for our sinnes 1. Ioan. 4. Thus doth the spirite of God lay forth that loue before vs in which lyeth our life Of this loue S. Paule hauing a right good taste wryteth Gal. 2. I liue sayth he by the faith of the sonne of God who loued me and hath giuen him selfe for me In this loue which Christ Iesus beareth to vs is the very life of the faithfull and therfore to it they must they do looke As we reade Apoca. 1. vnto him that loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood made vs kinges priestes vnto God his father vnto him be glory dominion for euermore Thus are we taught to taste the loue wherewith Iesus Christ hath loued vs our selues howsoeuer either he loued his mother or she loued him In the thirteenth petition he hath put in this patche Make me patiently to suffer iniuries and rebukes in recompense of my disobedient hart to thee To suffer iniuries and rebukes for Christes sake patiently and for well doinge is a blessednes And can not this suffice Maister Fowler but he must also make his patience a recompense to God for the disobedience of his hart Of this his conceipte of recompencing God for sinne I haue spoken before and the lesse shall I neede to speake of it now because M. Fowler him selfe also euen in this same petition belike misdouting his owne recompencinge of God for his own sinnes doth flee to the recompence which the Lorde Iesus hath made for vs and sayeth Let thine obedience recompence for my obstinacy thine abstinence for my superfluity thy meekenes and thy patience for my pride irefull hart enmity thy charity for my malice thy deuotion for my dulnes thy louinge hart for my vnkindnes thy holy death for my wretched life for all my misery These are the words of M. Fowler in this same thirteenth petition in which he doth require the Lord Iesus to make the recompence for all his sinnes and misery And what is it then wherefore he woulde him selfe make recompence by his patience He sayeth for his disobedient hart But for this he prayeth the Lord Iesus to make recompence He seemeth in these wordes not to trust to the value of recompencing by his owne patience but prayeth that the pacience of the Lord Iesus may be a recompence for his owne pride irefull hart and enmity You see nowe once againe how contrary M. Fowler is to himselfe in this petition what a iarre this contrariety doth make in this his Psalter In deede the recompence which he woulde him selfe make by his patience for the disobedience of his own hart is farre out of tune and soundeth vnsauerily in the vnderstandinge of any true christian But this recompence which he findeth that Iesus hathe made for his elect is a sweete sauour of life to the soules of true christians agreeth with the saying of the Prophet Isai 53. He set or made his life for a sacrifice of sinne This recompence which Iesus Christ hathe made that which M. Fowler would himself make can not be coupled together For Iesus alone and only made the iust and full recompence for the sinnes of all them whiche are to be saued In the last that is in the fifteenth petition M. Fowler addeth This inuocation and Psalter of thee by the mediation of thy most entirely beloued mother purchase to me gratious life blessed ending free from debte and deadly sinne I beseech thee and after my bodily death euerlasting life with endlesse blisse and felicity M. Fowler must first proue that this is the Psalter of Iesus before he can thus call and commend it or attribute such force vnto it as he doth And lette the reader marke how M. Fowler him selfe as it were doubting of the value vertue or force of this his Psalter ioyneth to it as a poore help to helpe it forwarde the mediation of the blessed virgin Mary For he woulde haue his Psalter to be of valure to purchase for him by the mediation of the blessed virgin Mary Of her mediation we knowe nothinge as I haue said before we do trust only to the mediatiō of her most gracious sonne our good Lorde Iesus who is the one so the only Mediator betwene God and man For we are taught by S. Paul that there is one God and one Mediator betwene God man euen the man Christ Iesus But M Fowler like a slouēlike apoticary mingleth this his Psalter the mediation of the virgin Mary both together to the ende belike that if the one failed the other might serue the turne And he prayeth that this his medly may purchase first gracious life This tearme gracious which he vseth teacheth vs whatsoeuer he meaneth by gracious life that it is the worke of Gods free grace and therefore commeth not by purchase either of this Psalter or of the mediation of the virgin Mary He addeth that by this mingle he would purchase blessed endinge free from debte and deadely sinne Touchinge the payment of his debtes it may be that M. Fowler thinketh to prouide some poore helpe by printing of this Psalter and that the good vent thereof may be a great helpe to him if he be in debte But it is harde dealing to get the money of true men for false ware It is more hard to lay such snares of deceit to intrappe the simple soules of Christians as M. Fowler doth for getting of money to paye his debtes Whatsoeuer M. Fowler dreameth of payment of his debtes we knowe the payment and satisfaction for al our sinnes is the price which Iesus Christ payed in his most pretious bitter and bloody death suffred on the crosse for vs That onely maketh vs free other freedom purchased either by this Psalter or by the mediation of the Virgin Mary or any other way which M. Fowler and his fellowes can deuise we know none we wil none We doe by Gods grace knowe that freedome into which we are called by Iesus Christ who as he onely coulde so he hath most gratiously made vs free In that fredom by his grace we doe and shall stand By this mingle M. Fowler would purchase also life euerlasting He thinketh but simply and basely of life euerlasting which doth thinke that it may be purchased by such a filthy fiddle as is this Psalter or by such a mingle mangle as Fowler maketh But we haue learned and doe beleue that life euerlasting is as I sayd before the gifte of God thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde It is his gifte it is not by this Psalter nor by the mediation of the Virgin Mary to be purchased We doe giue vnto God the glorie and prayse due of and for the gifte of life euerlastinge by Iesus Christ We will not seeke it by any other meanes nor goe about to purchase that our selues which is thus gratiously and freely giuen vnto vs Thus endeth this Psalter sayth Maister Fowler and yet he addeth an admonition a poynt of
or can be And though our good God hetherto hath of his most gratious goodnes disappointed them of all their purposes blessed be his name for it yet they do still biggly breath foorth blood and slaughters and cease not For euen at this day they do by libells and letters threatten our ruine and blowe foorth their owne triumphe And herein they are so forewarde that they do name the persons which shal be they saye their captaines They assigne the time in which they shall reigne ouer vs they shall florishe we shall smoake or else their kalender fayleth them yea they do note the men almost by name whom they haue appointed to the slaughter and thus they do blowe vp the trumpette of their triumphe but before the victory thankes be to god Surely we do not feare them at all but we do feare God whose iust wrath we do prouoke by our vnholy handling of his most holy Gospel This this is it that doth most feare vs for by this we know that we do deserue that he shoulde once againe scourge vs with the whippes of these Popish Philistines But we do pray him that he will haue mercy on vs euen for his owne goodnes sake For he is kinde mercyfull and slowe to wrath yea he sayth of him selfe Isai 27. Anger is not in me May it please him therefore to giue vs the grace to be at peace at one with him we care not then though all the Papistes in the worlde and all the Deuills in hell do sette them selues against vs Whilest they fume freatte at vs we learne to beleeue that goodnes of the Lord which for our comfort he doth laye foorth Isai 48. where he sayth For my names sake I will differ my wrath for my praise I wil restraine it from thee that I cutte thee not of for mine owne sake will I do it And we humbly pray as they did Ier. 14. VVe acknowledge o Lorde our wickednes and the iniquities of our fathers for we haue sinned against thee Doe not abhorre vs for thy names sake cast not downe the throne of thy glory remember and breake not thy couenaunt with vs. And to this also we trust that he will haue an eye now as euer he hath had to his enemies and cutte them shorte of their purpose according to his owne good pleasure that they do not triumphe ouer him so we know that God as he is able so he wil deale against them for vs. He doth bid vs not to feare man whose breath is in his nostrells For wherein is he to be esteemed He biddeth vs not to feare them which can but kill the body but to feare him who when he hath killed the bodie hath power to cast the soule into euerlasting fire Notwithstanding all the bigge braue bragges which Papists make it seemeth that all thinges as yet do not come about to serue the turne so roundly as they woulde and therefore in the meane time they do content them selues to take a lower course and will by cullor of prayer creepe into our bosomes But the Apostle sayeth that the deuill can turne him selfe into the fashion of an Angell of lighte And therefore it is no great thinge though his ministers transforme them selues as though they were the ministers of righteousnes but their ende shal be according to their workes By libells at Oxford and bulls from Rome they breath out the furye of their conceaued malice and sodenly they chaunge their mode into their kind of prayer They do now herein as their kinge the Pope hath done hertofore against vs The last Pope Pius thundred out a bull of his currish censure against our good Queene Elizabeth to turne her out of her royall state and life and after that he sent into England closely a messenger whose name as Doctor Saunders telleth vs is Nicolas Morton by office a priest a meete officer for such a Pope purpose This man was sente to follow that Popish bull and he did it so freashly that thereon did follow a rebellion in the North partes of this lande But God almightie quenched this fire in his most riche mercy The rebells ranne their country Pope Pius by death is picked ouer the pearche Our Queene Elizabeth doth still holde her place thankes be to God reigneth in Godly quietnes O Lord graunt that she may longe so do Pope Gregorie that now is seeing this roughe attempt of his predecessor haue so euil succes chaungeth the course of his Popishe proceading and hath nowe sente by his suppostes certain bulls into England in which he promiseth full remission of sinnes to them which after that dissembled deuotion which he putteth downe shal pray for the conuersion of Englande he sayeth to the Catholicke fayth but he doeth meane the peruertion of Englande from the true Christian faith into that filthe and falsehoode of the Romish error Thus the Popes are cōtēt to fall from armes fighting and cursing to faire promises flattery and praying But I trust English men for whose pleasure the Pope wil seeme to haue brought foorth this bull haue learned more wisedome in the Gospell of God then now to be made calues by such a Popish bull In like manner our Louanistes hauing spente as it seemeth the greatest parte of their common shotte at vs but in vaine thankes be to God beginne to allure vs to like of them by teaching vs to praye But we haue already learned to praye of the best schoolemaister that euer was is or shal be euen of our Lord Iesus Christ And therefore we haue no eare to hearken to these Popish bunglers and corrupters of holy thinges They haue to this ende published in prince of late a thing which they call Iesus Psalter and the author thereof or Master Fowler the printer therof doth tell vs That there be three manner of Psalters the first is called Dauids Psalter which containeth thrise fifty Psalmes the second sayth he is called the Psalter of our Lady cōteining thrise fiftie Aues the third is called the Psalter of Iesu or the inuocatiō of Iesus conteining fiftene principall petitions which tenne times repeated make also thrise fiftie What meane these men so farre to forgette them selues that they do now commend to the Reader but these three manner of Psalters Their forefathers haue ben more liberall to vs as shall forthwith appeare The Psalter of Dauid conteyning 150. Psalmes we do acknowledge to be deliuered to vs by the spirite of God for our comforte and instruction For Christ Iesus himselfe teacheth vs that Dauid in his Psalmes doth speake inspired by the holy Ghost And therfore with all humblenes of harte and reuerēce we do receaue the same as a booke of holy Scripture deliuered to vs as other bookes of the holy Scripture are euen by God him selfe We do not receaue it as a Psalter giuen to vs by the Papistes For it is no Psalter of theirs although it pleaseth them nowe in
Iesu did Iesus Christ euer giue them commission thus to vse his name or did he euer make this psalter Lette them shew this by the holy Scriptures If he did not then lette them tell vs if any of his Apostles or disciples did make this psalter or did deliuer this psalter to vs and did tell vs on their creadite that it was the psalter of Iesus If neither Christ Iesus him selfe nor any of his Apostles nor disciples did deliuer this psalter to vs from whom then did it come who did make it who can assure vs that it is as they saye the psalter of Iesu Who was so bolde with the name of the Lord Iesus to put it to this psalter as though it were made by Iesus We know that there haue ben some olde deceauers which haue published their owne forgeries in the name of Iesus as there haue bene also manye double dealers which haue foysted out their falshoodes vnder the name of good men which haue bene of greate creadite in the Church of god Surely our Papistes coulde not haue picked out a more glorious name then is this name of Iesu vnder which they mighte haue sette foorth this their new founde psalter But this to do is to the authors thereof a thing most daungerous For it maketh them guiltie of taking the glorious name of Iesus in vaine and sheweth that they haue no deutifull regarde of the glory due to the Lord Iesus and to his most glorious name S. Paule intreating Philip. 2. how the Lorde of glorie Iesus Christ did for our sake humble him selfe and became obediente to the death euen the death of the crosse sayth also that now God hath highly exalted him and giuen him a name aboue euery name that at the name of Iesu euery knee shoulde bowe of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth and thinges vnder the earth and that euery tonge shoulde confes that Iesus Christ is the Lorde vnto the glorie of God the father Thus doth the holy Apostle teach that God hath giuen to Iesus a name a dignitie and power aboue all names dignities and powers For all power in heauen and earth is giuen vnto him He is so aboue all that they all must bowe the knee at the name of Iesus which as Hierom sayth Non ad genua corporis sed ad subiectionem mentis inclinationem animae cordisque obsequium pertinet doth not pertaine to the bowinge of the knee of the bodie but it pertaineth to the subiection of the mind the bowinge of the soule and obedience of the harte for all must obey him and be subiect to Iesus to the will maiestie power of Iesus Christ Sithence this glorie is due and to be giuen to our Lorde Iesus and to his glorious name howe dare Papistes be thus bolde to vse and abuse it to filthie sectes of their owne setting foorth to brotherhoodes to pardons feastes Masses mattens psalters such like thinges as they deuise them selues vnder that most holy name to gette creadite to their falshoodes and sale to their marchaundise Now we Christians do know by the doings and preachings of Iesus which are sette foorth vnto vs by the most true witnesses of him that is by his holy Apostles and disciples we do by their witnes perceaue that Iesus made no such brotherhoodes feastes Masses mattens howres Euensonges pardons no such psalters for if he had they woulde haue made some mention of them Yea and by the comparing of that which they did truely write of Iesu with these forgeries of Papistes we see the contrariety betwene them so greate that their first most auncient and true writinge doth sufficiently condemne these popish nouelties and this new psalter as a noueltie of falshoode and errour I call it a noueltie as it is If Papistes will disproue me then lette them show what Apostle what auncient apostolique man what approued auncient catholique doctor what auncient generall councell hath commended vnto vs this psalter as the Psalter of Iesu If any shewe vs but if none then is it a noueltie deuised either by that secte of Iesuites or els it may be that Fowler now wanting worke to occupie his presse for his olde maisters which were wont to sette him on worke haue spente their stoare and do not occupie him so freashely as they haue done and him selfe desireth hath deuised with some of his brethren how to make this psalter and so it maye be called Fowlers psalter but not the psalter of Iesus He doth adorne his worke with this braue title Certaine deuoute and Godly petitions commonly called Iesus psalter What deuotion and godlynes is in them shall hereafter appeare But lette M. Fowler tell vs when did this common callinge beginne I saye when did it beginne and among whom It must haue a large compasse that is common Is it ynough to make it common because now the Papistes doe call it common or because M. Fowler doth by his printe call it common Truely this is but a straighte narrow and shorte common but euen such a common is this as is their catholicisme In this their psalter they do as truely name common as they do in the rest of their religion name Catholique for there is no truth in either of thē Neither is this psalter so commonly called nor their religion Catholique but onely so called by them selues It seemeth also that the worke of this psalter did fall out shorter then M. Fowler thought it would and therefore he hath filled vp aboue three score leaues of his booke as in one of his copies is to be seene though it be lefte out in the lesser booke with a certaine new deuised Imagerie so the sithence wordes fayled him he might yet fill vp his booke with some thing to feede the eyes of his simple reader that is with a new stampe of Imagerie This his workemanshippe of Imagerie he doth adorne with this title Godly contemplations for the vnlearned He doth also for confirmation of this his worke adde a sentence out of Basill which he turneth into English meeter yet cannot this his whole worke of Imagerie be warranted by that sentence of Basill For it speaketh of such Imagerie onely as is reported vnto vs by historie But there are among the images made by M. Fowler some whereof we haue no reports by historie In what historie doth he reade that the Lorde God almightie which made both heauen and earth did in the creatiō of them shew him selfe in the likenes of an aged person with a crowne vpon his heade It was wont to be among popish painters a triple Popelike crowne but with M. Fovvler it is nowe but a single crowne not so much as a close crowne such as kinges monarches do weare but euen such a one as it pleaseth M. Fowler to put vpon his head Who taught M. Fowler to be thus bold with the Lorde God to make such a base and earthlie image of his glorious and heauenlie Maiesty Let vs looke
for his aunswere In the meane season we will be so bolde with M. Fowler his fellowe helpers to aske of them the same question which is asked in the prophecy of Isay 40 To whome will yee liken God or what similitude will yee set vp vnto him And againe to whom wil yee liken me that I should be like vnto him sayth the holy one Aunswere M. Fowler aunswere to these questions and lette vs heare how you can defende this your bold doing and this your likening of the immortall God to a mortall corruptible man Let him shewe vs also in what history he findeth that there was before Christ on the top of the mountaine on which he praied a Chalice with a litle round host or cake in it holden as he doth graue it in the hand of an Angell And where did he reade that Christ Iesus did descende into hell corporally with a long staffe in his hande hauing a crosse and a banner cloth in the top of it did there drawe soules by the handes out of hell by a payre of stayres at a great gate of hewen stone as his imagery sheweth let not M. Fowler now cauill say that I do deny an article of our christian faith For I doe firmely beleue that Article he descended into hell but I do not beleue that this image which M. Fowler hath graued doth truely set foorth the trueth of the descending of Christ into hell Let M. Fowler therefore shewe by what true historie he can proue this his image and all the partes therof Likewise let him shewe vs what historie it is that reporteth vnto vs the trueth of that his image in which he graueth howe the virgine Mary was personally or bodily assumpted into heauen by the handes of Angells a great cōpany of people kneeling by worshipping And last of all let him tel vs in what history he findeth the reporte of the next followinge image That is how the virgine Mary beinge in heauen was crowned by two men the one sittinge vppon the one side and the other man sittinge on the other side of her Let vs know what these two mē were what be their names when the solemnitie of this coronation was kept And let him also tell vs by what catholique sence this coronation is proued by that place of holie Scripture which he doth there cite Cantic 4 to vnderproppe this his image we know the place of holy Scripture but we know not where this catholike sense which M. Fowler doth gather thereon where I say the vnderstanding of that place to serue the coronation of the virgin Mary was coyned There are none of all his images but that they haue M. Fowlers approbation by coatinge some chapters of some booke of the holy bible But a number of them stande there but to fill vppe a place to make a shew of some thinge and say nothing Thus he is bolde with naminge the bookes of the holy bible to shore vp his imagerie which can not stande by them With such images which haue neither historie nor wryter of credite to reporte them it pleaseth M. Fowler for want of better matter to fill vp his booke to please and feede the eyes of his simple reader which is not done accordinge to that rule which him selfe citeth out of Basill But lette vs leaue M. Fowler with his new imagined imagery to him selfe lette me aske this Dare Fowler or any of his fellowes deuise a psalter and father the same vppon the lord Iesus as though he were the author thereof Surely this his boldenes draweth nigh to blasphemie and very nigh to the sinne against the holy Ghost for as I said before it is a plain breaking of Gods cōmaundement He taketh the name of the Lord Iesus in vaine And he also speaketh of the Lord Iesus an vntrueth against his owne conscience knowledge in calling it the psalter of Iesus as though Iesus had made it But it may be that M. Fowler will say for him selfe that he will not auow that Iesus made this Psalter or that it is the Psalter of Iesus If he will not auowe but deny his owne wordes I am content herein to take his denial thinke that it is not as he tearmeth it the Psalter of Iesus And so I may well make my selfe the more bolde to deale with this Psalter and to touche the stringes thereof to trie whether they be in tune or not Yea if it were so in dede that Fowlers meaninge is not to sette out this Psalter as though it were made by Iesus Christ why doth he call it the Psalter of Iesus I wil take mine aunswere out of his own words It is saith he the Psalter of Iesu or the Inuocation of Iesu M. Fowler seemeth to explicate this word Psalter by the following word Inuocation Then with M. Fowler the word Psalter is all one with that word which out of the Latine tongue we borrowe into our Englishe and do tearme it Inuocation which in proper english is a calling vpon so that this Psalter of Iesu is as much to say in Englishe as the callinge vppon Iesu And this may be gathered to be his meaninge because that the name of Iesu is so often repeated in his Psalter But if M. Fowler will suffer his great maister Thomas to tell vs what a Psalter is and what it doth signifie as I haue cited out of him before then can not I trowe this his interpretation of the worde Psalter stande But I am content to leaue him to trye this matter with his sayed maister him selfe The name of Iesus is glorious pretious of great power as I haue sayd and therefore none can name that name rightly but by the holy Ghost Wherof it is also that they which do rightly name the name of the Lord Iesus are taught to departe from iniquitie If the meaninge of M. Fowler be to teache his simple reader to Inuocate or to call vppon the Lord Iesus he must do that he meaneth truly by the word of God which is the onely ground worke of Inuocatiō And M. Fowler must first teach his reader to beleue truely in the Lorde Iesus before he can well inuocate or call vppon him For the Apostle teacheth Ro. 10. that men doe call on him on whom they do beleue They beleue that which they haue hearde by the worde preached if there be no worde of God hearde there is no true beliefe if there be no true beleife there is no calling vppon or to vse his tearme no Inuocation so no Psalter Nowe Maister Fowler preacheth not the worde of God nor the Gospell of Iesus to warrant vnto vs this his Psalter neither doth he in it teach vs truely to beleue in the Lorde Iesus But in this Psalter he doth teach his reader to pronounce some thinges which are contrary to the worde of God and against the trueth of Iesus as shall appeare by that handeling of this Psalter which followeth If then
knowe not but surely there is good stoare of sea water betwene these forenamed Ilandes Irelande Sicily and Iselande yet all the water which is in the sea will not quenche that purgatorie which the Pope and his kitchin clarkes haue blowen and sette on fyer to roast their meate Thus much of the beginning and growing of this purgatory haue I shortly wrytten that the reader may knowe out of what forge this purgatory is flowen of which M. Fowler maketh so often mention in his Psalter doth so bitterly pray for the soules which are in it But as I sayd before if there be no purgatory at all theÌ„ are there no soules in it nor any thinge else and will M. Fowler teache his schollers to praye to God for nothinge This purgatory hath no grounde of the worde of God We haue neither coÌ„maundement to pray nor promise to be heard if we do pray for soules in purgatory therefore we can neither doe the one nor beleue the other He then that will praye with M. Fowler for soules in purgatory prayeth without faith which is a faithlesse labor at the least though I say no more But he that wil consider rightly what a faulte it is for a man to present him selfe before the Maiesty of God to make praier to him for nothing for a forgery false thing it wil make him I trow afeard to make such straunge prayers though M. Fowler be very busie with them But nowe will I leaue this purgatory I will in this treatise touche it no more supposing that this which I haue sayd is sufficient to vnfolde the forgerie of this popishe poppet M. Fowler teacheth him which will daunce after his pype to pray That he may execute the workes of vertue whereby he may come to euerlasting ioy and felicitie To exercise vertue to the pleasing of God is a good thinge and our dewtie But if Maister Fowler doth meane to teach his Reader to do this with this minde to hope thereby to come to that is to gaine and to obtayne euerlasting ioye and felicitie this is but to labour vainely and prowdly to get that by our doing which is freely giuen to the elect by the mercie of God in Iesus Christ For life euerlasting is the gifte of God by Iesus Christ as thApostle teacheth Iesus Christ is the onely waye that true way by which that happy theefe of whome we reade Luke 23. went into Paradise Iesus is he only and alone by thorough whome euerlasting life is giuen to the beleeuers The christian reader may wel perceaue therefore wherein this petition fayleth Then followeth a petition in which he teacheth his reader to pray thus Graunt me firme purpose mercifull Iesu to amend my life to recompense for those yeares which I haue mispent to the displeasure of thee in euill thoughtes delectations c. Also in breaking thy coÌ„maundements wherby I haue deserued damnation thine enimitie To pray for amendement of life is necessary But in that which followeth M. Fowler doth fowly abuse the holy name of Iesus For to pray to Iesus to haue a firme purpose to make recompense for those sinnes whereby we haue deserued damnation is to pray for purpose to deny and forsake the saluation which we haue in Iesus For Iesus is he which doth saue his people from their sinnes And therefore he is called Iesus M. Fowler hath giuen vs as he sayth A Psalter of Iesus he semeth to make great accompt of the often repeating of the name Iesus But now he doth shew him selfe not only not to know what Iesus doth meane but to be willing to draw his reader to deny that Iesus is Iesus in deede which is to deny the Lorde that bought him We haue learned that in that redemptioÌ„ which Iesus hath wrought for his elect he onely hath made the full recompense to God by him selfe alone for all their sinnes and therefore he is their Iesus and so is most truely called Iesus Iesus did giue him selfe for vs when we could giue nothing in recompense for our selues he did giue his body to be broken his bloode to be shed for the forgiuenes of our sinnes for which we could make no recompense He did beare the paines due to vs for our sinnes and as the Prophet sayth Isai 53. he hath borne our infirmities carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vppon him with his stripes are we healed Here is the true recompense made for sinne set forth and this recompense verely did Iesus make in his owne blessed body In if he payd the price of our redemption and made that only satisâ—â—cing and fully sufficing recompense for vs wherein his owne self did beare our sinnes to his body on the tree 1. Pet. 2. by this recoÌ„pense by him made we are set free for by his wounds are we healed Sithence Fowler is not content with this recompense thus made by Iesus for vs but asketh an other let him tell me wherein that recompense which Iesus Christ hath made for vs is imperfect â–ª if it be imperfect shew wherin If it be not imperfect but most full and perfect then what meaneth M. Fowler to pray for full purpose to make any other recompeÌ„se him self for his sinnes Again I would know what it is that he or any childe of Adam can giue to God to make a recompense for his and their sinns What Iesus hath giueÌ„ we know Now let vs know what Fowler hath to giue Fowler can giue nothing verely but that which is corrupt but such thinges are not auaileable they are no recompense at all for sinnes And therefore God of his great mercy prouidinge better for vs then we coulde do for our selues hath giuen vnto vs Christ Iesus to make and to be the recompense for vs For we are not as S. Peter sayeth redeemed with corruptible thinges as siluer and golde but with the precious bloode of Christ For Iesus hath with this most precious price made full recompeÌ„ce for vs thereby hath he so fully redeemed vs that therfore he is become the author prince of our saluation our redeemer our Sauiour to him only do we giue the glory and praise of for this worke of our saluation wrought by him selfe for vs God our heauenly father hath set forth his sonne Iesus to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. It is Iesus only which did giue his life a ransome for many Our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is his life which Iesus did giue for the price raunsome and recompence of our deliuerie For Christ onely is he in whom as the Apostle saith we haue redeÌ„ption through his blood euen the forgiuenes of our sinnes Colo. 1. And Iesus alone is the reconciliation and attonement for our sinnes 1. Ioh. 2. Thus as we are taughte we doe learne of God him selfe that it is Iesus alone which doth
content our selues therefore we leaue Saincts to M. Fowler In the eight petition he putteth in this peece VVhen I offende thee smite me not with sodaine death I beseeche thee and in the fifteenth petition he prayeth likewise from sodaine death and vnforeseene Lorde preserue me What meaneth M. Fowler to aske this one thinge thus twise Woulde he haue the worlde vnderstande that he is afrayed of death and afrayed to dye He feareth death sayeth Cyprian that is vnwillinge to goe to Christ M. Fowler maketh by his Psalter a shew as though he were well acquainted with the name of Iesus and is he I say afrayd to die Then he is not well acquainted with Iesus himselfe how busie so euer he be with his name For that feare is of want of faith in Iesus verely This feare hath bene seene in some cloisterers if all be true that they doe wryte which doe wryte the liues of cloysterers For of cloysterers we may see some which haue earnestly desired the puttinge of of death and the prolonging of life But yet other of them haue corrected this feare in them selues by faith as they wryte of Hylarion who feeling him selfe to be afrayed of death sayed to him selfe O soule thou hast serued Christ these fourescore yeares and art thou now afrayed to goe out Exi quia misericors est that is Go out for he is mercifull This correction of feare by faith in Christ is much better then M. Fowlers feareful prayer But this tearme vnforeseene death may giue vs occasion to thinke that M. Fowler and such as he is do lead a very secure and carelesse life which doe neuer foresee death That manne that so leadeth his life that he doth not in his life time foresee his death draw on him dayly is maruelously misled Blinde he is which can not foresee death which is daily seene and dull he is whome so many warninges of death giuen can not prepare to death The life of a christian hath in it a continuall premeditation and foresight of death that death which is so foreseene rightly shall not I trow be suddaine when it commeth Neither shall any death be suddaine to him or vnforeseene of him that is both godly and dayly prepared to dye Therefore let M. Fowler acquaint his hearte with that desire which the Apostle had in his breast when he desired to be loased and to be with Christ And let him teache his reader that lesson after that he hath well digested it him selfe which the holy Apostle teacheth 2. Cor. 5. That is that the faithfull doe sigh desiringe to be clothed with their house which is from heauen They haue their desire that mortalitie might be swallowed vppe of life and to remoue out of the body and to dwell with the lord If M. Fowler will learne to acquainte him selfe well with the godly desires of the faithfull truely then he shall not neede to make this petition of his either single or double as nowe he doth The first parte of the ninth petition is Iesu graunt me grace for to remember perfectly the daunger of death and the great accōpt which I must giue to thee and to dispose me that my soule may be acceptable to thee to thy glorious mother the blessed virgin Mary The right remembraunce of death is very necessary and profitable to the liuing But it is straūge that M. Fowler prayeth Iesus so to dispose him that his soule may be acceptable to him and to his glorious mother the virgine Mary It is sufficient truely that our soules be made acceptable to God our father by the Lorde Iesus for so be they sufficiētly accepted to saluation they which are made so acceptable can not but be welcome to the companie of that blessed virgine Mary to the Saincts which are in heauen with her to all the Angells also why Iesus shold make our soules which by his owne grace are accepted to saluation acceptable to his mother I knowe not vnlesse M. Fowler thinketh that the thing which Iesus Christ doth accept his mother may or wil mislike But I thinke not so euell of that blessed virgin Mary whatsoeuer M. Fowler doth For I thinke that she doth rather adore the grace of her sonne Iesus by which he doth accept our soules to saluation then either mislike it or ioyne with him in the office and authority of acceptinge It followeth in the same petition Then with the assistance of thy glorious Angell Sainct Michaell deliuer me from the daunger of my ghostly enemie This name of the holy Angell we know we know also that the deliuerer of the faithfull from their ghostly enemy the deuill is Iesus Christ alone for he thorough death did destroy him that hadde the power of death that is the deuill as the Apostle sayeth Heb. 2. And S. Iohn sayth 1. Ioh. 3. That for this purpose the sonne of God appeared that he might loase the workes of the deuill he it is by whom only it is that the God of power treadeth Sathan vnder the feete of the faithfull Why doth M. Fowler flee from this grace and power of the Lord Iesus to S. Michaell We knowe not who hathe assigned S. Michaell the Archangell to this office to be a deliuerer of soules in daunger of death from the daunger of the Ghostlie enemie If Maister Fowler listeth to make him selfe bolde to assigne offices to Aungelles in heauen it is but a popishe pryde It followeth And thee my good Aungell I beseeche than to helpe me And what doe you saye Maister Fowler to your badde Aungell will you saye nothing to him you do dreame in popery that euery manne hath his two Angells that is his good Angell his bad Angell as al the worlde knoweth But in the worde of trueth we doe learne by it we know that God hath appointed his Aungelles to be ministringe spirites sent forthe to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation but that each man hath his seuerall Angell appoynted to helpe him I doe not yet certeinly know But I will leaue this question to the time and place of more full knowledge And in the meane tyme till I doe know it I would faine learne of M. Fowler where he hath learned to pray to his good Aungell or to any Aungell We knowe that the holy Angells doe not suffer men to adore or worship them Apoca. 21. Howe will they then admit that men should pray to them Will M. Fovvler pray to them whether they will or no Prayer is a seruice which we are taught to doe to God to whom Christ Iesus commaundeth vs to pray But neither Iesus nor his Apostles did euer teache vs in any place to pray to our good Angell Who then hath taught Maister Fowler to praye to his good Angell for helpe thus solemnly Let M. Fowler tell vs this in trueth or els we will turne it ouer to him selfe as one of his owne dreames and forgeries In
Psal. 37. That the saluation of the righteous men shal be of the Lord he shal be their strength in the time of trouble For the Lorde shal helpe them and deliuer them he shall deliuer them from the wicked shall saue them because they trust in him And they haue such a corage faith in God his goodnes might and mercy that they say Psal. 23. Though I do walke through the valley of the shadowe of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comforte me And they saye also Psal. 48. This God is our God for euer and euer he shal be our guide vnto the death Thus doth the Lorde allure his people to looke for saluation and protection at his hande and for his sauing helpe in all their perills And we reade that Christ our Sauior at his death cried out with a loude voyce Father into thy handes I commende my spirite Luc. 23. and by his example doth teache vs to do the same For God is our protector defender Stephen also stoned to death cried Lorde Iesu receaue my spirite to the Lord Iesus as to his onely protector he doth commende him selfe and by his example he hath taught vs to cōmend our selues to this protector as he did and therfore in Iesus alone let vs rest abide so shall we be most safely kept and protected as the Psalmist sayth Psal. 91. Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shal abide in the shadow of the Almighty For truly he that maketh God his defence trust shall perceaue his protection to be a most sure safegard as it is at large set foorth in that Psalme which I wishe the godly reader diligently to reade and marke and he shall learne of Dauid in his holy Psalter that God is his protector But M. Fowler in this his Psalter or rather in this his fiddle assigneth vs to an other protection then Dauid doth in his Psalter whereby the reader may perceaue that these Psalters doe not agree We haue not learned to pray the Lord Iesus by the merites of his glorious passion to graunt such petitiōs as M. Fowler maketh here as that we shoulde offer our selues to the merits of Gods mother and other holy Sainctes and aske their protection The merites of Iesus Christ crucified for vs are of such a merite that for our safety protection saluation we neede no other merite either of the mother of God or of any Sainct but the onely merite of Iesus Christ alone The merites of Iesus Christ alone haue fully merited deserued for vs which do trust in him only seeke at his hande only all our safety full saluation He doth not send vs to seeke the merites of his mother or of any other saincts And this value and force of Christes power merites M. Fowler him selfe semeth to haue found out once againe For in his eleuenth petition he prayeth the Lord Iesus thus Thy power protect me againe thy passiō preserue me from euerlasting damnation and terror of mine enemy In deede these wordes haue some good sauor and sound of truth but he woulde neuer haue mingled the merites protection of Sainctes with the merites and protection of Christ if he had hartily reasted on the protection of Iesus and vpon the merites of the Lord Iesus alone for he shoulde haue founde him selfe so safe in the merites of Christ that he woulde neuer haue sought others as euen now he did And here you may once againe marke a iarre that Fowler in his Psalter maketh not onely with Dauid his Psalter but euen with him selfe also We knowe that Iesus Christ alone is the sufficient protector of his elect they are all giuen vnto him of his father none can take them out of his hand he hath not ioyned with him in this protectinge power any other person neither his mother nor Sainct And therfore the sheepe of the Lord Iesus doe greatly reioyce in this that they may rest protected conducted by Iesus Christ alone wherof the Psalmist doth sweetly singe Psal. 23. In the same eleauenth petition Fowler prayeth That God woulde keepe his mouth from slaunderous speaking lying false witnes bearing c. If this request had bene graunted Maister Fowler had made no such Psalter as he hath at this time in which is much lying false witnes bearing and sclaunderous speaking as in part you haue hearde and yet more shall heare by Gods grace In the twelf petition he hath this In my temptations Lord I beseech thee to helpe me for the tēder loue that thou diddest shew to thy mother she to thee It is well that he prayeth the Lord Iesus to helpe him in his temptations but to require him to doe it for the loue that he did beare to his mother and she to him is a thinge farre featched Why M. Fowler hath not the Lord Iesus borne any loue to you your selfe that is worth the remembring We know that the Lorde Iesus did tenderly loue his mother and she him againe but that loue which he doth beare to mankinde is no lesse and is also of his owne free goodnes Of loue he did giue his life for his sheepe greater loue then this hath no man when any man bestoweth his life for his freindes This is that great loue which Iesus hath borne to vs the Christians which doe beleue in him harken to his voice And the holy Ghost teacheth vs to learne to vnderstande and to taste howe sweete this loue is wherewith the Lord God our heauenly father and our good Lord Iesus haue loued vs for that loue is our life Of this loue the Lord Iesus doth teach vs saying Ioan. 3. So God loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him shoulde not perish but haue life euerlasting The same our louing Lorde Iesus sayth of this his loue towards vs Ioan. 13. As the father hath loued me so haue I loued you And in his prayer Ioan 17. he asketh thus That the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be in them and I in them Thus are we taught in the holy Scriptures to vnderstande the loue of the father and the loue of the sonne towards vs Nothing is there sayd to teache vs to looke to the loue which his mother did beare to him Yea he sayth Ioan. 10. I am the good shepheard the good shephearde giueth his life for his sheepe And againe therefore doth my father loue me because I lay downe my life And S. Iohn teacheth vs Beholde what loue the father hath shewed on vs that we should be called the sonnes of god 1. Ioan. 5. And againe he sayth In this appeared the loue of God towards vs because he sent his onely begotten sonne into the world that we might liue thorough him Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation
deliuer vs from that dampnation which through our sinnes we doe deserue euē by that recompence which he hath already made for vs in his owne most bitter death and bloody passion It is the blood of Christ which through the eternall spirite offered him selfe without spotte to God which purgeth our conscience from dead workes to serue the liuinge god It is Iesus Christ who hath appeared once to take away sinne by the sacrifice of him selfe Heb. 9. Now as the same Apostle sayth Heb. 10. Where the remission of these thinges is there is no more offeringe for sinne and I say where the recompence for sinne is thus made by Iesus there is no more recompence to be made for sinne How dare Fowler then teache vs to require to haue a firme purpose in vs to make our selues a recompence for this which Iesus only both coulde doe and also did fully sufficiently for vs What is this else but to aske of Iesus a firme purpose to renounce and forsake him It is nothing else verely but to forsake the redemption which we haue in Christ Iesus to repose our selues vppon our owne making of recompēce to pray as Fowler teacheth But what Prophet what Apostle or Sainct did euer so pray or taught vs to pray That which none hath done euer Fowler now dare do Dauid prayeth humbly to the Lorde in his Psalter that he will forget and forgiue the faults of his youth Psal. 25. And he reioyceth that the Lord hath forgiuen him his sins that he hath forgotten thē that he hath remoued them from him as farre as is the East from the West that he hath throwne them into the bottome of the sea Psal. 103. Dauid prayeth not to haue a firme purpose to make recompence for his sins but resteth in the blessed remission of his sinnes giuen him by God of his free goodnes mercy through Christ Iesus And againe Dauid in the Psal. 31. confesseth of him selfe this I acknowledge my sinne vnto thee neither hide I mine iniquitie for I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto the Lorde and thou hast forgiuē the iniquity of my sinne Thus doth Dauid in his Psalter singe an other manner of Psalme then Fowler doth in this his Psalter For the true Prophet Dauid prayeth for forgiuenesse of his sinnes and reioyceth in this that God did forgiue him which is such a thinge to be desired that Dauid sayth immediatly in that Psalme Therefore shall euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee c. What accompt then shall we make of Fowler who prayeth not for this but cleane contrarie to this for he will haue a firme purpose to make him selfe a recompence for his owne sinnes Surely neither is this prayer of Fowlers like to that of the godly nor him self godly in this praying For if euery one that is godly prayeth for forgiuenes of sins Fowler is vngodly who prayeth not for forgiuenesse but for a firme purpose to make a recompense for his sinnes The holy children of God are all most holily taught by Iesus our very Iesus and Sauior to pray Forgiue vs our trespasses This is an other manner of thing then to pray for a firme purpose to make our selues recōpense for our sinnes Simple is he that will forsake that forme of prayer which Iesus Christe hath taught and holy Dauid vsed in his Psalter Dauid I say who was that sweete Psalme singer of Israell 2. Sam. 23. will follow this faithles fiddle of Fowler Simple is he that will forsake that recompense which Iesus Christ hath once made for him trust to a recompense of his own making This were fowly to fal from Christ to runne headlong into the dungeon of despaire Al the Angels heauenly spirites in heauen all the men in earth can not make such a recompense Onely Iesus Christ Iesus I say alone was able to make and did make the full recompense for sinne did it fully for the faithfull therfore he hath founde euerlasting saluation for them which shal be saued as the Apostle sayth Heb. 9. which truely he could not haue gayned vnles the recompense which he made for them had bene fully sufficient Now to take this work of making recompense into our owne handes is either to deny or to dout of the fulnes of that recompense which Iesus Christ hath made for vs and this to doe is to robbe Iesus of his glory and the robber doth robbe him selfe of comfort and saluation in Christ so doth but deceaue him self and double his owne sinne damnation Yet thus woulde M. Fowler haue his Reader to pray to Iesu to haue not onely his purpose but his firme purpose to make him self recompense for his sinnes which is to robbe Iesus of his glory to be him self a deceit to him self to make his way to most spedy certein damnation If M. Fowler mistrust the recompense which Iesus hath made and doth desire to make his owne recompense for his owne sinnes then doth he not beleue that Iesus hath made either any recompense at al or not a full recompēse for his sinnes which is a point of plaine infidelitie Such as floweth in the Romish Catholike Church This peece of poyson lyeth in this Psalter of M. Fowlers euen this robbing of Iesus in M. Fowler his Psalter of Iesus An other petition followteh containing these wordes Graunt me the seuen giftes of the holy Ghost the eyght beatitudes the foure Cardinall vertues and in receiuing of the Sacrament deuoutly to dispose me M. Fowler delighteth him selfe greately in sett numbers and yet he is no good Arithmetrician When he speaketh of the seuen gifts of the holy ghost he should haue tolde his Reader what they be and where he learned that there be but seuen Surely we knowe that there are many more giftes then seauen which the holy Ghost doth giue to the elect children of God I say many more Likewise I saye of the Beatitudes of which he speaketh as though there were no more but eight It may be that I am so ignorant that I doe not know to what places of the holy scriptures M. Fowler had his eye in these his set numbers Therefore let him name the places him selfe proue to vs if he can either that they do containe these precise numbers of seauen or eight and no more or that there be no more giftes of the holy Ghost but seauen nor more beatitudes but eight In the meane tyme the Christian Reader which loueth with godly reuerence to searche the Scriptures in searchinge shall finde that there be many more giftes of the holy Ghost then seauen many more beatitudes then eight Let not him therfore be thus abridged of his blessednes by Maister Fowler if he doe loue sanctification and blessednes M. Fowler seemeth also to haue some smattering of Philosophy in telling vs of foure cardinal vertues But some of his Maisters in teaching vertues haue spoken of the