Romes flocke as grosse Idolatry Commits as Pagans with theirs anciently On Romes Doctrine and Practise of Equivocation ALL Rome for a false Church should damne flye hate Because she teacheth to equivocate The worst of all Lies cheates that is no truth Can be in Rome who this defends pursu'th How can men pin their faith on Romes Church sleeve Whose doubling faith words oathes none can beleeve They may more faith truth finde in Devills then In most of Romes Popes Jesuites Clergie-men Whose strange Equivocations Lyes should make All them and their false Church quite to forsake On Papists blasphemous Assertions touching the Virgin Mary to the dishonour of God the Father and Christ his Sonne BErnard de Busti and some Romanists Since him record that Gods Kingdome consists Chiefely in these two Iustice and Mercy That God this last hath resignâ—d to Mary As his Kingdomes best halfe whence all who by Gods Justice griev'd are may appeale and flye From God to her as men here commonly From Courts of Law appeâ—le to Chancery Who by her Mercy will them ayde releeve Against Gods Justice when ere it them grieve So that if God in justice men condemne Her Mercy mauger God will absolve them And free from condemnation if this be True God's but halfe a God no God but she God hath nought left but Justice which damnes all Not one for Justice all for Mercy call Mary hath all Gods Mercy is all grace Nay Mercies Fountaine all then will embrace Her for their onely Goddesse all will flye Sue pray to her not one to God will cry Nor yet to Christ who being just as well As mercifull doth oft delay repell Poore sinners suites writes Anselme when Mary Compos'd of nought but mercy clemency Heares and grants all mens suites without delay As soone as they unto her seeke or pray So as all those who their suites would obtaine With speede must unto her resort complaine Which if true Doctrine all to her will run And Christ as Mediator be undone Since all will sue to her who doth first grant And ne're demand of God one thing they want For Christ his Intercession but seeke all From her whom they their ADVGCATE oft If these write truth the Virgin hath undone Un-Godded both the Father and Sonne Ingrost their Mercy Office Diâ—ty And made herselfe Romes onely god Truely Then well might Bonaventure in his Psalter Our Lord unto our Lady change and alter Throughout the Psalmes and the Lord sayd to my Lord sit thou at my right hand untill I Thine enemies make thy footestoole translate The Lord sayd to our Lady sit thou at My right hand untill I thine enemies Thy footestoole make And in like sort disguise O Lord in thee have I put my trust let Me never be confounded and to set It thus O Lady I my trust in thee Have put O never suffer me to be Put to confusion in thy righteousnesse Deliver me for thou art my fortresse With sundry such like This grosse Blasphemy Which Romes Popes Church approve use justifie To Gods and Christs dishonour should now make All them quite to abandon and forsake On Romes Novelties notwithstanding her pretence of Antiquity ROme is still vaunting of Antiquity Though all or most in her be Novelty Her Popes Arch-prelates Prelates Cardinals Arch-Deacons Prebends Deanes Officialls Subdeacons Readers Clerkes Acolythists Abbots Abbesses Priors Massing-Priests Monkeâ— Friers Nunnes of all sorts Anchorites Conâ—essors â—egats Pard'ners Jesuites Chancellours Vicars Proctors Commissaries Dataries Chaplaines are all Novelties Not found in Scripture mens late forgery Now since Rome these her Church cals deemes only Her Chuch is but a Novelty built on Mens fancies not on Christ the Corneâ— stone Her blotting out the second Commandement And doubling of the tenth to give content Her monstrous Transubstanâ—â—â—tion Masse Ladies Psalters hâ—lfe Communion Her drinking of Christs blood within the bread She eates and that 〈◊〉 in the veines not shed Making adoâ—â—â—g gods Saints Images 〈…〉 Crosses Pixes Crucifixes Prayâ—â—s to God in unknowne Tongues to Saints Departed who cannot heare their complaints Auricular confession exempting Delinquent clerkes from justice of their King Election for mens fore-seene workes freewill Falling from Grace new Miracles wrought still Her markes of a true Church the Priests intent Essentiall to make a true Sacrament Adoring of the host conditionally If it in truth be turn'd to Christs body Saints seeing Prayers in the Looking-glasse O' th' Trinity to which mens prayers still passe Her worshipping of all things with Latry As Crosse speare Nayles Thornes which toucht Christs body Her Pictures of our Lady on a throne Crown'd Queen of Heav'n with Christ a little one Held in her Armes Her praying unto her Command thy Sonne shew thy selfe a Mother Reliques of her milk haire combs Gowns smocks all Still fresh sweete sinnes in nature veniall Prayer to Angels Limbus Purgatory Popes Indulgences Pardons sold for money For any sinne five new coyn'd Sacraments Her publicke stewes allow'd to raise Popes rents Her Merits workes of supererogation Doubt no certaine assurance of Salvation Popes right to both swords their supremacy Over all Persons Clergie Laity Their excommunicating deposing Iudging nay killing Kings interdicting Whole Kingdomes absolving from loyalty And solemne oathes of that fidelity Which subjects make unto their kings arming Exciting subjects ' gainst their lawfull King Processions Pilgrimages reservations Of Hosts in Pixes with their elevations And Adorations Lay men not to read Gods Word that it must be interpreted Confirm'd by Popes that Romes Popes may dispense Against Gods word controll the text and sense That Popes are above Councels generall And must confirme nay over-rule and call Them of due right that Councels cannot erre Nor Popes in Peters chaire where they sit ne're Saints canonizing Romes rich Treasaury Of Merit whereof Popes must keepe the key Cases reserved to his Sanctity Buls Masses to free Soules from Purgatory Justification not by faith alone But workes more Mediators besides one That Mary is the Churches Advocate Damning Priests marriage vowing Celibate Saints Legends Holi-dayes strict abstinence From meates at set dayes out of conscience Bowing at Altars shaving Priests Nuns Crowns Great difference in habits Coules Frocks Gowns Beades Pater Nosters Aves sayd by score Yea Ave Mary Bels not known afore Time Holy-water Holy-bred Candels Burning at Noon-day Christning hallowing Bells Palmes Churches Church-yards Altars Chalices Salt Spittle Chrisme Swords Pals Roâ—bets Abbees Copes Altar-Cloathes Organs strange Duckes Bowings Nods Gestures Ceremonies and Crossings Chaunting of Masses praying toward the East Chusing of some Saints more than all the rest For certaine Kingdomes Countries diseases Cities Professions like the Pagans these With sundry other things are Novelties Not found in Scripture but mens Forgeries Cease then thy Bragges Rome thy Religion 's new Vaine false ours onely is old saving true On and against Romes halfe Communion and Sacrilegious depriving the people of
praying thus but sensually He would in reason have God him deny But Dominicke did never ought require Of God but he obtain'd his full desire Because he nought requested according Vnto the flesh They harpe more on this string The Lord hath loved us and washt away Our sinnes in his blood Dominicke say they Out of perfection of his Charity Spending the whole night with God fervently In prayer did with his owne hands every day A threefold whipping undergoe I pray By what command from God not with whipcord But with an Iron chaine wherewith be goard And lasht himselfe to blood-shed One was done For his owne sinnes which were but small or none Another for those Soules in Purgatory The third for those who in this world yet lye In fine to passe by and not name the rest Of their blasphemous Parallels at best When our Lord Christ would leave this world be to His griev'd Disciples loth him to fore-goe Promis'd to send a Comforter that is The holy Ghost Saint Domincke to his Disciples neere his death sayd Doe not ye My deare Friends mourne nor vexe at all for me Nor let my now departure hence you move For in the place to which I goe above The Cloudes I shall be far more profitable To you than I whiles here to be am able For after my decease you shall me have A better Advocate by much to crave Ought for you then I now am by which speech He doth Christs Office usurpe and impeech Who that hath any conscience saith grace feare Or love of God can once with patience heare Such grosse blasphemous speeches or not hate Those shamelesse Fryers who dare them to relate Yet Romes Church Popes approve and Canonize For Saints those who spake writ these blasphemies With what face than can any man averre That Romes Popes Church can never stray nor erre No doubt in this they erre so shamefully That all who love God truth their soules will flye From their Communion since they Canonize Such men for Saints approve such blasphemies On the strange Popish Miracles attributed to and forged of S. Vincent Ferrier and S. Anthony of Padua SOme Popish Saints in Miracles out-reach Christs owne Apostles who sent out to preach To sundry Nations were most wondrously Endow'd with all tongues knowledge from an high That so they might to all men preach in their Owne Language But Saint Vincent Ferrier Preaching in Spanish to strangers who knew Not this his Language if the tale be true Was understood by all as perfectly As if he had preacht to them severally In their owne tongues Nay some who earnestly Desir'd to heare him Preach not possibly Able to come unto the Church did heare Him more than one whole league off very cleare He had a lowder voyce belike than all Christs twelve Apostles joyned with S. Paul Since none could heare them preaching halfe that space As these this Saint heard Nor was this his case Alone for I reade that S. Anthony Of Padua who Preacht in one onely Language to those of sundry Nations who Were unacquainted with his Tongue was so Well understood of them as if that he Had Preacht in their owne Dialect yea the Good wife who would have come to his Sermoâ— But hindred by her husband got upon Her Barne to heare it heard him perfectly Halfe a league off the place he preach't in she Had very good eares doubtlesse or else he A thundring voyce They make him yet doe more Than Christ or his Apostles heretofore For Preaching at Ariminum unto The Heretiques who stopt their Eares that so They might not heare his voyce he presently Went to the Sea-side to that Towne then nigh And there with great affiance in Gods ayde Called unto the fishes and them pray'd To bearken to him whom the Sectaries And Heretickes to heare did then despise This sayd an infinite scooll of great small And middle sort of fishes ranged all In their set Order lift their heads above The water him to heare who out of love Calls them his Brethren then did to them make A Sermon of the blessings they partake And still receive from God instructing them What thankes and Service they should yeeld to him Which Sermon ended all the Fishes bow'd Their heads his blessing to receive The crowd Of people seeing this strange sight were all Astonied and the Heretiques did fall Downe at his feete desiring him to preach To them and Gods truth among them to teach I wish he had it taught to those who write These lyes of him and them for truths recite Then had we never further read that he To Bouivil his Asse or Mule brought the Host with great reverence when she had beene Kept three dayes fasting and no meate had seene Commanding the beast in the Lords name he Then held in his hands to come how the knee Forthwith to his Creator and adore Him that Christs presence therein might no more Be henceforth doubted Heretiques thereby Confounded which spoke the Asse instantly Her Master and her Provender forsakes Though hungry and upon her knees there makes Prostration to the Host as to her maker And Lord though made by the Priest or Baker Which miracle so evident greatly The Catholickes did comfort edifie But did encourage Heretiques much more Who the Host as their Lord would not adore For all this miracle Rome might let passe This peece of worship prov'd thus by this Asse Sith they at least are Asses if not more Who from an Asse learne how God to adore On the Popish Blasphemous Legends of their S. Catherine of Sennes T Is strange what Romish Legends write of their Saint Catherine of Sennes who cut her haire To shun her Marriage having formerly Espous'd her selfe to Christ most solemnely And â—ow'd to be his spouse alone They say That she did whip her selfe three times each day For three houres space with a sharpe Iron chaine So that her blood did issue forth amaine Out of all parts of her body willing To repay Christ by this her blood-shedding The blood which he for her sinnes shed on the Crosse that she might no debtor to him be To passe by all her strict Fasts Disciplines Strange Visions as requiring many lines They write that Christ did so familiarly Converse with her appeare so frequently To her when she did pray or meditate Walke or repose her selfe early and late That he seem'd alwayes present with her yea And talke with her saying Thinke thou of me And I shall thinke and take of thee the care With sundry such discourses which I spare That Jesus Christ enamored with her Appeared to her with his owne mother And other Saints and her most solemnely Espoused in their presence visibly The Virgin Mary leading her unto Her Sonne Christ Jesus as a person who Was worthy to be wedded specially To him who condescending presently To this her motion put a Ring of Gold With foure rich stones on
her finger then told Her I betroth thee to me thy maker And Saviour After which act he did her Continually visit familiarly Bringing with him oft times Virgin Mary And sometimes other Saints yet usually Comming alone keeping her company Walking reciting Psalmes with her which She Vnlearned knew not how to read till he At her request did teach her instantly By Miracle to reade them perfectly They write that Christ himselfe the Sacrament Gave unto her that the Host it selfe went Vnto her mouth without helpe and that she The Child Jesus in the Host oft did see That Christ his wound in his left side opened For her who thence Christs owne warme blood sucked That he stampt on her his five wounds that she In suffring torments might like to Christ be In fine they write that Christ did really Change hearts with her tooke out of her body Opened on the left side her heart which he Tooke with him for some space that meane time She Lived without an heart that soone after Christ in his glory did appeare to her With a red beautifull heart in his hand And comming neere to her where she did stand He thrust it in to her on the left side Saying to her My daughter and my Bride I here deliver my heart unto thee In leiw of thine which uttered then be Her side clos'd up and that this really Was done not in a vision shew onely The scarre remaining in her side descry'd Which her Companions oft times view'd and ey'd These most Blasphemous grosse notorious lyes Which every Christian Soule abhors defies Romes Church proclaimes for truths conformable Vnto her faith and them approves full well Witnesse the Sorbon Doctors approbation Prefixt in Print before their late relation Of Rabadeneira the Jesuit His Flours of Saints lives Saints lyes a more fit Title were for it Re-Printed lately With approbation in French Certainely Romes Church must needes be false which justifies Such monstrous Lyes such horrid Blasphemies And deemes them very usefull necessary For all to know true them her to defy On a Popish Miracle of their Deifide Hostia OUr Walsingham relates this Miracle That Otho when deposed not being well At point of death did earnestly desire His extreame Viand ere he should expire Which he unable to retaine ought he Then tooke desired onely but to see Not eate Christs Body which when the Priest nigh Him brought he it with great humility Ador'd then drawing neere to it stretching His armes out as if he were most willing It to embrace his body quite naked The Host out of the Priests hands then leaped And through an hole which opened instantly In his flesh just whereas his heart did lye Entred into his Body which done the Hole forthwith clos'd up so that none could see The Print of any scarre When he the Host Had thus receiv'd he rendred up the Ghost This nimble skipping Host was certainly Ill tutored to leape so wondrously Into the heart of one deposed by The Pope himselfe as the Church enemy And to breake Christs owne institution Not being eaten nor once fed upon Which makes me feare this Monstrous Miracle Is but a Fable coyn'd in some Monkes Cell On Papists prayers to those for Saints who neither were Saints nor Men. I Much admire deplore the sottishnesse Of Romes deluded flocke who oft addresse Their prayers unto S. Martiall Christopher George Margarite and Saints who never were Nay to the wodden-Crosse which Crucifide Our Saviour to the speare which pierc'd his side Which they have made a Saint and him now Name Saint Longis writing Legends of the same They pray unto the Nayles which nayl'd his feete And hands Saint them too t is very meete And then Saint Eloy nominate I feare These woodden Iron Saints will hardly heare Their prayers If they doe not yet verily The three chiefe graces Faith Hope Charity Which they have made three Saints of later dayes And in their solemne Liturgies alwayes Invoke thus O S. Faith pray for us Saint Hope pray for us S. Charity our plaint Heare and pray for us will undoubtedly Both heare and give an answere to their cry Else they would not them invocate I feare These Saints are deafe too and cannot them heare Since they are sacred Graces not Saints and Extreame remote from those not neare at hand Who them for Saints invoke who certainely Have in them no true Faith Hope Charity Sith they yet know not what they are or where And cry to them as Saints in heav'n not here On Popish blinde Obedience CHrist writes expressely if Blind lead the Blind They both shall fall into the pit nay finde Destruction as the Prophet punctually Determines 't is then false Divinity Which Tollet and Cusanus teach of late That he who doth beleeve his owne Prelate When as he shall propound an Heresie Against the faith shall merit much thereby Although it be an errour because he Is bound for to beleeve him till it be Apparent to him that t is contrary To what the Church beleeves whence they thus cry O how strong is the Churches building Why For no man can be deceiv'd no not by An evill Bishop If thou to God say O Lord I did thee in my Priest obey This shall suffice thee to Salvation For thou by the willing submission That thou yeeldst to thy Bishop canst not be Deceived although he shall command thee Other things than he ought to doe for the Church doth presume his sentence good to be Which sentence though false if thou shalt obey Thy reward shall be great Therefore say they Obedience without reason is a most Full and compleate obedience when thou dost Obey without inquiring reason why As beasts obey their masters a beastly Vnreasonable doctrine which should make All men suspect Romes Priests and them forsake Who make them worse than beasts cause thē deny Their reason senses lest they should descry Their grosse erronious Doctrines which if try'd By Scripture reason sense would be deny'd Of all receiv'd of none Romes faith would fall Did not her blind obedience most inthrall On Romes making perpetuall visibility a note of the true Church ROme saith the true Church is still visible If Popes her Church and Head were so 't were well But they dye and then oft for sundry yeares Monthes weekes at least no Church nor head appeares At all in Rome which sometimes two or three Popes hath at once so as no man can see Which is the true Church Head Pope since each one Doth then pretend he 's true Church Pope alone Rome then must bid this marke of hers adieu Else it will prove her a false Church not true Since Popes her Church are not still seene she Hath oft no Pope head sometimes two or three On Romes making Multitude and Roman a note of the true Church SOme Romanists averre that Multitude A Churches truth and goodnesse
within them as you hold And here You are most grosse Idolaters I feare For when you hold these Christ in your hand You bow to Altars whereon neither stand Did you thus bow to Christ as you pretend You would not to your naked Altars bend When he is in your hands contained in These vessels here you faulter erre and sin As you doe likewise when you bow adore Towards the Altar Tables just before You goe to consecrate the Sacrament Ere Christ's there present in the Element You should me thinkes not bow but stay till he By consecration should there present be Yet one bout more the bread and wine you say Are or containe Christs body blood and they Are better greater than Gods sacred word Why doe you then bow to the Altar Board Not to the Bread Wine Christ nay them neglect When in your hands to turne bow with respect Unto meere naked Tables Altars sure Your wits are lost and Christ will not endure To see a stone or planke ador'd whilst he Then in your hands must not thus worshipt be By this all know it is a truth no fable That you adore not Christ thus but the Table Or Altar else you would not to them bow Whilst you hold Christ within your hands Then now At last discerne your folly and pretend No more you worship Christ you him offend And since nought in the Sacrament presents Christ to us but the Sacred Elements You must your Altar-worship quite give o're And nought but them if ought henceforth adore And yet the signes are not so venerable As is each Saints heart wherein Christ doth dwell In farre more lively reall manner then In bread wine Altars made for holy men Christs reall presence is in these alone They are his members body flesh bone one In and with him call'd Christ if you adore Christ where he dwels most you must bow before To towards these his living Temples where He still resides this you 'le not doe I feare But rather bow to senselesse Altars stones Then to the dearest of Christs holy ones The common objects of your disrespect Take heed you be not one day for it checkt If this displease to give you some content Me thinkes your Priests by office reverent Who hallow hold take give the sacred bread And wine to all should be more worshipped Then your bare Altars sith they represent Christs person who blest gave this Sacrament At first are Altars senselesse wood or stone More sacred worthy then Priests who alone Neglected are not bow'd to then by you Doubtlesse if bowing be to either due It is to Priests your name or if you will To Ministers who there act and fulfill Christs Office who more present then resides In their hands persons then in ought besides More than in Paten Chalice Altar yet These worthy persons now too oft forget Their honour office Christ whom they present And whilst they Paten Cup blest Element Hold in their hands like senselesse stocks or stones They unto Altars turne and bow their bones Whereas if Altars Tables had but sence Life they would bow and doe them reverence For shame then be not stocks or fooles henceforth But know your selves your office place state worth And no more cracke your braines to justifie Gestures that strip you of your dignity And senses both at once as you must see And now confesse unlesse you senselesse be Where Christ's more truely present on the Altar Then in the Priests the Priests deserve an halter And I shall deeme that man a stocke or stone Who bowes to Altars le ts the Priests alone O Priests consider well of what I say And then in this you will not say me nay But if you doe and Altars still adore I le not spend breath to plead a Priests cause more But ere we part once more to Church wee 'l tend Why doe you not to Font Pue Pulpit bend As well as Altars Tables since in these Christ is more present in his Ordinances Then on these in most Churches places where Baptisme Lords Supper Sermons frequent are In these each weeke day Christ is constantly Present on Altars Tables quarterly Or monethly at the most he then resides More in the Pulpit Font than ought besides You hold that Baptisme yea and Gods word too Are simply needfull men to save but so Is not the Eucharist as all agree They then more usefull worthy needs must be These two save men alone but t'other not The greatest reverence then you should allot To Pulpits Fonts whence these dispensed are Than to the Altars where Christ is more rare But let these passe you cannot this deny That Bibles farre surpasse in dignity Fonts Altars Tables Churches Pulpits all Which without Gods word to the ground wil fal This is their sole foundation if it fade All else without it is nought but meere shade Both Table Pulpit Church Font Sacrament Of all these then Gods word 's most excellent In it Gods Spirit Christ grace more reside Then in all places of the Church beside If then you will adore bow cringe at all You must unto before Church-Bibles fall Your Altar-bowings while you these neglect With God and good men will finde no respect In fine Christ's promise is where two or three In his name meete together he will be In midst of them yea Scripture saith alway That God amidst his Church house folke doth stay As he dwels lives most in mens middle part And center not head foot but in their heart Whence Altars in the midst of Church did stand As hearts in midst of men doe writes Durand To say then that Christ sits upon the Table As you now place it is no doubt a Fable For it stands not in midst of Church Quire but Against the Chancels East-wall there up shut Close prisoner with a new raile remote from The Congregation which now must not come Nor have seats neare it it 's a place too high And sacred for Lay people to come nigh If then God Christ midst Church and people be As by forequoted Scriptures you may see Your Tables Altars which now stand alone Far from the Churches midst are not their Throne If you will have them grac'd with their presence You must remove them to the midst from thence Where they are present else they will still set Besides these Thrones whose due place you forget But ancient Christians pray'd lookt towards the East Because the Altar was so plac'd at least In most old Churches this is Heylins Fable To justifie the placing of the Table Against the East end of the Chancell wall Though he no Altars Tables findes in all Antiquity so seated when as they In midst of Church or Quire were plac'd alway Hence Quires were so stil'd because men did stand About the Altar round like a Crowne and Did there sing praises as writes Isidore Rabanus Maurus others
heretofore Though some fond Novellists the contrary Averre against truth and antiquity Hence in old times the people round about The Priest and Table stood not thence bar'd out With rayles as now when as the Sacrament Was celebrated as is evident By Chrysostomes words in the Margin and By the Priests prayer at Masse for all that stand There Round about him And by old Saxon Canons at home forbidding Priests alone To celebrate Masse marke the reason why Because there ought some people to stand by There round about him whom he may salute And who may answer him and in pursuite Hereof he must remember Christs words where Two or three in my name together are Met there am I in midst of them hence we In the Musarabicke Office find the Priest kneeling at the Altar praying thus Be present be present O good Jesus In midst of us an high Priest as thou wast In midst of thy Disciples in times past And sanctifie this our Oblation Hence Bernard sweetly descanting upon That of the Psalmist He shall not dwell in The midst of my house who workes pride and sin Saith Jesus in the midst of the Church is Not in a corner which he proves by this His speech Where two or three are met together In my name I in midst of them am ever And by some other texts Hence Isiodor With others write that Deacons heretofore Stood round about the Altar as if they Its pillars were it to support and stay Yea hence in ancient Massebooke writers I Finde Priests still singing thus I will wash my Hands in innocency and so I will Compasse thine Altar round and Bishops still When they did hallow Altars anciently Did cense and Circuit them round frequently Which they could not doe unlesse they stood so That they might round about them freely goe Yea in the ancient Roman order I This passage finde that Bishops anciently Did round about the Altar goe when they Did consecrate that sub-deacons alway Behind the Altar went and stood upright After the Offerture with their eye-sight Fixt on the Pope which could not be at all If Altars stood not distant from the wall Besides 't is cleare out of Eusebius Chrysostome Austin Dionysius Nazianzen Socrates Scholasticus Nicephorus Bede Walafrid Strabus Durand that Altars Tables anciently Stood in the midst of Churches Quires not by The Eastwall Altarwise as now they place Them in our Churches with a brazen face Affirming that they so stood of old when Hospinian Mourney Marnix Moulin men Of note with Rivet and some more learned Men in Reformed forraine Churches bred With Bucer Tyndall Ridley Babington Old Ferrer Jewell Fulke Cartwright Morton Willet with others prove that anciently Altars stood not against the wall close by The East end of the Quire as in these dayes But in the midst that people might alwayes Goe or stand round about them Thus stood the Altar of old in the Catacombe At Rome and in Saint Peters Church lately Romes prime Cathedrall and in history I read that Witikindonce saw the face Of Charles the great deckt with a chearefull grace After his approach to the Lords Table In the midst of the Church And I am able By sundry instances to manifest That Altars stood not anciently at th' East End of the Quire against the wall but I Will onely name two more for brevity And those at home In Austins Church built by Austin first Arch-bishop of Canterbury In that great Church in Bedes time the Altar Stood almost in the midst of the Church farre From the East-wall in the North-Isle If I Conceive him right And the Monkes of Bury Abbey in Suffolke in King Edwards dayes The first of that name whiles they went to raise Them a new Chappell as they digged found The wals of an old Church that was built round So as the Altar stood as it were nigh Or in the midst and we thinke verily Writes Everden a Monke of that place yea And Cambden out of him that this was the First Church there built unto Saint Edmonds name And service In these two Churches of Fame Of speciall note and great antiquity The Altar stood in neere the midst onely And in the Church where Saint Furse was inshrinde Above the Altars East end as I find Saint Hugh of Lincolne and John Elmer were Interr'd above the Altar even here At home therefore it stood not anciently Against the East wall of the Quire Lastly Hervetus Genebrard and others write That in Greeke Churches the high Altars site Or place is in the midst of the Quire where Josephus Vicecomes proves most cleare That Altars seated were of old both by Eusebius and Martyrs Tombes anciently The onely Altars which stood East and West Not North and South We must then needs detest Their shamelesse impudence and forgery Who contradict so cleare a verity And dare affirme that Altars heretofore Were plac'd against the East wall evermore And there rayl'd in and that men did receive The Sacrament kneeling as most beleeve When as its cleare they did receive onely Standing or sitting round the Table nigh Them and where Heylin writes that men did pray Eastward because their Altars stood that way There is no ancient Writer Councell Booke Attests that Christians to the East did looke Because their Altars were so plac'd bely Not thus for shame then grave Antiquity To bolster out your errors Novelties That cause is naught which needs the helpe of lies They Eastward lookt pray'd because Paradise Stood there of old and there the Sun did rise Poore reasons if well scan'd yet not the truth They learnt it from the Pagans in their Youth As might be prov'd by grave authority And Fathers verdicts which I here passe by There is small reason then to symbolize With them in this their heathenish Rite and guise Yet Christians bow'd to Altars anciently It is a falshood one passage onely There is to prove it 't is Tertullians And that corrupted by some evill hands Aris Dei adgeniculari Whereas t is Charis in the true Copy As notes Pamelius though a Papist and Some others which to cite I will not stand The best and oldest Manuscripts so read That place yea sense and reason for it plead For he speakes there of none but penitents Excluded both from Church and Sacraments For some great crimes which since they might not come Within the Church much lesse the Altar roome As all confesse they could not bow the knee Unto the Altar which they might not see But to Gods deare Saints out of Church whom they Kneeld downe to at their houses both to pray Them to forgive them and to supplicate God for them whilst thus