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
lighte it is meate it is medecine For Iesus is lighte to them which sitte in darknes he is meate to them which do hunger and thrist after righteousnes and saluation he filleth the hungry with good thinges he is a medecine and a playster of life for the sicke soule and broken harte Yea if all these had misliked him he mighte haue tolde vs yet that one of his owne elders sayth that the name of Iesus is a sweete name a name full of delighte a name comforting a sinner a name of good hope and that this man thus speaking of this name Iesus brusteth foorth into prayer as it shoulde seeme feeling some excellent sweetnes in that name and sayth O Iesus be vnto me a Iesus that is O Sauiour be vnto me a sauiour or O sauiour saue me All these thinges M. Fowler doth passe ouer and giueth vs as he sayth a psalter of Iesus in which he doth teach vs oftē to name the name of Iesus But it is a matter of vnderstanding sence and feeling truely to speake of Iesus it is not a matter of fidling with tenne fingers as M. Fowler teacheth They which haue experience of Iesus do know this best This is not had nor fee lt by looking on the letters nor spelling of the name of Iesus by sillables nor yet by bare pronouncing the name Iesu The old heretikes called Marcosij made them selues much adoe about this name and the letters thereof yea and curiously deuised on some nomber which mighte be noted by the letters of this name as Epiphanius doth write And notably doth this auncient writer saye to them all as in one Vocem enim solum habes virtutem vero ipsius ignoras that is thou hast onely the worde or voice but the vertue or power thereof thou doest not know It is one thing to pronounce the worde and an other to vnderstand and feele the vertue and power noted by that word This this giueth life and therefore to speake of Iesus with vnderstāding and sense of that life and saluatiō which Iesus doth giue is such a thing as the holy Ghost doth worke in the elect alone whereof the Apostle sayeth 1. Cor. 12. No man can saye that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holy Ghost If we saye the Lord Iesus truely we are taught so to do by the holy Ghost for it onely doth frame our tongues to make a true confession of the Lord Iesus and of the saluation which by faith we do feele in our hartes that we haue by him It teacheth vs to speake of Iesus not in bare speache alone but waying what we say as Hierom noteth in these wordes Tamen hoc ipsum dicere non sermone sed affectu cordis est ponderandum that is this saying is to be wayed with and in affection of harte not in or with bare speach Otherwise many haue vsed this name Iesus and pronounced it but euill and to their owne hurte We do reade of certeine vagabounde coniurers which tooke in hande to name ouer them that had euill spirits the name of the Lord Iesus saying We do adiure you by Iesus whom Paule preacheth They abused the name of Iesus they did not vnderstande the vertue and power of Iesus Though they did pronounce the word Iesus yet had they not faith in Iesus nor feeling of his power and sauing health They spake not of Iesus by the holy Ghost and in true vnderstanding and they did speede thereafter For the euill spirite aunswered them Iesus I acknowledge and Paule I know but who are ye Thus were these coniurers driuen awaye beaten and wounded euen by the euill spirite whom they thought to haue driuen awaye by pronouncing the name Iesus You maye see that coniurers and the deuill him selfe can name and pronounce the name of Iesus and yet are no whitte the better for so doing It is not therefore the bare pronouncinge of the name that doth profit at all as by this example is to be seene We do also reade of a certeine sorcerer that made him selfe so boulde of this name Iesus that he called him selfe Bariesus as though he were the very man of saluation And yet did this wretched man withstand so much as he coulde the doctrine of Iesus preached by Paule and sought to turne others from the faith and labored to peruerte the straight waye of the Lorde We are by Iesus Christ him selfe forwarned to take heede of such as shall abuse and counterfeit his name to deceaue and seduce vs beleeue them not sayth Christ Suche a company of counterfeits are in Poperie For in it they haue their brotherhoodes of Iesus their feastes of the name of Iesus their pardons of Iesus their Masse of the same mattens howres and euen song of it And of late dayes the Papists haue hatched and brought foorth a swarme of such vermine as call themselues Iesuites whose trauell is like to that of Bariesu that is to peruerte the right wayes of the Lorde Iesus to turne men from the true vnderstanding of the vertue and power of Iesus To this purpose be they sent foorth to carrye men from hearckening to the Gospell of Iesus and from beleeuing truly in Iesus and yet they be called Iesuites vnder this faire name to worke their feate that is to seduce men and leade them from Iesus They are enemies to Iesus to his doctrine power sauing health as both by their name doing and doctrine is proued at large by that learned writer of our age Martin Kemnitius And euen so to their new found psalter is the name of Iesu by them added but as a snare whereby the psalter maker woulde drawe his reader from the truth of Iesu into the puddle of poperie It may be maruailed greatly that Papistes dare thus boldly and impudently abuse the name of Iesus the name of our blessed God and Sauiour Haue they no conscience of breaking Gods commaundement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him giltles that taketh his name in vaine Though now they do not feare to committe the faulte yet shall they not escape but by a true verdicte be founde guilty of it before god For to take his name to confirme a falshoode is to take his name in vaine and to breake his commaundemēt But thus do they now take the name of the Lorde Iesus therefore lette Papistes holde vp their handes and aunswere guiltie or not guiltie if they pleade not guiltie they shall abide the triall before God by his lawe and then they wil be founde guiltie I know it will grieue them to be thus charged but if any of them do thinke them selues to be ouercharged herein lette them tell vs truely who made them so bolde to applie the holy name of Iesus to their owne deuises to their Masses pardons brotherhoodes and such trumperie or to call their sectaries Iesuites or to call this their new deuise the psalter of
A WARNING TO TAKE HEEDE OF FOVVLERS PSALTER giuen by Th. Sampson ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollier for George Bishoppe 1578. TO MY VERY GODLY LOVING FREND AND BROTHER M. ROBERT ASKE GOLDSMITH AND ONE of the Bridgemaisters of the Citie of London YOV did sende of late vnto me at one time as you knovve tvvo bookes vvhich the Louanistes had sent into England the one vvas a Primer the other a Psalter The Primer is in latin and is as I thinke but a nevve burnishing of their old popish pelfe I did not peruse it neither do I entende to bestovv any labour thereabout For manye yeares are passed sithence I did leaue my Primer neither haue I any pleasure novve to looke vppon those pudles of poperie in vvhich I vvas plunged in the dayes of my youth and ignorance I do rather vvith the Psalmist humbly praye the Lorde not to remember the faultes and ignoraunces of my youth but according to his ovvne kindnes and for his goodnes sake to forgiue me It is besides all this novv become a tickle peice of vvorke M. Robert to medle vvith Primers vvill you knovv vvhy The olde Primers are of late greatly disgraced by pope Pius For he sayeth that they vvere filled vvith superstitious errours and sayth that many forged prayers vvere thrust into them vnder false and feyned names of Sainctes He calleth also all the pardons graunted in thē and printed in their rubrikes into doubte Thus doth this Pope dashe the deuotion of papistes Therefore lette olde papistes looke vvell vvhat Primers they vse and take heede vvhich of them they doe trust least they do not onely lose their labour but fall into the displeasure of the Pope And by the doinges of late Popes they maye see hovv vnsauery and vnsafe the doings of former Popes are for that vvhich one allovveth an other disallovveth one promiseth an other denyeth Therefore I thought good novv to leaue both them their Primer And because the Psalter seemed to be some straunge noueltie vvith vvhich the authours thought to make some freashe melodie I did take this their Psalter into my hande I did but touch the stringes thereof to taste vvhat sounde it did giue but I did not finde that in it vvhich the name seemeth to promise rather I finde in it vnsauery discorde stringes false and out of tune other such iarres as by perusing this litle pamphlet you may perceaue VVhich I doe not send to you my good brother as though I thought that you either delighted in such instruments as is that popishe Psalter or that you needed my helpe to dravv you from the delighte or daūger of such trumpery in vvhich Papists do take their pleasure God hath by his grace separated you farre from that secte and brought you into his ovvne schoole vvhere you may do vvith ioye heare learne and taste of the svveetnes of the Lorde and haue the songes of life and saluation praise the Lorde for it And pray him to holde you euer in this vvaye of life that you may alvvayes haue your harte and eare open and vvholly sette to heare the voice of Iesus and also closed shutte and fully turned from those false flatteringe and entising Syrene popishe voices vnto vvhich vvho so hearckneth pearisheth remediles Novve though you neede not my labour herein taken yet in recompence of your freindly and kinde remembring of me vvith such nevves as do come to your hāds I haue thought good to send you this vvritten paper to remaine vvith you as a token of my good vvill tovvardes you And if your sonne Iohn Aske of vvhose vvell doinge in God I haue some care vvith you may be admonished by it to learne euen in his youth to bevvare of such Popishe pastime as is made in that Popishe Psalter to giue heede to the truth of Iesus Christ the only true doctrine of our life and saluation I shal be gladde and reioyce to see him enryched vvith that fayth vvhich dvvelled in Gillian his naturall mother doth dvvel in you his natural father novv and so I hope shall vnto the ende That increase of true vnderstanding vvhich doth giue life in God I vvishe to you and all yours vvishe you the same to me and mine Lecester the 10. of October 1577. LAME Tho. Sampson Ephes 5. Be fulfilled with the spirite speakinge vnto your selues in Psalmes and hymnes spirituall songes singing and making melodie to the Lorde in your hartes giuing thankes alwayes for all thinges vnto God euen the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ A WARNING TO TAKE HEEDE OF FOWLERS PSALTER GIVEN By Tho. Sampson IT hath ben alwayes the manner of such as do departe from the trueth and faith which is in Christ Iesus onely and do betake them selues to the errour and vntruth of their owne choyse and are setled therein their manner hath ben and is I say to inuente and deuise such proper thinges as maye serue to induce other men to like of that which they doe and by litle and litle to draw them to become like to them selues And to this ende they doe vse to paint their owne foule doinges with faire coulours for they thinke if they shoulde at the first openly showe that grosenes which is in their errour they shoulde driue all men from them rather then allure any to them And therfore they do make a choise of goodly wordes and do set the same as closely as they can vpon their errour because they woulde by a shewe of that which is good deceaue men the more readily and draw them to their euill So many olde Heretiques did in their heresie retaine the name of Iesus Christ and vnder that most holy name they did hyde all their poyson They did speake some good thinges and cited also some sentences of holy Scripture vnder these good couers to conueye their errours into the mindes of men Likewise do the Papists now They haue and hold for the couer of their filthes and abhominacions the names of God of Christ of Iesus of the Church of the spirit of truth of Catholike and what not But all these they do vse but as a sconse to deceaue and vnder these faire titles to drawe simple soules into their filth They haue heretofore foughte for them selues in this lande with fire and sworde feircely but when that tyrannie was as now it is ouerturned through Gods great mercy towardes vs blessed be his name for it by the most mercyfull and milde gouernement of our gratious soueraine Queene Elizabeth whose life amōg vs reigne ouer vs God almighty prosper and prolonge They soughte a while to holde maintaine their owne with bookes and writinges full of forgeries and of furiouse speaches threates cursed speakinges They haue also had their practises to recouer againe into their hands that gouernment which once they had and now they haue loste In which desire they haue ben and are as desperately set as any cruell tyraunte euer was
the accompte of Psalters to matche it with theirs to make vp their packe of Psalters But what are these other two Psalters of which they tell vs Who hath blowen them foorth into the world Let them tell vs also why they do not adde to this nomber of Psalters those which their forefathers haue heretofore published as Psalters to the worlde in printe Be they now ashamed of them so may they be of this They printed at Parris a Primer anno 1554. in the 160. leafe of that booke they do giue vs an other Psalter which they do there call The Psalter of Sainct Hierome and they do in their Rubricke there tell vs for how many purposes good if we will beleeue them the same Psalter was printed In the same booke also Fol. 125 they tell vs howe S. Bernard was on a time in his prayers and the deuil sayd to him I know that there be certaine verses in the Psalter who that doth saye them dayly shall not pearishe for he shall haue knowledge of the daye that he shall dye but the feinde saye they woulde not shewe them to S. Bernard Then sayd S. Bernard I shall saye dayly the whole Psalter The feinde considering that S. Bernard should do so much profit to labour so he shewed him the verses there following This is their Rubricke in that place in which might be noted many thinges which now I passe ouer As first that the deuill is busie to dasill men in prayer Againe that this was a packe of verses bounde together by the deuill him selfe An handsome peice of worke be ye sure And thus he doth now busie him selfe by this newe founde Psalter to playe his olde pranckes But why be not these verses thus packed together called S. Bernard his Psalter as well as his verses and why be they not ioyned together as one Psalter with that other Psalter of S. Hierome to increase the number of Psalters For so mighte our Papists yeeld vnto vs more Psalters then three They maye know also if they will how that same their seraphicall doctor S. Bonauenture did most shamefully corrupte the most holy Psalter of Dauid chaunging through the whole Psalter the name of Lorde into Ladye to turne his reader from the Lord God whom the prophet Dauid praised and to whom he prayed vnto that Virgin Mary as his souerain The booke is in printe and therefore I leaue it to the veiw of them who lust to see such corrupte Popish blasphemies But how happeneth it now that our Papistes do make no accompt of that Psalter to be a Psalter Truely as full of filth and blasphemy as it is yet is it adorned by some of their forefathers in poperie with this glorious title The Psalter of the Virgin Mary compiled by the deuoute doctor Sainct Bonauenture Then the Virgin Mary with papists hath two Psalters or else some of them doe lye why doth not M. Fowler tel vs of them Surely I thinke he is as much bounde to tell vs of the one as of the other But it may be that by aduise he doth omitte these psalters because our papistes now be ashamed of the filth and corruption of their forefathers I would there were so much grace in them Truely if there were they would neuer haue sent foorth this new corruption of theirs They do therefore but deale doubly with the reader to tell him but of three psalters as if there were with them no more but three psalters wheras they haue so many But they woulde faine make a waye for this their new psalter therefore they suppresse the number and naminge of others They tell vs that this is the psalter of Iesu good wordes But why call they it a psalter There are some of their good maisters in popery which do tell vs that a psalter is an instrument of tenne stringes and these men do now tell vs that this their psalter hath 150. stringes I meane petitions therefore it is some new kinde of instrument deuised by their owne idle and corrupt braines Their saide maisters teach vs that the psalter that is the instrument which hath tenne stringes doth signifie the tenne commaundements And will M. Fowler tell vs on his credite that this his new psalter doth signifie the ten commaundements If he do so tell vs we shal be able I hope to proue that this his psalter is but a counterfaite and false signe More their maisters do teache vs that an hymne doth thus differ from a psalme For an hymne say they is that songe which is songe with the naturall voice but a Psalme is that which is played vpon an instrument Now sithence it is their pleasure to giue vs a psalter they will I thinke assigne some instrument wherevpon the psalmes of this psalter maye be played And so they do ful deuoutly forsooth For they do assigne to them which shall hādle this their psalter to playe the same vpon their Tenne fingers A proper instrument and soundeth as sweetly as when an Ape layeth his fore hands crosse one vpon an other and is taught to sweare by his owne tenne bones full sweetly kissing his proper pawes This verely is but apes playe But how aptly or vnaptly soeuer it is to be called a psalter all is made vp by adding vnto the psalter the name of Iesu for they call it the psalter of Iesu The name of Iesu hath in it an heauenly and glorious sweetnes when it is rightly looked into For he that doth know him selfe to be a sinner and that he is to receaue the rewarde of sinne that is death and damnation by the most iuste iustice of God When this man with a trembling and troubled spirite doth looke about quaking for feare and hungry of helpe and findeth that Iesus is the true and only Iesus that it is he that saueth his people from their sinnes and therefore is euen the same in deede which his name noteth that is a Sauiour This poore soule reioyseth with ioye vnspeakable because he hath founde a Iesus and fealeth in him selfe a taste of that kingdome of God which is righteousnes ioye and peace in the holy Ghost If M. Fowler did minde to teach his reader to vnderstand what the name of Iesus doth meane he would I thinke haue told him the same thing which the Angel did tell Ioseph Thou shalt cal his name Iesus for he shall saue his people frō their sinnes Where we learne that the name of Iesus doth signifie a Sauiour and Iesus is he called because it is he that doth saue his people from their sinnes And this sauinge health hath suche a sweete taste in it that it maketh the Virgin Marie Simeon and all other well taughte children of God which do rightely taste of this saluation to reioyce in God their sauiour M. Fowler mighte also haue tolde vs out of Bernard that Iesus is honey in the mouth and melodie in the eare and myrthe in the harte And also that the name of Iesus is
Again that blessed Apostle Iohn in his epistle teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 2. If any man do sin we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteus he is the recōciliation for our sins The Apostle teacheth vs the Christ Iesus is our only sufficient aduocate attonement with the father For the office worke of intercession recōciliatiō are ioyned together in Christ Iesus alone And here M. Fowler his frendes could haue tolde him that Augustine intreatinge vpon this place of S. Iohn doth count it a thing antichristian hereticall and schismaticall to assigne any other aduocate or intercessor betwene God and man but Iesus Christ But perhappes they woulde make deintie so to do least the christian reader should thereby be encoraged to accompt Fovvler and such papists as he is which do robbe Christ of this glorie of being our aduocate and intercessor with the father and do bestow that office and honor vpon their Sainctes to accompt them I say to be antichristes heretikes schismatikes as they are in deede The christian which can content him selfe with the doctrine and worde of God is taught as you do heare that Christ Iesus is nowe at the right hande of God and maketh request for vs that we must goe to God by him who liueth to make intercession for vs that he is our aduocate with the father and so Christ him selfe sayth Ioan. 14. of him selfe I am the vvay the trueth the life No man commeth to the father but by me Sithence then we haue Iesus the euerliuing almightie and most mercifull aduocate and intercessor with the father let vs giue vnto him the honor due to him with faithfull confession thereof and thankes giuing therefore and also do our selues as the Apostle doth exhort vs Hebr. 4. Let vs therefore goe boldely sayth he vnto the throne of grace that we may receaue mercy and find grace to helpe in time of neede Thus much touching this peece of legierdemain which M. Fowler vseth euen at the entrey into his Psalter to spoyle Iesus Christ of his office and glory of being our intercessor and aduocate to make place for his Psalter which is patched vp as shal hereafter appeare with praying to Sainctes to make intercession for vs By the sworde of the spirit which is the word of God such patches of popery are to be pared away the christians are to be left to their Iesus Christ alone both for saluation intercession If it shall please God to make this poynt of our Christian faith and religion well knowne vnderstanded and the comfort thereof felt in the consciences of men they wil fall as fast and thicke from popery to Christ his Gospell as bees doe flye out of the rayne to their hyues But it shall be good to proceede in this Psalter The Reader may thinke that I do hange long in the beginning thereof but M. Fowlers entry into it being so fowle it is meete that the reader should be admonished thereof to the ende he may be warned of it deliuered if it so be the good pleasure of God from sticking or sincking into so fowle a puddle with Fowler as is this Psalter Let it be marcked then that M. Fovvler doth giue vs a Psalter of Iesus he sayth in which he taketh from Iesus at the first dashe a principall peece of his honor and office Such sacriledge Fowler and his fellowes can commit and dare couer their villanie with the name of Iesus But this is but to fill vp the number of their sinnes Then M. Fowler taketh paines to teach his reader how he must say this psalter and sayth he he may say it vppon his tenne fingers and why not vpon his tenne toes He sayth also that his scholler which will learne of him how to say this psalter must begin with deuout genuflection or at the least wise with Inclination to Iesu M. Fowler forgetteth him selfe I trowe for he will seeme to sette out this Psalter for the vnlearned but the vnlearned knowe not what these tearmes genuflection and inclination doe meane Therefore let Maister Fowler speake English to his vnlearned schollers After that he hath thus prepared his Reader to this Psalter he beginneth the first petition and doth in it name the name of Iesu thirtie tymes together adding to euery thryse naminge of Iesu this worde Mercie If he meaneth to teache his Reader to praye the Lorde Iesus to haue mercie on him we doe agree with him in that good prayer and so praye we But if there be any mysterie in this often repeatinge of the worde or name Iesu it is a thing hidden from vs so often to repeate that name without further instruction Is it Maister Fovvlers mynde to teache his Reader to thincke that this bare and often repeatinge of that name and that in such a iuste number as is by him prefixed is therefore an acceptable prayer because it is so often repeated onely Surely that conceipte sauoreth strongely of that battologie and lippe labour which Iesus Christ reiecteth Matth. 6. I might also note the straungenes of the phrase of that petition whiche he putteth downe in these wordes where he speaketh of sinners Turne sayth he their vices into vertues this is one in all his petitions But it is but a straunge transmutation that he asketh It had bene more playne to haue sayde Turne sinners from their vices to vertues but to lette this passe That sauoreth strongly of the Popes pumpe whiche followeth in these wordes Haue mercye sayth he on the soules in Purgatorye for thy bytter passion I beseech thee and for thy glorious name Iesu It shal not be amisse now to say somwhat to the reader of this purgatorie which hath beene and is the common pickepurse for the Pope and his chaplaines the massinge priestes I knowe it will anger the papistes to heare of this for it toucheth their free holde as the common sayinge is But I will lay before the reader this popishe purgatory in as few wordes as I can that he may smell what a sweete flowre it is Whatsoeuer it be it seemeth to sauor very sweetely with M. Fowler therefore he doth very diligently place it as one in euery petition of his Psalter Such is his charitie to their soules which are in purgatory forsooth But let vs see somewhat of this purgatorie and partely euen as some of the maisters of Rome haue wrytten thereof I might deuide this matter into two braunches first of prayer for the soules of men departed out of this mortall life then of this kinde of praier for the soules which are in purgatorie But I will speake of this purgatorie prayer onely for because M. Fowler prayeth in his Psalter for soules in purgatory only as though that they onely of all other soules departed had nede of this prayer It is also confessed by some maisters of that popish secte that the prayers or to vse their owne tearmes the Suffrages of the church be auailable
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
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