Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	grace_n	holy_a	lord_n	14,167	5	3.6878	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A53579	The witch of Endor, or, The witchcrafts of the Roman Jesebel in which you have an account of the exorcisms or conjurations of the papists, as they be set forth in their agends, benedictionals, manuals, missals, journals, portasses, which they use in their churches concerning the hallowing of the water, salt, bread, candles, boughs, fire, ashes, incense, pascal lamb, eggs, herbs, milk, honey, apples, wine, cheese, butter, new baked bread, flesh, font, marrying ring, pilgrims wallet, staff, cross, sword, &c. : proposed and offered to the consideration of all sober Protestants / by Titus Otes.	Oates, Titus, 1649-1705.	1679 (1679)	Wing O62; ESTC R16959	54,855	50

Sanctifications and Consecrations with his Blessings and Crossings with his Gapings and Breathings with his Oylings and Creamings To make the Water more holy But who can make the Water more holy than God himself hath already made it To make the Sacrament of the more efficacy virtue and strength But Christ instituting the holy Mystery of Baptism maketh no mention of all these trifling Ceremonies which without all doubt he would have done if he had thought them necessary for the due administration of Baptism When John Baptist baptised in the Wilderness he used simple and natural Water without blessing or crossing So likewise did the Apostles of Christ as Philip when he baptised the Eunuch and others Many years also after Christ's ascension the holy Fathers of Christ's Church baptised with Water simply without any addition of such Consecrations and Blessings The more simple and the nearer to Christ's Institution their Administration of the Sacrament was the better was it allowed of all true Christians They knew not this pomp this pride this magnificence and this solemnity that is now used in Popish Churches The Devil and the Pope that Antichrist of Rome invented all those trifles and thrust them into the Church of Christ unto the great obscuring and utter defacing of the purity of Christ's holy and blessed Mysteries And notwithstanding into such ignorance and blindness are both the Priests and People come through the wicked traditions of men that if any of the least of these frivolous Ceremonies be left out they think the Baptism to be nothing worth and the Children not to be christned O lamentable blindness But let all true Christians persuade themselves that pure and simple Water coupled with the Word maketh the Sacrament of Baptism sufficient and perfect as St. Austin saith The Word is joyned to the Element and thereof is made a Sacrament As touching the Consecrations Blessings Crossings Gapings Breathings Oylings Creamings Perfumings and such other trifling Ceremonies they are the drousie dreams and foolish fancies of Hypocrites and therefore not to be regarded nor frequented but rather to be neglected and omitted as things nothing appertaining unto the substance and matter of Baptism But let us consider certain things used of the Papists in the Consecration of their Font. First the Priest desireth God to command that all unclean Spirits may depart out of that Water and that all the wickedness of the Devils deceit may stand far off c. There is no Creature that ever God made be it never so pure and clean but if it come once into the hands of these sacrificing Papists it is straight-ways not only unpure and unclean but also full of Devils and wicked Spirits When notwithstanding God at the beginning pronounced the Water as all his other Creatures to be very good and no evil in them yea the Lord our God so esteemeth this Creature of Water that by it he hath not only wrought many wonderful Miracles but also in his holy Scriptures compareth his holy and blessed Spirit to this Element of Water One also of the principal and chief Mysteries which he hath left to his holy Congregation for their comfort and to express therein his singular good will toward them is set forth in Water as an Element most apt to set forth our Regeneration and New Birth in Christ But the Papists as we have before heard find fault not only with the Water but with Salt Bread Wax Fire and what not But this their doing is well known to be nothing else than plain jugling St. John Baptist knew no Devil nor evil Spirit in the Water when he baptized in the Wilderness Christ's Apostles judged the Water pure and clean and the good Creature of God when they baptized Philip baptizing the Eunuch used the Water that was next at hand If Christ had known the Devil to be in the Element of Water he would never have made it a Sacrament of Regeneration St. Paul doth so greatly esteem this Mystery of Baptism which partly consists of Water and partly of the Word that he calleth it the Fountain of the new Birth and renewing of the holy Ghost And in his Epistle to the Ephesians he hath these words Christ loved the Congregation and gave himself for it to sanctifie it and cleansed it in the Fountain of Water through the Word to make it unto himself a glorious Congregation without spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blame Doth not our Saviour Christ say plainly That except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God If Devils or wicked Spirits had been in the Water as the Papists dream the holy Ghost would never have beautified this Element of Water with such praises and commendations in the holy Scriptures And who knoweth not that of all the four Elements none is more necessary than Water neither have we any in more use God give us grace to use this and all other Creatures unto his glory with thanksgiving Amen Now let us see to what end the Papists would have the Devil and all wicked Spirits driven out of the Water It is forsooth that it may be an holy and an innocent Creature free from all invasion of the Enemy and purged from all wickedness And that it be a living Fountain a Water that regenerateth and begetteth a-new a purifying Water c. The Creature of Water is already Holy sanctified of him who is Holiness it self and therefore hath no need of the Popish sanctifications and hallowings It is also of it self innocent and harmless created of God for the use and commodity both of Man and Beast as all other Creatures of God are If at any time we be plagued either with Water or Fire or with any other Creature of God the fault is not in those good and innocent Creatures of God but in our selves who through our manifold wickedness provoke God unto anger as we may see in the Histories of the Flood and of the Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah c. Whereas they desire of God that it may be a living Fountain a Water that regenerateth and begetteth a-new c. we grant that Baptism is an holy Sacrament but that the outward Water giveth life begetteth a-new and purifieth the heart we utterly deny It being not in the power of a lifeless Element to do this It is the work of the Holy Ghost alone as our Saviour saith It is the Spirit that quickeneth and maketh alive When Christ talked with Nicodemus of our regeneration and new birth he made mention not only of Water but of the Spirit also to declare that the chief worker of our regeneration and new birth is the Holy Ghost without whose Grace and secret Inspiration the outward washing profiteth nothing Judas Iscariot Simon Magus Ananias and Saphira with divers others were Baptized with the outward Baptism of Water and yet are they now damned Souls in Hell Fire

They had the Water but they had not the Spirit Their Bodies were outwardly washed but their Souls were not cleansed by the Holy Ghost their hypocrisie so deserving Now if the Water of Baptism by it self were of such virtue and power that it could give life purifie and beget a-new then should all false Christians and Hypocrites become the Children of God and Heirs to Everlasting Glory But it is truly said of St. Paul They that are led with the Spirit of God are the Sons of God If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Though the blessed Apostle calleth Baptism the Fountain of the new birth yet he immediately addeth the renewing of the Holy Ghost declaring hereby That although Baptism be the Fountain of the new birth that so many as be washed with that Water have put off Adam and be born a-new in Christ yet that our renovation cometh by the Holy Ghost He alone quickneth and maketh us alive in Christ Jesus He alone regenerateth and begetteth us a-new Without this outward washing many have been and are daily saved but without the inward washing of the Holy Ghost no man can be saved As St. Paul saith If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Not to the Water therefore ought the Papists to attribute the virtue and power of making alive in Christ of regenerating purifying c. but to the Holy Ghost whose Office alone it is to work all these good things in the hearts of Gods Elect and chosen People Moreover Whereas the Priest turneth him to the Water and saith I bless thee thou Creature of Water by the living God by the true God by the holy God c. Yea I bless thee by Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord c. Who seeth not his madness Will any man count him sober or in his right mind that shall speak to a thing without life This do the Popish Priests in the presence of God his blessed Angels and of his holy Congregation If this stuff had been spoken in a known tongue as it was uttered in a strange Language the People many years ago would have hissed those Antichristian Sacrificers out of their Temples and not have suffered themselves to be deluded and mocked by them But what needeth this Popish Priest to bless the Water by the living God by the true God by the holy God and by Jesus Christ the Son of God seeing that the blessed Trinity so many hundred years past hath already sufficiently and abundantly blessed the Waters O the vain dreams of men After these things the Priest in a Prayer whispered out by him desireth God to bless those Waters with his mouth Verily this is a new kind of blessing as blessing is commonly taken among us Men use and the Papists themselves also use to bless with their fingers and not with their mouth When the simple People see a Bishop riding gorgeously upon his Mule more like to Simon Magus than to Simon Peter they use to cry out My Lord your blessing My Lord your blessing for St. Charity thinking to receive some great benefit by that means both to their Body and Soul when notwithstanding in my Countrey the Bishops blessing would not go for Horse meat Doth the Bishop gape upon them or rather doth he lift up his hand and so bless them But wherefore would the Priest have God to bless those Waters Verily that besides the natural cleansing which they shew in washing the Bodies they may also be of strength to purifie the Minds That the natural property of Water is to cleanse the Body and all outward things no man that hath reason will deny But that Water although never so much Consecrated Sanctified and Blessed purifieth the mind Soul Spirit or inward Man neither reason nor Scripture doth allow For what is it to purifie the mind but to forgive sins to give the Holy Ghost to engraff new and spiritual motions to alter the whole man and to be cloathed with Holiness Righteousness and Truth This is not the work of any man in Earth nor yet of any Angel in Heaven much less of a Creature that is without all sense and feeling If the Water sanctified by Man purifieth the mind much more should the Man that sanctifieth the Water do the same But Man doeth it not neither is it done by the Water It is God alone by his holy Spirit that purifieth the mind and searcheth the reins and hearts Man is the Minister Water the thing ministred but God is he that worketh all as the Apostle saith Paul planteth Apollo watereth but God giveth the encrease Therefore neither he that planteth nor he that watereth is any thing worth but God which giveth the increase It is truly said of St. Cyprian Whether Judas or Paul Baptizeth Christ washeth and putteth away the sin St. Ambrose saith To forgive sins in Baptism and to give the Holy Ghost is the Office of God alone If therefore God giveth the effect of health there is no glory of man in this behalf For we know that the Holy Ghost is given of God without imposition or laying on of hands and that he who was not Baptized obtained remission of sins Hereto agreeth the saying of St. Austin As concerning the visible Ministery both good and bad do Baptize but he doth inwardly Baptize by them whose both the visible Baptism and invisible grace is Therefore both good and bad may Baptize but none can wash and purifie the Conscience but he only who is always good Hence it follows that the Papists teach false Doctrine when they hold that the Sacraments give grace purifie the mind wash the Conscience and change the whole man Indeed the Sacraments represent and preach these things to the outward man but it is God alone that giveth these things by his holy Spirit that he which rejoyceth might rejoyce in the Lord. Now as touching the foolish Ceremonies which the Popish Priest useth in the Consecration of the Font as making Crosses dropping Candle into the Font dividing the Water with Candle putting Oyl and Cream into the Water breathing into the Font and such like beggerly Trifles they are more worthy to be derided than confuted being indeed nothing else than childish Plays and apish Toys Thus much concerning the Popish consecrations of the Font. Of hallowing the Marrying-Ring FOr hallowing the Womans Ring at her Wedding this Prayer following is appointed to be said of the Priest Thou maker and Conserver of mankind Giver of Spiritual grace Granter of Eternal Salvation Lord send ✚ thy blessing upon this Ring that she which shall wear it may be armed with the virtue of Heavenly defence and that it may profit her to Eternal Salvation Another Prayer Hallow thou ✚ Lord this Ring which we bless ✚ in thy holy name that what Woman soever shall wear it may stand fast in thy Peace and continue in thy Will and live and grow and wax old in

they must sing these six Psalms Lauda anima mea Dominum Laudate Dominum quoniam bonus est Lauda Hierusalem Dominum Laudate Dominum de Coelis Cantate Domino Canticum novum Laus ejus in Eclesia Sanctorum Laudate Dominum in Sanctis ejus And while they sing these Psalms the Bishop or Suffragan must wash the Bell with the aforesaid hallowed Water and anoint it with holy Oyl and also rub it over with Salt which Salt must be hallowed in such sort as the use is upon the Sunday when they make holy Water Exorcizo te Creatura salis per Deum ✚ vivum per Deum ✚ qui te per Helizeum Prophetam c. After all these things be dispatched out of the way let him say this Prayer following The Prayer Let us Pray O God who by blessed Moses the Law-giver commandedst Trumpets of Silver to be made which while the Levites or Ministers of the Sacrifice did blow the People being admonished with the sound of their sweetness might be prepared to adore and worship thee Again Through whose noise the People being excited and stirred up unto battel might the more valiantly express and overcome the Weapons of their Enemies Grant that this Bell being ordained and prepared for thy Church may be sanctified and hallowed of the holy Ghost that by the sound thereof the faithful may be invited provoked and pricked forward unto the reward Grant also that when the melody of this Bell dath sound in the ears of the People the Devotion of Faith may increase in them and that all the lying in wait of the Enemy may be far put back again that the beating of the Hail the storm of Winds the violence of Tempests may be mitigated and asswaged Moreover That the fierce Thunderings and boysterous Storms may be measured that they do no harm nor hurt thy Creatures In fine Vanquish and throw down the Powers of the Air with the right hand of thy strength that they hearing this Bell may tremble and shake for fear and flee before the Banner of the holy Cross through our Lord Jesus Christ Then must the Bishop or Suffragan wipe the Bell with a Linen Towel and say this Psalm all the Clerks accompanying him Vox Domini super aquas Deus Majestatis intonuit Dominus super aquas multas Vox Domini in virtute Vox Domini in magnificentia Vox Domini confringentis Cedros c. unto the end of the Psalm with Gloria Patri and Sicut erat c. After these things the Bishop or Suffragan must anoint the outside of the Bell seven times with Oyl and Cream and four times within saying on this wise The Prayer Let us pray O Almighty and Everlasting God who before the Ark of the Covenant through the noise of the Trumpets madest the Walls of Stone to fall down wherewith the arms of thine Enemies were enclosed and encompassed round about vouchsafe to replenish this Bell with thy heavenly blessing that before the noise or sound thereof the fiery darts of the Enemy the striking of the Lightnings the violence of Stones the hurting of Tempests may be chaced far away That to the demand of the Prophet Wherefore didst thou flee O thou Sea And thou Flood of Jordan turn back with all thy Waves It may be answered The Earth was moved at the face of the Lord at the face of the God of Jacob Which turneth the hard Rock into Rivers of Water and the Flint-stones into watry streams Not unto us therefore O Lord not unto us but to thy Name give the glory of thy mercy and truth that when this present Bell as the other Vessels of thy Altar is touched with the holy Chrism and anointed with thy holy Oyl all they that come and draw near unto the sound thereof may be free from all temptations of the Enemies and continually follow the documents of the Catholique Faith through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen After this Prayer the Bishop or Suffragan shall take the Censer into his hand and cause Fire Incense Myrrh and such other sweet Perfumes to be put into it Then shall the Bell be lifted up and the Censers set under the Bell that all the fume and smoak of those sweet favours may go into the Bell. In the mean season shall they say this Anthem Deus in sancta via tua Deus magnus sicut Deus noster Then immediately shall they sing this Psalm Viderunt te aquae Deus Viderunt te aquae timuerunt c. with Gloria Patri Sicut erat c. Afterward the Bishop or Suffragan shall say Domine exaudi and Dominus vobiscum with this Prayer following The Prayer Let us Pray O Christ that Almighty Lord and Ruler which after thou hadst taken the Nature of Man upon thee and didst sleep in the Ship when a great Tempest arose marvelously troubling the Seas and being awake didst forthwith put away these cruel storms help for thy mercies sake the necessities of thy People Pour out the dew of the holy Ghost upon this Bell that before the sound thereof the Enemy may evermore flee away Christian People be invited and provoked unto Faith the Army of the Enemies may be made afraid the People that be called out by it may be made strong in the Lord and the holy Ghost being delighted with the sound thereof as with David's Harp may come down upon it And as when Samuel slew the Lamb and offered it up for a Sacrifice the King of the Eternal Empire through the noise of the weather that came down from Heaven did put to flight the Company of the Enemies so likewise grant thou that while the sound of this Bell passeth through the Clouds the hand of thy Angel may keep the Company or Assembly of thy Church and Congregation and thy everlasting protection save and defend the fruits of them that do believe with their souls and bodies who livest and reignest one God with the Father and the holy Ghost World without end Amen This done let the Bishop or Suffragan sprinkle the Bell with holy Water and all the People there present likewise Then the Godfathers and Godmothers laying their hands upon the Bell the Bishop or Suffragan shall say to them Name the Bell. The Godfathers and Godmothers shall give the Bell such a Name as they think good When the Bell is thus Christned the Bishop or Suffragan with the Godfathers and Godmothers shall put upon the new baptized Bell a Linen Vesture white and large And thus endeth the Christning of Bells But when the Bells thus baptized shall be brought unto Confirmation and to render an account or reason of their Faith I find not in all the Popish Books I have read But O God what a dishonour is this to thy holy Name What a corruption to thy blessed Doctrin What a mocking to thy holy Mysteries What an abuse of thy Creatures What a maintenance of Superstition and Idolatry What a deceiving of thy People A Blessing for sore Eyes taken out of an old Mass-Book very profitable for that Disease as teacheth Wilielmus de montibus matricis Ecclesiae Lincolniensis Cancellarius THe blessing for sore Eyes saith he necessity bringeth in and the devotion of them that ask it and it ought to be done on this manner First The Priest that singeth Mass after he hath received the body and blood of our Lord and after the first and second washing of his fingers shall cause his Parish-Clerk to pour into his Chalice the third ablution not of Wine but of Water And this Water must the Priest in his Chalice reserve and keep till Mass be done And when Mass is once done the Priest before he put off his sacerdotal Vestiments shall take of this Water and sprinkle it upon the sore Eyes and he shall say this Prayer following with Dominus vobiscum Et cum Spiritu tuo and with Oremus The Prayer O Lord Jesu Christ who openedst the Eyes of the man that was born blind keep the Eyes of this thy servant giving him sight clear sufficient meet and competent to serve thee withal by the virtue of this Sacrament and by this sign ✚ of thy holy Cross Here let the Priest cross the diseased person with the Chalice and with the Corporass Cloth And let him to handle the matter that with his Crossing he may cause some wind to go from the Chalice and Corporass Cloth into the sore Eyes while he saith In nomine Patris Filij Spiritus sancti Amen Then shall the Priest say the beginning of St. John's Gospel In principio erat Verbum c. These things done let the diseased person rise up kiss the Altar and offer something to the blessed Sacrament and so depart And undoubtedly with the help of God and of our blessed Lady he shall shortly have remedy of his Disease Probatum est A general Blessing for all things O Thou Creator and Consecrator of Mankind the giver of Spiritual Grace the granter of Everlasting Health O Lord send thy holy Spirit upon this Creature M. that it may profit them unto everlasting salvation which being armed with the virtue of heavenly defence do tast of it And ✚ the blessing of God the Father and the ✚ Son and the ✚ holy Ghost descend upon those Creatures and abide upon them for ever Here is Everlasting Salvation set forth again to be obtained by every Rag and Clout or whatsoever other vile thing is hallowed by the Popish Priest But since such blasphemous Baggage is sufficiently confuted before I will here end with this protestation That Christ alone is our Wisdom Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption that as it is written He that rejoyceth should rejoyce in the Lord To whom be all Honour and Glory both now and for ever Amen FINIS

in the name of our only Mediator Christ Jesus To believe that our sins shall be forgiven us if we ask in Faith and in fine to take upon us a new life and above all things to take heed that we fall no more into a lewd life lest the last be worst than the first and so this common Proverb be verified of us The Sow being washed is returned to her wallowing in the mire and the Dog unto his vomit But afterward the Papist maketh it more plain and desireth of God that so many as shall sprinkle those Ashes upon them for the redemption of their sins may receive health of Body and Safeguard of Souls Here is a plain Doctrine of the Papists That by sprinkling those Ashes upon them they believe to have redemption of their sins What is Blasphemy if this be not Blasphemy What is it to work ignominy and dishonour to the precious bloud of Christ if this be not Who denieth the Lord that bought them if the Papists do it not Is it come to pass now that Ashes work the redemption of our sins We hitherto believed that Christ alone hath wrought our Redemption by his Passion and Death For so are we taught in the Word of God Christ saith St. Paul died for our sins and rose again for our justification Again there is one God and one Mediator the man Christ Jesus which gave himself a Ransom for all Likewise saith St. John The Blood of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sin Also in another place Christ hath loved us and washed us from our sins by his Bloud and hath made us Kings and Priests to God his Father To him be praise and rule for ever Amen And as concerning health of Body and safeguard of Soul who knoweth that they come not from Ashes but from the Mighty God of Israel from whom every good and perfect Gift cometh as we have before heard Of him therefore must we ask whatsoever good thing we intend to obtain But we shall note also that in the prayer which followeth it is plainly declared That the Popes Captains suffer the Ashes to be laid upon their heads to this end That by that means they may deserve to have forgivness of their sins when notwithstanding we have before abundantly heard that forgivness of sins cometh only from God through Faith in the name of his Son Christ and not by reason of any work although commanded in the Law of God much less by any ceremony invented by man as it is written Be it known to you ye men and Brethren that through this man Christ is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and that by him all that believe are justified from all things from which we could not be justified by the Law of Moses Again Why tempt ye God that ye would put a Yoke on the Disciples necks which neither our Fathers nor we we were able to bear But we believe that through the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved c. And in the Service after Salisbury use as they term it we read these words Grant that through the Invocation of thy holy name all they that bear these Ashes upon their heads for the obtaining of thy mercy may merit of thee to receive forgivness of all their Trespasses Are not these words all one in effect with the other which we heard before Verily there is neither barrel better herring Whether use we follow both rob Christ of his glory After these benedictions and sanctifications these Ashes must be sprinkled with Holy-Water to make up the matter Which thing dispatched certain Anthems must be sung and in the mean season the Ashes must be received of so many as are present First of all the Priest that shall say Mass must have the Ashes laid upon his head by another Priest if he be present But if there be no more Priests then must he kneel down meekly before the Altar and lay Ashes upon his own head Afterward must the other Ministers come if any be present and kneeling down before the Altar receive Ashes of the Priest They being served the Brethren and Sisters shall come bini bini two and two together like Fryers of one Cloyster and meekly kneeling upon their marrow bones before the Altar receive Ashes in like manner of the Priest And in distributing these Ashes the Priest must say to every one of them on this wise Memento homo quod cinis es ✚ here must the Priest make a Cross with the Ashes upon the top of the Crown if he be a Man but if a Woman upon her forehead in cinerem reverteris That is to say Remember man that thou art Ashes and into Ashes thou shalt return These Ashes in times past through the wicked Doctrine of the most wicked Papists have been counted of the common People to be of so great virtue that the receiving of them brought unto them Gods favour and a worthy preparation unto the forgiveness of their sins And contrariwise that without them neither Confession Contrition Pennance Absolution Fasting Prayer nor any other good work profited them any thing at all O lamentable blindness Of hallowing Incense Myrrhe and other Perfumes NOw that we have passed over Salt Water Bread Candles Boughs Flower Fire and Ashes we are at last come to our Perfumes as Incense Myrrhe c. Neither are they so sweet nor their savours so pleasant but that the Papists find fault in them so that they also have need of their Exorcisms Conjurations Sanctifications Benedictions Crossings and Blessings Therefore in falling in hand with that matter the Popish Priest beginneth to Conjure in this manner speaking to the Devil as one not unacquainted with his doings I Conjure thee thou most unclean Spirit and every phantasy of the Enemy in the Name of God the Father Almighty and in the name of Jesus Christ his Son and in the virtue of the Holy Ghost That thou with all thy false Subtilty and Wickedness go forth and depart from this Creature of Perfume or Incense that this Creature may be Sanctified ✚ in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ that all they which taste touch or smell it may enjoy the virtue and help of the Holy Ghost so that wheresoever this Incense or Perfume shall be thou in no wise be bold to approach near there nor presume to trouble But what foul Spirit soever thou art thou with all thy crafty falshood flee and dapart far from thence being straitly charged by the name and virtue of God the Father Almighty and of his Son our Lord Jesus Christ who in the Holy Ghost shall come to judge the quick and the dead and thee thou traiterous Offendor and the World through Fire Amen Here is much work and little help The poor Devil is here so handled and so straightly Conjured that he knoweth not whither to turn him First of all this Conjurer rateth him beyond all measure and calleth him most unclean Spirit foul

thy Love and be multiplied into the length of days Then let holy Water be sprinkled upon the Ring and all is well Who can otherwise than laugh at the folly of these foolish Papists who not being content to shew their fondness in certain trifling matters must desire God to send his blessing on a poor Ring What kind of Prayers are these unto God Are they worthy of Gods Majesty Is this to ask according to the will of God God ought not to be called upon in vain and trifling matters but in grave and weighty Causes in affairs that appertain unto his glory and to the salvation of our Souls The very Heathen in times past would have been ashamed to offer up their Prayers to their false Gods for such foolish and childish things And to say the truth this kind of praying is nothing else than a plain mocking of God The Papists might with as good a Conscience pray to God to make the weathercock of Pauls a Preacher for this Prayer would please God assoon as the other But let us see to what end the Papist desireth God to send his blessing upon the Ring It is saith he That she which shall wear it may be armed with the virtue of Heavenly defence and that it may profit her to eternal salvation Here be two goodly matters if they might be obtained But where hath God promised that the wearing of a Ring hallowed by a Popish Priest should bring to the wearer the vertue of Heavenly defence and everlasting salvation What if an Heathen Woman and an Idolatress should wear this sanctified Ring should she also enjoy these two Commodities For the words are general That she which shall wear it c. But to be short we shall note that the vertue of Heavenly defence cometh not by the wearing of a Ring but by the mighty protection of God wherewith both by his Grace and Spirit and by the Ministery of his Angels he defended his Elect and chosen People as it is written The poor crieth and the Lord heareth him and delivereth him out of all his troubles The Angel of the Lord pitcheth his Tent round about them that fear him and delivereth them And as touching eternal Salvation who knoweth not that it is the free gift of God given to the faithful for Christ Jesus sake Therefore to ascribe these heavenly Treasures to the wearing of a poor Ring doth not a little obscure the Grace of God and the Merits of Christ's Death and Passion The Hallowing of the Pilgrims Wallet and Staff THe Pilgrims that intend to go on Pilgrimage either to St. Peter and Paul at Rome or to St. James of Compostella or to any other Saints must first of all be blessed of the Priest in this manner First the Pilgrims must come devoutly unto the Church and make their Confession humbly to the Priest and gladly receive of him Penance and Absolution Afterward they shall come into the Chancel reverently prostrating themselves and lying flat upon the ground before the Altar Then the Priest shall say these Psalms Miserere Deus misereatur Qui habitat Nunc dimittis with Kyrie eleyson Christe eleyson Kyrie eleyson Pater noster Ave c. After these things shall follow the hallowing of the Pilgrims Wallet and Staff In the hallowing of this Staff amongst many other words the Popish Priest hath these O Lord Jesu Christ we humbly call upon thee that thou wilt vouchsafe to ✚ bless this Wallet and Staff that whosoever for the love of thy Name doth endeavour himself to take the same by his side as an Armour of humility and to hang it about their necks or to carry it in their hands and so going on Pilgrimage having meek Devotion for a Companion of their Journey to seek the helps of Saints they being preserved with the defence of thy right hand may merit to come to the joys of the eternal vision Here is more work for the Tinker A new Master a new and hang up the old as the Porters cry in Sturbridge-Fair Here is a sudden fall even out of the Hall into the Kitchin as they use to say Our Papist is suddenly come from his golden Rings to Scrips Wallets and Staves and now he sanctifieth and blesseth them yea and that so much the more because they are but vile Pedlary Ware and serve only for Rome-runners and Pilgrimage-gadders In this his Consecration he humbly beseecheth God to bless the Wallet and the Staff Without doubt God is not a little bound to the Papists For as they are busie-bodies themselves so will they not suffer God to be unoccupied The Epicures fain that God is idle in Heaven and taketh no care of his Creatures but suffereth all things to go which way they will Fortune and not God's Providence bearing rule The Papists therefore as it may seem fearing that God should fall into idleness and forget his Creatures appoint him to work But what work I pray ye Verily to hallow and bless Water Salt Bread Candles Palms Fire Ashes Incense Pascal Pascal Lamb Eggs Herbs Milk Honey Apples Wine Cheese Butter new baken Bread Flesh Font and I know not how many things besides And now at the last they appoint him to consecrate bless and sanctifie vile beggerly Wallets and Staves for Rome-runners and Pilgrimage-gadders Is not God much bound to these Papists that appoint him so vile an Office And is not God worthy to tender these their requests And are not these requests of the Papists meet to be granted But let us see why the Papists are so desirous that God should bless these Wallets and Scrips these Staves and Sticks Because say they that whosoever endeavours to take the same Wallet and Staff by his side or to hang it about his neck or to carry it in his hand and so go on Pilgrimage to seek the helps of Saints may merit to come to the joys of the eternal vision Is not here a good work in hand think you Ought not God even of duty to put to his helping hand and to put this good deed forward An idle lend lasie Lubber is determined to wander and gad abroad with his Wallet and Staff and to live of the sweat of folks hands and God must be a Cloak of his idleness Is it not well appointed Why do they not also appoint God to bless the Pilgrims Breeches Hose Shoes c. For he hath as much need of all these things in his Journey as of the Wallet and the Staff except he hath made a vow to go his Pilgrimage breechless and bare-arsed bare-legged and bare-footed as many do And what other thing is it to go on Pilgrimage to seek the helps of Saints than to play the Idolaters and to run away from God that fountain and well-spring of all goodness and to commit Whoredom I mean Idolatry with Creatures which of themselves were never able to help themselves and to beg of them that they cannot give Is it any other thing

Spirit and traiterous Offendor and chargeth him not in the name of Robinhood or little John nor yet in the name of Fryer Tuck and maid Marion but in the name of God the Father Almighty and in the name of Jesus Christ his Son and in the vertue of the Holy Ghost That he with all his false Subtilty and Wickedness and with all his crafty Falshood depart from that creature of Incense or Perfume There is no remedy but the Devil must now needs trudge being so straitly Conjured But it is marvellous that such Perfumes should make so sweet savours if the Devil were in them as the Popish Conjurer fancieth If one Devil be in so little portion of Incense what a number of Devils be there in all the Apothecaries Shops that are in Bucklersbury and elsewhere I wonder how they can sleep in the night season having so many Devils in their Houses If the Doctrine of the Papists be true it were high time yea and more than time that these Conjuring Priests were sent for and set a work to Conjure such unclean and foul Spirits yea and such traiterous Offenders lest they make havock of all Apothecaries and Grocers Houses and all others also wheresoever any Incense myrrhe or any other Perfume is If Incense were possessed with the Devil as the Papists teach I much marvel that the Holy Ghost would by the mouth of the Psalmist compare Prayer unto it Again if Incense were possessed with so foul and unclean Spirits it is much to be marvelled that it should have so sweet a savour seeing the Devil corrupteth all things that he possesseth But let us consider why this Papist taketh so great pains to Conjure the Devil out of the Incense Some urgent grave weighty and necessary cause moveth him thus to do otherwise he would never be so earnest in the matter Forsooth Sir and it please you The cause that moveth him to take all these pains in Conjuring and dispatching the Devil is that this Creature of Perfume or Incense may be sanctified in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ yea and that unto this end That all they who taste touch or smell it may enjoy the virtue and help of the Holy Ghost so that wheresoever this Incense or Perfume shall be the Devil in no wise may be bold to approach near nor presume to make any hurly burly but that he with all his crafty Falshood fly and depart far from thence O notable Virtues O wonderful Works Of this Exorcism we learn that so many as taste touch or smell of this Perfume or Incense do enjoy the virtue and help of the Holy Ghost To taste that is to say to eat of Incense or any other Perfume is rare but to touch or to smell thereof is daily and common But that this should bring the virtue and help of the Holy Ghost is of all things most rare and almost incredible To have the Holy Ghost is the meer and only gift of God as he himself testifieth by the Prophet saying I will pour out my Spirit upon all Flesh and your Daughters shall Prophesie Again he saith I will pour clear Water upon you and ye shall be clean yea from all your uncleanness and from all your Idols shall I cleanse you A new heart also will I give you and a new Spirit will I put into you c. I will give my Spirit among you and cause you to walk in my Commandments to keep my Laws and fulfil them And our Saviour Christ saith If ye being evil can give good Gifts to your Children how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Ghost to them that ask it of him Again I will pray my Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever even the Spirit of truth whom the World cannot receive for it seeth him not neither hath it known him Here have we in manifest and plain words that the Holy Ghost is the gift of God only and that it cometh not unto us by Conjured Incense and and other bewitched Perfumes but by Prayer alone which God hath appointed the mean to obtain his blessed Spirit Moreover in this Exorcism or Conjuration the Exorcist or Conjurer attributeth so much to these bewitched Perfumes that they be able wheresoever they be kindled or set on Fire to drive away the Devil with all his Craft and Falshood This is an old jugling of the Papists so to esteem their Sorceries that they may be able to move Mountains yea to drive Devils away But we have before heard that the Devil is more mighty and of greater force and strength than that the smoak of a little Incense can be able to drive him away We have heard also that by Faith Prayer Fasting and by the Word of God Satan is expelled and put out and not by dumb Ceremonies For this purpose saith St. John hath the Son of God appeared even to dissolve loosen break and destroy the works of the Devil In the Prayers that follow the Sorcerer prayeth God that the Incense may be to his Servants or Handmaids a Defence and Safeguard that the Enemy the Devil enter not into their bowels nor have any entrance or seat in them Again That all Diseases and deceits of the Devil feeling the savour of this Incense may flee away so that the People be not hurt through the biting of the old Serpent but that it may expel and drive away all phantastical assaults of unclean Spirits and expel all Infirmities Sicknesses and Diseases and in fine health being restored smell to the Lord our God a most pleasant odour with perpetual sweetness The Papists sing always one manner of song that which only is due to the Creator they attribute to Creatures after they have once exorcised conjured or bewitched them But we have before abundantly heard That no man can be delivered from the assaults of Satan and other wicked Spirits and from sicknesses and diseases nor obtain any health but only by the power of Almighty God as it is written Neither Herb nor Emplaister hath healed them O Lord but thy Word which healeth all things And whereas they will have their Perfumes to be a sweet savour in the Nostrils of God we know that there is nothing that smelleth sweetly before God but the Sacrifice of Christ's death As the Apostle saith Christ loved us and gave himself for us an Offring and a Sacrifice of a sweet savour unto God Again By Christ do we offer up Sacrifice of praise always to God that is to say the fruit of those lips which confess his Name After these solemn Prayers the Exorcist devoutly looking upon his new bewitched stuff speaketh on this manner The blessing ✚ of God Almighty ✚ the Father ✚ the Son ✚ and the holy Ghost descend and come down upon this Creature of Incense Myrrh and Perfume and abide upon it alway Amen These things dispatched he putteth some of the new Perfumes in