and exact enumeration of all a mans sins in the eare of the Priest like the streame of a puddle or kennell emptying it selfe into a common sinke or Sewer Hereupon he receiues his Absolution which is a broome to sweepe the kennell to make it fit for more puddle water though sweet I wis to the Priests palate For Dulcis odor luchri ex re qualibet as the Emperour said of his Doung Gaine smels sweet though is come from a Dunghill The second of his misnamed Sacraments is for extreame vnction visitation of the sicke all is one with him Visitation of the sicke or Extreame vnction which yee will So that if our Author doe at any time goe to visit the Sicke as I feare he doth seldome at leastwise hio sicke flocke it happly someone desire his Ghostly father-hood in cafe when the Priest or Iesuite is not in the way I hope he carries his annointing or annealling bottle at his girdle like a carefull Shepheard with his tarre Botâ—le In the meane time it would diligently here bee weighed what a mistery of iniquity is wouen and wrapt vp in these Sacraments of the Church mentioned by the Author The summe whereof is to reduce vs all euen the Câ—urch of England to one Church the Church of Rome the onely Church which maintaineth 〈…〉 which Church he calleth the Catholicâ—e Church of Christ. Which summe doth 〈◊〉 and naturally â—â—â—olue it selfe into these particular 〈…〉 conclusionâ— First that the Church of 〈…〉 reformation and repurgaâ—â—â—◠〈…〉 chismaticall Church as 〈…〉 Church of Rome to be the 〈…〉 nor her selfe a member of the Romish Church Secondly that these being but one Church and that the Church of Rome and this Church of Rome hauing but one supreame Byshop the Pope and this Pope challenging a supremacie of headship ouer all other Churches as the Head ouer the Members and the Church of England being no otherwise distinct from the Church of Rome but as a member is distinguished not diuided from the Head or as a branch from the Tree or as a daughter from the Mother therefore it followeth that the Pope must be supreame Head of the Church of England Thirdly Jf the Pope be supreame Head ouer the Church of England he comes ouer our gracious Soueraignes Head and with his foote striketh off his crowne Fourthly hereupon it followeth that the Author and his Abbetors and Approuers doe impinge vpon and most impiously infringe and violate that sacred and solemne Oath which euery Deacon Minister and Bishop doe take at their ordination and consecration in which they sweare to renounce refuse relinquish and forsake the Bishop of Rome and his authoritie power and jurisdiction neuer to consent or agree that the Bishop of Rome shall practise exercise or haue any manner of authoritie jurisdiction or power within this Realme or any other within the Kings Dominions but shall resist the same at all times to the vttermost of his power to accept and repute and take the Kings Maiestie to be the onely supreame Head in earth of the Church of England yea to his cunning wit and vttermost of his power without guile fraud or other vndue meane to obserue keepe maintaine and defend the whole effects and singular Acts and statutes made and to be made within this Realme in derogation extirpation and extinguishment of the Bishop of Rome and his auâ—horitâ—e â—nd all other Acts and 〈◊〉 made or to be made 〈…〉 and corrâ—boration of the Kingâ— powâ—r 〈…〉 this to doe against all manner of persons of what estatâ— dignity or degree or condition they be and in no wâ—se to doe nor attempt nor to his power suffer to be done or attempted directly or indirectly any thing or things priuily or apertly to the let hinderance damage or derogation thereof or any part thereof by any manner of meanes or for any manner of pretence c. So helpe him God But our Author who set him a worke or subornd and animated him therein let them looke to it and let them be well lookt vnto contrary to the contents and tenure of this sacred and solemne Oath which how many times he hath taken I know not hath published a booke bearing Authority in the front wherein this whole Oath is crackt from the top to the bottome for all along speaking of the Church one Church the Catholicke Church of Christ which hee markes out in all points for the Church of Rome making and taking it for the Catholicke Church wherevpon the Pope makes himselfe the sole supreame Head ouer all particular Churches which acknowledge themselues members of that his Catholicke see he necessarily not only not renounceth refuseth relinquisheth and forsaketh the Bishop of Rome with his authority power and jurisdiction nor only consenteth and agreeth that the Bishop of Rome shall practise exercise or haue authoritie jurisdiction or power within this Realme and other the Kings dominions without resisting the same to the vttermost of his power nor doth accept repute and take the Kings Maiestie to be the only supreame Head on earth of the Church of England if this Church be a member of the Church of Rome as his whole booke mainely driues at and so the Pope will come in for the best share in the Headship nor only to his cunning wit and vttermost of his power doth obserue keepe maintaine and defend the whole effects and contents of all and singular Acts and statutes made within this Realme in derogation extirpation and extinguishment of the Bishop of Rome and his authority and all other Acts and Statute made in reformation and corroboration of the Kings power of the supreame Head in earth of the Church of England but with guile fraud cosening and vndue meane goeth about to defeat and frustrate the same and to bring in the Popes authoritie againe by the Head and shoulders yea and led no doubt with personall respects to some great ones of some high estate dignitie degree and condition he and his abbettors partly attempt to his and their power by such meanes and pretences as this his booke of priuate Deuotions a faire pretence to couer a whole packe of villany and partly suffer to be done and attempted directly and indirectly not onely priuily but apertly if not most malapartly past all shame or feare in their audacious daring the let hinderance damage and derogation of all the said singular Acts and statutes for the corroborating of the Kings Maiesties sole supremacie of the Church of England and for the perpetuall extirpating and extinguishing of all Papall pretence or interest in this Church and State and therefore the author with his Abbettors how will they not be found most notorious violators of this most sacred Oath and so guilty at least of periury in a high degree In the fift and last place it is lest to the wisedome and judgement of his Maiesties learned Councell and Iudges of the Land whether thus to go about to bring in Popery and the papacy againe
thinke it fit to trouble your Ladiships eares with any tedious canuasses to and fro but rather to recommend it to your Ladiship in one briefe view to peruse the same at your best leasure And here it is in writing praying your Ladiships honour to pardon my rudenesse and plainnesse therein according to your honours promise to my Lady here Cur. Sir I thanke you very kindly wishing I could as easily requite your paines and courtesie as I can hardly otherwise deserue it Ioh. Madam your noble acceptance shall be to me as a most ample recompence Cur. I promise to bestow the reading of it thorowly Ioh. Madam God grant you may reape much fruit thereby The Lady CVRIA reades the Writing of M. Iohannes here set downe concerning the Booke intituled A Collection of Priuate Deuotions OR The Howres of Prayer And hereupon as it seemeth such is â—he affection of the Authour or Authours and Abbetters of this Booke of Deuotion that rather then they will be scrupulous to auow themselues affectionate well-willers at least of the Church of Rome if not rather symbolizers and intercommuners with her yea and to be Authours of reducing this Church of England backe againe to that spirituall Aegypt while all along without difference they shuffle all together in one Church as more particularly will appeare in the sequell They sticke not to prefix the Iesuits vsuall Marke IHS vpon the Frontispiece of their Deuotion and vnderneath it a votarie or two with a Crosse deuoutly erected As if they would with the Name of IESVS Inchanter-like coniure downe the Spirit of Truth and coniure vp the spirit of Pontifician errour and sedition againe in this our Church So that this Booke of Deuotion bearing and wearing the Iesuits badge vpon the Forehead we cannot better parallell then to that egregious dissimulation and counterfeit Deuotion which HENRY the Third of France tooke vpon him when he found that he could not by downe-right force suppresse the Truth with the Professors of it Therefore he attempts what force there is in framing and conforming himselfe to be a patterne of Deuotion to others Hereupon he builds Monasteries vndertakes Prilgrimages confirmes the Brotherhood of Penitents erects the Order of Hieronymites is daily and familiarly conuersant with the Capuchins and Fueillans called Iesuites carries a Crucifix and Beads in Procession with a whip at his girdle causeth many Bookes of Deuotion to be printed and to conclude he institutes the Order of the Knights of the Holy Ghost founded vpon such conditions as tye them by a strict and sacred bond to the Church of Rome And wherefore all this Saith the Storie to omit other complementarie ends For the entertainment of a number of Minions and Horse-leeches to whom they must rather weigh then tell money but chiefly to pull downe the Protestants to vndermine them by this lure of worldly greatnesse withdrawing the chiefe Heads who could not attaine to this high and stately degree of Knighthood but by renouncing of their Religion But see the mischiefe of it this dissembled Deuotion not so well suiting with his other hâ—mours of Feasts Maskes sumptuous pastimes drawing on new impositions to maintaine them led the first dance of rebellion While saith the Storie the Queene-Mother and those of Guise seeing the King drowned in these delights of Court did willingly entertaine him in that humor that either busying himselfe in numbring his Beads or treading the measures of a dance themselues might hold the Raines of Gouernment and dispose of affaires of State without controule What way also this made for the Spanish-faction working by his Indian-Gold the Storie sufficiently toucheth But this by the way The parallell I confesse is vneuen in regard of the persons compared the one a Prince the other meane Parsons But the things compared are not so vnequall as Popish deuotion on both sides that adorned with the Badge of the Holy Ghost this of Iesus in both those two Diuine Persons in the Trinitie most hellishly and impiously prophaned being made the Badges of those who are professed Vassalls of Antichrist that Man of Sinne and being worne by such as would still be reputed Protestants they are the verie Ensignes of Apostacie from CHRIST to Antichrist and therefore how true Seruants and Subiects such can be to Protestant Princes who by their Order of Knighthood are sworn Liegemen to the Pope I leaue to others to iudge Onely that King caused to be published sundry Bookes of Deuotion yet all of one meale But this Booke hath no fellow must alone be published for a singular and vniuersall Platforme of all Deuotion silencing and suppressing all other Bookes of the like nâ—ture So that what entertainment in time is this deuout Booke like to find in the world when none else shall be permitted to be printed yea when as not onely Bookes of religious Deuotion but also of sound Doctrine may not be allowed to see the light As therefore Popish Deuotion is the Daughter of blind Ignorance So on the contrarie this Deuotion is like to proue the Mother of Ignorance verifying that Riddle of the Water and Ice mutually bred of each other Mater me genuit eadem mox gignitur ex me And so plausible is this Booke of Deuotion to all Papists as they begin to triumph not sticking to say that they hope ere long these faire and towardly beginnings will grow on apace to the full and vniuersall reestablishment of their Roman-Catholicke Religion here in England telling their seduced Disciples as one of them now reformed blessed be GOD told me that we had now already at London a Booke of Seuen Sacraments publickly allowed In summe therefore let not the Authours of that Booke disdaine to be vulgarly reputed and reported for the Seruants of the Church of Rome whose Badge specially that of the Iesuites they sticke not to put vpon the Front of their Deuotion And so much for the first Frontispeice of the Booke Now to the next Page wherein they father this Septenary horary forme of deuotion vpon the practise of the ancient Church And these houres of prayer are compiled much saith the Booke after the manneâ— published by authoritie of Quéene ELIZABETH 1560 c. First for the ancient Church of CHRIST No Church did anciently obserue or precisely prescribe these Seuen houres of prayer duely and daily to be vsed as the Authour or Athours would beare vs in hand How ancient I pray you is this Canonicall obseruation Forsooth Pope PELAGIVS the Second was the first instituter of the Seuen houres and that was towards 600 yeeres after CHRIST This somewhat ancient But what authoritie haue we for it PAMELIVS vpon CYPRIAN saith They say so that this PELAGIVS was the first instituter Onely They say so Though POLYDOR VIRGIL speake a little more confidently Satis constat It is apparant enough but tells vs not whence Nor doe I find this Septenary to be more ancient then Pope GREGORY the Ninth who composed the Decretals about 400
yeeres agoe He indeed sets downe the Seuen houres in the Title of his Chapter iust as truly as our Authour in the Title of his Booke deriuing the same from some spring of antiquitie and namely the Agathen Councell Prouinciall in France which was some 800 yeers before his time But the Pope there committed a foule errour in setting downe Seuen canonicall houres for two The Agathen Councell mentioning but two houres of prayer the morning and euening So that the best authoritie and hoariest antiquitie for your Seuen canonicall houres is GREGORY the Ninth Pope of Rome This is that ancient Church wherein this practise appeareth first to be decreed and solemnely obserued This Pope then first decreed the Seuen canonicall houres But of whom to be obserued Namely of the Priests Friers Monkes and such like holy-day-persons for the most part Male feriati homines as Rome could afford â—now Of others he saith nothing saith the glosse although it say Others seeme not to be bound but surely they are But the Priests Monkes and other Votaries were specially bound to keepe them constantly Which seemes to be the reason why it is probable that some haue coniectured PELAGIVS the Second to haue beene the first institutor For about his time did all kind of Monkes and such like Orders begin exceedingly to be multiplyed many of them taking vpon them such a strict discipline as might admit yea in some sort necessarily require so many Canonicall Houres of Prayer at least to refresh the tediousnesse of that austeritie wherewith they exercised their extreame patience Some Monkes were called Insomnes for their continuall watchfulnesse And what could they doe better but pray to entertaine the tedious nights and vacant daies Some did so macerate themselues with immoderate fasting and course faire of small quantitie that they made themselues vnable to doe any thing but pray if that Others coopt themselues vp in such short and narrow and low Cells as vneath they could either lye along or stand vpright so that the best and easiest posture for them was to be on their knees praying Others forsaking humane societie and liuing among the wild Beasts called therefore Armenta Droues or Heards feeding on roots and grasse and lodging sub Dio or in the Caues what could they doe else but if they had so much sense left them pray Now seeing our Authour will needs reuiue and recommend to the Church of England these his seuen Canonicalls Vpon whom will hee impose their obseruation Vpon Courtiers Alas they are taken vp with a thousand thoughts perhaps how to rise higher perhaps how to keepe their standing perhaps how to preuent and take off enuie perhaps how to appease such an Opposite perhaps how to purchase such a Friend perhaps how to compasse such a preferment but specially the Female sex incombred with a thousand womanish Ceremonies if not State-proiects or their owne honours as I heard once a great Lady of the Court say there was neuer a day went ouer their heads but once at least their heart aked so as they cannot attend such tedious Canonicall Seruice Or Citizens or Countrey-men They haue their vocations to follow which if they should intermit to say ouer this Booke of Deuotion daily and duely as it prescribes how should they liue Except ye could perswade them to a thinner diet and courser habite too good an allowance for an idle life Or will you impose it vpon the Priests or Ministers of the Church But you know our golden Priests I meane in the best sense are not like those woodden Ones in the Church of Rome who hauing little else to doe but to say ouer their Masse or a few Mattens had need to be exercised with Canonicall houres to keepe them at least from worse exercises But you know most Ministers in the Church of England are labourious in their calling who if they should precisely â—uerie day say ouer your Booke of Deuotion they should haue little time left to prepare conuenient Food for their Flockes on the Lords day Although perhaps you could be content to dispense with that Nay rather if yee will needs inforce your Houres vpon vs lay them vpon dumbe Priests such as either cannot or dare not or at lâ—ast will not preach the Word to their people These being the men that cry so much for long prayers and short preaching you might doe well to bring them to a Canonicall obedience of your Canonicall houres and that they performe the same not by Proxie or Curacie but in their owne persons Otherwise if you cannot find Holy-day-men enough to take your Booke to taske what doth it import else but a necessitie of bringing in Monkerie and so of erecting Cells againe for the practise of your Deuotion Which I trust all your Deuotion will neuer bring to passe In the second place from the practise of the ancient Church the Authour descends to defend his Septiformious Deuotion to be Much after the manner published by authoritie of Quéene ELIZABETH 1560. Much after the manner is indeed a prettie qualification of the matter Much-what not so altogether But for your Much Distingue tempora Distinguish the times That Horarie the Authour speakes of was set out neere the first yeere of her Raigne when as Poperie was not buried nor the Gospell out of her Cradle That noble Queene of euer blessed memorie in the beginning of her Raigne did for the present prudently conniue at and act some things which afterwards by degrees she suffered to vanish For the purpose In the verie beginning of her Raigne before her first Parliament she set forth a Proclamation inhibiting all Ministers in and about London and else-where to preach at all lesse or more but onely to read Seruice vntill further order from her Maiestie Is this a good argument for the Author or any his Fautors by his seeming deuotion of making many long prayers to sholder preaching out of the Church or to wayne the people from hearing because forsooth QU. ELIZAB. once by Proclamation prohibited preaching and allowed onely reading of Seruice But how long lasted this restraint No longer then the Parliament approaching wherin was most happily established the liberty of preaching the Gospell and administring the Sacraments Take another example in the dawning of the Gospell in England before her time in King Henry 8. his raigne The Lord Cromwell in his English Primer 1535. in the Preface before the Letany apologizing his leauing out of the Letany in his former Primer saith wherefore for the contentation of such weake minds and somewhat to beare their infirmities I haue now at this my second Edition of the said Primer caused the Letany to be printed and put into the same c. Marke for the contentation of weake mindes Thus in the Primitiue Church some things were tolerated during the infancy of it which afterwards were quite abolished as Act. 15. The abstaining from blood and strangled was inioyned the Gentiles for a time And why for
saith S. Iames verse 21. Moses of old time hath in euery City them that preach him being read in the Synagogues euery Sabboth day so that for offending the Iewes the Gentiles among whom they liued must for a time forbearâ— to eate blood and that which is strangled So in the beginning of Reformation in England vnder that blessed Queene there were many Papists of whom there was a tender respect to offend them as little as might bee vntill the clearer light of the Gospell like the Sunne mounting should of it selfe dispell and chase away all â—hose mists And in our Communion booke in the Admonition to the Commination against sinners haue we not these words In stead of which godly discipline it is thought good c. By which examples wise men may learne not to tak◠〈◊〉 all former precedents as currant for present times Maâ—y things might be winked at in the infancy of the Church which are not tolerable in her riper age In that Horaryâ—et â—et forth 1560. there was a tender regard had of the weakenesse of the time to allow of such things which in these times of the cleare light of the Gospell and full growth of the Church would be ridiculous When I was a child saith the Apostle I did as a child I imagined 〈◊〉 a child but being a man J put away childish things Were it not absurd and ridiculous for a man growne to fall to his old childish sports and toyes againe And we know that suddain changes from one extreme to another euen from euill to good in a State are difficult if not dangerous being not discretly carried Nor could it be expected that the Church hauing beene long pent vp as it were in a dungeon and comming suddenly forth into the broad light but it should at first bee tender-sighted till after a while her eyes were better inured to looke vpon the light Or being but newly pulled out of the puddle of Popery that by and by she should bee washed cleane from all spots As Luther intreats his Readers if they finde in his writings any thing smelling of the old Caske of Popery that they would remember he was once a poore Monke And for any in these dayes of a long and well setled Church to plot the bringing in againe of Popeâ—y they know it well enough their way is not to doe it forthright but by many insinuations and winding wayes as to suppresse all printing of bookes against Papists to print and publish such bookes as doe in part maintaine our Church and in part comply and symbolize with Popery and by seeming to slight Popery slily to bring it into credite to restraine preaching as much as may be by laying burthens vpon the Ministry to suffer none to come to any place of eminency in the Church but through Simony gate or ambition and such by-wayes to make sure if possible a corrupt Clergy if any bee sincere and bold in lashing of sinne especially raigning sinnes to snap him vp and muzzle him for barking and such like But to conclude the former point of the Authors allegation of that Horary set forth 1560. and for the further making good of the answer thereunto it will not be impertinent here to insert what he addeth in his Preface pag. 7. quoting in the margent together with that 1560. another set forth by the same authority 1573. Ouer against which words his text hath these words These prayers which for the most part after the same manner and diuision of houres as here they are hauing heretofore béene published among vs by high and sacred authority are now also renewed and more fully set forth againe c. Where he confesseth againe that he followeth these former precedents but for the most part No nor that neither for examining the copies well we finde great difference For besides many other good things he hath left out the himne wherein is Pellitâ— falsam insere veram Religionem Consceleratum perdâ— Papismum c. And ex psalmo 2 Hoc tempore sentimus Deus Opt. Max. non solum Antichristum c. But what he leaues out against the Church of Rome hee puts in for it as a faire Iesuiticall frontis-peece Seuen Sacraments of the Church and the like It would fill a whole booke to note all the differences But herein lyes the maine matter that he couples the booke of Deuotion set forth 1573. with the other 1560. as if they were all one For he quotes in the Margent The Horary set forth with the Queenes authority 1560. and renewed 1573. imprinted with priuiledge at London by William Seers It is well that the copies of those Moth eaten bookes are yet extant at least to be an evidence how farre forth the Author herein speakes truth Yet if he had inquired a little more diligently hee might haue found another set forth by the same sacred authority imprinted by the same foresaid William Seers in the yeere 1564. being the 7. of that blessed raigne Now comparing these three Copies together I find the two last very different from the first not onely in their forme and matter but in their Title For the first in 1560. is intiâ—uled Horarium but the two succeeding the one 1564 the other in 1573. are intituled Prâ—ces priuata c. The Horarium indeed setteth downe the houres of prayer but the two latter bookes recommend onely Morning and Euening prayer with their matter and forme together with a short forme of prayer at rising and going to bed but without prescribing at what houres Obserue then in the first place a notable difference The first booke of Deuotion as comming neerest to the time of Popery the Gospell being yet but as it were in the dawning bore some resemblance to those Canonicall formes of prayer formerly vsed in time of Popery and so was called Horarium Yet this was in Latine seruing chiefly for the vse of all Clerkes or old Cloysterers to content them for the time till better prouision might be had and till their stomakes could digest stronger meat and their eyes indure the cleaâ—er light So that within 4. yeeres the Horarium disclaiming further affinity or Cosen-head so much as in name with the Popish Horaria in the next Edition and so forward put on the name of Prâ—ces priuatâ— and that in studio sorum gratiam collectae c. Priuate prayers collected for Schollers or Students such as vnderstood the Latin tongue to the end such especially being informed in the right forme and matter of praying might the better instruct others in the same duty that so by degrees all Popish superstition and erronious deuotion might get them hence into their darke Cels. Note againe that the third Edition of those prayers 1573. was yet more exact then the former in 1564. and much more different as the more distant still from the Horarium Veâ—â—râ— transieruâ—â— c. Old things are passed away and all things now become new the Gospell now promouing all things towards their
perfection And now when all is done would the author with his bring vs backe at least to the brinke borders of Popery againe by his Canonicall houres and the like Being now men of ripe yeeres would he haue vs to become children againe And after we haue begun and gone on so farâ—e in the spirit now to be made perfect in the flesh by turning back to beggerly rudiments After the cleare meridian Sun-shine of the Gospell would he reduce vs to those duskish dawning shadowes out of which that first Horarium was but newly peeped but to last no longer then till time might more fairely shake hands with all Popish shadowes As the Iewish Ceremonies had a time euen after the establishing of the Gospell for their solemne obsequies But to conclude the plaine truth is to such a passe is Popery now come in these our dayes that if euer the Church of England ought henceforth to haue the least correspondence and conformity with it yea to be so farre from renewing any old acquaintance with it as vtterly to shake hands and if any ragges or reliques of that Whore haue beene patched to our Mothers Robe we ought to rip it off and strip our selues of it Rome is now fully reuealed to be the Whore of Babylon the Pope the head thereof to be that man of sinne that grand Antichrist which for any learned man not to see in these dayes of the Gospell is to stumble at Noone-day yea to be strucke blinde at the cleare light It followeth in the Title Taken out of the holy Scriptures the ancient Fathers and the diuine Seruice of our owne Church Here be three authorities the least whereof not to be contemned The first is that he saith his houres are taken from the holy Scriptures His quotations are strowed all along the booke but so as if we amasse all the generall precepts and particular practises of prayer in Scripture into one Canon or rule there should not be one houre or minute throughout the day and night which we should not spend altogether in prayer So that the abusiue vnderstanding of Scripture in this kinde was that which brought the Euchetâ— to do nothing else but pray The Scriptures commend to vs specially two times of publicke prayer for the day the Morning and the Euening prayer the one about our nine in the forenoâ—ne the other about three in the afternoone which our Church followeth these two were called the Morning and the Euening Sacrifice Hence it is that Christ began to bee offered from the Morning Sacrifice to the Euening Sacrifice as sanctifying all our Sacrifices of Prayer and Prayse Morning and Euening in that Sacrifice of himselfe But he speakes here of Priuate houres of Prayer And where will he find in Scripture any such practise as the obseruation of his Seuen Canonicall houres DANIEL prayed three times a day Yes DAVID saith Seuen times a day will I prayse thee But that 's of Prayse And though it may be meant also of Prayer it signifieth onely his frequent praying farre from a superstitious obseruation of Canonicall houres in those dayes not hatched or heard of But of Prayer he saith Euening and morning and at noone day will I pray c. But for all this mans colouring the matter with Holy Scripture he hath no other Scripture for his Canonicall houres but the Popes Scripture in his Decretalls where the Pope takes all his Canonicall houres from the actions about CHRIST in his death As in the Glosse Haec sunt septenis propter quae psallimus heris Matutina lâ—gat Christum qui crimina purgat Prima replet sputis causam dat Tertia mortis Sexta cruci nectit latus eius Nona bipaertit Vespera deponit tumulo Completa reponit Indeed the Scripture doth so command this excellent dutie of Prayer to vs as that no time should exempt vs from it but that we should be diligent in the practise of it vpon all occasions and especially keepe constantly ouâ— morning and euening sacrifice priuate and publike also as the day requireth Yea to let no oportunitie slip wherein we are not breathing out some eiaculations out of a sense and feeling of our manifold infirmities and necessities But nowhere doth the Scripture prescribe a set septenarie forme of Deuotion as the Authour would impose vpon vs. In the second place he nameth the Ancient Fathers But these faile him as much for his purpose as the Scriptures doe Indeed the Fathers doe euerie where following the Scriptures inculcate and prâ—sse the incessant practise of Prayer Hora nulla a Christianis excipitur quò minùs frequenter ac semper Deus debeat adorari c. saith CYPRIAN No houre is exempted from Christians that God might not frequently and alwayes be adored And he saith indeed that in his time the times and exercises of Prayer were much encreased Yet hee no where setteth downe seuen Canonicall houres Yea CLEMENS ROMANVS a great Authour with him though misquoted in his Constitutions which euen Pontificians themselues haue confessed to bee counterfeit yet fayle him at least in two of his houres as Câ—mplene and the last Onely GREGORY the Ninth fayles him not being as I said his first complete Authour of his seuen Canonicalls But after the Ancient Fathers in the third place hee nameth the Diuine Seruice of our owne Church out of which his Houres are taken Now surely for ought that euer I could learne out of our Seruice Booke I can find but two set Houres of Prayer besides certaines priuate Prayers recommended to priuate Families for Morning and Euening with a godly Prayer to bee said at all times in the latter end of the Booke Vnlesse out of this Prayer to bee said at all times hee would picke out his seuen Canonicall houres But whereas hee seemeth to ground the forme of his Deuotion vpon the Diuinâ— Seruice of our owne Church On the contrarie hee offereth foule violence to that more exact and profitable forme prescribed in our Liturgy For whereas the forme of Prayer in our Communion Booke is so compiled as that by a daily practise thereof the whole or most part of the OLD TESTAMENT is read ouer once in the yeere and the NEVV TESTAMENT three times and the whole Booke of PSALMES once euerie moneth The Authour or Authours of this Booke intruding a new forme of Deuotion hereby coozen GODS People of their allowance in the SCRIPTVRES while in stead of the whole hee cutteth out here a peece and there a peece here a quarter of a Chapter and there a quarter Herein crossing the Communion Booke which in the Preface fâ—atly reproueth this verie practise of the Authour in these words Now of late time a few of the Psalmes haue been daily said and oft repeated and the rest vtterly omitted And is it not so in this Booke of Deuotion Doth he not confine vs to a narrow circle of so many Psalmes so many peeces of Chapters so many Lawâ—eâ— as he calls them
to be repeated ouer euery day Doth he not hereby rob vs of the rest of the Scripture Chapters and Psalmes Wee like our Communion booke better then so thus to exchange it to our losse All Priests and Dâ—acons are bound to say dayly the Morning and Euening Prayer either priuately or publikely except they be letted by Preaching studying of Diuinitie or by some other vrgent cause Thankes be to God there are plenty of manuall Psalters and Testaments as easie to carry in mens pockets and I am sure farre more profitable to edification then this booke of Deuotion Yea and it will appeare all along this booke howsoeuer he seeme tenderly affected and deuoted to his mother Church and to our diuine Seruice that neuer any though Popish booke published this threescore yeares vnder the name of Deuotion hath more slily and subtilly vndermined the state of this our Church then this doth while it would confound our Church with that of Babylon whereof more hereafter in the proper place So much in generall of the state of this Booke occasioned by the two first title Pages The Preface NOt to intangle our selues with perplexed questions aâ— whither all prayers other then set prayers and those either the Lords prayer or the Churches publicke formes of this Authors priuate formes bee denyed to Gods people or Ministers as vttered from priuate spirits and Ghosts of their owne they are the words of the Preface wherein perhaps the Author takes the liberty to bewray his malice or ignorance or want of experience of the supply of the spirit of Christ helping our infirmities in prayer Rom. 8.26 Phil. 1.19 as not hauing his wits exercised that way we haue occasion giuen in the first place to touch vpon the second reason of these his houres the words are To let the world vnderstand that they who giue it out and accuse vs here in England to haue set vp a new Church and a new faith to haue abandoned all the ancient formes of piety and deuotion to haue taken away all the religious prayers and exercises of our forefathers to haue despised all the old Ceremonies and cast behind vs the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholick Church c. Is not here a sound reason for the bringing in of old Popish Ceremonies and superstitions and such trumperies into our Church to the end that Popish mouthes may be stopt who slander our Church in this behalfe for antiquating all old Ceremonies whereof the obseruation of the seuen Canonicall houres is one Then belike we must set vp Popery againe at least in a good part onely to appease the clamours of Papists accusing vs for Nouelists But take heed what you doe for vnlesse you meane thus by degrees to reare vp the whole tower of Babylon again in England you striue in vaine to stoppe their mouthes who will haue all or none But in the meane time remember what your Mother the Church of England if ye be indeed her true bred sonnes saith Of such Ceremonies as be vsed in the Church and haue had their beginning by the institution of man Some at the first were of godly intent and purpose deuised and yet at length turned to vanity and superstition some entred into the Churh by vndiscreetâ— deuotion and such a zeale as was without knowledge and for because they were winked at in the beginning they grew dayly to more and more abuse which not onely for their vnprofitablenesse but also because they haue much blinded the people and obscured the glory of God are worthy to be cut away and quite râ—iâ—cted c. Heere consider whether your seuen Canonicalls be not of the number of those Ceremonies which haue had their beginning by the institution of man by Pope Gregory 9. as we haue shewed and perhaps for a good intent and purpose yet at length haue turned to vanity and superstition as is manifest both by the doctrine and practise of the Church of Rome or such as hauing entred into the Church by vndiscreet deuotion and zeale without knowledge and for because winked at in the beginning and growing dayly to more and more abuses our Church not onely for their vnprofitablenesse but because of their much blinding of the people and obscuring Gods glory hath thought worthy to cut away and cleane reiect Consider it I say For hath not our Church among many other superstitious ceremonies quite casheered this of your Canonicall houres But thereupon she heareth A nouellist a setter vp of a new Church and a new faith to haue abandoned all the ancient formes of piety and deuotion to haue taken away all the religious â—xercises and prayers of our forefathers to haue despised all the old Ceremonies c. But of whom doth our Church heare this Of the Church of Rome And can she blame Rome for it But charity would or Christian prudence or I wot not what tender care of her owne reputation being thus exposed to the obloquy of her enemy she should salue the wound againe which the venemous tongue hath made How The Authors of this booke her pregnant young sonnes though no small babies I wis can tell their old Mother shee must now after threescore yeares and more seing there is no other remedy in her old age turne ouer a new leafe begin to renew her old acquaintance with her stepmother or elder sister at least the Church of Rome intertaine some of her old ceremonies againe as religious which long agoe she abandoned as superstitious receiue reuiue that faith and religion as the Old which earst she reiected as the New thus after shee hath begun yea so many yeares continued and growne vp to a ripenesse in the spirit she must with the foolish Church of Galatia be made perfect in the flesh But we hope better things of our reuerend Mother that with aged Sophocles accused by his sonnes of carelesse improuidence in gouerning his family she will vindicate her wisdome and motherly authoritie ouer her darling but ouerdaring sonnes As for that other clause of hauing it cast in our dish that we cast behinde vs the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholicke Church which cannot be obiected to our Church but onely because we allow no more Sacraments but two a point not a little materiall if well weighed of this we shall haue occasion to speake more when we come to his Sacraments of the Church Onely by the way this is a faire inducement to draw on his 7. Sacraments for otherwise how shall he thereby acquit vs forsooth of the grieuous scandall and imputation which the Church of Rome layes to our charge of our reiecting the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholicke Church As if he should say as in effect and almost totidem verbiâ— he doth say They charge vs falsely in saying that we cast behind vs the blessed Sacraments of Christs Catholicke Church alas silly simples these men do little else but bewray their owne infirmities and haue more violence or will then reason or
not that Some after they haue fasted till nine of the clock vse sundry meates And others otherwise And because none can shew any precept vpon Record concerning Lent it is euident that the Apostle therein left free power to euery mans mind will that euery one might do that which is good and honest being induced thereto neither by feare nor by necessity Thus Socrates And Eusebius before him saith that some thought one day sufficient for fasting some two some moe others in reckoning 40. continued houres day and night do determine that the time of their Fast. This being so what is become of the Apostolicall Constitution for 40. dayes Fast when it was left free for euery Church or Christian to fast as few or many dayes as they thought fit And therefore neuer let our Author obtrude vpon vs the authority and practise of the present Church of Rome to impose a necessity of a religious if not a superstitious 40. dayes Fast when notwithstanding the old Church of Rome in her purer times fasted but three weekes yet two dayes in euery weeke excepted And besides in those times Easter being a generall time for publicke Baptisme as also Whitsuntide for that cause they thought fit to humble themselues with fasting and prayer for the better preparation thereunto But enough of this Pag. 246. of the last impression Hee mentioneth Christs Rest in the graue and his Descenâ— also into Hell as vpon Easter Euen The Author is very skilfull to tell vs the punctuall time of Christs Descent into Hell Of the manner of it or how the Article in the Creed is to bee vnderstood he makes no question but comes with an actuall downe right Descent But he grounds this his time of Christs Descent into Hell vpon the Epistle and Gospell for Easter Euen Indeed the Epistle is taken out of 1 Pet. 3.27 c. where the words of Peter are thus translated according to the corrupt vulgar Latin In which spirit hee also went and preached to the spirits that were in prison c. Now the Author hereupon inferreth that this place of Peter is to be meant of Christs Descent into Hell contrary to all sound Interpreters the Text it selfe no way bearing it And vpon the same ground according to the corrupt translation wherein is added contrary and besides both the Originall Text and our last and best English Translation these words That were whereas the Text is To the spirits in prison that is now still in prison not that were in prison as if vpon Christs descent into Hell and preaching vnto them hee had deliuered them thence as out of some Limbo which the Author if well examined must needes meane And indeed he is too much helped by the corrupting of the Text so that it were to be wished that vulgar English Translation of the Epistles and Gospels in the Communion booke were corrected yea and wholly made vniforme to our last Translation of the Bible that so no Popish spirits may haue any such starting holes for their lurking and sly old Popish and mopish doctrines In the next place pag. 291. he setteth downe sundry sayings prayers Psalmes Hymnes before the receiuing of the Sacrament to pag. 301. In all which it should seeme 〈◊〉 â—rescribeth a new solmne seruice for the Sacrament For else what time is there allowed for any mans priuate deuotion while hee is present at the publike administration of the Sacrament Or would he haue a man busied about his priuate deuotions while the Minister is in the publicke seruice Or would he haue the Minister to be mute vntill euery man present haue said ouer such lessons as our Author teacheth Indeed if it were at a Masse which the people vnderstand not these formes of priuate deuotion were good to exercise euery man while the Priest is mumbling ouer his Masse But blessed bee God there is no such need Pag. 298. he sets downe a new forme of prayer but taken either from the Bull of Pope Clement 8. where hee commands the Angels c. or rather hee borrowes it from the Romane Missal in the Cannon of the Masse restored by the Decree of the Councell of Trent and published by the Commandement of Pope Pius 5. printed at Antwerp 1574. Cum priuilegio Pontif. Max. et Regis Cathâ—l pag. 272. where the Masse Priest Profundè inclinatus iunetis manibus dicat Lowly ducking with his hands ioyned let him say Supplices te rogamus Omnipotens Deus iube hâ—c perferri per manus Sancti Aâ—egli tui in sublime Altere tuum in conspectu diuinae Maiestatis tuae vt c. that is We humbly beseech the Omnipotent God command these things to be conuayed by the hands of thy holy Angel into thy high Altar in the presence of thy diuine Maiestie that c. But what a presumption is this in our Author to prescribe God a new way of conueying our prayers into the presence of his Maiesty by such a meane as he hath no where reuealed in his word Where hath God commanded his Angels to bee our Mediators betweene vs and him Yet see how slily this Author would foyst in the mediation of Angels Is not the onely name of Christ our Mediator in whom we offer vp all our Seruice and Sacrifice of Prayer and Prayse sufficient to bring them vp into the presence of his Father yea and to make both vs and them acceptable to his Maiestie But what promise of acceptance hath our Authour of such Mediation of Angels if they should presume to present our Prayers Much more when they doe it without warrant And warrant they haue none in GODS Word And without the Word we haue no warrant for any seruice we doe to GOD. But contrarily the Word alloweth vnto vs but one onely Mediatour as well of Intercession as of satisfaction 1 Iohn 2. If any man sinne we haue an Aduocate with the Father Iesus Christ the Righteous and he is the propitiation for our sinnes The same must be our Aduocate and Intercessor who is also our Propitiation Therefore our Authour here commits high Sacriledge if not Blasphemie against the Sacred Maiestie of GOD and the honour of IESVS CHRIST to assigne GOD the appointing of a new way whereby we may come vnto him namely another way then by IESVS CHRIST But proceed we to Page 388. where he sets downe The manner of commending the Soule into the hands of GOD at the verie point of time when it is departing from the Body Before yee haue his Forme of Prayers at the houre of Death now another Forme at the point of Death Nay which ought diligently to be marked at the verie point of time when the Soule is not about to depart but departing from the Body Surely a man would thinke his prayer had need to be verie short onely a jaculatorie breath and away least the Soule bee departed from the Body before hee make an end of his prayer and so he shall pray for the dead
Yet for all this he sets downe a farre longer prayer then can be said at the verie point of time when the Soule is departing from the Body Yea and among the rest to lengthen it out he sets downe thirteene eiaculatorie Meditations and Prayers which he will haue said plainly distinctly and with some pawses So that of necessitie the Soule must bee departed before his prayers be halfe ended And what then Is that so great a matter thinke you His first printed Booke which is yet extant and walkes abroad wherewith Iesuites are mightily helped to draw on Disciples after them blusheth not to make a solemne prayer for the Soule and that expresly and distinctly after it is departed from the Body For after his Eiaculatories ending with Lord Iesus râ—ceiue my Spirit He putteth these words of direction next vnder And these to wit the foregoing eiaculatorie Meditations and Prayers to be repeated vntill the Soule be departed Well The Soule being now departed What then Then O Lambe of God that takest away the sinnes of the world grant him thy peace With this Prayer O Lord with whom doe liue the Spirits of them that dye and by whom the Soulâ—s of thy Seruants after they be deliuered from the burthen of this Flesh bée in perpetuall ioy and felicitie Wee most méekely beseech thée for this thy Seruant that hauing now receiued the absoluâ—um from all his sinnes which he hath committed in this world he may escape the Gates of Hell and the paynes of eternall darkenesse That he may for euer dwell with Abraham Isaack and Iacob in the Region of Light and thy blessed Presence where there is neither wéeping nor heauinesse And that when the dreadfull day of the generall Iudgement shall come he may rise againe with the Iust and receiue this dead Body which must now be buried in the Earth to be ioyned with his Soule and be made pure and incorruptible for euer after in thy glorious Kingdome for the merits of thy deare Sonne our Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen Thus runs the Prayer for the Dead word for word But here the PRINTER steps in and setting forth a second Impression he in an Epistle before the Booke styled The Printer to the Reader Excuses the Authour and verie courteously takes all the blame vpon himself Which he is the bolder to doe because this Booke is Censured as he tâ—rmeth rather through false reports and mistakings in them that either iudge before they see or out of disaffection make sinister construction of that which deserueth better vnderstanding and so good intentions are wrested and truth impeached Note here the fruit of the Authours Deuotions how soone they haue blindly led him into Errour which he desireth may be excused by his good intentions howsoeuer it goeth he meant no harme good man Which also the most ignorant Papist is able to plead for himselfe You must take his good meaning Well Let vs heare out his Apologie So hath it befallen this Hand-full of Collections for priuate Deuotions which was compiled out of sundry warranted Bookes c That 's something But out of what warranted Bookes could he collect or compile Prayer for the Dead That he might expile from Popish warranted Booke as out of the Romane Missal and the like wherewith the Authour seemes to be better acquainted then with GODS Booke So that I feare me some hath taught the PRINTER here to equiuocate a little But what followes It was for the priuate vse of an honourable well-disposed Friend He or She Protestant or Papist Or betweene both Or one whom the Authour by the vertue of this Booke was about to conuert to be a Roman Catholike yet being an honourable person it deserues some pardon for their honours sake Nay rather it is the more censurable that the author should dare to attempt to seduce any honourable personage vnder the colour of his painted-popish Deuotions But what more without any meaning to make the same publicke to the world This is one part of his good intentions Published it is but it was not his meaning How then Though to saue the labour and trouble of writing Copies to be sparingly communicated to some few friends a certaine number of them by leaue and warrant of the Ordinary were printed at the charge of the partie for whose onely vse the same was collected Good Pitty but such a Booke with such deuout prayers collected should be copied out and rather then faile for more expedition to be printed but to be sparingly O warily spoken to some and but some and those but a few friends One of the best reasons you gaue hitherto to extenuate the fault for the fewer were printed and the more sparingly and to the more few communicated the better But how comes it to be printed againe and againe and so lauishly communicated and dispersed euery where Is it not but by leaue and warrant of the Ordinary I assure you the author had extraordinary fauour to get the Ordinaries leaue and warrant for such a Popish Booke for beleeue me Orthodox Bookes and such as impugne Popery and Heresie and propugne the established Doctrine of the Church of England cannot haue the fauour to obtaine ordinary leaue and warrant to be printed but vpon to speake mildely extraordinary tearmes But goe on It hath therefore seemed good to AVTHORITY to giue leaue to the reprinting thereof and permitting the same to be sold to such as please to buy it onely for priuate vse as in former times way hath beene giuen to the printing of priuate Prayer-Bookes Stay there Me thinkes Mr Printer you begin to gather a great deale of confidence already I pray you if I may be so bold what authority is that which you so boldly build vpon and which you put in such Capitall Characters as if you would affright the Reader withall But good Subiects and honest men obey honour reuerence loue Authority are not terrified with it It is for such Printers that are so ready to print Mountebanke Arminianisme and cosâ—ning Popery as you haue done to be frighted with Authority for it carrieth not the sword for naught But if thou dost euill feare Did you neuer heare of one Tucker a printer in Queene Elizabeths raigne who for printing a Booke of Popish Deuotion was arraigned and though the Queens mercy saued his life yet he was confined to perpetuall imprisonment Yet you feare not not only to print reprint but to sell your booke to euery buyer to some who exchange it also for all other bookes which a little before was thought fit onely to communicate and but sparingly to some few friends being set forth at first onely for the vse of the party that bore the charge But do you make no more difference betweene this Popish booke of priuate Deuotions and other priuate prayer bookes formerly printed by Authority and as good Authority as you can bring any in this Church I pray you how long haue you beene a Mr. Printer But
a Young one I daâ—e say Or how many such bookes haue you printed by Authority Not many I am suâ—e of it though too many by any Surely it is but newly the change of the Moone siâ—ce such Bookes haue cropen vnder the wingâ— of Authority to fly abroad If you reckon but from seuen yeeres agoe there was then no such Authority extant in this Church that would appeare to giue allowance to such base bookes as this of your printing Therefore you see the case is altered But I trust his Maiestie when he comes to vnderstand how much his Authority transferred vpon others is dishonored will take order for the suppressing of such wicked bookes which you are so ready to reprint But all this while for I cannot but bee iealous of the honour of mine Ordinary in this kind I pray you in what maner was the Licence giuen Speake the truth For I heare that you had onely a loose Paper for your warrant not affixed to the booke much lesse as the ordinary maner is the Licencers hand to the booke So that were ye not deceiued Was it not some other booke of priuate Deuotion mentioned or meant in the Approbation Or if this were meant yet hath not the Author added or altered at his pleasure For the loose paper did it set downe how many sheets it contained A loose Approbation it was And I suspected that your Authority was none of the best or most authenticke you doe so braue it out in your capitall Characters But yet forasmuch as you had no other Approbation of this booke but onely an Indiuiduum vagum written in a loose Paper who I pray you gaue you Authority to set it so fast vpon the booke with the whole strength and waight of your Presse Doe you know what you haue done you haue hereby affixed and impacted such an Aspersion of dishonour vpon our Reuerend Diocâ—san and Ordinary as cannot be easily clawed off againe Therefore if you had had such a reuerend regard to the Ordinary as you ought you might both haue fauoured his honour and saued your owne stake keeping the loose Paper by you in your box as your acquittance or discharge But goe on with your learned Apologie Mr Printer Whereby it is presumed all well disposed Christians may receiue satisfaction that there is not in it such cause of dislike as it seemeth hath beene rumored But what if any yea a great many receiue not satisfaâ—tion Then it is to be supposed they are not of the number of well disposed But is there not in your Booke such cause of dislike as it seemeth hath beene rumored Whâ— Is it purged from all that Popish drâ—sse wherewith iâ— so aboundeth It is imagined no because it hath not yet felt the fire Or is it growne better now or brighter as Iron with wearing Or what I pray you is done to the Booke that all well disposed Christians may receiue satisfaction Now truely I confesse till now my dull pate did not apprehend your far fetcht reason But at last I perceiue it is AVTHORITY you build vpon for giuing satisfaâ—tion I promise you it is a strong argument to conuince the gain-sayer Therefore I pray you goe on And for the auoiding of all mistakings hereafter caâ—e is had to amend such escapes as either by the Printers haste or the Correctors ouersight were committed This clause ioyning close vpon the former confirmes me that I haue not mistaken your meaning in the point of satisfaction by Authority But if this your sentence had begun with For as For for the auoiding c. we should haue expected some spâ—ciall repuâ—gations of your booke as reasons to induce all well disposed Christians to receiue satisfaction But it is And which puts vs out of hope of any reason but downe-right Authority for satisfaction Well we must be faine to make the best of it and instead of expecting the correcting of your booke so backed with Authority begin to correct our owne mistakings What was it rumored that among other exorbitances this booke contained prayer for the dead Alas it was but a mistaking On whose part On the Printers or on the Correctors or on the disaffected Readers altogethâ—r But though disaffected Readers haue beene mistaâ—en yâ—t for the auoyding of all mistaking hereafter care is had That 's well I pray you good Mr Printer haue a speciall care that simple meaning mâ—n may not be mistaâ—en hereafter But what meanes or care will you vse for this preuention Care is had to amend such escapes as either by the Printers hast or the Correctors ouersight were committed Well I see yâ—t you are so iâ—genuous though your mâ—desty â—â—usheth to speak all you know as to acknowledge your selfe and your Corrector if it be your selfe that speakes all this while to be in some fault Although it were but an Escape or so and that committed either by the Printers haste or the Correctors ouersight It is wel yet that it proues not all this while some escape committed by the ouersight of the Collector vnlesse you haue here misprinted being full perhaps of perplexed thoughts howsoeuer you set a good face on it Corrector for Collector But for your part Mr Printer what needed such haste There was no feare least the Wardens comming to search should take your Canonicall houres nâ—pping for you had at least leaue and warrant from the Ordinary for your first edition though not as yet Authority in Capitall letters wherby this your second correction was set forth Nor were you printing then Burtons second part against Mountaguâ— or the like that you should be in such haste Or what haste was therâ— of that Booke It might well haue beene spared hitherto for ought I know As though the Jesuites seduce not fast enough without it But of all things good Master Printer beware of haste Did you neuer learne so much in your Latine Schoole for I am sure you haue learned to speake vnhappy English Canis sestinans caecos parit eatulâ—s And desire your Corrector to beware of ouersight for I haue knowne that betweene the Printers haste and the Correctors ouersight soule escapes haue beene committed as in the great Bible and I beshrow them for committing the least escape in that blessed Booke one tittle whereof shall not passe away nor escape vnfulfilled Iudas was printed for Iesus But I easily beleeue that was in good earnest either the haste of the Composer or the ouersight also of the Corrector without any circumstances or circumlocution Well an escape or ouersight acknowledged and corrected and withall a care had to preuent the like for afterwards makes a full amends for all Well for the care you promise we must take your word Yet forasmuch as you seeme here to speake in your owne defence that all the rumours about your printed Booke was but vpon some escapes of the Printer or ouersight of the Corrector you must giue vs leaue a little to examine the truth hereof by comparing your
others that were therewith acquainted before the printing of the Booke Stay a little I pray you for my memory is bad if your period be long who were those that were acquainted with the booke before the printing of it Were they Iesuites or of what profession were they But I will not presse you too farre least I loose my labour Onely goe on with your sentence who are as ready to ingage their credits and liues in defense of the faith of the present Church of England by Law established and in opposition of Popery and Romish superstition as any others doe with griefe obserue the maleuolencie of some dispositions of these times with whom a slip or misprision of a word or two as liable to a faire and charitable vnderstanding as otherwise doth not onely loose the thankes due for all the good contained in the worke but also purchase to the Author a reprochfull imputation and way-making to Popish Deuotion and apish imitation of Romish superstition Nay I pray you Mr. Printer continue out your speech to the end And howsoeuer he may be requited for his paines herein he shall neuer depart from his good intention and wishing that the reader may at all times and for all occasions be assisted with diuine grace obtained by continuall prayer And for the misdeeming Censures and detractions of any hee feareth them not but rather hopeth that his prayers to God for them wil be more beneficiall to them then any their Censures or detractions can be any way preiudiciall to him who doth in this and all things else humbly submit himselfe to the judgement of the Church of England whereof he is a member and though inferiour vnto most yet a faithfull Minister Haue you said all Mr. Printer Now surely I cannot but smile to see how pretily and smoothly you can plough with anothers he yfer what an infinite disproportion there is betweene your style and your person and yet both you and your leare-father are strongly conceited that you are able to cosen all the world by making them beleeue that you are the man that framed this Apologeticall Epistle Alas you doe but dance in a net all this while Do not you thinke I smelled your cunning conueyance till now Or doe you thinke the world is so simple as to prayse or applawd you for the Author of this your pretty witty Epistle And now by the Epistle it selfe will I conuince it to be a very packe of knauery And to put you out of conceit that you are the Author of this Epistle Mr. Printer I will goe no farther then the last words of it Dare you be so bold with the Author who is no small man and hopes yet to be greater at least for his good seruice in this booke as to say he is inferiour to most I know this neuer came out of your lips though it went through your presse Ex vngue leonem This could not come but from the modesty of the Author himselfe or from some frend to helpâ— out at a dead lift But be it his or yours or whose iâ— wil be I wil be bold to go ouer the rest where I lâ—â—t You say your Authors are as ready to ingage their credits and liues in defence of the faith of the present Church of England by law established and in opposition of Popery and Romish superstition as any others Hoe there Here Master Printer I must tell you you take a greater ingagement vpon you then your credit wil be taken for If they should openly by word as here you haue set downe in print ingage themselues in this point euen the principals if they should haue as little credit giuen them as the surety they may blame themselues Verba quid audio cum facta videam Let this booke speake for them whence a Iesuite may conclude farre stronger arguments to assure the Church of Rome of these her sonnes Then the Authors themselues with all their powerfull eloquence can â—uer perswade vs that they are the true brâ—d sonnâ—â— of the Church of England The Iesuites haue the Aâ—â—â—ors booke to shew a prooâ—e vpon Record but we haue nothing to shew but a poore Epistle and that written in the Printers name And how shall they euer ingagage their credits and liues in defence of the faith of the present Church of England by law established a clause of some waight had we any better authoritie for it then the single assertion of a Printer who haue beene both so prodigall of their Credit aduenâ—urous of their liues if the lawes established be of any force and all to win countenance and credit to the holy Catholicke Church of Rome and who will belieue that they will oppose Popery that labour to aduance it and to suppresse the truth of the Gospell by law established in the present Church of England Or how shall they oppose Romish superstition that tooth and naile would haile it in by head shoulders in a most superstitious forme of Romish deuotion But you proceed and say They doe with griefe obserue the maleuolency of some dispositions of these times with whom a slip or misprision of a word or two as liable to a faire and charitable vnderstanding as otherwise doeth not onely loose the thankes due for all the good contained in the worke but also purchase to the author a reprochfull imputation of way making to Popish Deuotion and apish imitation of Romish superstition O good God What a packe of hypocrisie and senselesse absurdities and shamelesse impudencie is here All their damnable foysting in of popery and that no lesse then infidell prayer for the dead must be excused for sooth and all the blame laid vpon the maleuolency of some dispositions of these times And who are those and why maleuolent surely those that espying the craft of Iesuited spirits in these our dayes in broching grosse and palpable Popery dare oppose themselues and cry out against such bold attempts These be the men of a maleuolent disposition in these times and all because these times doe breed such Iesuited spirits And therefore no maruaile if the author of this booke cannot but greeue that his Popish booke cannot finde a generall approbation But they are maleuolent as with whom a slip or misprision of a word or two c. But a word or two at the most misprinted or misplaced the matter of all this maleuolency Nay but a slip or misprision of a word or two Why we know that in Coyne he that is the author of a slip and would vent it for the Kings Currant Coyne is guilty of treason Now much more a slip or false doctrine foysted in for Gods Currant siluer such a slip once broched is an errour but stiffly maintained it becomes an heresie And is not this such a slip here A most wicked Popish doctrine was published by the Author or Authors in print namely Prayer for the Dead against the Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England and yet