I ought to seeke the same without entreating any mans furtheraÌ„ce and if it be not in euery perticuler iust and conuenient that I should enioy the same yt shall goe and I wil venture an vtter vndoeing rather then make vse of any mans friendship to detain it For God who hath hitherro prouided for me in such a manner as best befitted both my temporall and spirituall Condition will I knowe continue his prouident care of me while I can haue grace to be thankfull and retayne the resolution to doe my lawfull endeauour Howsoeuer let the worlde conceit of mee as it pleaseth I scorne to enioy my lyfe much more any priueledge to the common preiudice and am able to demonstrate as shall hereafter appeare that my booke and the Kinges Graunt haue beene malitiously traduced without cause Yet the Stationers haue not only scandalized the sayde graunt vniustly and layde the imputation of impertinencie to the Booke of Hymnes without cause but feareing as it seems lest their publication would discoÌ„uer their false dealing and gayne me and my labour some good approbation in spight of their mallice They haue as I sayd before practised also or rather conspired as much as in them lyes to hinder the lawful sale of my Booke For they prouide them not in their shoppes as they are commaunded by Authority nor furnish themselues with those as with other books notwithstanding they may take them vpon trust and make profitt of them before payment is required at their hands being content somewhat to hinder themselues that they may disaduantage me And to excuse this iniury they giue out contrary to their owne knowledges that if they take my bookes from me none will fetch them out of their handes which they falsly pretend meerely to dispariage that which I hope they shall neuer be able to bring out of credit tyl they haue lost their owne For they are daily so much enquired after that had the Booke-sellers preferred them to sale as they would haue done if the coppie had been their owne twenty thousand might haue been dispersed long ere this tyme. Yea if they had either any loyal respect to the Kings pyous commaund or loue to the practise of Deuotion or but that humanity which is to be found among Infidells they might haue deulged a hundred in place of euery tenâ—… which are yet dispersed For though fewe knowe where to get the sayd Hymnes because they are seldome to be had amonge the Booke-sellers yet thousandes of them haue beene bought vp by gentlemen and others whoe hauing enquired out with much difficulty where to finde them report to mee howe much I am abused amonge the Stationers and how hardly they cann forbeare from vsing them vnciuilly that come to aske for my Booke with diuers other particular Discourtesies But because those vsages doe demonstrate their owne euill disposition rather then disparage the said Booke I wil omitt to perticularize those many discourtesies which I am that way offered and proceed to answere such other obiections as they and their abetters haue framed to bring both my Hymnes and me into contempt And first they obiect forsooth that they are not worthy to be annexed with their Psalmes in meeter in respect of that insufficiency which they haue discouered in my expressions For so harsh and improper do my lynes appeare to these iuditious censurers and their chaplins that some compare them to DOD the fillkemans late ridiculous translation of the Psalmes which was by authority worthily condemned to the fire Some tearme them in scorne WITHERS SONNETS and some among them the better to expresse what opinion they haue of their pious vse are pleased to promise that they wil procure the â—…aring Ballett singer with one legg to sing and self them about the Citie which base speeches proceeding from those skoffing Isâ—…alites I could well enough brooke in respect of mine owne person oâ—… meâ—…t For there is soe much euill euen in the best of my actions that contempt is the fayrest reward which they can iustly challenge Yet when I call to minde with what Christian intentions I was emploieâ—… 〈◊〉 those Hymnes and howe many howers at â—…ight I spent about them whilst it may be my Traducers were either sleeping out their tyâ—… oâ—… 〈◊〉 employed when I consider also howâ—… many 〈◊〉 religious men haue approoued theÌ„ how much their pious vse might further the reuerence and practise of Deuotion to the prayse of God it greeues me that there should bee in this nation any so wicked as to oppose so Christian a worke to so friuelous an end But when I remember by whome and by what Authority that booke was allowed and commaunded to be made publik and withall what mistery of iniquity it is that hath conspired against the saÌ„e me thinkes it is an Iniurie not to be tollerated Is it reason they who liue by bookes should bee permitted to abuse the Authors of their liuelyhood Or is it seemely that those whoe as I sayd before are but the pedlers of books should become their censurers and by consequent both the censurers and deprauers of that Authority which allowed them If this be tollerated the fayrest draughts of Apelles shal be daily subiect to the foolish critiscismes of those arrogant coblers and the State shall not be able â—…re long to publish any thing but what they haue a fancie to approoue For to this passe it is already come that whatsoeuer the State dislykes shal be imprinted and devulged by them though both absurd and scaÌ„dalous with twice more seriousnes then any booke lawfully commaunded but let it tend to schisme and they will disperse more vnder-hand in one weeke then the Royall Authority shal be able to divulge in a yeare toward the setling of vnity in the Church I know not what it is which should make my booke of Hymnes appeare soe ridiculus vnto theâ—… or so vnworthy to be annexed to the English Psalm-book as they pretend In respect of the matter it cannot iustly be excepted against for a great part therof is canonicall Scripture and the rest also is both agreeable therunto in euery perticuler and consonant to the most approoued Discipline of the Church of England Soe that how squeâ—…ishly soeuer some of their stomackes brooke it they being allowed by Authority are as fitt I trust to keepe company with Dauids Psalmes as Robert Wisdomes TVRKâ—… and POPE and those other apocryphall Songs and praiers which the stationers add to the Psalmebooke for their more aduantage Sure I am that if their additions shal be allowed of by the most voices yet mine shal be approoued of before those by the best Iudgments Now as for the manner of expression which I haue vsed I hope it is such as no iust exception cann be taken therunto seeing I haue aswel in that which is of my owne Inuention as in the Translations vsed that simplicity of speech which best becommeth yâ— subiect without affectatioÌ„ to those poetical phrases
pleasure Wherevpon least God should turne his blessing to a curse and my reputation to my shame if I sought not what way to ymploy it vnto his prayse and obseruing withall that we make vse of the most excelent expressions of the holy ghost in rude and barbarous Numbers whilst our own wanton fancies were paynted trymed out in the most moouing languag Me thought it fared with vs as with those agaynst whom the Prophet Hosea complayned that dwelt in sieled houses themselues whilst the Temple of God lay wast And therefore seeing no other to vndertake the same I spent about three yeeres to prepare my self for such a I aske and then proceeded with the translation of the Psalmes according to that ability God had giuen me But before I had halfe ended them I heard that one of much better sufficiency had made a long and happy progresse into that worke and therevpon in expectation of his more able performance delayed to proceed with what I had begunne vntill such tyme as I was informed that the other was by the multiplicity of weighty Affayres compelled to giue ouer his laborious Attempt And then I thought my selfe engaged agayne to proceede Now dureing the tyme of intermission as aforesaid that I might not want an imployment answereable to my first intention I was by some of the Clergy who I hope were moqued there unto by the Spirit of God inuiâ—…ed to collect and translate into Lyricke-verse the Hymnes dispersed throughout the Canonicall Scriptures Which I imbraced with much readynes persoiâ—…d willingly adding vnto theÌ„ such other parâ—…ds of Holy-writt Creeds and Songs as I conceiued proper and necessary to be sunge And because some can well enough allowe an endlesseâ—… variety of foolish Songs and ballads â—…eÌ„ding to the 〈◊〉 of the flesh and the deuill yet be apt to say wee 〈◊〉 Psalmes and Songes enough in this kind already And so 〈◊〉 also as I haué heard others whoâ—… presume much on their own foâ—…ndnes in 〈◊〉 in noraÌ„t by demauÌ„d what the SoÌ„gs of Moâ—…s Debâ—…rah 〈◊〉 sâ—…ch like are pertiâ—…eÌ„t vnto vs. To let those 〈◊〉 vnlerned ignorant men know that the Holy Ghost 〈◊〉 none of the Canonicall Scriptures tyll these tymes of 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 haue in a short Proeme â—…ding to the opinion of the true Church declared that those Scriptures are euery whitt as vsefull and necessary for vs as for them in whose tymes and for whose particuler occasioÌ„s they were first written And before each Hymne I haue presixed also a briefe preface to shew in what sence the congregation or men may priuately and ought to repeat them Moreouer hauing with griefe obserued how the Church of England lyke Iesus Christ crucified betwen two theeues is traduced and abused between Papists and Schismatiks the one falsly charging her with want of order and christian discipline the other as vniustly vpbrayding her with popish and superstitious obseruations And hauing experience that there are great multitudes of wel affected people easie to be led aside for company into the later ouersight through want of some to informe them better who would with smal ado be conformable if they had meanes of instruction concerning their particuler mistakings Yea many of these being wel inclyned towards me and I not knowing which way to vse that affection better then to make it a meanes of increasing christian vnity and devotion I resolued to publish some what to stirre vp in them that obedience and reuerence which they ought to expresse towardes the pious ordinances of the Church and if I lost any mans esteem for so conscionable an attempt I assured my self I lost nothing but what was neuer worth the sauing To that end therefore hauing receiued incouragment and taken aduice from some of the most deuout and learned of our Deuines I composed certayne Hymnes and Songes appropriated to the ordynary publike occasions of our Congregations and to those tymes obseruable by commaund of the Churche and by the authority of the State that soe God might bee gloryfied in euery Solempnity and those tymes not so much prophaned and contemned as heretofore And because I had heard some Teachers in Israel professe themselues ignorant concerning the vse of the Holy-days obserued in our Church I tooke the more paines though not presuming to teach them to expresse before the proper Song of euery obseruable Time or other occasion their religious vse briefly in such a manner as I hope euery reasonable capacity may thereby vnderstand our Churches discipline in that poynt to be farr from a needles popish or superstious Tradition Moreouer that I might not trouble any mans charity or deuotion in the vse of these Hymnes I was as watchful as possible I could be to make all my expressions free from bitternesse or touches of those controuersies which might giue offence to the weake members of our Church And God so prosper me as I was and am cleare from meaning to grieue offend or discontent the soules or consciences of any Thus with a good purpose I began and finished those Hymns and Songes which make vp the Booke called the HYMNES and SONGS OF THE CHVRCH So named not for that I would haue them accounted part of our Lyturgie as I haue deliuered to his Maiestie in my Epistle but because they do for the most part treate of such particulers as concerne the whole Church of God And this is that booke for which his Maiestie vouchsafed mee the priuiledge before mentioned and which he pyously gratiously commaunded to bee annexed to the singing Psalmes that it might be the more generally the more conuenieÌ„tly divulgâ—…d amoÌ„g his subiects for their instruction And indeed by that means those poore people whose Pastors suffer them or cause them to be misinformed concerning that poynt shall carry about with them in their most vsesual book what may at one tyme or other open their vnderstandinges to perceiue their errour This is that Booke for which I was euer worst vsed for my best intentions suffer more then for all my former in discretioÌ„s for which I haue receiued those afroÌ„ts that may wel be raÌ„ked amoÌ„g my greatest iniuries notwithstanding it had besides the ordinary allowance of Authority the particular approbation and coÌ„mendation both of the King himselfe and of many the members of this most reuerend Conuocation Yea this is that Booke for which the Common wealth of Stationers â—… Tyrrany vnheard of in former ages desire to make me as odious as if I had ympolyed my whole study to the oppression of this weale publike or to the subuertioÌ„ of religion and for which they haue persued me with such violence and clamor as hath seldome or neuer been exampled in any cause Heare therefore I humbly beseech you their particuler obiections and for his sake who hath honoured you with high places and holy callings be you Iudges betweene mee and them For though in regard of my selfe I should take no more notice
and fancies which being commendable in other things would haue obscured the maiesty of those inventions To this I had so much regard especially in my translations of the Canonicall Hymnes that if I mistake not I haue as naturally and as playuely exprest the sence of them as most prose Translations haue done And if those indifferent men who know the Poesy and power of the English tongue may be my Iudges they will censure my expressions to bee such as shall neither be obscure to the meanest capacityes nor contemptible to the best Iudgments but obseruing a middle way best becomming that purpose for which they were intended I did not leape on a suddaine or irreuerently into this employment but haueing consumed almost y◠yeares of an Apprentishipp in studies of this kinde I entred therinto conscionably in the feare of God nor haue I proceeded without his assistance as the difficulties and discouragments which I haue passed through do witnes vnto me For if it be well weighed how full of short sentences and suddaine breakings off those scriptures are how frequently these Particles FOR BVT such lik which are graceful in the Originall Text will seeme to obscure the dependancy of Sense in the English phrase if the power of their signification be not heedfully obserued in those places How ha◅sh the musicke will be if the chiefe Pauses be not carefully reduced vnto the same place in the lyne throughout the whole Hymne which they haue in the first Stanza how many differences must be obserued betweene Lyricke-verse and that which is composed for reading only Howe the Translater is tyed not to make choise of those fashion Stanzaes which are easiest to expres the matter in but to keep that with which he first begā how he is bound not only to the sence according to the liberty vsed in other Translationes but to the very words or words of the same power with those vsed in our allowed Interpretations Lastly how prec◅se he must be when he is forced to expresse any sentence by circumlocution to labor stil to retayne a relish of the holy phrase in his expressions I say if all these circumstances be well considered and how difficult they make it to close vp euery Stanza with a period or some such point that the voice may decently pause there I am parswaded a worke of this nature coulde not haue ben persisted in to this conclusion by a man haueing somany weaknesses and discouragments as I haue had vnlesse the Almighty had beene with mee Nor can I beleeue that the deuill would haue raysed vp soe many malitiously to oppose the same if it had not tended to Gods honor But sure no man will grudge the annexing of the Booke of Hymnes to our metricall Psalmes now vsed in regard of any faultinesse in their expression yf they consider the meannesse of that Translation For though some of no meane degree are very violent for the mayntenance and continuance of their olde Version pleading as the papists do for many of their trumperyes a long prescription in steed of better argumentes yet I know it to be soe much to blame that no man of vnderstanding can sing many of those Psalmes but with trouble to his deuotion And I dare vndertake to demonstrate that they are not onely full of absurdityes s◅oeloscismes improprietyes non-sēce and impertinent circumlocutions to more then twice the length of their originalles in some places but that there are in thē many expressiōs also ◅uite beside if not quite contrary to the meaning of the Text. Which I would not thus openly haue declared but that euen schoole boys perceiue it though some that would be thought wiser do ignorantly or wilfully protest against an alteration of our singing Psalmes Excuse me I beseech you if I seeme a litle too playne in discouering the faultines of that wherof so many are ouerweening for I doe it not to disparage the pious endeauours of those whoe tooke paynes in that Translation but rather commending their laborious and Christian intention do acknowledg that considering the tymes they liued in and of what quallity they were they made soe worthye an attempt as may iustly shame vs whoe came after to see it no better seconded during all the flourishing tymes which haue followed their troublesome Age especially seeing howe curiously our language and expressiones are refined in our triuiall Discourses This hath giuen the papist the Atheist and the Libertyne occasion to skoffe at our christian exercises and troubles the deuotion of many a religious man who being desirous to sing with his vnderstanding in the congregations doth often before he is aware loose the sence of the Prophet yea and sometymes fall vpon direct nonsence among those many impertynent circumlocutions and independancies which he is for Rymes sake compelled to wander through in that Translation Neuerthelesse some I knowe will be obstinate in defence of their oulde Meeter and I shall seeme to thē as one that had presumpteously layd an imputation vpon our Church and vnreuerently taxed what her Authority had commaunded which I thanke God I am not guiltye of For I well enough knowe and your Reuerences can witnesse it that those metrical Psalmes were neuer commaunded to bee vsed in Diuine seruice or in our publike congregations by any Canon or Ecclesiastical constitutiō though many of the vulger be of that opinion But whatsoeuer the stationers do in their Tytle page pretend to that purpose they being first allowed for priuate deuotion only ◅ept into publik vse by toleratiō rather thē commaund Yea custome hath beene hitherto their cheife Authority and therefore wee may not onely lay open their defects to a good purpose without iust blame to our selues or scandal to the Church but I hope chang them also without offence when a better translation shal come to light In the meane time there will be no reason I am sure why those shoulde condemne my expressiones while they approoue those measures we haue hitherto made vse of in our Devotions But lest the worke should bee able to iustifie it selfe in spight of their detraction my Aduersarys do picke personall quarrells also alleaging that I haue vndecently intruded vpon the Diuine calling and that my performances being but the fruites of a priuate spirit are therfore vayne vnwarrantable Yea yf we may beleeue the stationers many zealous Ministers haue taxed me for medling with a worke of that nature affyrming that it was a taske fitter for a Diuine then for me and so bitterly haue many of them as I heare censured me for it in their priuate conferences that I haue good cause to suspect it was rather enuie then any thing else which induced most of them to be of that opinion If it be a worke soe proper to a Diuine that noe man else ought to haue medled with it I would some of them had taken it in hand who giue me so little thankes for my labor that we might haue seene
not content to smother my booke as much as may be by denying to giue it vtterance according as the King hath commaunded and as by their trade they ought to doe or to disparage it by striuing to make me seeme vnfitting or insufficient for a worke of that nature but to countenance their detractions they pretend as I sayde before that the Lo Archb with other of your LLos haue disliked my Hymnes that my Lo of Canterbury would this Parlament take order to suppresse them I cannot but wonder at the bouldnesse and impudence of these fellowes that dare publish such improbable vntruthes to the disparagement of honorable personages For many of your Reuerences haue receiued those Hymnes at my hands and returned me that good respect which hath been my encouragement and I cannot thinke any possessing those reuerent places would haue so much forgotten humanity as to haue condemned my labors in such fashiâ—… as those giue out It caÌ„not be thought they censured them vpon the Stationers reports seeing that were an inexcusable leuity and if they examined it me thinks my paynes my pyous intention and the good vse which may be made of that booke would haue mooued them to counsell me how to amend that which was found amisse rather then to disparage my whole work for a few ouersights Can I suppose they who should encourage men in their pyous studies and be glad to see that we are able in any measure to exercise our facultyes towardes the setting forth of Gods prayse would be so harsh to giue me hard censures for my paynes because forsooth I haue not answered their expectations in some one tâ—…iuiall poynt Sure this were not that tendernesse which might be expected in the Fathers of the Church nor do I beleue that any of your LLâ—…s would vse that seuerity towards me for then if I had noâ—… better comfortes then such critescisme affords those who wâ—… their tyme altogether in idlenesse and abuse their facultyes to vainest purposes are in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…n I. Now that they haue abused my Lo Grace of 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 his dislike of my booke to the disparagement thereof I shal make yt very apparent For his Grace tooke notise that my booke was perused and allowed by his Maiestie himselfe and worthily approued his Royall iudgement both in Diuinity and Poetry the Stationers beeing present he was informed likewise concerning euery perticuler circumstance in the Grant and how it was his Maiesties pleasure my booke should be anexed to the metricall Psalmes and thereupon both illustrated the reasonablenesse thereof to the sayd stationers and gaue them and me incouragment to proceed to composition touching the same moreouer the Canonical Hymnes haueing beene allowed by the Lo Bp of London part of them imprinted for an assay I deliuered to my L Archbs own hands a coppy of them almost fowre yeare agoe since when about two yeares after they being imprinted altogether passed without contradiction euen to the diuvlging of a full impression and lastly haueing an addition of spirituall Songes for the obseruable tymes they came forth altogether authorised as well by the Kinges perticuler approbation as by the common allowance appoynted by the State Yea my Lo of Canterbury himselfe receiued one of those bookes from me vpon Michelmas day last and giuing me order to alter one word only hath permitted al the rest to haue free passage without controwle Is it likely then that my Lord will soe iniure the Kinges iudgement and his owne as to disparage in priuate what they haue publikely allowed or secretly combine with the stationers to oppose the Kinges royall commaund in that which he himselfe hath approoued reasonable Is it likely his Grace would soe dishonor the reuerent Authority of his place as to make the stationers or bookebinders his instruments of suppressing my booke in such a scandalous fashion consideringe what power hee hath giuen him to take order and reforme in matters of that nature or is it likely that his Lp had soe litle compassion and respect as not to consider what faultinesse might bee in my Hymnes or what inconuenience might arise by my Graunt vntyll I had bestowed besides my paynes so much cost in printing them that he might at one blowe make frustrate my studies and quite ouerthrowe my estate both together Whilst there was hope of a composition betweene me and the stationers the Priueledg was no GreeuaÌ„ce neither was there any fault found with my Hymnes and is it likly that since our disgreement mallice and detraction should finde out those escapes which the eye of Authority could not discouer Is it likely my Lo would â—…e soe partiall as to passe ouer all my paynes and vnquestionable expressions without regard finding but one place doubtful as easie to bee amended as found fault withall that he would haue sought to cast away my whole endeuour for that ouersighte which I was able and ready with all humility to reforme Or is it likly he reputed of so litle coÌ„sequeÌ„ce what yâ— King was pleased to peruse graÌ„t a priueledg for that neither his priuate deuotion nor his publike care would moue him to consider what good or inconuenience might succeede vpon the publication thereof vntill the stationers had for their owne endes awakened him Or if it were considered can I thinke he would haue beene silent vntill it might be obiected to my publike disgrace It cannot be but that they haue abused my Lds Grace and diuers other reuerend personages in their reports For such vsage of me were not answereable to yâ— reuereÌ„ce pyety of their callings if religious endeuours should euer finde such encouragmentes there were more hope of thrift to the worldwarde by makeing Ballades for the company of stationers then coulde bee by composing of Hymns and spirituall Songes for the honor of God I hope no man in authority enuies me the honor of my emploimeÌ„t nor grudges mee that poore profite which my labors may honestly bring in For though it bee noâ—… meane content to a christian whose soule is touched with the vnderstanding of spirituall comfortes to bee an instrument of Gods glory yet that which I haue attempted makâ—… me in regard of one of you noe better then the meanest seruant attendinge on the outward ceremonies is in comparison of him that hath yâ— most holy mysteries of the Church committed to his dispensation And as for the benefit likely to arise vnto me froÌ„ that I haue done I know not what it may proue hereafter but hitherto I haue bene acquainted with nothing saue the priuation of it and haue beene so preposterously rewarded for my best labors that if all those whoe are thought to censure me had mett with such discouragments as I haue done it is tenn to one but some of them now florishing in eminent places had sate as lowe as I doe at this day But if it shall please my Lo of Canterbury to pardon them for abusing his name in the
that I went about so to giue testimony also how farr I am from being wilfull in my owne opinions I doe in all humility submit my selfe to be rectified by your RRces in whatsoeuer I haue done or spoken which though offence had beene giuen will I hope make me somwhat more excusable then my aduersaryes pretend Howsoeuer I cannot dispayre For yf those ouersightes which I haue vnwillingly committed in that performance doe bring on me those outward troubles which shall frustrate some of my temporall hopes yet I am confident that those christian affections which Gods mercy hath made acceptable in me shall produce those inward comfortes which will vphould my faith tyll my contentments are made perfect and therfore his will be done I come now to speake of that imputatiō by which the stationers and their Abetters haue don my book and me the greatest iniury and that is in pretending my Hymnes for the Obseruable tymes to be furtherances to Popery and superstition When they cannot bring men to dislyke me and that labor of myne by disparaging the vsefullnesse thereof they obiect against the manner or method when that wil not serue turne they except against my calling when that wil not preuaile they impudently accuse it of obscenity when that effects not their purpose they gyue out that it is inclyning to Popery when none of these courses will aduantage them they rayle and send him that enquires for the booke to goe and seeke yt where he cann But the best of their stratagems hath beene by accusing yt of fauouring superstition For it hath not onely made many hundreds whoe knowe not yet what the Booke treates of to forbeare the buyeng and perusing of it but hath giuen them occasion also to passe their censures on me in so vnchristian a manner as if I were an Apostate that had fallen from my Religyon or sought the subuertion of yt for my outward profitt Wheresoeuer I come one gyddy brayne or another offers to fall into disputation with me about my Hymnes Yea Brockers and Costermongers and Tapsters and Pedlers and Sempsters and Fydlers and Feltmakers and all the Brotherhoods of Amsterdam haue scoffingly passed sentence vpon me in their conuenticles at taphouses and Tauernes So that insteed of diuvlging my booke that according to the Kings intēt yt might further y◠reverence práctise of deuotion and confirme in his Maiestyes subiectes obedience to the pyous discipline of our Church some of the stationers haue by traducing it giuen ignorant people occasion to speake the more in contempt of those Ordinances which they ought reuerently to obey If these presumptions shall be suffered without rebuke neither the Authority of the Church or State will shortly take place but that onely vvhich makes for the profitt or humor of the Stationers For some of them dare already tell me to my face that if the King had not peremptorely commāded the addition of my Hymns to the metricall Psalmbooke they would haue the sooner anexed thē but by compulsion they will not And for that cause one of them as hee himselfe affirmed hath sold of those bookes 500 lesse then hee might haue done in one quarter of a yeare What is this but to professe wilfull disobedience in contempt of his Majestie his pious Iniunctio as if he had not powre to command the publication of a few leaues to the glory of God without crauing their fauors For though it might be objected that I petitioned the sayd Hymnes might be added to the metricall Psalmes out of a priuate respect as doubting or foreseeing that the Stationers and others vvould feeke the suppressing of them if they vvere not compoūded withall to their owne liking Yet the Kings Maiesty had no such ende but inioyned the same meerely to this christian purpose that those Hymnes might be the more conueniently dispersed throughout his Dominions for the edifying and instructing of his Loyall subiectes perswading himselfe that those who haue enioyed so many greate Priuiledges by his gratious fauour would neuer haue opposed that authority by which they fub sist and by vertue wherof they receiue benefit of such Grants as are both of the same of a higher nature especially seeing it is probable that none of his louing subjectes worthy the name of a Christiâ would haue grudged to enlarge his booke the quantity of a fewe leaues at the ordinary rate to so pyous an ende as those Hymnes tend vnto considering how many poundes are yearly consumed in triuiall Pamphlets and other vayne expences But why should I onely complayne against the Stationers the inciuillity of those whom they haue stirred vp to clamor against the Hymnes for the solemne Dayes as if I alone suffred in this vproare Do not your RRces perceaue that the kings Iudgement Authority suffers by it Nay perceaue you not that while they seeme to aime at me they strike at you and seeke to ouerthrow or disparage the allowed Discipline of our Church Verily that is the white which they seeme to shoote at And there is not one of them but if he dare stand to his Objections before this reuerend Assembly I dare vndertake to prooue him to be little better then a Schismatick in his opinions an enimie to the govermēt established in the Church of England If vpō the review of my Hymnes there may be found either in them or in their Prefaces any thing repugnant to the Catholike Verity or the allowed Discipline I will recant it make publike acknowledgment of my error and vndergoe what punishment shal be thought deserued For I had rather be irrecouerably vndon both in my credit estate then to be an occasion of preiudice or scandall to the Church of God Nay let all my labors be made frustrate and my person be deliuered ouer to be subject to the tyrany of the Stationers if my Hymnes doe not euidently appeare vpon serious viewe to be instrumēts of Gods glory helpfull to deuotion tending to Christian Conformity and likely to be a meanes of deliuering our Solemnities from being so much traduced and misvnderstood for reliques of Popery as heretofore I am thus confident thereof by reason of that blessing which God hath already giuen For notwithstanding that great opposition of the Stationers hitherto made and those vilde imputations which they haue layd on my Booke Many haue confessed vnto me that my Hymnes for the Obseruable Tymes and their Prefaces haue made them more reverently affected towards that Discipline then formerly they were And haue professed that yt shall for euer hereafter teach them to be more conscionable in condemning and sleighting the obseruatiō of that which is established in our Church Yea some Divines haue modestly acknowledged that they did not so well consider the piety and vsefulnes of those observations as they haue since done If I were so greedy of temporall aduantages as the Stationers iudge me or yf I had meereley proiected my own profit in the course of my studies
without making conscience of Religion I haue had many more easy and more thriuing waies offred me then the world is a ware of and needed not to haue exprest my selfe in such manner as I haue done in my Hymnes which I was certaine before I published them would neuer purchase me good opinion from Papist or Schifmatick For beside other waies of these times which I haue despised I haue been offred a larger yearely stipend and more respective entertaynments to employ my selfe insetting forth hereticall fancies then I haue yet probabilitey to hope for by professing the Trueth Yea I haue been wooed to the professiō of theire wilde ill grounded opinions by the Sectaries of so many seuerall seperatiōs that had I listed or rather yf God had not been the more mercyfull vnto me I might haue been Lieutenant if not Captaine of some new Band of such Volunteers long ere this tyme. But I thanke God neyther the swelling impostumations of vaineglory nor the ytchings of singularity nor the ticklings of selfe loue nor the convulsions of Enuy nor the inflamations of Reuenge nor the hunger and thirst of Gold were euer yet so preuayling ouer me as to mooue me to the prosecution of any thinge against my conscience especially if yt seemed any vvay repugnant to Religiō or the authority of the Church Nay those things which I might iustly and lavvfully haue done to my great advantage and without reproofe I haue volūtarily forborne euen almost to the ruine of my estate for no other end but because I feared least the malice of my Adversaries should misinterpret my dooings eyther to the scandall of Authority to the offence of ignorant people or to the troubling of their devotions vvho are ignorant of the reasonablenesse and true purpose of my actions I therefore beseech your Reuerences that my Hymnes for the Observable times may be re-examined whether they be not in euery circumstāce agreable to the holy Scriptures and discipline of our Church And if there be any passage or expression found among them scandalously faulty let it not onely be corrected according to the Truth but let me be commanded also to make publike acknowledgement of my ouersights And if Authority thinke it expedient vndergoe some penalty for my default But if on the contrary as I hope it will euidently appeare those Hymnes and their Prefaces shall be approoued much tending to the edification of the people and helpefull to encrease true deuotion and Christian obedience by explaning the pious and commendable vse of those Ecclesiasticall constitutions which many people haue ignorantly judged vnprofitable If they shall be found consonant to the Diuine word and conformable to the Cannons and Ordinances of our Church If they haue been lawfully allowed of by those in Authority and may appeare to aduance the practise of Piety to Gods honour and to maintaine those Rites only which were agreed vpon and established by our Parliaments Prouinciall Synodes Nationall Counsels and the Authority of the State And yf moreouer those who scandalize oppose the sayd Hymns may be probably suspected yf not prooued to haue eyther priuate malice and designes in their opposition or to be some of those who are trou blesome and ill affected to the gouernment of our Church Thē let their vnchristian behauiours towards Authoritey and their vncivell daeling with me be accordingly considered on If those Observatiōs which our Church commandeth were as vnprofitable or superstitions as some of that ignorant Rable seeme to conceaue Yet I hauing followed the steps of Authority prepared meanes to make those Obseruations the more edifying for the common people methinks I might hope for better things then to be abused for my labour and expenses But seeing the Church hath by those obseruations wisely and pyously so distributed the commemoration of the principall mysteries of Religeon that they may be once throughout euery yeare presented to publike consideration since the temporall blessings of euery season are therby the better the oftner tendred to our thankfull Remembrances as well as those eternall Priueledges which we receaue by the Incarnation Natiuitie Passion Resurrection and Ascention of our hlessed Redeemer and the perticuler misteries of his holy-Saintes and Angells And since I haue by Gods assistance found out by Authoritie divulged those helpes vvhereby the Churches pious intent in those Ordinances may be the more vulgerly vnderstood practised both to her honour and the glory of God vvhy should not I be defēded against the malitious irreligeous combinations and practises of my Aduersaris Nay why am I rather giuen vp into their powre to be traduced abused for that which in the opinion of all good men ought to haue procured me more esteeme So farr am I from insinuating any popish Superstitiō among the people that I haue vindicated all our Solemnities f◅om those imputatiōs which ignorant men haue that way cast vpon them by setting downe their primatiue vse freed frō the Corruption of the later Ages and in such manner as they are obserued by the Church of England who imposeth them not as essentially pertaining to Religeon but as accidentally helpefull towarde the performance of those exercises which are necessary to saluation For whosoeuer can propose to himselfe any other warrantable meanes which in his judgement may be more profitable to his perticuler disposition to stir him vp and continue him in the practise of his Christian duties He may as I beleeue freely make vse of them and with good commeodation prouided he neyther tye the Generality to his private Rules nor presnmptuously neglect or contemne the alowed Church discipline to the dishonor of Authority and the offence of his vveake Brethren Because in my vnderstanding humane Traditions obseruations discreetly established in the Church do in our highway to Heaven resemble those markes which charitable and skilfull Seam◅n haue anciently sett vp to discouer dangerous passages and a safe Channell to vnskilfull Mariners If any man suppose himselfe so good a Pilot that by his industry and continuall sounding he can bring his Barke to a safe Roade without heeding the common obseruations Or yf his Vessell dravv so little water that by sayling ouer those Barrs vpon which others most commonly strike he can finde a neerer course into the Harbour hee may steere by his owne Compasse But if he shall therevpō deface those auncient Beacons which meaner Arts-men haue neede of or seeke to make contemptible those helpes which he himselfe was yt may be directed and preserued by in his tymes of lesse experience vvee may justly taxe him of sacriledge and impiety And the same taxation are they worthy of who in their pilgrimage to the spirituall Canaan dispise and seeke to abolish those generall furtherances which theire vviser Forefathers had prouided because they haue in their owne imagination found out some discipline fitter for their particuler inclinations Let them vse vvhat Christian aduantage they can in their priuate practise of