Psal. 37. That the saluation of the righteous men shal be of the Lord he shal be their strength in the time of trouble For the Lorde shal helpe them and deliuer them he shall deliuer them from the wicked shall saue them because they trust in him And they haue such a corage faith in God his goodnes might and mercy that they say Psal. 23. Though I do walke through the valley of the shadowe of death I will feare no euill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comforte me And they saye also Psal. 48. This God is our God for euer and euer he shal be our guide vnto the death Thus doth the Lorde allure his people to looke for saluation and protection at his hande and for his sauing helpe in all their perills And we reade that Christ our Sauior at his death cried out with a loude voyce Father into thy handes I commende my spirite Luc. 23. and by his example doth teache vs to do the same For God is our protector defender Stephen also stoned to death cried Lorde Iesu receaue my spirite to the Lord Iesus as to his onely protector he doth commende him selfe and by his example he hath taught vs to cōmend our selues to this protector as he did and therfore in Iesus alone let vs rest abide so shall we be most safely kept and protected as the Psalmist sayth Psal. 91. Who so dwelleth in the secret of the most high shal abide in the shadow of the Almighty For truly he that maketh God his defence trust shall perceaue his protection to be a most sure safegard as it is at large set foorth in that Psalme which I wishe the godly reader diligently to reade and marke and he shall learne of Dauid in his holy Psalter that God is his protector But M. Fowler in this his Psalter or rather in this his fiddle assigneth vs to an other protection then Dauid doth in his Psalter whereby the reader may perceaue that these Psalters doe not agree We haue not learned to pray the Lord Iesus by the merites of his glorious passion to graunt such petitiōs as M. Fowler maketh here as that we shoulde offer our selues to the merits of Gods mother and other holy Sainctes and aske their protection The merites of Iesus Christ crucified for vs are of such a merite that for our safety protection saluation we neede no other merite either of the mother of God or of any Sainct but the onely merite of Iesus Christ alone The merites of Iesus Christ alone haue fully merited deserued for vs which do trust in him only seeke at his hande only all our safety full saluation He doth not send vs to seeke the merites of his mother or of any other saincts And this value and force of Christes power merites M. Fowler him selfe semeth to haue found out once againe For in his eleuenth petition he prayeth the Lord Iesus thus Thy power protect me againe thy passiō preserue me from euerlasting damnation and terror of mine enemy In deede these wordes haue some good sauor and sound of truth but he woulde neuer haue mingled the merites protection of Sainctes with the merites and protection of Christ if he had hartily reasted on the protection of Iesus and vpon the merites of the Lord Iesus alone for he shoulde haue founde him selfe so safe in the merites of Christ that he woulde neuer haue sought others as euen now he did And here you may once againe marke a iarre that Fowler in his Psalter maketh not onely with Dauid his Psalter but euen with him selfe also We knowe that Iesus Christ alone is the sufficient protector of his elect they are all giuen vnto him of his father none can take them out of his hand he hath not ioyned with him in this protectinge power any other person neither his mother nor Sainct And therfore the sheepe of the Lord Iesus doe greatly reioyce in this that they may rest protected conducted by Iesus Christ alone wherof the Psalmist doth sweetly singe Psal. 23. In the same eleauenth petition Fowler prayeth That God woulde keepe his mouth from slaunderous speaking lying false witnes bearing c. If this request had bene graunted Maister Fowler had made no such Psalter as he hath at this time in which is much lying false witnes bearing and sclaunderous speaking as in part you haue hearde and yet more shall heare by Gods grace In the twelf petition he hath this In my temptations Lord I beseech thee to helpe me for the tēder loue that thou diddest shew to thy mother she to thee It is well that he prayeth the Lord Iesus to helpe him in his temptations but to require him to doe it for the loue that he did beare to his mother and she to him is a thinge farre featched Why M. Fowler hath not the Lord Iesus borne any loue to you your selfe that is worth the remembring We know that the Lorde Iesus did tenderly loue his mother and she him againe but that loue which he doth beare to mankinde is no lesse and is also of his owne free goodnes Of loue he did giue his life for his sheepe greater loue then this hath no man when any man bestoweth his life for his freindes This is that great loue which Iesus hath borne to vs the Christians which doe beleue in him harken to his voice And the holy Ghost teacheth vs to learne to vnderstande and to taste howe sweete this loue is wherewith the Lord God our heauenly father and our good Lord Iesus haue loued vs for that loue is our life Of this loue the Lord Iesus doth teach vs saying Ioan. 3. So God loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely sonne that whosoeuer beleueth in him shoulde not perish but haue life euerlasting The same our louing Lorde Iesus sayth of this his loue towards vs Ioan. 13. As the father hath loued me so haue I loued you And in his prayer Ioan 17. he asketh thus That the loue wherewith thou hast loued me may be in them and I in them Thus are we taught in the holy Scriptures to vnderstande the loue of the father and the loue of the sonne towards vs Nothing is there sayd to teache vs to looke to the loue which his mother did beare to him Yea he sayth Ioan. 10. I am the good shepheard the good shephearde giueth his life for his sheepe And againe therefore doth my father loue me because I lay downe my life And S. Iohn teacheth vs Beholde what loue the father hath shewed on vs that we should be called the sonnes of god 1. Ioan. 5. And againe he sayth In this appeared the loue of God towards vs because he sent his onely begotten sonne into the world that we might liue thorough him Herein is loue not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation
for our sinnes 1. Ioan. 4. Thus doth the spirite of God lay forth that loue before vs in which lyeth our life Of this loue S. Paule hauing a right good taste wryteth Gal. 2. I liue sayth he by the faith of the sonne of God who loued me and hath giuen him selfe for me In this loue which Christ Iesus beareth to vs is the very life of the faithfull and therfore to it they must they do looke As we reade Apoca. 1. vnto him that loued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood made vs kinges priestes vnto God his father vnto him be glory dominion for euermore Thus are we taught to taste the loue wherewith Iesus Christ hath loued vs our selues howsoeuer either he loued his mother or she loued him In the thirteenth petition he hath put in this patche Make me patiently to suffer iniuries and rebukes in recompense of my disobedient hart to thee To suffer iniuries and rebukes for Christes sake patiently and for well doinge is a blessednes And can not this suffice Maister Fowler but he must also make his patience a recompense to God for the disobedience of his hart Of this his conceipte of recompencing God for sinne I haue spoken before and the lesse shall I neede to speake of it now because M. Fowler him selfe also euen in this same petition belike misdouting his owne recompencinge of God for his own sinnes doth flee to the recompence which the Lorde Iesus hath made for vs and sayeth Let thine obedience recompence for my obstinacy thine abstinence for my superfluity thy meekenes and thy patience for my pride irefull hart enmity thy charity for my malice thy deuotion for my dulnes thy louinge hart for my vnkindnes thy holy death for my wretched life for all my misery These are the words of M. Fowler in this same thirteenth petition in which he doth require the Lord Iesus to make the recompence for all his sinnes and misery And what is it then wherefore he woulde him selfe make recompence by his patience He sayeth for his disobedient hart But for this he prayeth the Lord Iesus to make recompence He seemeth in these wordes not to trust to the value of recompencing by his owne patience but prayeth that the pacience of the Lord Iesus may be a recompence for his owne pride irefull hart and enmity You see nowe once againe how contrary M. Fowler is to himselfe in this petition what a iarre this contrariety doth make in this his Psalter In deede the recompence which he woulde him selfe make by his patience for the disobedience of his own hart is farre out of tune and soundeth vnsauerily in the vnderstandinge of any true christian But this recompence which he findeth that Iesus hathe made for his elect is a sweete sauour of life to the soules of true christians agreeth with the saying of the Prophet Isai 53. He set or made his life for a sacrifice of sinne This recompence which Iesus Christ hathe made that which M. Fowler would himself make can not be coupled together For Iesus alone and only made the iust and full recompence for the sinnes of all them whiche are to be saued In the last that is in the fifteenth petition M. Fowler addeth This inuocation and Psalter of thee by the mediation of thy most entirely beloued mother purchase to me gratious life blessed ending free from debte and deadly sinne I beseech thee and after my bodily death euerlasting life with endlesse blisse and felicity M. Fowler must first proue that this is the Psalter of Iesus before he can thus call and commend it or attribute such force vnto it as he doth And lette the reader marke how M. Fowler him selfe as it were doubting of the value vertue or force of this his Psalter ioyneth to it as a poore help to helpe it forwarde the mediation of the blessed virgin Mary For he woulde haue his Psalter to be of valure to purchase for him by the mediation of the blessed virgin Mary Of her mediation we knowe nothinge as I haue said before we do trust only to the mediatiō of her most gracious sonne our good Lorde Iesus who is the one so the only Mediator betwene God and man For we are taught by S. Paul that there is one God and one Mediator betwene God man euen the man Christ Iesus But M Fowler like a slouēlike apoticary mingleth this his Psalter the mediation of the virgin Mary both together to the ende belike that if the one failed the other might serue the turne And he prayeth that this his medly may purchase first gracious life This tearme gracious which he vseth teacheth vs whatsoeuer he meaneth by gracious life that it is the worke of Gods free grace and therefore commeth not by purchase either of this Psalter or of the mediation of the virgin Mary He addeth that by this mingle he would purchase blessed endinge free from debte and deadely sinne Touchinge the payment of his debtes it may be that M. Fowler thinketh to prouide some poore helpe by printing of this Psalter and that the good vent thereof may be a great helpe to him if he be in debte But it is harde dealing to get the money of true men for false ware It is more hard to lay such snares of deceit to intrappe the simple soules of Christians as M. Fowler doth for getting of money to paye his debtes Whatsoeuer M. Fowler dreameth of payment of his debtes we knowe the payment and satisfaction for al our sinnes is the price which Iesus Christ payed in his most pretious bitter and bloody death suffred on the crosse for vs That onely maketh vs free other freedom purchased either by this Psalter or by the mediation of the Virgin Mary or any other way which M. Fowler and his fellowes can deuise we know none we wil none We doe by Gods grace knowe that freedome into which we are called by Iesus Christ who as he onely coulde so he hath most gratiously made vs free In that fredom by his grace we doe and shall stand By this mingle M. Fowler would purchase also life euerlasting He thinketh but simply and basely of life euerlasting which doth thinke that it may be purchased by such a filthy fiddle as is this Psalter or by such a mingle mangle as Fowler maketh But we haue learned and doe beleue that life euerlasting is as I sayd before the gifte of God thorough Iesus Christ our Lorde It is his gifte it is not by this Psalter nor by the mediation of the Virgin Mary to be purchased We doe giue vnto God the glorie and prayse due of and for the gifte of life euerlastinge by Iesus Christ We will not seeke it by any other meanes nor goe about to purchase that our selues which is thus gratiously and freely giuen vnto vs Thus endeth this Psalter sayth Maister Fowler and yet he addeth an admonition a poynt of
knowe not but surely there is good stoare of sea water betwene these forenamed Ilandes Irelande Sicily and Iselande yet all the water which is in the sea will not quenche that purgatorie which the Pope and his kitchin clarkes haue blowen and sette on fyer to roast their meate Thus much of the beginning and growing of this purgatory haue I shortly wrytten that the reader may knowe out of what forge this purgatory is flowen of which M. Fowler maketh so often mention in his Psalter doth so bitterly pray for the soules which are in it But as I sayd before if there be no purgatory at all theÌ„ are there no soules in it nor any thinge else and will M. Fowler teache his schollers to praye to God for nothinge This purgatory hath no grounde of the worde of God We haue neither coÌ„maundement to pray nor promise to be heard if we do pray for soules in purgatory therefore we can neither doe the one nor beleue the other He then that will praye with M. Fowler for soules in purgatory prayeth without faith which is a faithlesse labor at the least though I say no more But he that wil consider rightly what a faulte it is for a man to present him selfe before the Maiesty of God to make praier to him for nothing for a forgery false thing it wil make him I trow afeard to make such straunge prayers though M. Fowler be very busie with them But nowe will I leaue this purgatory I will in this treatise touche it no more supposing that this which I haue sayd is sufficient to vnfolde the forgerie of this popishe poppet M. Fowler teacheth him which will daunce after his pype to pray That he may execute the workes of vertue whereby he may come to euerlasting ioy and felicitie To exercise vertue to the pleasing of God is a good thinge and our dewtie But if Maister Fowler doth meane to teach his Reader to do this with this minde to hope thereby to come to that is to gaine and to obtayne euerlasting ioye and felicitie this is but to labour vainely and prowdly to get that by our doing which is freely giuen to the elect by the mercie of God in Iesus Christ For life euerlasting is the gifte of God by Iesus Christ as thApostle teacheth Iesus Christ is the onely waye that true way by which that happy theefe of whome we reade Luke 23. went into Paradise Iesus is he only and alone by thorough whome euerlasting life is giuen to the beleeuers The christian reader may wel perceaue therefore wherein this petition fayleth Then followeth a petition in which he teacheth his reader to pray thus Graunt me firme purpose mercifull Iesu to amend my life to recompense for those yeares which I haue mispent to the displeasure of thee in euill thoughtes delectations c. Also in breaking thy coÌ„maundements wherby I haue deserued damnation thine enimitie To pray for amendement of life is necessary But in that which followeth M. Fowler doth fowly abuse the holy name of Iesus For to pray to Iesus to haue a firme purpose to make recompense for those sinnes whereby we haue deserued damnation is to pray for purpose to deny and forsake the saluation which we haue in Iesus For Iesus is he which doth saue his people from their sinnes And therefore he is called Iesus M. Fowler hath giuen vs as he sayth A Psalter of Iesus he semeth to make great accompt of the often repeating of the name Iesus But now he doth shew him selfe not only not to know what Iesus doth meane but to be willing to draw his reader to deny that Iesus is Iesus in deede which is to deny the Lorde that bought him We haue learned that in that redemptioÌ„ which Iesus hath wrought for his elect he onely hath made the full recompense to God by him selfe alone for all their sinnes and therefore he is their Iesus and so is most truely called Iesus Iesus did giue him selfe for vs when we could giue nothing in recompense for our selues he did giue his body to be broken his bloode to be shed for the forgiuenes of our sinnes for which we could make no recompense He did beare the paines due to vs for our sinnes and as the Prophet sayth Isai 53. he hath borne our infirmities carried our sorrowes he was wounded for our transgressions he was broken for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was vppon him with his stripes are we healed Here is the true recompense made for sinne set forth and this recompense verely did Iesus make in his owne blessed body In if he payd the price of our redemption and made that only satisâ—â—cing and fully sufficing recompense for vs wherein his owne self did beare our sinnes to his body on the tree 1. Pet. 2. by this recoÌ„pense by him made we are set free for by his wounds are we healed Sithence Fowler is not content with this recompense thus made by Iesus for vs but asketh an other let him tell me wherein that recompense which Iesus Christ hath made for vs is imperfect â–ª if it be imperfect shew wherin If it be not imperfect but most full and perfect then what meaneth M. Fowler to pray for full purpose to make any other recompeÌ„se him self for his sinnes Again I would know what it is that he or any childe of Adam can giue to God to make a recompense for his and their sinns What Iesus hath giueÌ„ we know Now let vs know what Fowler hath to giue Fowler can giue nothing verely but that which is corrupt but such thinges are not auaileable they are no recompense at all for sinnes And therefore God of his great mercy prouidinge better for vs then we coulde do for our selues hath giuen vnto vs Christ Iesus to make and to be the recompense for vs For we are not as S. Peter sayeth redeemed with corruptible thinges as siluer and golde but with the precious bloode of Christ For Iesus hath with this most precious price made full recompeÌ„ce for vs thereby hath he so fully redeemed vs that therfore he is become the author prince of our saluation our redeemer our Sauiour to him only do we giue the glory and praise of for this worke of our saluation wrought by him selfe for vs God our heauenly father hath set forth his sonne Iesus to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. It is Iesus only which did giue his life a ransome for many Our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is his life which Iesus did giue for the price raunsome and recompence of our deliuerie For Christ onely is he in whom as the Apostle saith we haue redeÌ„ption through his blood euen the forgiuenes of our sinnes Colo. 1. And Iesus alone is the reconciliation and attonement for our sinnes 1. Ioh. 2. Thus as we are taughte we doe learne of God him selfe that it is Iesus alone which doth
A WARNING TO TAKE HEEDE OF FOVVLERS PSALTER giuen by Th. Sampson ANCHORA SPEI Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollier for George Bishoppe 1578. TO MY VERY GODLY LOVING FREND AND BROTHER M. ROBERT ASKE GOLDSMITH AND ONE of the Bridgemaisters of the Citie of London YOV did sende of late vnto me at one time as you knovve tvvo bookes vvhich the Louanistes had sent into England the one vvas a Primer the other a Psalter The Primer is in latin and is as I thinke but a nevve burnishing of their old popish pelfe I did not peruse it neither do I entende to bestovv any labour thereabout For manye yeares are passed sithence I did leaue my Primer neither haue I any pleasure novve to looke vppon those pudles of poperie in vvhich I vvas plunged in the dayes of my youth and ignorance I do rather vvith the Psalmist humbly praye the Lorde not to remember the faultes and ignoraunces of my youth but according to his ovvne kindnes and for his goodnes sake to forgiue me It is besides all this novv become a tickle peice of vvorke M. Robert to medle vvith Primers vvill you knovv vvhy The olde Primers are of late greatly disgraced by pope Pius For he sayeth that they vvere filled vvith superstitious errours and sayth that many forged prayers vvere thrust into them vnder false and feyned names of Sainctes He calleth also all the pardons graunted in thē and printed in their rubrikes into doubte Thus doth this Pope dashe the deuotion of papistes Therefore lette olde papistes looke vvell vvhat Primers they vse and take heede vvhich of them they doe trust least they do not onely lose their labour but fall into the displeasure of the Pope And by the doinges of late Popes they maye see hovv vnsauery and vnsafe the doings of former Popes are for that vvhich one allovveth an other disallovveth one promiseth an other denyeth Therefore I thought good novv to leaue both them their Primer And because the Psalter seemed to be some straunge noueltie vvith vvhich the authours thought to make some freashe melodie I did take this their Psalter into my hande I did but touch the stringes thereof to taste vvhat sounde it did giue but I did not finde that in it vvhich the name seemeth to promise rather I finde in it vnsauery discorde stringes false and out of tune other such iarres as by perusing this litle pamphlet you may perceaue VVhich I doe not send to you my good brother as though I thought that you either delighted in such instruments as is that popishe Psalter or that you needed my helpe to dravv you from the delighte or daūger of such trumpery in vvhich Papists do take their pleasure God hath by his grace separated you farre from that secte and brought you into his ovvne schoole vvhere you may do vvith ioye heare learne and taste of the svveetnes of the Lorde and haue the songes of life and saluation praise the Lorde for it And pray him to holde you euer in this vvaye of life that you may alvvayes haue your harte and eare open and vvholly sette to heare the voice of Iesus and also closed shutte and fully turned from those false flatteringe and entising Syrene popishe voices vnto vvhich vvho so hearckneth pearisheth remediles Novve though you neede not my labour herein taken yet in recompence of your freindly and kinde remembring of me vvith such nevves as do come to your hāds I haue thought good to send you this vvritten paper to remaine vvith you as a token of my good vvill tovvardes you And if your sonne Iohn Aske of vvhose vvell doinge in God I haue some care vvith you may be admonished by it to learne euen in his youth to bevvare of such Popishe pastime as is made in that Popishe Psalter to giue heede to the truth of Iesus Christ the only true doctrine of our life and saluation I shal be gladde and reioyce to see him enryched vvith that fayth vvhich dvvelled in Gillian his naturall mother doth dvvel in you his natural father novv and so I hope shall vnto the ende That increase of true vnderstanding vvhich doth giue life in God I vvishe to you and all yours vvishe you the same to me and mine Lecester the 10. of October 1577. LAME Tho. Sampson Ephes 5. Be fulfilled with the spirite speakinge vnto your selues in Psalmes and hymnes spirituall songes singing and making melodie to the Lorde in your hartes giuing thankes alwayes for all thinges vnto God euen the Father in the name of our Lord Iesus Christ A WARNING TO TAKE HEEDE OF FOWLERS PSALTER GIVEN By Tho. Sampson IT hath ben alwayes the manner of such as do departe from the trueth and faith which is in Christ Iesus onely and do betake them selues to the errour and vntruth of their owne choyse and are setled therein their manner hath ben and is I say to inuente and deuise such proper thinges as maye serue to induce other men to like of that which they doe and by litle and litle to draw them to become like to them selues And to this ende they doe vse to paint their owne foule doinges with faire coulours for they thinke if they shoulde at the first openly showe that grosenes which is in their errour they shoulde driue all men from them rather then allure any to them And therfore they do make a choise of goodly wordes and do set the same as closely as they can vpon their errour because they woulde by a shewe of that which is good deceaue men the more readily and draw them to their euill So many olde Heretiques did in their heresie retaine the name of Iesus Christ and vnder that most holy name they did hyde all their poyson They did speake some good thinges and cited also some sentences of holy Scripture vnder these good couers to conueye their errours into the mindes of men Likewise do the Papists now They haue and hold for the couer of their filthes and abhominacions the names of God of Christ of Iesus of the Church of the spirit of truth of Catholike and what not But all these they do vse but as a sconse to deceaue and vnder these faire titles to drawe simple soules into their filth They haue heretofore foughte for them selues in this lande with fire and sworde feircely but when that tyrannie was as now it is ouerturned through Gods great mercy towardes vs blessed be his name for it by the most mercyfull and milde gouernement of our gratious soueraine Queene Elizabeth whose life amōg vs reigne ouer vs God almighty prosper and prolonge They soughte a while to holde maintaine their owne with bookes and writinges full of forgeries and of furiouse speaches threates cursed speakinges They haue also had their practises to recouer againe into their hands that gouernment which once they had and now they haue loste In which desire they haue ben and are as desperately set as any cruell tyraunte euer was
lighte it is meate it is medecine For Iesus is lighte to them which sitte in darknes he is meate to them which do hunger and thrist after righteousnes and saluation he filleth the hungry with good thinges he is a medecine and a playster of life for the sicke soule and broken harte Yea if all these had misliked him he mighte haue tolde vs yet that one of his owne elders sayth that the name of Iesus is a sweete name a name full of delighte a name comforting a sinner a name of good hope and that this man thus speaking of this name Iesus brusteth foorth into prayer as it shoulde seeme feeling some excellent sweetnes in that name and sayth O Iesus be vnto me a Iesus that is O Sauiour be vnto me a sauiour or O sauiour saue me All these thinges M. Fowler doth passe ouer and giueth vs as he sayth a psalter of Iesus in which he doth teach vs oftē to name the name of Iesus But it is a matter of vnderstanding sence and feeling truely to speake of Iesus it is not a matter of fidling with tenne fingers as M. Fowler teacheth They which haue experience of Iesus do know this best This is not had nor fee lt by looking on the letters nor spelling of the name of Iesus by sillables nor yet by bare pronouncing the name Iesu The old heretikes called Marcosij made them selues much adoe about this name and the letters thereof yea and curiously deuised on some nomber which mighte be noted by the letters of this name as Epiphanius doth write And notably doth this auncient writer saye to them all as in one Vocem enim solum habes virtutem vero ipsius ignoras that is thou hast onely the worde or voice but the vertue or power thereof thou doest not know It is one thing to pronounce the worde and an other to vnderstand and feele the vertue and power noted by that word This this giueth life and therefore to speake of Iesus with vnderstāding and sense of that life and saluatiō which Iesus doth giue is such a thing as the holy Ghost doth worke in the elect alone whereof the Apostle sayeth 1. Cor. 12. No man can saye that Iesus is the Lorde but by the holy Ghost If we saye the Lord Iesus truely we are taught so to do by the holy Ghost for it onely doth frame our tongues to make a true confession of the Lord Iesus and of the saluation which by faith we do feele in our hartes that we haue by him It teacheth vs to speake of Iesus not in bare speache alone but waying what we say as Hierom noteth in these wordes Tamen hoc ipsum dicere non sermone sed affectu cordis est ponderandum that is this saying is to be wayed with and in affection of harte not in or with bare speach Otherwise many haue vsed this name Iesus and pronounced it but euill and to their owne hurte We do reade of certeine vagabounde coniurers which tooke in hande to name ouer them that had euill spirits the name of the Lord Iesus saying We do adiure you by Iesus whom Paule preacheth They abused the name of Iesus they did not vnderstande the vertue and power of Iesus Though they did pronounce the word Iesus yet had they not faith in Iesus nor feeling of his power and sauing health They spake not of Iesus by the holy Ghost and in true vnderstanding and they did speede thereafter For the euill spirite aunswered them Iesus I acknowledge and Paule I know but who are ye Thus were these coniurers driuen awaye beaten and wounded euen by the euill spirite whom they thought to haue driuen awaye by pronouncing the name Iesus You maye see that coniurers and the deuill him selfe can name and pronounce the name of Iesus and yet are no whitte the better for so doing It is not therefore the bare pronouncinge of the name that doth profit at all as by this example is to be seene We do also reade of a certeine sorcerer that made him selfe so boulde of this name Iesus that he called him selfe Bariesus as though he were the very man of saluation And yet did this wretched man withstand so much as he coulde the doctrine of Iesus preached by Paule and sought to turne others from the faith and labored to peruerte the straight waye of the Lorde We are by Iesus Christ him selfe forwarned to take heede of such as shall abuse and counterfeit his name to deceaue and seduce vs beleeue them not sayth Christ Suche a company of counterfeits are in Poperie For in it they haue their brotherhoodes of Iesus their feastes of the name of Iesus their pardons of Iesus their Masse of the same mattens howres and euen song of it And of late dayes the Papists haue hatched and brought foorth a swarme of such vermine as call themselues Iesuites whose trauell is like to that of Bariesu that is to peruerte the right wayes of the Lorde Iesus to turne men from the true vnderstanding of the vertue and power of Iesus To this purpose be they sent foorth to carrye men from hearckening to the Gospell of Iesus and from beleeuing truly in Iesus and yet they be called Iesuites vnder this faire name to worke their feate that is to seduce men and leade them from Iesus They are enemies to Iesus to his doctrine power sauing health as both by their name doing and doctrine is proued at large by that learned writer of our age Martin Kemnitius And euen so to their new found psalter is the name of Iesu by them added but as a snare whereby the psalter maker woulde drawe his reader from the truth of Iesu into the puddle of poperie It may be maruailed greatly that Papistes dare thus boldly and impudently abuse the name of Iesus the name of our blessed God and Sauiour Haue they no conscience of breaking Gods commaundement Thou shalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine for the Lorde will not holde him giltles that taketh his name in vaine Though now they do not feare to committe the faulte yet shall they not escape but by a true verdicte be founde guilty of it before god For to take his name to confirme a falshoode is to take his name in vaine and to breake his commaundemēt But thus do they now take the name of the Lorde Iesus therefore lette Papistes holde vp their handes and aunswere guiltie or not guiltie if they pleade not guiltie they shall abide the triall before God by his lawe and then they wil be founde guiltie I know it will grieue them to be thus charged but if any of them do thinke them selues to be ouercharged herein lette them tell vs truely who made them so bolde to applie the holy name of Iesus to their owne deuises to their Masses pardons brotherhoodes and such trumperie or to call their sectaries Iesuites or to call this their new deuise the psalter of
Again that blessed Apostle Iohn in his epistle teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 2. If any man do sin we haue an aduocate with the father Iesus Christ the righteus he is the recōciliation for our sins The Apostle teacheth vs the Christ Iesus is our only sufficient aduocate attonement with the father For the office worke of intercession recōciliatiō are ioyned together in Christ Iesus alone And here M. Fowler his frendes could haue tolde him that Augustine intreatinge vpon this place of S. Iohn doth count it a thing antichristian hereticall and schismaticall to assigne any other aduocate or intercessor betwene God and man but Iesus Christ But perhappes they woulde make deintie so to do least the christian reader should thereby be encoraged to accompt Fovvler and such papists as he is which do robbe Christ of this glorie of being our aduocate and intercessor with the father and do bestow that office and honor vpon their Sainctes to accompt them I say to be antichristes heretikes schismatikes as they are in deede The christian which can content him selfe with the doctrine and worde of God is taught as you do heare that Christ Iesus is nowe at the right hande of God and maketh request for vs that we must goe to God by him who liueth to make intercession for vs that he is our aduocate with the father and so Christ him selfe sayth Ioan. 14. of him selfe I am the vvay the trueth the life No man commeth to the father but by me Sithence then we haue Iesus the euerliuing almightie and most mercifull aduocate and intercessor with the father let vs giue vnto him the honor due to him with faithfull confession thereof and thankes giuing therefore and also do our selues as the Apostle doth exhort vs Hebr. 4. Let vs therefore goe boldely sayth he vnto the throne of grace that we may receaue mercy and find grace to helpe in time of neede Thus much touching this peece of legierdemain which M. Fowler vseth euen at the entrey into his Psalter to spoyle Iesus Christ of his office and glory of being our intercessor and aduocate to make place for his Psalter which is patched vp as shal hereafter appeare with praying to Sainctes to make intercession for vs By the sworde of the spirit which is the word of God such patches of popery are to be pared away the christians are to be left to their Iesus Christ alone both for saluation intercession If it shall please God to make this poynt of our Christian faith and religion well knowne vnderstanded and the comfort thereof felt in the consciences of men they wil fall as fast and thicke from popery to Christ his Gospell as bees doe flye out of the rayne to their hyues But it shall be good to proceede in this Psalter The Reader may thinke that I do hange long in the beginning thereof but M. Fowlers entry into it being so fowle it is meete that the reader should be admonished thereof to the ende he may be warned of it deliuered if it so be the good pleasure of God from sticking or sincking into so fowle a puddle with Fowler as is this Psalter Let it be marcked then that M. Fovvler doth giue vs a Psalter of Iesus he sayth in which he taketh from Iesus at the first dashe a principall peece of his honor and office Such sacriledge Fowler and his fellowes can commit and dare couer their villanie with the name of Iesus But this is but to fill vp the number of their sinnes Then M. Fowler taketh paines to teach his reader how he must say this psalter and sayth he he may say it vppon his tenne fingers and why not vpon his tenne toes He sayth also that his scholler which will learne of him how to say this psalter must begin with deuout genuflection or at the least wise with Inclination to Iesu M. Fowler forgetteth him selfe I trowe for he will seeme to sette out this Psalter for the vnlearned but the vnlearned knowe not what these tearmes genuflection and inclination doe meane Therefore let Maister Fowler speake English to his vnlearned schollers After that he hath thus prepared his Reader to this Psalter he beginneth the first petition and doth in it name the name of Iesu thirtie tymes together adding to euery thryse naminge of Iesu this worde Mercie If he meaneth to teache his Reader to praye the Lorde Iesus to haue mercie on him we doe agree with him in that good prayer and so praye we But if there be any mysterie in this often repeatinge of the worde or name Iesu it is a thing hidden from vs so often to repeate that name without further instruction Is it Maister Fovvlers mynde to teache his Reader to thincke that this bare and often repeatinge of that name and that in such a iuste number as is by him prefixed is therefore an acceptable prayer because it is so often repeated onely Surely that conceipte sauoreth strongely of that battologie and lippe labour which Iesus Christ reiecteth Matth. 6. I might also note the straungenes of the phrase of that petition whiche he putteth downe in these wordes where he speaketh of sinners Turne sayth he their vices into vertues this is one in all his petitions But it is but a straunge transmutation that he asketh It had bene more playne to haue sayde Turne sinners from their vices to vertues but to lette this passe That sauoreth strongly of the Popes pumpe whiche followeth in these wordes Haue mercye sayth he on the soules in Purgatorye for thy bytter passion I beseech thee and for thy glorious name Iesu It shal not be amisse now to say somwhat to the reader of this purgatorie which hath beene and is the common pickepurse for the Pope and his chaplaines the massinge priestes I knowe it will anger the papistes to heare of this for it toucheth their free holde as the common sayinge is But I will lay before the reader this popishe purgatory in as few wordes as I can that he may smell what a sweete flowre it is Whatsoeuer it be it seemeth to sauor very sweetely with M. Fowler therefore he doth very diligently place it as one in euery petition of his Psalter Such is his charitie to their soules which are in purgatory forsooth But let vs see somewhat of this purgatorie and partely euen as some of the maisters of Rome haue wrytten thereof I might deuide this matter into two braunches first of prayer for the soules of men departed out of this mortall life then of this kinde of praier for the soules which are in purgatorie But I will speake of this purgatorie prayer onely for because M. Fowler prayeth in his Psalter for soules in purgatory only as though that they onely of all other soules departed had nede of this prayer It is also confessed by some maisters of that popish secte that the prayers or to vse their owne tearmes the Suffrages of the church be auailable