification Again there is one God and one Mediator the man Christ Jesus which gave himself a Ransom for all Likewise saith St. John The Blood of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sin Also in another place Christ hath loved us and washed us from our sins by his Bloud and hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father To him be praise and rule for ever Amen And as concerning health of Body and safeguard of Soul who knoweth that they come not from Ashes but from the Mighty God of Israel from whom every good and perfect Gift cometh as we have before heard Of him therefore must we ask whatsoever good thing we intend to obtain But we shall note also that in the prayer which followeth it is plainly declared That the Popes Captains suffer the Ashes to be laid upon their heads to this end That by that means they may deserve to have forgivness of their sins when notwithstanding we have before abundantly heard that forgivness of sins cometh only from God through Faith in the name of his Son Christ and not by reason of any work although commanded in the Law of God much less by any ceremony invented by man as it is written Be it known to you ye men and Brethren that through this man Christ is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses Again Why tempt ye God that ye would put a Yoke on the Disciples necks which neither our Fathers nor we we were able to bear But we believe that through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved c. And in the Service after Salisbury use as they term it we read these words Grant that through the Invocation of thy holy name all they that bear these Ashes upon their heads for the obtaining of thy mercy may merit of thee to receive forgivness of all their Trespasses Are not these words all one in effect with the other which we heard before Verily there is neither barrel better herring Whether use we follow both rob Christ of his glory After these benedictions and sanctifications these Ashes must be sprinkled with Holy-Water to make up the matter Which thing dispatched certain Anthems must be sung and in the mean season the Ashes must be received of so many as are present First of all the Priest that shall say Mass must have the Ashes laid upon his head by another Priest if he be present But if there be no more Priests then must he kneel down meekly before the Altar and lay Ashes upon his own head Afterward must the other Ministers come if any be present and kneeling down before the Altar receive Ashes of the Priest They being served the Brethren and Sisters shall come bini bini two and two together like Fryers of one Cloyster and meekly kneeling upon their marrow bones before the Altar receive Ashes in like manner of the Priest And in distributing these Ashes the Priest must say to every one of them on this wise Memento homo quod cinis es ✚ here must the Priest make a Cross with the Ashes upon the top of the Crown if he be a Man but if a Woman upon her forehead in cinerem reverteris That is to say Remember man that thou art Ashes and into Ashes thou shalt return These Ashes in times past through the wicked Doctrine of the most wicked Papists have been counted of the common People to be of so great virtue that the receiving of them brought unto them Gods favour and a worthy preparation unto the forgiveness of their sins And contrariwise that without them neither Confession Contrition Pennance Absolution Fasting Prayer nor any other good work profited them any thing at all O lamentable blindness Of hallowing Incense Myrrhe and other Perfumes NOw that we have passed over Salt Water Bread Candles Boughs Flower Fire and Ashes we are at last come to our Perfumes as Incense Myrrhe c. Neither are they so sweet nor their savours so pleasant but that the Papists find fault in them so that they also have need of their Exorcisms Conjurations Sanctifications Benedictions Crossings and Blessings Therefore in falling in hand with that matter the Popish Priest beginneth to Conjure in this manner speaking to the Devil as one not unacquainted with his doings I Conjure thee thou most unclean Spirit and every phantasy of the Enemy in the Name of God the Father Almighty and in the name of Jesus Christ his Son and in the virtue of the Holy Ghost That thou with all thy false Subtilty and Wickedness go forth and depart from this Creature of Perfume or Incense that this Creature may be Sanctified ✚ in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all they which taste touch or smell it may enjoy the virtue and help of the Holy Ghost so that wheresoever this Incense or Perfume shall be thou in no wise be bold to approach near there nor presume to trouble But what foul Spirit soever thou art thou with all thy crafty falshood flee and dapart far from thence being straitly charged by the name and virtue of God the Father Almighty and of his Son our Lord Jesus Christ who in the Holy Ghost shall come to judge the quick and the dead and thee thou traiterous Offendor and the World through Fire Amen Here is much work and little help The poor Devil is here so handled and so straightly Conjured that he knoweth not whither to turn him First of all this Conjurer rateth him beyond all measure and calleth him most unclean Spirit foul
Spirit and traiterous Offendor and chargeth him not in the name of Robinhood or little John nor yet in the name of Fryer Tuck and maid Marion but in the name of God the Father Almighty and in the name of Jesus Christ his Son and in the vertue of the Holy Ghost That he with all his false Subtilty and Wickedness and with all his crafty Falshood depart from that creature of Incense or Perfume There is no remedy but the Devil must now needs trudge being so straitly Conjured But it is marvellous that such Perfumes should make so sweet savours if the Devil were in them as the Popish Conjurer fancieth If one Devil be in so little portion of Incense what a number of Devils be there in all the Apothecaries Shops that are in Bucklersbury and elsewhere I wonder how they can sleep in the night season having so many Devils in their Houses If the Doctrine of the Papists be true it were high time yea and more than time that these Conjuring Priests were sent for and set a work to Conjure such unclean and foul Spirits yea and such traiterous Offenders lest they make havock of all Apothecaries and Grocers Houses and all others also wheresoever any Incense myrrhe or any other Perfume is If Incense were possessed with the Devil as the Papists teach I much marvel that the Holy Ghost would by the mouth of the Psalmist compare Prayer unto it Again if Incense were possessed with so foul and unclean Spirits it is much to be marvelled that it should have so sweet a savour seeing the Devil corrupteth all things that he possesseth But let us consider why this Papist taketh so great pains to Conjure the Devil out of the Incense Some urgent grave weighty and necessary cause moveth him thus to do otherwise he would never be so earnest in the matter Forsooth Sir and it please you The cause that moveth him to take all these pains in Conjuring and dispatching the Devil is that this Creature of Perfume or Incense may be sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ yea and that unto this end That all they who taste touch or smell it may enjoy the virtue and help of the Holy Ghost so that wheresoever this Incense or Perfume shall be the Devil in no wise may be bold to approach near nor presume to make any hurly burly but that he with all his crafty Falshood fly and depart far from thence O notable Virtues O wonderful Works Of this Exorcism we learn that so many as taste touch or smell of this Perfume or Incense do enjoy the virtue and help of the Holy Ghost To taste that is to say to eat of Incense or any other Perfume is rare but to touch or to smell thereof is daily and common But that this should bring the virtue and help of the Holy Ghost is of all things most rare and almost incredible To have the Holy Ghost is the meer and only gift of God as he himself testifieth by the Prophet saying I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Daughters shall Prophesie Again he saith I will pour clear Water upon you and ye shall be clean yea from all your uncleanness and from all your Idols shall I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put into you c. I will give my Spirit among you and cause you to walk in my Commandments to keep my Laws and fulfil them And our Saviour Christ saith If ye being evil can give good Gifts to your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost to them that ask it of him Again I will pray my Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive for it seeth him not neither hath it known him Here have we in manifest and plain words that the Holy Ghost is the gift of God only and that it cometh not unto us by Conjured Incense and and other bewitched Perfumes but by Prayer alone which God hath appointed the mean to obtain his blessed Spirit Moreover in this Exorcism or Conjuration the Exorcist or Conjurer attributeth so much to these bewitched Perfumes that they be able wheresoever they be kindled or set on Fire to drive away the Devil with all his Craft and Falshood This is an old jugling of the Papists so to esteem their Sorceries that they may be able to move Mountains yea to drive Devils away But we have before heard that the Devil is more mighty and of greater force and strength than that the smoak of a little Incense can be able to drive him away We have heard also that by Faith Prayer Fasting and by the Word of God Satan is expelled and put out and not by dumb Ceremonies For this purpose saith St. John hath the Son of God appeared even to dissolve loosen break and destroy the works of the Devil In the Prayers that follow the Sorcerer prayeth God that the Incense may be to his Servants or Handmaids a Defence and Safeguard that the Enemy the Devil enter not into their bowels nor have any entrance or seat in them Again That all Diseases and deceits of the Devil feeling the savour of this Incense may flee away so that the People be not hurt through the biting of the old Serpent but that it may expel and drive away all phantastical assaults of unclean Spirits and expel all Infirmities Sicknesses and Diseases and in fine health being restored smell to the Lord our God a most pleasant odour with perpetual sweetness The Papists sing always one manner of song that which only is due to the Creator they attribute to Creatures after they have once exorcised conjured or bewitched them But we have before abundantly heard That no man can be delivered from the assaults of Satan and other wicked Spirits and from sicknesses and diseases nor obtain any health but only by the power of Almighty God as it is written Neither Herb nor Emplaister hath healed them O Lord but thy Word which healeth all things And whereas they will have their Perfumes to be a sweet savour in the Nostrils of God we know that there is nothing that smelleth sweetly before God but the Sacrifice of Christ's death As the Apostle saith Christ loved us and gave himself for us an Offring and a Sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God Again By Christ do we offer up Sacrifice of praise always to God that is to say the fruit of those lips which confess his Name After these solemn Prayers the Exorcist devoutly looking upon his new bewitched stuff speaketh on this manner The blessing ✚ of God Almighty ✚ the Father ✚ the Son ✚ and the holy Ghost descend and come down upon this Creature of Incense Myrrh and Perfume and abide upon it alway Amen These things dispatched he putteth some of the new Perfumes in
Solomon but the Lord giveth the Victory And the Psalmist saith There is no King that can be saved by the multitude of an Host neither is any man delivered by much strength The Papists according to the Doctrine of the holy Ghost should rather teach the People to seek for help against their Enemies at the hand of God by faithful and fervent Prayer than of Wallets Staffs Crosses Swords c. For the Name of the Lord as Solomon saith is a strong Tower unto that doth the righteous flee and findeth succour O blessed is that man saith David which hath set his hope in the Lord and hath not turned unto vanity Where God is Enemy nothing can prevail There is no wisdom no forecast no counsel can prevail against the Lord. But where God favoureth all things have good success as the Apostle saith If God be on our side who can be against us If we therefore desire to have victory over our Enemies and to enjoy quiet days on the Earth let us above all things study to have God our Friend and to be at peace with him and so shall all things prosper whatsoever we take in hand This shall come to pass if we will endeavour our selves to cast away all confidence in Creatures repose all our affiance in the Lord our God earnestly call upon his holy Name and train our Lives according to his blessed Word and Ordinance as God himself saith O that my People would have hearkned unto me For if Israel had walked in my ways I should soon have put down their Enemies and turned mine hand against their Adversaries The hallowing of Beads to say our Lady's Psalter on O Lord the large infuser and liberal impourer of all Blessings and the inspirator and inbreather of every good act who with thine own mouth commandedst that all the Ornaments of the Tabernacle of Witness should be made unto the Devotion of the People We with humble Prayer beeseech thee that thou wilt with thy benediction and blessing ✚ replenish these Beads outwardly pretending and shewing a face of holiness and appointed to pray devoutly unto the most blessed Virgin Mary the Mother of God and made and prepared to say the Psalter of the same most holy Virgin wherewith in times past by the hands of the Priests thou didst replenish and fulfil the Vessels and Ornaments of the Temple And grant that so many as will endeavour themselves in these Beads meekly to honour that most glorious Virgin or do determin upon these Beads in whatsoever place it be to say their Prayers before her Image or require her help may through her Prayers and Intercession after their departure from this present Life obtain Grace and Glory and purchase the favour of thy merciful goodness through our Lord Jesus Christ O Almighty God the alone and unspeakable and incomprehensible Creator and Maker by whose Word and Power all things are made through whose Gift we have received those things which we possess for the sustentation and comfort of our Life we with most humble and fervent Prayer beseech thee that thou wilt vouchsafe from the seat of thy Majesty with thy blessing ✚ and heavenly sanctification to replenish and fulfil these Beads which are apt and meet for the Devotion of thy faithful Servants that by this means thou mayest thankfully take and acceptably receive the gift of them that pray on these Beads O grant that the Prayers made upon these Beads may gladly be accepted in the sight of thy clemency and merciful goodness as the gifts of thy Servants Abraham and Melchisedec pleased thee that whosoever goeth about to garnish honour and glorifie with their holy Devotions the most blessed Mother of God Mary upon the Beads her Son our Lord Jesus Christ may recompense him great things for small things accept his Devotion forgive him his Sins replenish him with Faith nourish him with Favour defend him with Mercy destroy all adversity and give him all prosperity Grant also that in this World he may have the Doctrin of well-doing the study of Charity the effect of holy Love and that in the World to come he may obtain with the holy Angels everlasting Joy through our Lord Jesus Christ The Christning or Hallowing of Bells FIrst of all the Bishop or Suffragan shall put upon him a Surplice and a Stole about his Neck and having the Cross born before him he being accompanied with the Clergy and with the People shall go with all solemnity unto the place where the Mettal shall be shed whereof the Bell is to be made And while the Bell is casting that it may have right shape and afterward come unto Christendom the Bishop or Suffragan shall begin this Hymn Veni Creator with the Verse and Collect of the holy Ghost and all the Clergy shall proceed and sing forth merrily When the Bell is once cast and come to his perfect shape then shall the Bishop or Suffragan begin with a merry voice Te Deum laudamus and all the Clerks with one voice shall sing joyfully together the whole Hymn unto the end After that they shall sing Da pacem c. Then shall the Bishop or Suffragan say A Domino factum est istud And the Clerks shall answer Et est mirabile in oculis nostris Then shall the Prelate say Dominus vobiscum The Clerks answering Et cum Spiritu tuo Then shall he rehearse this Collect Actiones nostras c. That is to say We beseech thee O Lord prevent our doings by thine inspiration and persecute them with thy help that all our praying and working may alway begin of thee and being so begun may be finished by thee through Christ our Lord. Now may they hang up the Bell when they will But it must first be Blessed Hallowed and Consecrated after this manner that followeth The Blessing or Hallowing of the Water wherewith the Bell must be sprinkled ADjutorium nostrum c. sit Nomen Domini c. The Prayer Let us Pray O Lord ✚ bless this Water with thy heavenly blessing and let the virtue of the holy Ghost be put upon it that when this Bell which is prepared to call thy Children unto the Church be dipped in it wheresoever the noise and sound thereof shall be heard the power of the Enemies the imaginations of Phantasies the violence of boysterous Winds the hurt of Thundrings the calamity of Tempests and all stormy Spirits may depart and go far away Again That when the Children of the Christians shall hear the noise of this Bell the increase of Devotion may grow in them that they may make haste unto the bosom of the godly Mother he meaneth the Church may sing unto thee in the Congregation of the Saints bringing in the sound of a Trump praise melody through the Harp mirth through the Organs sweetness through the Tympan joy through the Cymbal So that with these their Services and Prayers they may allure unto thy holy Christ our Lord. Amen Afterward
they must sing these six Psalms Lauda anima mea Dominum Laudate Dominum quoniam bonus est Lauda Hierusalem Dominum Laudate Dominum de Coelis Cantate Domino Canticum novum Laus ejus in Eclesia Sanctorum Laudate Dominum in Sanctis ejus And while they sing these Psalms the Bishop or Suffragan must wash the Bell with the aforesaid hallowed Water and anoint it with holy Oyl and also rub it over with Salt which Salt must be hallowed in such sort as the use is upon the Sunday when they make holy Water Exorcizo te Creatura salis per Deum ✚ vivum per Deum ✚ qui te per Helizeum Prophetam c. After all these things be dispatched out of the way let him say this Prayer following The Prayer Let us Pray O God who by blessed Moses the Law-giver commandedst Trumpets of Silver to be made which while the Levites or Ministers of the Sacrifice did blow the People being admonished with the sound of their sweetness might be prepared to adore and worship thee Again Through whose noise the People being excited and stirred up unto battel might the more valiantly express and overcome the Weapons of their Enemies Grant that this Bell being ordained and prepared for thy Church may be sanctified and hallowed of the holy Ghost that by the sound thereof the faithful may be invited provoked and pricked forward unto the reward Grant also that when the melody of this Bell dath sound in the ears of the People the Devotion of Faith may increase in them and that all the lying in wait of the Enemy may be far put back again that the beating of the Hail the storm of Winds the violence of Tempests may be mitigated and asswaged Moreover That the fierce Thunderings and boysterous Storms may be measured that they do no harm nor hurt thy Creatures In fine Vanquish and throw down the Powers of the Air with the right hand of thy strength that they hearing this Bell may tremble and shake for fear and flee before the Banner of the holy Cross through our Lord Jesus Christ Then must the Bishop or Suffragan wipe the Bell with a Linen Towel and say this Psalm all the Clerks accompanying him Vox Domini super aquas Deus Majestatis intonuit Dominus super aquas multas Vox Domini in virtute Vox Domini in magnificentia Vox Domini confringentis Cedros c. unto the end of the Psalm with Gloria Patri and Sicut erat c. After these things the Bishop or Suffragan must anoint the outside of the Bell seven times with Oyl and Cream and four times within saying on this wise The Prayer Let us pray O Almighty and Everlasting God who before the Ark of the Covenant through the noise of the Trumpets madest the Walls of Stone to fall down wherewith the arms of thine Enemies were enclosed and encompassed round about vouchsafe to replenish this Bell with thy heavenly blessing that before the noise or sound thereof the fiery darts of the Enemy the striking of the Lightnings the violence of Stones the hurting of Tempests may be chaced far away That to the demand of the Prophet Wherefore didst thou flee O thou Sea And thou Flood of Jordan turn back with all thy Waves It may be answered The Earth was moved at the face of the Lord at the face of the God of Jacob Which turneth the hard Rock into Rivers of Water and the Flint-stones into watry streams Not unto us therefore O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give the glory of thy mercy and truth that when this present Bell as the other Vessels of thy Altar is touched with the holy Chrism and anointed with thy holy Oyl all they that come and draw near unto the sound thereof may be free from all temptations of the Enemies and continually follow the documents of the Catholique Faith through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen After this Prayer the Bishop or Suffragan shall take the Censer into his hand and cause Fire Incense Myrrh and such other sweet Perfumes to be put into it Then shall the Bell be lifted up and the Censers set under the Bell that all the fume and smoak of those sweet favours may go into the Bell. In the mean season shall they say this Anthem Deus in sancta via tua Deus magnus sicut Deus noster Then immediately shall they sing this Psalm Viderunt te aquae Deus Viderunt te aquae timuerunt c. with Gloria Patri Sicut erat c. Afterward the Bishop or Suffragan shall say Domine exaudi and Dominus vobiscum with this Prayer following The Prayer Let us Pray O Christ that Almighty Lord and Ruler which after thou hadst taken the Nature of Man upon thee and didst sleep in the Ship when a great Tempest arose marvelously troubling the Seas and being awake didst forthwith put away these cruel storms help for thy mercies sake the necessities of thy People Pour out the dew of the holy Ghost upon this Bell that before the sound thereof the Enemy may evermore flee away Christian People be invited and provoked unto Faith the Army of the Enemies may be made afraid the People that be called out by it may be made strong in the Lord and the holy Ghost being delighted with the sound thereof as with David's Harp may come down upon it And as when Samuel slew the Lamb and offered it up for a Sacrifice the King of the Eternal Empire through the noise of the weather that came down from Heaven did put to flight the Company of the Enemies so likewise grant thou that while the sound of this Bell passeth through the Clouds the hand of thy Angel may keep the Company or Assembly of thy Church and Congregation and thy everlasting protection save and defend the fruits of them that do believe with their souls and bodies who livest and reignest one God with the Father and the holy Ghost World without end Amen This done let the Bishop or Suffragan sprinkle the Bell with holy Water and all the People there present likewise Then the Godfathers and Godmothers laying their hands upon the Bell the Bishop or Suffragan shall say to them Name the Bell. The Godfathers and Godmothers shall give the Bell such a Name as they think good When the Bell is thus Christned the Bishop or Suffragan with the Godfathers and Godmothers shall put upon the new baptized Bell a Linen Vesture white and large And thus endeth the Christning of Bells But when the Bells thus baptized shall be brought unto Confirmation and to render an account or reason of their Faith I find not in all the Popish Books I have read But O God what a dishonour is this to thy holy Name What a corruption to thy blessed Doctrin What a mocking to thy holy Mysteries What an abuse of thy Creatures What a maintenance of Superstition and Idolatry What a deceiving of thy People A Blessing for sore Eyes taken out of an old Mass-Book very profitable for that Disease as teacheth Wilielmus de montibus matricis Ecclesiae Lincolniensis Cancellarius THe blessing for sore Eyes saith he necessity bringeth in and the devotion of them that ask it and it ought to be done on this manner First The Priest that singeth Mass after he hath received the body and blood of our Lord and after the first and second washing of his fingers shall cause his Parish-Clerk to pour into his Chalice the third ablution not of Wine but of Water And this Water must the Priest in his Chalice reserve and keep till Mass be done And when Mass is once done the Priest before he put off his sacerdotal Vestiments shall take of this Water and sprinkle it upon the sore Eyes and he shall say this Prayer following with Dominus vobiscum Et cum Spiritu tuo and with Oremus The Prayer O Lord Jesu Christ who openedst the Eyes of the man that was born blind keep the Eyes of this thy servant giving him sight clear sufficient meet and competent to serve thee withal by the virtue of this Sacrament and by this sign ✚ of thy holy Cross Here let the Priest cross the diseased person with the Chalice and with the Corporass Cloth And let him to handle the matter that with his Crossing he may cause some wind to go from the Chalice and Corporass Cloth into the sore Eyes while he saith In nomine Patris Filij Spiritus sancti Amen Then shall the Priest say the beginning of St. John's Gospel In principio erat Verbum c. These things done let the diseased person rise up kiss the Altar and offer something to the blessed Sacrament and so depart And undoubtedly with the help of God and of our blessed Lady he shall shortly have remedy of his Disease Probatum est A general Blessing for all things O Thou Creator and Consecrator of Mankind the giver of Spiritual Grace the granter of Everlasting Health O Lord send thy holy Spirit upon this Creature M. that it may profit them unto everlasting salvation which being armed with the virtue of heavenly defence do tast of it And ✚ the blessing of God the Father and the ✚ Son and the ✚ holy Ghost descend upon those Creatures and abide upon them for ever Here is Everlasting Salvation set forth again to be obtained by every Rag and Clout or whatsoever other vile thing is hallowed by the Popish Priest But since such blasphemous Baggage is sufficiently confuted before I will here end with this protestation That Christ alone is our Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that as it is written He that rejoyceth should rejoyce in the Lord To whom be all Honour and Glory both now and for ever Amen FINIS
and wicked Conjurer goeth about by this heathenish Ceremony to obscure the glory of Christ and his death while he goeth about to attribute that to the idle invention of Man which is only given to the faithful of God alone through the Lord Christ his dearly beloved and only begotten Son For what can Christ bring unto us but free deliverance from Satan and his Ministers freedom from all sin and uncleanness health of body and mind quietness of Conscience security of hope strength of faith and in fine everlasting Life All these things bring the bewitched Water by the Doctrin of the Papists to them that be sprinkled with it And is this any other thing than to make Christ Jack out of Office and to place a new Saviour in his stead Wo unto thee thou Pope and thou Devil Ah thou Antichrist who in thy Antichristian Doctrin teachest thy Captives and Bond-slaves to seek salvation in this thy beggarly Ceremony and to say these words when they take this thy conjured and bewitched Water Aqua benedicta sit mihi Salus Vita that is to say This blessed or rather bewitched Water be unto me Salvation and Life O blasphemy passing all blasphemies Water utterly abused to bring Salvation and everlasting Life O damnable Doctrin Salvation cometh by none but by him alone who is the Saviour of the World even the Lord Jesus who only and alone saveth his People from their sins as St. Peter saith There is Salvation in none other but in the Lord Jesus Neither is there any other Name given unto Men wherein they may be saved but only the Name of the Lord Jesus And as concerning everlasting Life saith not the Lord Christ of himself in this manner I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me although he were dead yet shall he live and every one that liveth and believeth in me he shall never die Again he saith I am the way the truth and the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me Likewise saith St. John Baptist of this Christ the Lord He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life but he that believeth not on the Son of God hath not life but the wrath and vengeance of God abideth upon him He saith not He that sprinkleth himself with holy Water hath everlasting Life but he that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting Life Neither saith he He that sprinkleth not himself with holy Water hath not Life but the wrath of God abideth upon him but he saith He that believeth not on the Son of God hath not life c. And St. John the Evangelist speaking of Christ saith This is the true God and everlasting life And are not these the words of blessed St. Paul Everlasting life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. He saith not Through the sprinkling of holy Water Hence it evidently appears how greatly the wicked Papists in times past and still do in some places have abused the simple Christians while by this and such other like Ceremonies they have taught the People to seek Salvation both of Body and Soul Victory over Satan and all his infernal Army quietness of Conscience freedom from all Sin and Uncleanness security of Hope corroboration and strength of Faith and in fine what not Is not this to deny the Lord that bought them Is not this to make Merchandise of the People Is not this to tread the blood of Christ under foot and to count it of no force God destroy thee and thy Kingdom O Antichrist that the glory alone may be the Lord's But let us behold more of their wicked Exorcisms and Conjurations Of HOLY BREAD AS the Papists teach their Captives to seek salvation both of body and soul in their conjured Water so likewise do they in their bewitched Bread for in the Exorcising or Conjuring thereof they use these words Bless ✚ thou O Lord this Creature of Bread as thou didst bless the five Loaves in the Wilderness that as many as tast of it may receive health both of Body and Soul Here have we the very same sour and stinking leaven of the Papistical Pharisees that we had before The crafty Conjurer and subtle Sorcerer to cloak his wicked doings putteth Christ in remembrance how he blessed five Loaves in the wilderness when he fed five Thousand People as we read in the Gospel And he meaneth by blessing nothing else than the wagging of the two fore-fingers of the right hand as the manner of the Popish Bishops is to bless the People and to make them never the better But Christ's blessing was Prayer and Thanksgiving to his heavenly Father for the benefits which he bountifully doth daily bestow upon his Creatures but especially upon Mankind And methinks that the Prayer of the Popish Priest is very large in that he desireth of God that as many as tast of that conjured Bread may receive health both of Body and Soul What if Mag Pie or Jack Daw or Philip Sparrow should chance to eat of it as it may happen hath it not been known that the little god of the Altar hath been eaten and devoured of Mother Mouse and Will. Worm should they also through the tasting and eating thereof receive health and salvation both of body and soul A foul and a great oversight The almighty God ordained this his Creature of Bread for the sustentation and preservation of the body and the Papists utterly abusing it transpose it unto the salvation both of body and soul and teach us to seek health both of body and mind in this beggarly Ceremony being an idle invention of their most idle brain When we are sufficiently taught in the holy Scriptures That all our Salvation cometh from God through Faith in Christ and not from holy Bread and holy Water But the Papists have another Blessing of Bread which is this O Lord holy Father almighty eternal God vouchsafe ✚ to bless this Bread with thy holy spiritual Benediction that unto all those which receive it it may be salvation of mind and body and a safeguard against all Diseases and all laying wait of the Enemy In this Prayer we have not only that the Popish holy Bread bringeth salvation of mind and body unto all those which receive it but also that it is a safeguard against all Diseases and a defence against all layings in wait of the Enemy Will any Man be free from the Pox the Piles a Feaver or any other kind of Disease let him eat holy Bread and by the Doctrin of the Pope he shall be free from all evil Maladies If this were true as it is most false it were a very ready way and of little charge to cure Diseases And by this means also should we not only chase away all Infirmities out of the Country but also be free from the torments of Chyrurgions and the heavy Counsels of Physicians and from the Charges of them both This is therefore
the Censer so that now by the vertue hereof the Devil trudgeth with all his craft and falshood All diseases flee away health cometh and all good things besides O the wonderful power of these Perfumes Yea O Antichrist who so wickedly abusest the good Creatures of God! Of hallowing the Pascal FOr the full furniture of this Ceremony I mean the Pascal or great Taper which is wont to be hallowed in the Popish Churches on Easter-Even which was the device of Pope Zosimus it is appointed That the Deacon having on decent Apparel and meet for the purpose shall take this matter in hand yet so that he first of all receive blessing of him that executeth otherwise unapt to enterprise so weighty a matter with Jube Domine benedicere The blessing once taken this Deacon standing beneath the steps of the high Altar and turning himself Northward having the Taper-bearers standing by him the one on the right hand the other on the left and the Subdeacon right over against him by whom he that carrieth the long Staff must also stand c. singeth on this manner in the Latin Tongue Exultet jam angelica c. Now let the angelical Company of Heaven rejoyce c. That done he singeth certain other things which if they were not used to an evil end might seem not only tolerable but also commendable namely if they were pronounced in a Tongue that the People understandeth After these things the Deacon putteth Incense upon the Taper or Pascal in manner of a Cross Immediately after this Taper is lighted and no more put out before Compline be ended the day following And straight-ways all the Candles in the Church are lighted with great solmnity Afterward he prayeth for the Clergy and People but especially for the most blessed Father and Lord the Pope c. And so endeth the hallowing of the Pascal Of hallowing the Pascal Lamb. IN hallowing the Pascal Lamb among other things the Popish Priest desireth God That he will vouchsafe ✚ to bless and ✚ sanctifie the Pascal Lamb which is there present that all such of the People as faithfully shall eat thereof being filled with all heavenly benediction and grace may be replenished in goodness There is nothing so holy that ever God made but coming into the Papists hands it is either prophane or else must needs be made more holy And being so hallowed it bringeth sanctification health of soul and body heavenly benediction grace goodness and what not The hallowing of Eggs. IN the hallowing of Eggs the Popish Sacrificer beseecheth God to pour the grace of his blessing upon the Creature of Eggs that it may be made an wholsom meat to all such as eat of it and that they may receive by it health of body and safegard of soul He ought rather to have desired God to pour his blessing upon the People than upon the Eggs which are Creatures without all sense and feeling without all life and motion And whereas he desireth of God that the Eggs may be made an wholsome meat to all such as eat them this Prayer is foolish and vain For if Eggs be not rotten unsavoury or otherwise estranged from their natural property they be good and wholsom of their own kind And although the Papists have forbidden them to be eaten of the faithful certain times of the year as a kind of meat unlawful yet we know that to the pure all things are pure and that nothing is to be cast away that is received with thanksgiving For it is sanctified by the Word of God and Prayer Whatsoever God hath purified and made clean no man ought to call common and unclean That which entreth into the mouth defileth not man The Earth is the Lord's and all that is contained in it But as to the pure all things are pure so likewise to the unpure and unfaithful nothing is pure but both their mind and conscience is polluted and defiled neither can any thing be clean to them though it were conjured sanctified consecrated and blessed a thousand times And whereas the sacrificing Priest would have his hallowed Eggs to be health of body and safegard of soul we know that both these things are the gift and blessing of God as it is written Domini est Salus Health and Salvation cometh from the Lord. Therefore the Prophet prayeth unto God in this manner Heal thou me O Lord and I shall be made whole Save thou me and I shall be saved The hallowing of Herbs IN the Benediction and Blessing in the Consecration and Hallowing of Herbs the massing Priest beseecheth God That the Herbs which he sanctifieth may be unto them that shall eat of them health both of body and soul Again That they may drive away from Beasts and Cattle all Rot and Murrain and expel all phantasies of the Devil and all Diseases and all Pestilences and all other kinds of naughtiness And that whosoever shall use any of them they may be unto him Physick for the Body and Strength for the Soul And in fine That whosoever being sick eateth of them may out of hand receive the benefit of Health What precious Jewels and incomparable Treasures are here set forth unto us yea and that through a few hallowed Herbs Health both of Body and Soul driving away of all Rot Murrain and noysomness from Cattle expelling of all devilish phantasies putting out of all Diseases and Pestilences Physick for the Body and Strength for the Soul c. What will ye have more Here is goodly Ware Come see for your Love and buy for your Money Never was there so good and substantial Ware offered by any Chapman to be sold as these massing Merchants bring forth here If the virtue of this their stuff were as good as they brag without all doubt we should have no need either of God or of any good Saint But we know all these things aforesaid to be the Gifts of God and that they come not from Herbs sanctified by the Papists but from above even from the Father of lights To whom alone be glory for ever Amen The hallowing of Milk and Honey IN this Benediction and Hallowing the blesser and hallower desireth God to bless his Creatures of Milk and Honey which are there present that so many as eat of them may receive health of body and safegard of soul and at the last everlasting salvation Afterward he concludeth with these words and saith And the blessing of God the Father and ✚ of the Son and ✚ of the holy Ghost descend upon these Creatures and remain always The hallowing of Apples and other new Fruits IN the sanctification of Apples and other Fruits of the Earth which the Papists also use in their Churches because nothing coming into their hands is so pure but it needeth a new blessing that by this means it may be holier than ever God made it the sacrificing Mass-monger beseecheth God That at his instance and desire He will vouchsafe to bless and sanctifie the
new Fruit of Apples and such like Fruits of the Earth as Pears Plumbs Peaches c. that the Devil with all his wicked Army being dispatched those Creatures may be received unto the Consecration both of Body and Soul And afterward he concludeth on this manner and saith O Lord ✚ bless this new Fruit of the Trees that they which eat of it may be whole in Body and holy in Soul The Papists are but slender Musicians for like the Cuckow they sing always one Song Whatsoever virtue might and power they attribute to one Ceremony the same for the most part do they give unto all There is no Ceremony which after their Conjuration hath not power to drive away the Devil to put away Diseases to bring health to the Body and salvation to the Soul In so great admiration have these Apes their little ones although never so deformed and evil favoured But whilst this their Doctrin is received and believed the bounteous liberality of God is unknown and unthanked And the benefits of his Son's Passion and Death not a little obscured and blotted God destroy the Kingdom of Antichrist yea and that shortly The hallowing of Wine THe Papists are very busie-bodies and love to meddle with all kind of matters that they may seem able to do somewhat in all things It is not sufficient that they have to do with Water Salt Bread Candles Palms Boughs Fire Ashes Incense Myrrh Pascal Pascal Lamb Eggs Herbs Milk Honey Apples c. except they also meddle with Wine it being a Liquor wherein they greatly delight and therefore they daily use to sacrifice unto the great god Bacchus that they may be made the more meet to serve Lady Venus This Creature of Wine is not so pure in their sight but it hath also need of their sanctification and hallowing of their benediction and blessing And therefore they pray the Lord Jesus Christ who at a Marriage of Cana in Galilee turned Water into Wine that he would vouchsafe to bless and sanctifie this Creature of Wine that all that tast of it may be replenished and filled with the riches of his blessing If the Prayer which the Papists here make were heard and granted it were very profitable that the People should always be tipling this new sanctified Wine that by this means they might be replenished with the riches of Christs blessing But as their Prayer is not grounded on Gods Word nor framed according to his Will so is it neither heard nor granted And therefore they pray in vain promising the simple People Mountains performing Molehills We are not enriched with Gods blessing for drinking the hallowed Wine but for Christs sake for Christs dignity and worthiness for Christs merits and deserts as the Apostle saith Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who hath blessed us with all manner of Spiritual blessings in Heavenly things by Christ What wickedness then is this of the Papists to attribute that to a Cup of bewitched Wine that is only the gift of God In thy Seed said God to Abraham speaking of Christ shall all the Nations of the Earth be blessed as St. Paul expoundeth it in his Epistle to the Galatians It is appointed moreover That on the Feast of St. John the Evangelist the Wine especially should be blessed and hallowed for what cause I know not except it be on that time of the year that men use to drink more largely and to be more merry than any other time of the year Now for the perfect furniture of this matter it is commanded that first of all the Mass-monger shall say the beginning of St. Johns Gospel In principo erat verbum c. That once done he must pray on this manner By these words of the holy Gospel and by the merits of John the Apostle and Evangelist vouchsafe O Lord to bless and consecrate this Cup of Wine with thy right hand ✚ and grant that all that believe in the drink of this Cup may be blessed and defended And as St. John drinking poyson out of the Cup was not hurt so they that drink this day of this Cup in the honor of Thee and blessed St. John may be delivered through the merits of the same St. John from all sickness and poyson and be absolved both in Body and Soul from all faults The Papist in this his Prayer Conjureth God to bless and sanctifie his Cup of Wine by the words of the holy Gospel and by the merits of St. John the Evangelist as though God were so indebted and bound unto them that he could do no otherwise than grant his request But as touching the words of the Gospel Where have the Papists learned thus to abuse them Where have they read that the words of the Gospel should help unto the hallowing and sanctifying of Wine The Papists play here with this piece of St. Johns Gospel as the simple People in the time of darkness were wont to do with hanging St. Johns Gospel as they call it about their necks upon St. Audries lace thinking themselves safe from all danger both Bodily and Ghostly and free from all Devils and wicked Spirits But this is to abuse and not to use the words of the Gospel The Gospel is a joyful Message wherein is contained most present consolation and ready comfort for all Sinners that repent in Faith freely offered of God the Father for his Son Christs sake to all that believe and embrace it And this Gospel helpeth not because it is read but because it is believed as St. Paul the Apostle saith The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God to save so many as believe For Man and his Salvation was the Gospel written and not for Wine and for Wines satisfaction As St. John himself testifieth saying These are written that ye might believe that Jesus is Christ the Son of God and that in believing ye might have Life through his name And as concerning the merits of St. John the Evangelist Where have the Papists learned to lay them before the Majesty of God as things of such purity and excellency that for the worthiness of them he is bound to grant their desire seeing it is written That all our righteousnesses are as a menstruous Cloth Seeing also that before God not the Angels in Heaven are clean much less man who is Earth Ashes Dust and Dung What St. John thought of his merits may easily be perceived by these words If we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us But if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness If we say we have no sin we make him a liar and his word is not in us Here St. John putteth himself in the number of Sinners so far is he from cracking and boasting of his good deeds and merits And in the Chapter following he saith If any man sin we have an advocate with
the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And He it is that obtaineth mercy for our sins Here St. John likewise layeth not forth his own merits and deserts before the Judgment Seat of God but the righteousness of Christ that pure and undefiled Lamb that taketh away the sins of the World For whose sake also God is well pleased with man The merits both of St. John and of all the Saints are the mercies of God as it is written which crowneth in mercy and loving kindness When ye have done saith Christ all that ye ought to do say we are unprofitable Servants there is no difference all have sinned and want the Glory of God Again the Papist prayeth That so many as drink of that hallowed Wine may be blessed defended delivered from all sickness and poyson and in fine be absolved both in Body and Soul from all sins and faults yea and that by the merits of St. John the Evangelist Of St. Johns merits we have before heard But that the hallowed Wine should give to so many as drink of it Gods blessing Gods defence deliverance from all sickness and poyson and at the last absolution from all sins and faults it is more than any man may be bold justly to look for at a Cup of Wine It is God that blesseth and defendeth us his People It is God that delivereth his Servants from all evil and noisom things It is God that forgiveth sin and saveth both Body and Soul as the Psalmist saith Salvation cometh from the Lord and his blessing is upon his People If this new sanctified Wine being drunk in the honor of St. John the Evangelist be of such force and strength that it saveth the drinkers thereof from poysoning How cometh it to pass that that Wine which is Consecrate in the Blood of Christ yea which is the natural Blood of Christ as the Papist teach could not keep and defend Pope Victor the third of that name from poysoning which as Chronicles record was poysoned at Mass by drinking that mystical Wine out of the Chalice And as touching the absolution of sins I marvel greatly that the Papists would so overshoot themselves that they would desire of God that so many as drink of that Wine might be absolved and delivered from all their sins Verily this thing doth not a little diminish their Authority If men might be absolved from their sins by drinking a Cup of Wine what should be come then of Ego absolvo te Then also were all the confessional pens dispatched and gone yea then should the holy Fathers Indulgences and Pardons a paena a culpa toties quoties be utterly neglected and nothing at all regarded I wonder they were so uncircumspect in this matter where most circumspection ought to have been had But this we know and are fully perswaded that neither drinking of the hallowed Wine nor the Pope himself can forgive us our sins but God alone as it is written No man can forgive sins but God alone And as God himself saith by the Prophet I am he yea I am he indeed which putteth away thy sins and that for my own sake and I will remember thy wickedness no more In another Prayer the sanctifying Papist beseecheth God ✚ to bless this Creature of Wine that whosoever tastes of it may obtain Everlasting Life through the intercession of St. John Here we may say to the Papists as the Fletcher saith to his bolt Flie and be nought Here is de malo inpejus venite adoremus as Skelton saith It was very nought that we heard before in hallowing the Wine but this of all nought is most nought For now we are come to this point that the drinking of this hallowed Wine bringeth Everlasting Life when notwithstanding the Apostle saith Everlasting Life is the Gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. And Christ himself saith I am the way the truth and the life No man cometh unto the Father but by me Again I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly For I am the Resurrection and Life He that believeth on me though he were dead yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never dye St. Paul saith If Righteousness come by the Law then died Christ in vain What is meant by Righteousness in this place but the grace favour and mercy of God remission of sins the gift of the Holy Ghost quietness of Conscience and in fine Everlasting Life Now saith the Apostle None of all these things come by the Law that is to say by those works of the Law which not man but God hath prescribed and appointed For if they did it should truly follow that Christ died in vain But Christ died not in vain therefore Righteousness and Everlasting Life cometh not by works as it is written No Flesh shall be justified by the Works of the Law If therefore our Justification and Salvation come not by those works which God hath appointed shall we obtain so noble and excellent benefits at the hand of God through drinking of Wine lately blessed by an unblessed Papist Everlasting Life is the gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Moreover This sacrificing Sorcerer desireth of God that these things may be brought to pass so much the sooner through the intercession of St. John A new kind of Intercession Is it to be thought that St. John being now a glorified Saint in Heaven and following the Lamb whither-soever he goeth hath so much idle leisure as to attend upon such trifling suits and requests What other thing were it to crave of God that all such as drink of that new hallowed Wine might obtain Everlasting Life by the means thereof than to spit in Christs face to set Christ at nought to contemn and utterly despise the inestimable merits of his Passion and Death and in all points to deny him to be a Saviour For whosoever seeketh any part of his Salvation at any Creature either in Heaven or in Earth except only at the hand of Christ he hath utterly forsaken the Lord Jesu and his saving health Far therefore be it from so holy an Apostle to attempt such wickedness And whereas the Papists make him an Intercessor unto God I know not for what trifles we shall understand that we are not taught by any part or parcel of the holy Scripture that the Saints departed do make any intercession for us that live in this World Neither is it probable by the Word of God that they either pray for us or that they hear our prayers as the Prophet Isaiah saith Thou art our Father For Abraham knoweth us not neither is Israel acquainted with us But thou Lord art our Father and Redeemer and thy name is everlasting When we will obtain any thing at the hand of God St. John setteth not forth himself nor any of his fellow Apostles no nor yet the Virgin Mary to be our Mediator Advocate or Intercessor unto
God the Father but he appointeth Jesus Christ who for his dignity and Righteousness is found alone worthy to offer up our prayers before the Throne of Gods Majesty He alone is our Mediator He alone is our Advocate He alone is our Intercessor as the holy Scripture abundantly testifieth Whatsoever we ask of God the Father in the name of this our Mediator Advocate and Intercessor so that it be agreeable to the will of God we may be sure to obtain it as that self truth testifieth saying Verily verily I say unto you Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name he shall give it you Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full After divers other vain words which I gladly pass over the Popish Sanctifier concludeth with these words And the blessing of God Almighty ✚ the Father and ✚ the Son and ✚ the Holy Ghost descend and come down upon this Creature of Wine that it may be to so many as take of it a remedy against all peril of Body and Soul and a foretasting to Everlasting Life Amen What an wholsom Conclusion this is who seeth not But what care the Papists what they say so that it may advance their own idle inventions although it obscure the Glory of God and Merits of Christs death never so greatly The defence both of Body and Soul against all evil cometh from God alone and not from an hallowed Cup of Wine The Lord saith David is my stony rock and my defence my Saviour my God and my might in whom I will trust my Buckler the horn also of my Salvation and my refuge I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised so shall I be safe from mine Enemies c. And as touching Everlasting Life we have before heard that it is the free gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord. To have a foretasting of this Everlasting Life there is no other way but by Faith only as it is written He that believeth on the Son hath Everlasting Life but he that believeth not on the Son shall not see Life but the wrath of God abideth upon him The hallowing of Cheese and Butter IN the Benediction of Cheese and Butter the Sanctifier useth these words Vouchsafe O Lord God Almighty ✚ to bless and ✚ sanctifie these Creatures Cheese and Butter which thou hast vouchsafed to bring out of the fat of Beasts and grant we beseech thee that so many of thy faithful People as shall eat thereof may be replenished with all Heavenly benediction and with the holiness of thy Grace At the beginning God blessed all his Creatures and beholding them he saw that they were wonderfully good This his blessing abideth still upon his Creatures so firm and constant that they need no mans blessing much less a Papists And these things which he hath prepared to be received of the faithful with thanksgiving he hath already so sanctified and made pure by his Word that they have no need of a new sanctification Notwithstanding the Papists after their old manner go forth to abuse the good Creatures of God and to think those unclean which God hath purified and therefore they new bless and sanctifie them Moreover they desire of God that so many as eat of this their hallowed Cheese and Butter may be filled with all Heavenly blessing and with the holiness of Gods grace Great must the virtue of this hallowed Cheese and Butter be seeing it bringeth to the Eaters thereof abundance of all Heavenly blessing and the holiness of Gods grace But the Papists may ask these things twice of God before they obtain them once All Heavenly blessing and the grace of God comes not by eating sanctified Cheese and Butter but they be freely given of God to the faithful for his Son Jesus Christs sake as is above said The hallowing of new baken Bread that lately came out of the Oven IN hallowing the new baken Bread the Papists use these words O Lord holy Father Almighty everlasting God vouchsafe ✚ to bless this Bread with thy holy and Spiritual benediction that it may be to all men health of mind and Body and a defence against all Diseases and against all the crafty assaults of their Enemies As in all other his benedictions so likewise in this the sacrificing Papist beggeth of God that he will vouchsafe to bless the new Bread yea and that unto this end that it may be unto all men he meaneth so many as shall eat of it health of mind and Body and a defence against all Diseases and against all the crafty assaults of their Enemies Here the Papist layeth on load and beggeth much because he may seem to obtain somewhat But if this his request were granted of God as it is most certainly denied then should we neither have need of the Corporal Physician for the health of the Body nor yet of the Spiritual Physician that is to say Christ for the Salvation of the Soul For both these things are gotten by eating this new sanctified Bread But how false and slight Merchandize these false Merchants bring forth and utter to the simple Idiots and unlearned People the learned know For as touching the health of the body who knoweth not that although the sick Person have his gorge crammed full of this hallowed new baken Bread yet is he never the nearer to health but remaineth still sick and diseased And as touching the health and salvation of the Soul to whom is it unknown that Christ alone is the Author thereof Thou shalt call his name said the Angel to Joseph Jesus that is to say a Saviour For he shall save his People from their sins Likewise saith St. Peter There is Salvation in none other Neither is there any other name given to men under Heaven wherein they must be saved And our Saviour Christ himself saith by the Prophet I am the Lord there is no Saviour besides me A God that saveth there is none but I alone Vain therefore is the salvation that is looked for through Popish Ceremonies And cursed is he that maketh flesh his arm and suffereth his heart to depart and go away from the Lord. For the Lord shall destroy all them that run a whore-hunting from God after vile and strange Idols which are nothing else than the idle inventions of idle and wicked men Again As concerning defence against all Diseases and against all the crafty assaults of our Enemies either corporal or spiritual we are well assured that it cometh only from God He only with his mighty hand and outstretched arm defendeth his People from all evils both bodily and ghostly And as he defendeth us from all sicknesses diseases and all other misfortunes so likewise doth he only preserve and keep us from all such as go about to molest and trouble us either in body or in soul So far is it off that these benefits come unto us from a piece of new baken Bread sanctified by a Popish Priest
Life Verily if this Doctrine were true it were a very easie thing to enter into Heaven We should not need to Pray nor Fast nor give Alms nor to do any other good work but only to eat and drink and to be merry according to the old saying Dum sumus in mundo vivamus corde jucundo But our Saviour Christ teaches us far otherwise saying Enter in at the strait Gate for wide is the Gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat But strait is the Gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto Life and few there be that find it The Apostle saith That by many tribulations we must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Of merits and deserts we have before spoken And as touching Everlasting life we are taught by the holy Apostle that it is the free gift of God through Jesus Christ our Lord to whom be glory for ever The hallowing of the Font. THe hallowing of the Font solemnly is used in the Popish Churches twice in the Year that is to say on Easter-Even and Whitsunday-Even At other times secretly if necessity requireth they use also to have it but not with so great solemnity and pomp Now that this matter may be done formally it is appointed that at both these times the Priest shall furnish himself after the best manner put on his Surplice his Stole and his Cope He must also have one with him that shall bear the Tar-box otherwise called the Chrismatory wrapped in a Towel another to carry the Censer a third to bear the Ship and two more to carry the two Candlesticks burning to light him that he stumble not by the way besides the whole Quire All these being set in a most seemly order they take their Journey out of the Chancel unto the Font merrily singing the Kyrie and calling upon a number of Saints as Angels and Archangels Patriarches and Prophets Apostles and Evangelists Martyrs Widows and Virgins with all the company both of he Saints and she Saints with Omnes Sancti orate pro nobis desiring them to take so much pains for them as to pray for them When they have once done with the Saints they return unto God and desire him to be favourable unto them and to grant them their Petitions which be divers and many Among all that he will vouchsafe to keep the Apostolick Lord that is to say the Pope and all the Ecclesiastical Degree in holy Religion They pray also for the Bishop of the Diocess But as touching either King or Queen they are past over with silence These things dispatched out of the way with a Pater noster and a Credo the Priest falleth in hand with the consecration or hallowing of the Mass and desireth God to command that all unclean Spirits may depart out of that Water and that all the wickedness of the Devils deceit may stand far off c. That it may be an holy and an innocent Creature free from all invasion of the Enemy and purged through the departure of all wickedness Again That it be a living Fountain a Water that regenerateth and begetteth a-new purifying Water c. And while he is singing these things it is appointed in the Book that besides divers others to the number of six he make two solemn Crosses in that Water with his right hand dividing the water in the manner of a Cross After these things he speaketh to the Water on this manner Wherefore I bless ✚ thee thou Creature of Water by ✚ the living God by ✚ the true God by ✚ the holy God who at the beginning separated thee from the dry Land whose Spirit moveth upon thee which commanded thee to flow out of Paradise and in four Flouds to water the whole Earth c. Here must the Priest make the third Cross in the Water after the manner before appointed Then goeth he forth again to speak to the Water on this wise I ✚ bless thee by Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who in Cana of Galilee by his wonderful power turned thee into Wine who walked on foot upon thee and was baptized in thee of John in Jordan Who brought thee forth out of his side with Blood also and commanded his Disciples that they that believe should be baptized in thee saying Go teach all Nations Baptizing them in the name of ✚ the Father and of ✚ the Son and of ✚ the Holy Ghost Here must the Priest cease his singing and read these words O Almighty God be thou mercifully present with us that keep these Commandments Lovingly breath Here must the Priest breath into the Font three times in the manner of a Cross Bless thou ✚ these simple waters with thy mouth that besides the natural cleansing which they may shew in washing the bodies they may also be of strength to purifie the minds Here the Priest is commanded to take the burning Candle and to drop of it into the Font after the manner of a ✚ and holding the Candle still in the Font to sing with a lusty and couragious voice on this manner O let the virtue of the Holy Ghost descend and come down into this fulness of the Fountain and make all the substance of this Water fruitful with the effect and power of regenerating or begetting a-new Here must the Priest divide the Water with the Candle and afterwards pluck it out and give it again to the Minister After these things he must breath thrice into the Font and so after a few words he maketh an end of singing When he hath once done the Consecration and Blessing of the Font he is commanded to put Oyl into the Water making a ✚ of the Oyl with the Bullion which is in the Vessel of the Oyl otherwise call'd the Chrifmatory saying on this manner The commixtion or mingling together of the Oyntment of Oyl and of the Water of Baptism In the Name of ✚ the Father and of ✚ the Son and of ✚ the holy Ghost This thing being dispatched out of the way the Priest must put Cream into the Font making a cross of the Cream with the Bullion that is in the Vessel of Cream and say This Font be made fruitful and sanctified with this healthful Cream to all that be born a new of it In the Name of ✚ the Father and of ✚ the Son and of ✚ the holy Ghost These things thus finished the Priest with all his Trinkets and Complices must return into the Quire merrily singing Rex Sanctorum c. Then also for joy and glee must all the Bells be rung that are either in the Steeple Church or Chancel And thus endeth the sanctifying and hallowing of the Font according to the Pope's appointment Here hath been much ado about a thing of nothing I mean about the Consecration of the Font. But what needeth all this reckoning To what end hath the Popish Priest been so busie with his Exorcisms and Conjurations with his
Sanctifications and Consecrations with his Blessings and Crossings with his Gapings and Breathings with his Oylings and Creamings To make the Water more holy But who can make the Water more holy than God himself hath already made it To make the Sacrament of the more efficacy virtue and strength But Christ instituting the holy Mystery of Baptism maketh no mention of all these trifling Ceremonies which without all doubt he would have done if he had thought them necessary for the due administration of Baptism When John Baptist baptised in the Wilderness he used simple and natural Water without blessing or crossing So likewise did the Apostles of Christ as Philip when he baptised the Eunuch and others Many years also after Christ's ascension the holy Fathers of Christ's Church baptised with Water simply without any addition of such Consecrations and Blessings The more simple and the nearer to Christ's Institution their Administration of the Sacrament was the better was it allowed of all true Christians They knew not this pomp this pride this magnificence and this solemnity that is now used in Popish Churches The Devil and the Pope that Antichrist of Rome invented all those trifles and thrust them into the Church of Christ unto the great obscuring and utter defacing of the purity of Christ's holy and blessed Mysteries And notwithstanding into such ignorance and blindness are both the Priests and People come through the wicked traditions of men that if any of the least of these frivolous Ceremonies be left out they think the Baptism to be nothing worth and the Children not to be christned O lamentable blindness But let all true Christians persuade themselves that pure and simple Water coupled with the Word maketh the Sacrament of Baptism sufficient and perfect as St. Austin saith The Word is joyned to the Element and thereof is made a Sacrament As touching the Consecrations Blessings Crossings Gapings Breathings Oylings Creamings Perfumings and such other trifling Ceremonies they are the drousie dreams and foolish fancies of Hypocrites and therefore not to be regarded nor frequented but rather to be neglected and omitted as things nothing appertaining unto the substance and matter of Baptism But let us consider certain things used of the Papists in the Consecration of their Font. First the Priest desireth God to command that all unclean Spirits may depart out of that Water and that all the wickedness of the Devils deceit may stand far off c. There is no Creature that ever God made be it never so pure and clean but if it come once into the hands of these sacrificing Papists it is straight-ways not only unpure and unclean but also full of Devils and wicked Spirits When notwithstanding God at the beginning pronounced the Water as all his other Creatures to be very good and no evil in them yea the Lord our God so esteemeth this Creature of Water that by it he hath not only wrought many wonderful Miracles but also in his holy Scriptures compareth his holy and blessed Spirit to this Element of Water One also of the principal and chief Mysteries which he hath left to his holy Congregation for their comfort and to express therein his singular good will toward them is set forth in Water as an Element most apt to set forth our Regeneration and New Birth in Christ But the Papists as we have before heard find fault not only with the Water but with Salt Bread Wax Fire and what not But this their doing is well known to be nothing else than plain jugling St. John Baptist knew no Devil nor evil Spirit in the Water when he baptized in the Wilderness Christ's Apostles judged the Water pure and clean and the good Creature of God when they baptized Philip baptizing the Eunuch used the Water that was next at hand If Christ had known the Devil to be in the Element of Water he would never have made it a Sacrament of Regeneration St. Paul doth so greatly esteem this Mystery of Baptism which partly consists of Water and partly of the Word that he calleth it the Fountain of the new Birth and renewing of the holy Ghost And in his Epistle to the Ephesians he hath these words Christ loved the Congregation and gave himself for it to sanctifie it and cleansed it in the Fountain of Water through the Word to make it unto himself a glorious Congregation without spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame Doth not our Saviour Christ say plainly That except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God If Devils or wicked Spirits had been in the Water as the Papists dream the holy Ghost would never have beautified this Element of Water with such praises and commendations in the holy Scriptures And who knoweth not that of all the four Elements none is more necessary than Water neither have we any in more use God give us grace to use this and all other Creatures unto his glory with thanksgiving Amen Now let us see to what end the Papists would have the Devil and all wicked Spirits driven out of the Water It is forsooth that it may be an holy and an innocent Creature free from all invasion of the Enemy and purged from all wickedness And that it be a living Fountain a Water that regenerateth and begetteth a-new a purifying Water c. The Creature of Water is already Holy sanctified of him who is Holiness it self and therefore hath no need of the Popish sanctifications and hallowings It is also of it self innocent and harmless created of God for the use and commodity both of Man and Beast as all other Creatures of God are If at any time we be plagued either with Water or Fire or with any other Creature of God the fault is not in those good and innocent Creatures of God but in our selves who through our manifold wickedness provoke God unto anger as we may see in the Histories of the Flood and of the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah c. Whereas they desire of God that it may be a living Fountain a Water that regenerateth and begetteth a-new c. we grant that Baptism is an holy Sacrament but that the outward Water giveth life begetteth a-new and purifieth the heart we utterly deny It being not in the power of a lifeless Element to do this It is the work of the Holy Ghost alone as our Saviour saith It is the Spirit that quickeneth and maketh alive When Christ talked with Nicodemus of our regeneration and new birth he made mention not only of Water but of the Spirit also to declare that the chief worker of our regeneration and new birth is the Holy Ghost without whose Grace and secret Inspiration the outward washing profiteth nothing Judas Iscariot Simon Magus Ananias and Saphira with divers others were Baptized with the outward Baptism of Water and yet are they now damned Souls in Hell Fire
They had the Water but they had not the Spirit Their Bodies were outwardly washed but their Souls were not cleansed by the Holy Ghost their hypocrisie so deserving Now if the Water of Baptism by it self were of such virtue and power that it could give life purifie and beget a-new then should all false Christians and Hypocrites become the Children of God and Heirs to Everlasting Glory But it is truly said of St. Paul They that are led with the Spirit of God are the Sons of God If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Though the blessed Apostle calleth Baptism the Fountain of the new birth yet he immediately addeth the renewing of the Holy Ghost declaring hereby That although Baptism be the Fountain of the new birth that so many as be washed with that Water have put off Adam and be born a-new in Christ yet that our renovation cometh by the Holy Ghost He alone quickneth and maketh us alive in Christ Jesus He alone regenerateth and begetteth us a-new Without this outward washing many have been and are daily saved but without the inward washing of the Holy Ghost no man can be saved As St. Paul saith If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Not to the Water therefore ought the Papists to attribute the virtue and power of making alive in Christ of regenerating purifying c. but to the Holy Ghost whose Office alone it is to work all these good things in the hearts of Gods Elect and chosen People Moreover Whereas the Priest turneth him to the Water and saith I bless thee thou Creature of Water by the living God by the true God by the holy God c. Yea I bless thee by Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord c. Who seeth not his madness Will any man count him sober or in his right mind that shall speak to a thing without life This do the Popish Priests in the presence of God his blessed Angels and of his holy Congregation If this stuff had been spoken in a known tongue as it was uttered in a strange Language the People many years ago would have hissed those Antichristian Sacrificers out of their Temples and not have suffered themselves to be deluded and mocked by them But what needeth this Popish Priest to bless the Water by the living God by the true God by the holy God and by Jesus Christ the Son of God seeing that the blessed Trinity so many hundred years past hath already sufficiently and abundantly blessed the Waters O the vain dreams of men After these things the Priest in a Prayer whispered out by him desireth God to bless those Waters with his mouth Verily this is a new kind of blessing as blessing is commonly taken among us Men use and the Papists themselves also use to bless with their fingers and not with their mouth When the simple People see a Bishop riding gorgeously upon his Mule more like to Simon Magus than to Simon Peter they use to cry out My Lord your blessing My Lord your blessing for St. Charity thinking to receive some great benefit by that means both to their Body and Soul when notwithstanding in my Countrey the Bishops blessing would not go for Horse meat Doth the Bishop gape upon them or rather doth he lift up his hand and so bless them But wherefore would the Priest have God to bless those Waters Verily that besides the natural cleansing which they shew in washing the Bodies they may also be of strength to purifie the Minds That the natural property of Water is to cleanse the Body and all outward things no man that hath reason will deny But that Water although never so much Consecrated Sanctified and Blessed purifieth the mind Soul Spirit or inward Man neither reason nor Scripture doth allow For what is it to purifie the mind but to forgive sins to give the Holy Ghost to engraff new and spiritual motions to alter the whole man and to be cloathed with Holiness Righteousness and Truth This is not the work of any man in Earth nor yet of any Angel in Heaven much less of a Creature that is without all sense and feeling If the Water sanctified by Man purifieth the mind much more should the Man that sanctifieth the Water do the same But Man doeth it not neither is it done by the Water It is God alone by his holy Spirit that purifieth the mind and searcheth the reins and hearts Man is the Minister Water the thing ministred but God is he that worketh all as the Apostle saith Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giveth the encrease Therefore neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing worth but God which giveth the increase It is truly said of St. Cyprian Whether Judas or Paul Baptizeth Christ washeth and putteth away the sin St. Ambrose saith To forgive sins in Baptism and to give the Holy Ghost is the Office of God alone If therefore God giveth the effect of health there is no glory of man in this behalf For we know that the Holy Ghost is given of God without imposition or laying on of hands and that he who was not Baptized obtained remission of sins Hereto agreeth the saying of St. Austin As concerning the visible Ministery both good and bad do Baptize but he doth inwardly Baptize by them whose both the visible Baptism and invisible grace is Therefore both good and bad may Baptize but none can wash and purifie the Conscience but he only who is always good Hence it follows that the Papists teach false Doctrine when they hold that the Sacraments give grace purifie the mind wash the Conscience and change the whole man Indeed the Sacraments represent and preach these things to the outward man but it is God alone that giveth these things by his holy Spirit that he which rejoyceth might rejoyce in the Lord. Now as touching the foolish Ceremonies which the Popish Priest useth in the Consecration of the Font as making Crosses dropping Candle into the Font dividing the Water with Candle putting Oyl and Cream into the Water breathing into the Font and such like beggerly Trifles they are more worthy to be derided than confuted being indeed nothing else than childish Plays and apish Toys Thus much concerning the Popish consecrations of the Font. Of hallowing the Marrying-Ring FOr hallowing the Womans Ring at her Wedding this Prayer following is appointed to be said of the Priest Thou maker and Conserver of mankind Giver of Spiritual grace Granter of Eternal Salvation Lord send ✚ thy blessing upon this Ring that she which shall wear it may be armed with the virtue of Heavenly defence and that it may profit her to Eternal Salvation Another Prayer Hallow thou ✚ Lord this Ring which we bless ✚ in thy holy name that what Woman soever shall wear it may stand fast in thy Peace and continue in thy Will and live and grow and wax old in