chap. and 26 27 28 29. chap. Leviticus chap. 1. to 8. and 10.11.13.14.15.17.22.26 chap. Nombers chap. 1.2.3.4.18.19.26.33.34 chap. Deuteron chap. 14. Josua 11.12.14.15.16.17.18.19.21 2. Chronicl chap. inclusive 1. to 9. and 11.12.23.24.25.26.27.2 Chron. 3.4 Ezra 7. Nohem 3.7.11.12 Ezechiel 10. and 26. to 33. inclusive and 38. to 48. inclusive Amos 1. Nahum 3. in these the whole chapters are omitted 5. Prophesies and obscure Scriptures should bâ— read as reverently and attentively as the Apostles did heare obscure doctrine and parables out of Christs own mouth and they learned humilitie in that they would not bee wiser then Christ to make a glosse of their own upon his words but did patiently awaite untill that the Lord himself revealed the matter Gods Spirit by obscure Scriptures can also help our faith as Christ made the blinde to see with clay and spittle which otherwise maketh blinde This work of the Spirit is known when the Faithfull say in their hearts I know whatsoever you obscure words do meane it shall be foâ— my well The traditions of men whether they be obscure or plain have no such authoritie nor warrand nor power of Gods Spirit therefore they have neither title nor right in this ministration 6. If Gods Word be true which saith All Scripturs is given by divine inspiration and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousnesse that the man of GOD may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Then all Scriptures should bee read to make the man of GOD perfect But humaine traditions doctrine of errors and wil-worship do make the man of sin even antichrist perfect and furnished for all evill works their most charitable and pious works whereof they glory much are but evill and full of Divine-laesmajestie because they derogate from the merits of Christ in attributing merits unto creatures who before GOD have no merit of themselves so their most charitable works are most uncharitable Qu. 8. But these omitted scriptures do lesse edifie then other scripturs Ans 1. How much or little they edifie it is only known to God who by the weakest meanes effecteth the greatest works Therefore thou should only have said they seeme to edifie little 2. I suppone that they alwayes edifie lesse then other Scriptures yet the omitting of them maketh them not to edifie more but rather nothing at all which is worse We should do all things for edification 3. Their little measure of edification should not be despised but rather receaved with thanksgiving as we receive other benefites will a man pull out his infirm eye because it is more tender then the other eye Will he cut of his little finger because the other fingers are stronger Will a covetous Prelat refuse his small teynds because they are lesse gainfull then the other teynds Casteth he all away his coyne that is not gold Therefore as God abolisheth not the smallest stars in the firmament because they give not so great light as the Sun or Moone or greater stars so we should not reject the smallest lights of Gods truth albeit their shyning be not so bright as the glansing of other principles of Divinity The obscurest scriptures have some light in them and some cleer doctrine mixed with them for which cause also they should be read Qu. 9. Is not the reading of the masse book Divine service because of the passages of Divine Scriptures in it Ans There are as good passages of Scriptures in the Turks Alcoran in the Iewish Talmud and in witches charmes In these books and charmes the holy Scriptures are written to cloak and cover the deformitie and filthinesse of idolatrous superstitious and â—â—mane traditions as good wine may hid deadly poison in the same cup. Qu. 10. You do choose on t particular Scriptures to be read as fittest for the purpose in time of plagues or extraordinary blissings and you confesse that to be Divine service so in this book wee have fitted the Scriptures for diverse occasions Therefore it is Divine service to read it Ans You have fixed the Scriptures unto set times but you have not fitted them for diverse occasions you are not Prophets you foreknow not the occasions we choose no Scriptures to be read at extraordinary times untill that God make the occasions sensible to our eyes and then his word inviteth us to choose such Scriptures saying Call upon me in the day of thy trouble and I will heare thee and thou shall glorifie me Psal 50. All our reading and preaching of such Scriptures are for expressing our desires in trouble and then God when he heareth us he blesseth us and then wee thank and glorifie Him extraordinarly in his worship but not in fixed dayes of the year Thou knowest not but thy fixed dayes of fasting and prayer for averting Gods judgements or delivering thee from plagues may be the very dayes of Gods greatest bountie in giving unto thee many spirituall and bodily blessings and then if thou keep thy humiliation foresaid thou art a mocker of God and lyest against him in pretending a plague when he blesseth thee and â—hus thou art unthankfull in not praising God solemnâ—y for these blessings The like mocking and lying against God are effected in thy fixed dayes of thanksgiving for his spirituall and bodily blessings when 〈◊〉 his anger God multiplieth his plagues Thus the antichristian Clergie are false prophets seeming to foretell by these fixed dayes of fasting and thanksgiving that God hath fixed His blessings and plagues unto the same dayes which God never intended 2. To read and hear divine service out of the canon of Scriptures which Gods Spirit hath authorized and sealed to be the rule of our faith and holy life and to be the register of Gods revealed will towards his kirk To read them I say out of this canon it is not divine service more then to read a witches charme which is full of Scriptures also But it is devilish service to obtrud the reading of them for divine service when they are incorporat into one treatise with humaine and devilish doctrine to beautifie and procure credit to the doctrine of devils The Scriptures are out of the authorized canon not when they are lying in louse sheets of paper or bound in severall books by themselves or when they are bound only with other books nor yet when they are made use of in sound doctrine of Divinitie for all these times they losse not their spirituall union and cohesion with the true canon But when they are incorporate into one treatise with humaine and profane doctrine with which they can have no spirituall union nor agreement of Divine veritie whereby they losse their dignitie more then if they were burnt in the fire for the burning of them procureth no credit to errors and lies as when they are incorporate into one treatise with errors and lies 3. The morall sentences of Philosophers containe many things which aâ—e in Gods word shall
be discerned by religious adoration from a priest when he rehearseth the law yea a priest is honoured and not God for when God gave the law the people did only stand and kneeled not Also Christs personall presence if he visiblie were beside us could not be discerned from the sacramentall elements by religious adoration Item the holy desires and the libertie of Gods people are restrained from expressing the religious divine adoration in due time and place as Gods spirit teacheth them to eschew the confusion of divine adoration with other points of Gods service 8 They restraine Gods honour and dignity in that his sacred word which for the exellency thereof should be written and set apart by it self and so declared to be more esteemed then all other word it is put together into one incorporation with Apocrypha and humaine traditions and so made only equall to them 9. They presse down the dignity of Christs sacraments and consequently the wisedome of Gods Spirit by whom Christ gave these sacraments in that a presbyter or deacon may give baptisme and the Lords supper but the bishop must only give confirmation as if it were more excellent then the sacraments of Christs ordinance But the bastard office of a tyrannizing bishop which God never planted is the fittest minister of a bastard sacrament 10. By making one part of divine service to hinder another part thereof as the reading of the Psalmes twelve times in the yeer hindreth the other Scriptures to be read six times in the year as if a servant would labour and plew all the year upon two or three rigs of his masters land and leave no time for plewing the rest of his field 11 By binding the significations of divine ordinances unto humaine traditions as when at baptisme they demand questions at infants as if they could understand and speak like their parents they make the sign of the Crosse in the Childes fore-head after hee is baptized saying Wee receive him in the Congregation of Christs flock as if Baptisme it self did not signifie our entrie into Christs kirk So they deny the force of Baptisme attributing it unto crossing they make crossing also a token that he shall confesse the Faith of Christ and resist the divel the world They spoile this also from Baptisme they make matrimonie to signifie the mystical union betwixt Christ and his kirk and so they make it a sacrament This signification is also robbed from Christs Sacraments for Baptisme signifieth our beginning and ingrafting in Christs mysticall body and the LORDS Supper signifieth our continuance in that union Matrimonie is a Divine ordinance but the using of it as a Sacrament is a humaine ordinance 12. By making the Clergie in divine service keep the precise words of this Masse book so that they may not read one verse of any chapter of Scripture more then the passages quoted in this book neither may they diminish one word or verse which is printed in this book yea where this book hath all the LORDS Prayer they must say all the LORDS Prayer where it hath but a part of it they must say but a part of it Where this book omitteth Christs descending into hell in the Apostolick Creed they must omit it and where the Creed hath all the Articles they must say all Where it hath the Creed of Athanasius they must say it So oft as the book hath the words Lord have mercie upon us which words are the Popish Kyrie Eleison the Priest must say them as often and no more They adde unto GODS word and diminish from it as they please they will have none to adde unto their traditions nor diminish from them Thus the Man of Sin as GOD sitteth in the Temple of GOD and exalteth him above all the three Persons which 〈◊〉 called GOD and the most High is used as a slave The most wicked men will make use of some of the speeches of their slaves if they can make these words fitting for their purposes So the Antichristians make use of the word of God for earthly gaine pleasures 13. By hindering Gods people to use extraordinarie fasting and praying and solemne humiliation unto GOD even when the LORD plagueth his people with many and grievous plagues spirituall and corporall Thus the Antichristian Prelates themselves are become the greatest plague of Gods kirk when they hinder the lawfull meanes of taking away Gods judgements 14. By forcing the People to fasting and solemne humiliation at Lent and other set times albeit GOD were blessing his People with all good things without any plague and so restraining the dueties of solemne thanksgiving 15. By ordeining the Scriptures which they appoint to be made use of in publict divine service not only to be read upon fixed dayes of the year as was said before but also they have appointed them to be read on such daies of the moneth when People because of their civile distractions may not come to heare them So except the twelve whole chapters that are only written in this Masse book the rest are but parcels of Chapters and the hundreth and thirteene chapters which are appointed for the Sundayes of the year there shall no more whole chapters be read on Sundayes through the whole year for the rest of the scriptures are so appointed for the dayes of the moneth that if these dayes fall upon the Sunday then the chapters ordeined for these dayes of â—â—e moneth shall be omitted at that time but if they â—all on the week dayes these scriptures shall be read except I say these 12 and 113. Chapters the people shall never heare the rest of the scriptures read in publick divine service being hindred by lawfull civile bussinesse on the week dayes The jewes were more religious for they caused the whole old testament to be read on the sabboths at the least once in the yeer It is said in a fable that a foxe invited a cran to a dinner and he powred forth scatred abroad on a broad table a thin broath for the cran to eate But the cran smitting the table with his long beak could not take up the broath scatred abroad So these deceaving foxes have so scattred abroad divided the spirituall food of Gods word that Gods people can not be the better of it They have appointed it for such dayes as people can not come to heare it And upon the sabboths when they should heare it they finde a serpent in stead of a fish in stead of the bread of life which is Gods word they feed more upon humaine stonie traditions Qu. By what clouds of darknesse is the light of Christ the son of righteousnesse obscured in the antichristian kingdome Ans By diminishing Gods word in the Canonicall register as when they left out the second commandment of the morall law 2. By diminishing his word in choosing some places of scriptures to be insert and read in their service book rejecting the most part of the
Scriptures which are omitted as not worthy to be written with their traditions 3. By hindering many chapters in the canonicall scriptures to be read at Divine service which is a diminishing of the word of God from publick audience 4. By forbidding the laicks privatly to read 〈◊〉 Gods word at all this is more then a diminishing 〈◊〉 Gods word it is a robbing of the whole word from the people 5. By obtruding upon them wil-worship and humaine traditions 6. By renting and cutting the passages of Scripture that are read that as a man can not bee knowne by his face when it is all wounded and cutted his deformitie and wounds make him hid and obscure So the glory of God that shined in his word is hid by cutting and renting peeces of Scripture from the true canon This is not the dividing of Gods word aright as some affirme whereof Paul speaketh 2 Tim. 2.15 meaning that Timothy should apply the severall parts of the word unto the spirituall necessities of Gods people The antichristian clergy cut away the passages of Gods word from publick reading application 7. By incorporating the word and vniting it unto one treatise with humane traditions that as a King can not bee known to bee a king but is thought to be a beggar or a robber if he dwell in the same house or familie with beggars and robbers so Gods word when it is united to a witchesse charme is but a witches charme united to humaine traditions doctrine of wil-worship superstition and idolatry it is then such a doctrine A man cloathed in womans clothes is obscured as he is a man and taken for a woman so is Gods word hid with the superstitious doctrine of the whore of Babylon wherewith it is cloathed and taken for such doctrine 8. By appropriating places of Scriptures unto fixed dayes of Martyres and Saincts so that they seeme rather to bee â—â—e doctrine of these Saints then of God 9. By persecuting the instruments who hold out the light Not only they hold back and will not suffer qualified men to be imployed in the Ministrie but they also silence depose banish oppresse and torment these who were imployed therein So they close the windowes of Gods kirk that the light of the Son of righteousnesse may not shine within it they remove the candlestick that the candles may not give light and they put in stead thereof the light of a fish head which is humane traditions 10. By serving God in an unknown language in Latine Liturgies c. The Latine superscriptions written with Liturgies of other languages doe hide and obscure the meaning of things under-written in a mans own language unto the simple people 11. By wriesting the Scriptures for the extolling of the merits of Saints and Angels and setting at naught the merits of Christ in teaching of purgatory satisfactions and works of supererogation 12. By Heathnish and Jewish rites and ceremonies 13. By idlenesse and negligence in Gods work in Pastors Preachers and Prelates 14. By outward glory and worldly pompe in buildings gardeins garments glorious images carved pictures processions lying relicts c. All which procure a carnall reverence and respect unto superstition and idolatrie and a contempt of the povertie of true religious Professors for antichristian members are ashamed of the poverty of the crosse of Christ and they who professe poverty do become exceeding rich by begging 15. By idolatrie and superstition 16. By wil-worship 17 By making one duetie of Gods worship to hinder aâ—oâ—â—â— as at the instant act of receiving the Sacrament when all the outward gestures and senses and all the inward thoughts of the heart should bee exercised upon the outward beholding receiving eating and drinking the elements and in the meditations of Christs death and sufferings done for the salvation of the receiver these actions and exercises of faith for which chiefly the Sacrament was ordeined they are perturbed and hindered by the meditations and gestures of humilitie which should be done in more fit times of prayer before the receiving and of thanksgiving after As a Herald by proclaiming one part of the kings will continually leaveth no time for proclaiming the rest This confusion is effected albeit the receivers would turne their backs to the Sacrament for eshewing the appearance of idolatrie when they kneele If a man would let down a cord to deliver his friend out of a pit but the captive would stretch out his hands testifying his thankfulnesse to his deliverer in the very instant when he should put his hands to the cord to hold it for his deliverance If a man would sing Psalmes at the time of preaching when he should hear Gods word The like confusion is effected by this untimous kneeling also by reading the book of the Psalmes twelve times in the year in publict divine service the rest of the Scriptures can not bee read six times in the year 18. By taking from GODS servants the power of church government and giving it unto one or few persons as to bishops or prelats by whose usurping tyrannie are brought in GODS kirk all the bands whereby the gifts of GODS Spirit are restrained and the true light of the gospell is obscured They doe what they please there is none to controule them In assemblies when they would conclude any thing they speare the votes of some few persons of their own faction who minde the same things without demanding the votes of these who are of a sounder judgement The bishops will say I see you are all of one minde as if they had sought the votes of all and if any of a better conscience vote against them they shall surely suffer for it either directly or indirectly And when the prelates are to establish wicked lawes they send for these persons chiefly that can temporize with themselves that they may come to the assemblies 19 By making all that enter into church offices to sweare that they shall obey whatsoever their usurping commanders shall injoyne unto them If they obey they are mansworn both in making this oath and in performing it because both the making and performing of these unlawfull oathes are against the covenant and promise made at baptisme which is made by the persons baptized or by their parents in their names and against the oath and covenant made by the Christians who were the first reformers of the true religion which oath and covenant we are as religiously bound to keep as the children of Saul were a stricted to keep the oath made by the princes unto the Gibeonites Josua 9. and 2. Sam. 21. yea we are more strictly bound to keep it because it was made more advisedly then was the rash oath of the Israelites Tyrannizing prelates are not called of God to their usurping offices and consequently have no lawfull power to require an oath of obedience to such offices and men have neither lawfull power to obey them nor to sweare to their obedience Neither is the matter which is
pleased with such voluntary service no more is God pleased with the wil-worship of men 4. We are not bound in our prayers to say the Lords Prayer at all times in the precise words of the Text for Matthew chap. 6. at the fift petition saith forgive us our debts Luke chap. 11. hath other words viz. forgive us our sins The LORD and his Apostles oftimes thereafter prayed in the New Testament not using the words of this form of prayer Wee may either say this prayer as a perfect rule of prayer or we may conceave our own prayers after this manner as Matthew saith that is we should seek both heavenly and earthly things only so far as is needfull for setting forth Gods glory and for our own well salvation and seing in scripture none are bound to use the precise forme of the Lords words far lesse are we bound to be thralled with humane formes As for the set formes that we use for the weak memories of the infirmer sort we have libertie to change them also and we should change them if we think it needfull for the weak ones The Lords Prayer and the x. Commands are short compends the one of prayer the other of the contents of Gods Law both were ordeined chiefly for weak memories as the primitive kirk ordeined the articles of the Apostles Creed that weak memories might have perqueer a short summe of the historie of our salvation which is also a plaine kinde of preaching unto the ignorant explicating the chief passages of Scripture that concerne our faith Neither is it needfull at all times to rehearse and confesse the precise words thereof for in Act. 8. the Eunuch said only I beleeve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God And in John 20. Thomas said My Lord and my God Qu. 15. Is not the masse book as lawfull as catecheticall doctrine Ans 1. Catecheticall doctrine is for a memorandum to Preachers in catechising the people and for people to answere it hindereth not Preachers to propound and the people to answere other questions as GODS Spirit shall assist them 2. It is a preaching of the word by questions Preaching is commanded Matthew 28. vers 19 20. Luke 24.4 Act. 1.8 GODS word and the orthodox preaching thereof are both of Divine authoritie because God commanded both to be in his kirk but they are not of equall dignitie As by the same authoritie a man commandeth his treasure and the ark that containeth it to be keept in a strong house but the treasure is of greater dignitie So GODS word is of greater dignitie then the preaching of it The word is the light of a heavenly candle the Preacher is the candlestick preaching is a holding out of that light that men may see spiritually the masse book is a bushell under which the light of Gods word is hide and obscured Matthew 5. vers 6 7. Qu. 16. Did not God give liberty unto his Kirk to 〈◊〉 indifferent things as they please Ans Not as that thereby men shall obscure his glory pollute his worship corrupt his word or hurt the consciences of his people nor to persecute the professors of his truth nor to hinder his word to have free passage in reading printing preaching practising and professing it If indifferent things be thus abused they are no more indifferent but deadly unto Christian religion all these evils are effected by the masse book Civile magistrats have neither power nor authoritie to make indifferent things hurtfull unto Christian religion If any say that the royall authoritie is disobeyed when men obey not such hurtfull lawes I answer It is not disobeyed for there is not such a royall authority that may hurt Christian religion neither may the lawes of men be essentiall points of Christian religion GOD alone decreeth such lawes to be keept GOD giveth no power nor authoritie unto men but to defend Divine lawes and to make humane lawes conforme and subordinate unto the lawes of God and by the sword of justice to defend such lawes Hee will not give authoritie to men to command or do any thing against the law of God no more then a Prince will give power to a subject to spit upon his face If Magistrats ignorantly or by misinformation make lawes hurtfull to true religion if they repent amend God will forgive them albeit he approve not their sin Qu. 17. When then do lawfull rites and ceremonies become unlawfull Ans When opinion of necessitie or holinesse is known to be annexed to them either by such as impose them or by the people on whom they are imposed They then become unlawfull because they confirme and harden the people in their superstition Therefore Hezekiah rejected the brasan serpent which wont to be a divine ordinance much more should rites which never were ordeined of GOD be rejected in this case If thou say when Magistrats command indifferent things then they become necessare Ergo they should be obeyed I answer If they be hurtfull to true religion they are neither necessare not needfull to be obeyed but altogether to be rejected because they are contrary both to the commandment worship of GOD the supreme Magistrate 2. When the use of them is urged more or as much as the ordinances of GOD It is time to put the slave out of the house when he is obeyed as much or more then the Master of the house Absalon should not now live when he is more obeyed and respected then David the King 3. When the omission of them causeth men who otherwise agree with GODS kirk in matters of faith and manners to be esteemed shismaticks and sectaries and so are contemned as men of a contrary religion 4. When the omission of them is accounted and punished as a sin even out of the case of scandal 5. when they are hurtfull to true religion and to the professors thereof as was said in the preceeding question Qu. 18. Did not God without Scriptures teach the Patriarks as Adam and Abraham Sometimes with few Scriptures as in the dayes of the Judges May not God do the like now albeit we diminish the Scriptures Ans Who made thee wiser then GOD to diminâ—â—â—â—â— the Scriptures which he hath registrat for the good of his kirk He may give lawes unto thee thou may not do so unto him he may abrogat thy lawes thou may not altar nor diminish his lawes neither restraine nor hinder the free passage of them 2. May as little food and rayment susteene men of a perfect age as susteeneth infants GODS kirk in the Old Testament was in the infancie when they had no written word yet in substance they had the same word of life which we have they had it by the traditions of their fathers which they heard of GOD personallie appearing and revealing his will unto them Sometimes he sent his Angels and prophets working miracles for their edification Afterwards the manner of revealing his wiâ—â— was written and enlarged now wee want these
apparitions and visions we have need therefore of greater abundance of the evidency of his revealed will in the Old and New Testament Qu. 19. But now neither the reading nor the preaching of the Scriptures profiteth the people They loath the word as an unsavory thing They live without zeale without faith repentance Therefore they will make better use of humaine traditions Ans Thou should have said also that GODS word doth no good unto the preachers else they would not have beene so presumptuous as to have thralled GODS kirk with humaine traditions and carnall instructions 2. I confesse that wesps will make more use of poison then of hony The children of darknesse love rather the night then the day yea GODS people when 〈◊〉 spirituall graces decayed liked better of the flesh 〈◊〉 of Egypt then of the heavenlie Manna 3. Humaine traditions may work in men blinde zeale a temporarie faith a Pharisaicall repentance but no saving grace for God will rather blesse his own ordinances then humaine traditions If he do not so he will give no blessing of saving grace at all If GOD forsake Saul the Prophet Samuel can do him no good albeit he honour him before the people much lesse shall witches and devils help him in his distresse The waters of Damascus shall not cure Naaman of his leprosie if the waters of Jordan GODS ordinance do it not If God make not effectuall the ordinary meanes of his word it is time to fast and pray that GOD may turne back his spirituall iudgements least He plague us with finall desertion Qu. 20. Do not the prayers in this book witnesse that there is great humilitie in the Clergy and prelates Ans 1. The ambitious obtruders thereof upon GODS kirk for establishing their bastard orders have declared their greatest pride in the exercise of prayer wherein should be seene greatest humilitie for first because they dare not do otherwise in the Letany used on Sundayes Wedinsdayes and Fridayes they have a forme of prayer for the King the Queene and their children next for the prelats Bishops and elders of the clergy Thirdly for the Nobility then for the rulers and Magistrats lastly for the people So they must come before God as they ride in Parliament usurping place before the Nobility and magistrats They stand 〈◊〉 for off like the Publicane They who humble not themselves like little children shall not enter into the kingdom◠〈◊〉 heaven Also in the same Litany there are 3. particâ—â—â—â— prayers one for the King an other for the Queene their children the third for the Bishops and clergy but no prayer for the Nobility Magistrats and people 2. Neither can they hide their covetousnesse in their religious service wherein they should be most charitable for this book commandeth the halfe of the almes which the communicants give to the poore shall be given to the presbyter that celebrateth the coÌ„munion That which is given to the poore is given to God for they are the members of Christ If the clergy rob the sacred almes from Christs members they will not have it called sacriledge but if a superstitious portion be taking from them when they have more then sufficient that is called sacriledge when as the antichristian clergy and all that teach errors and idolatrie live only upon sacriledge for God as he alloweth neither false nor idolatrous doctrine so neither alloweth he meanes for sustaining false teachers though he permit the same This book appointeth them also to have an accustomed duety at mariages what will they do at baptisme at the kirking of women and at the making of testaments when they are so shamelesse at the Lords supper and at marriages Ambition covetousnesse idlenesse cause them praise this book highly in their pulpits Qu. 21. If wee correct this book and take away the faults of it may it not then be read for Divine service in Gods kirk Ans 1. That is Repugnantia in adjecto a speech contradictory to it self for if you take all the blemishes away this book can have no being for it is 〈◊〉 it blemish because it usurpeth the place of Gods word and it layeth bands on Gods Spirit in that if God would give as excellent gifts unto his servants as ever he did unto my Prophets or Apostles they may not exercise these gifts being hindered by the formes of this book and albeit the Scriptures contained in this book are in themselves good yet as they are placed in this book they are but a blemish as a gold chaine is an ornament about the neck a of queen but it is a blemish about the neck of a sow for how much so ever these Scriptures do procure credit and respect to this book and to the superstitions thereof so much they procure discredit and contempt to the rest of the Scriptures as when Dinah was defiled with Sechem it was a shame to the whole family of Jacob and if the son of a Prince become a theefe he shameth all his kinred If any wold glew the nose and lugs of a man to the face of an ox or the nose lugs of an ox to the face of a man both these wayes it is a disgrace unto man So the glorious banner of Gods word is disgraced whither it be incorporat and sewed together with the dishclouâ—s of humaine traditions and errors or whether they be incorporat with Gods sacred word 2. They make choose of some Scriptures to be insert in this book as if the rest of the Scriptures were but babling and not beseeming the wisdome of God and as if God unadvisedly had sent them unto his kirk 3. If nothing were in his book but these few Scriptures the clouting and clamping of them together is a despising of the order wherein God Spirit placed them as if he were not a God of order And it is a restraining of Gods Spirit by the continuall reading of them to hinder the free passage of the reâ—â— as an herald receiving many ordinances from his king by the oft repitition of one or two of them he leaveth no time to promulgat the rest In the Kalendar they ordeine the Psalmes to be read twelve times in the year They appoint not the rest of the Scriptures to be read six times in the year and 122. chapters of the scripture are never appointed to be read 4. They miscall some Scriptures is a historie in Act. 10. vers 34. which is read on Munday in Easter week and Act 7.55 c. read on S. Stevens day Joel 4.12 c. read on the first day of Lenâ— Revel 7.2 on all Saints day these and such other places are niknamed Epistles Qu. 22. In what order do they minister the communion Ans Their pride is seene also in this for all bishops presbyters and deacons must alwayes first receive the coÌ„munion before others they say it is done that the clergie may help to distribute the elements but they do it when there is no need of help
of the bread after that the celebration is ended and the eating of it only by such as communicate showeth that they esteeme more of it then of a Sacrament For after the Celebration of the Sacrament the elements are no more holy by a Sacramentall relation then they were before the celebration Any man might drink the waters of Jordan after that men were baptized in it So any man may eat and drink the Sacramentall elements when the Celebration is ended Therefore in the Primitive kirk they did not keep the Sacramentall bread neither for them that were in sicknesse nor in health It was not hanged up in the pixis to be worshipped as is now done by the Papists and intended by the halting Papists who now by â—â—eping the elements will come the more easily to the worshipping of them Origen said Comment in Leviticum that of old in some places they brunt the Sacramentall bread which remained And Euagrius in histor Eccles saith That in some places children learning at schooles were called to eat it Hieron in comment in 1. Corinth 11. saith That after the celebration the Communicants did eat tâ—â— Sacramentall bread and drink the wine in the kâ—â—â— their common supper Our formalists as they superstitiously keep the bread so do they keep the water in the font 9. The pretending of the necessitie of salvation when they minister private baptisme and private communion showeth greater vertue and merite attributed unto them then either pertaineth to a Sacrament or to any divine ordinance except the death and merite of Christ whereupon only dependeth the necessitie of our Salvation The professing of a necessitie of salvation to depend upon a private communion is a denying of the spirituall use and benefite that men receive by the publick Sacrament 10. The hindering of GODS word to be read making it give place to the reading of humane traditions is grosse idolatrie for this honour belongeth only unto God that as all religions in the world should give place to the true religion whereby God is rightly worshipped according to his own word So the reading of all traditions in the world should give place to the Divine traditions of his sacred word dited by his holy Spirit and that chiefly when religious Divine service should be exercised 11. The dedicating of dayes to be solemnly keept for the honour of Martyres Saints and Angels is grosse idolatrie as is the praying unto Saints and Angels and the religious kneeling to them or to their pictures used by Papists all such sort of honour belong unto God only 12. The usurping of power to ordeine Sacraments as the Popish Prelates have ordeined five bastard sacraments and the halting Papists ordeine Confirmation to bee observed among themselves To appoint holy dayes for Angels and Saints to make rites and ceremonies have spirituall and religious significations to make these things to be points of Divine worship and religion All Rulers who do such things in doing the same they commit Divine-laesmajestie usurping Gods place for the power and authoritie of ordeining such things belongeth unto God only All people that give obedience in such things unto any but unto GOD they commit idolatrie for the honour of that kinde of obedience only belongeth unto GOD and that only when he commandeth such things to be done If men obey GOD in these things when he neither commandeth nor giveth approbation nor warrand for such obedience it is wil-worship when things indifferent are counted divine service it is wil-worship and idolatrie in the large sense but when things only belonging unto GOD are robbed from him and given unto creatures albeit usurpers will have the same also called GODS honour yet it is grosse idolatrie So when prelates usurpe this honour and authoritie they become idol-GODS And as GOD by his own law and by no other law commandeth children to honour their parents servants their masters so the prelates by their owne lawes and not by GODS law doe command men to obey GOD as if GOD were inferiour to prelates so they exalt themselves above GOD in giving lawes how God should bee obeyed as God giveth Lawes how parents should be obeyed 13. The communion table must stand at the uppermost part of the chancell or Church conforme to the standing of the Popish alters when the table is covered with superstitious vestiments the Priest standeth at the north side or end of the table with his back or side to the people saying the Lords Prayer with a collect After the collect he turneing to the people rehearseth the Commandements the people all the while kneeling and asking God mercy at the end of every commandement All this showeth a conformitie to Popish idolatrie for they fixe religious adoration determinatly unto the Priests act of rehearsing the commands as if God were personallie appearing and speaking out of the Priests mouth The Priest kneeleth not as if he were not a sinner neither prayeth he with the people for mercy 14. The most part of things contâ—ined in this book were first decreed and ordeined by Popes the 〈◊〉 authors of antichristian idolatrie which showeth thâ—â— the obtruders of this book do draw men unto grosse idolatrie Qu. 5. Rehearse some of these examples Ans Pope Pius the 1. brought into the church the font and the hallowing thereof as say Sabellicus and Platina 2. Pope Sixtus the 2. first ordeined altars whereat they celebrat the Lords supper Volateran Durandus 3. Pope Sixtus the 1. ordeined the corporall cloath Platina Sabellicus 4. Pope Boniface the 2. ordeined the partician between the chancell or queer and the church that the people should hear divine service in a severall place from the clergy Platina So as Moses might not come neer the bush where God appeared in the fire but should declare his reverent respect of his glorious Majestie by standing far off The sinfull laicks must have the same respect unto the sacrilegious holinesse of the clergy by standing in a severall place from them 5. Pope Clement the 1. as Papists affirme commanded all the baptized to be annoynted with oyl and crossed on the forehead Ioannes laziardus No marvell if this be true for the mysterie of iniquitie began in the dayes of the Apostles 6. Pope Honorius the 3. commanded the Sacrament to bee worshipped and kneeled unto by the people Liber conciliorum 7. Pope Fabian commanded all Christians to receive the Sacrament thrise in the year to wit at Easter Whitsunday and Christmas Eusebius Platina so the Communion was fixed superstitiously unto set times 8. Pope Zepherinus appointed that all professing Christians being of 12. or 13. yeares or upward should at least once in the year as at Easter receive the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ Platina Sabellicus Laziardus 9. Pope Clement the 1. ordeined Confirmation or Bishopping Some say it was Pope Sylvester the 1. Platina Volateranus all agree in this that some bastard Bishop of Rome ordeined it 10. Pope Gregorie the 1. and Pope
the presbyter being sufficiently provided alreadie when many of the clergie are present not only so many as might be for help but all must first communicat The cause then is only pride for they will be first in all things and yet they say that men should receive the Sacrament with greatest humilitie Qu. 23. What use have they of a communion table Ans They appoint a table neverthelesse they take it from the people in two respects 1. In respect of the people who kneele at the act of receiving the elements what use have they of a table when they neither sit at it to eat their meat neither take they their meat off from the table 2. In respect of the minister â—â—at giveth the elements the ministers hands are only their table from which they receive their sacramentall food The communicants even when they kneele not yet they sit at the table not like feasters but like beggars at a dyke side waiting for the distribution of their almes The beggars may turne their backs as well as their faces towards the dyke for any use they have of it so may the communicants turn their backs to the table for any use they have of it Qu. 24. May not the table stand for the elements to abide on it untill that the Minister take them for to distribute unto the people Ans Then it is a table for the ministers attendance but not for the peoples feasting Some have byboards whereon vessels and meat stand untill they be placed on the feasting table and when the tables are drawn all is put on the byboard again that they may be put in order and taken away The antichristians make a by-board of the Lords table and the hands of the ministers are only their feasting table Qu. 25. Should not the Ministers give the elements to every one out of their own bands seeing it is their calling and Christ did so give them unto the Apostles and it may be that the laicks who sit neerest me be witches or profaine persons so it is not comely to take the elements from laicks Ans 1. It is the calling of ministers to consecrat blesse the elements by the word and prayer but no Scripture can prove it to be their calling to give alwayes the elements with their own hands more then by the hands of others it is alike if he give them by whose hands soever it bee He giveth not the Bible which is the audible word to every one out of his oâ—â—â— hands albeit he explicateth and preacheth the meaning end uses and application of both the visible word of the sacraments and the audible word of the Scriptures and albeit both the doctrine of the word sacraments are written in one canon if thou say that he giveth not except he do it with his own hands Thou may as truely say that Christ giveth not except he do it with his own hands 2. No Scripture proveth that Christ gave the elements to every one out of his own hands neither at Baptisme nor at the Lords Supper As for Baptisme John 4. 1. saith that the Pharisees heard that Jesus baptised mo disciples then John and in vers 2. he saith that Iesus baptised not but his disciples the first verse showeth that he gave the Sacrament by his authority and blessed it the 2. verse showeth that he gave it not with his own hands but by his apostles and at the Lords supper Luke 23.17 saith Take this and divide it among you this is meant of the cup of the Lords supper 1. because the same words which are subjoined to this cup here are subjoined to the cup of the Lords supper in Math Mark these are I will not drink of the fruit of the vine untill the kingdome of God shall come 2. If these words were of the cup of the Passeover they should be false for they drank wine after the Passeover at the Lords Supper Luke speaks twise of this cup in vers 17 20 In the vers 17. he speakes of it with the speach of the passeover because alike speach is subjoined to both for after the passeover he said words that were not mentioned by other Evangelists viz. I will not eat any more thereof untill it be fulfilled in the kingdome of God â—hat is I did eat oftimes the Passeover before but the thing signified by the Passeover was never fulfilled It shall not be so now for I will eat no Passeover after this untill it be fulfilled in my sufferings in the kingdome which GOD hath in his kirk on earth and albeit I never drank the wine of this new instituted supper before neither will I drink any more of it untill I drink the thing signified by it viz. I must drink the wine of the cup of GODS wrath by my suffrings He prayed his Father to take this cup from him if it were possible the bread and the wine of this new supper signified unto Christ the bread of affliction and the cup of the wine of GODS wrath which now should be his food in his suffrings as in his lifetime it was his meat to do the will of GOD so now at his death he feedeth in suffring Gods will for he saith not my will but thine be done This bread and wine signified to the apostles the body and bloud of Christ not as he was in health rest and peace but as he suffred tribulation and GODS wrath for our sins he was like a nurse that eateth bitter things for the health of the infant The wine of GODS wrath is mentioned in Revel 14.10 he drank it with the apostles not only because they were with him in the garden when he did sweat blood and water but as when the head drinketh the whole man is said to drink because of the union between the head and the members and because strength and comfort cometh to the members by the drinking of the head He drank personally they drank spiritually by faith in his suffrings and by imputation for his suffrings are counted their suffâ—ings but their sins were counted his he being their cautioner The taste of this cup was bitter to both for Christ prayâ—â—â— against it and the elect pray dayly to GOD to save them from it the fear of the danger of Gods wrath is bitter the effect of Christs drinking of this cup was sweet to both it was sweet comfortable to them to get mercy it was sweet and delectable to Christ to show mercy though he bought it with his bloud he drank this cup new with them because never man drank the like of it before and hee himself drank never such a measure of GODS wrath before the Elect under the gospel drinks it new by faith for the nature of the cup of Gods wrath which Christ suffered was never so cleerly known before the comforts of Gods Spirit given to the elect by faith in his sufferings were never so sweet before they are now sweet like new wine
a prohibition would import a contempt of the holy Scriptures wherein both these words are read in other significations for in Luk. 15. vers 13. the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth riches or goods The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is read in 2. Cor. 9.4 Hebr. 1.4 and 3. vers 14. and 11. vers 1. Arias montanus in all these 4. places exponeth the word substance but never person others in all these places indifferently turne it substance or subsistence except only Hebr. 1.4 where some turne it person But all agree in this that Hypostasis in scriptures doth oftiner signifie some other thing then a person Then the Scriptures do favour this division the sense thereof Hebr. 11.1 faith is the subsistence of things to come That is by faith we beleeve the true being and existence of things to come that as truely as if we did see them with our bodily eyes and among things to come is Christ whom we beleeve to have a true subsistence or being as GOD because he is very GOD and to have a true subsistance or being and existence as man because he is also very man in the same person By faith I say we beleeve that he hath this wosold subsistence and true being in one person because neither naturall reason nor sense nor experience have taught us the same but only we believe it by faith in his word as the holy Spirit hath perswaded us Pareus in Hebr. 11.1 interprets the word indifferently by substance or subsistence and not by person and in Hebr. 3. vers 14. he giveth it the same sense and because some take occasion at this same text to deny that Hypostasis did ever signifie a person he saith Nec est quod heretici hinc negent hypostasin personam significare â—n Divinis voces enim homonymae pro subjecta materia acciâ—iendae sunt hic subsistentiam spei significat at in Cap. 1.3 subsistentiam filij Dei This writter hath pro subjecta materia the twofold subsistence or twofold manner of â—rue being of the natures of Christ Quest But how is the ambiguitie removed from the word Ans The answere to the question 33. plainly showeth his personall union this is sufficient but the five testimonies in the same page are more then sufficient to remove the Homonymie and ambiguitie of the word And albeit these were not seing the words may â—s well have a true sense as a false why was the false â—â—nse fathered upon the words and not the true seing â—here is not a word in the book that smels of the false â—â—nse Neverthelesse the writter desireth such as â—ave the book to change the word subsistence into â—xistence for subsistence in the generall sense differâ—th not much from it not as if the word subsistence â—ere not both sound and orthodox in this place But â—ast this present censuring of the word make antiâ—hristians thinke that the word favoureth their bad â—urposes also least the more ignorant be offended â—s if the word signified nothing but a person Answere to the censure of the beginning of the second treatâ—se in pag. 70. That â—he teâ—t of Math. 11. is cited impertinantly there Ans The yoke of antichrist doeth heavily burdeine mens consciences with sin guiltinesse with the fear of purgatory and the doubting of salvation which they teach They are thâ—alled with idolatrie and â—â—â—ed with the pride and covetousnesse of prelats The LORD speaking of the Scribes Pharisies in Math. 23. saith They binde heavie burdens c. and lay them on mens shoulders Is not this their oppression and traditions The renewing of our Covenant with Christ is a foresaking of this yoke a returning unto Christ for ease and Christian libertie In the commentary of the harmony written by Chemnitius and Polycarpus Lyserus upon the same text Chrysostomus is cited affirming this only to be the meaning of Christs words and when the commentary it self saith that the words are spoken of three sorts of persons he beginneth with the same meaning saying That Christ understandeth these who labour under legall ceremonies humane traditions and of these whose consciences are burdeined with sins with the sense of GODS wrath and of these who suffer crosses and tribulation FINIS At Domini in cunctis aequa est verax que potestat Aspectum cujus nulla remota latent