A PLEASANT PVRGE, FOR A ROMAN CATHOLIKE, To evacuate his EVILL HƲMOVRS. Consisting of a Century of Polemicall Epigrams; wherein divers grosse Errors, and Corruptions of the Church of Rome are disco­vered, censured, refuted, in a facetious, yet serious manner.

By WILLIAM PRYNNE, an Vtter-Barrester of Lincolnes-Inne; who composed these Poems, to solace himselfe, in his late tedious Imprisonments.

Horatius de Arte Poetica. Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci.
Jeremiah 51. 6. Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his Soule; be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the Lords venge­ance; he will render unto her a recompence.
2 Thessalonians 2. 10, 11, 2. Because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved; for this cause God shal send them strong delusions, that they should beleeve a lye: that they all might be damned who beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse.

Printed at London by R. C. for Michael Sparke Senior, dwelling at the blue Bible in Greene Arbour, 1642.

TO The Most Illustrious CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES, AND Heire Apparant to the Crowne of GREAT BRITAINE.

GReat Britaines present Joy, her future Hope,
And Faiths Defender against Romes proud Pope;
Vouchsafe to cast Your Gracious Princely eye
On these unpolish't Poems; which descry,
Refute some foule, grosse Errors, Practises
Of Romes false Church. By one short view of these,
Your Highnesse may conjecture of the rest,
And be stirr'd up for ever to detest
With greatest Zeale, Romes Errors, Blasphemies;
Which make good hearts with indignation rise
Against them. Great Jehovah Crowne and blesse
Your Highnesse with all kindes of Happinesse;
And, through Your Favour, make this PVRGE of use,
Si [...]ke Roman Soules to true Health to reduce.
So prayeth,
Your Highnesses most humble devoted Servant, WILLIAM PRYNNE.

To the Courteous Reader.

MEeting with sundry
The Lord Ewer Lord Morley. Sir Maurice Drum­mond, with o­thers, in the Tower of Lon­don and else­where.
Papists whiles that I
Remain'd a Prisoner under Custody;
We oft conferred in a friendly way,
Of divers points of Doctrine, wherein they
Dissented from us; and some Practicall
Corruptions, which they, Rome, Devotion call.
On this occasion, to helpe passe the time,
I some of our Discourses turn'd to Rime;
That so I might with greater Liberty,
And lesse Offence, their Errors lash, descry;
Both to convince, and cause them to despise,
Their fond false Tenents, Worships, Blasphemies.
Which Poems since, being licensed the Presse,
As usefull for these times; fit to represse
Romes spreading Errors (
Ave Maryes Bedes, Cruci­fixes, Bowing to Altars, &c.
some whereof I finde
Not yet oppugn'd by any in that kinde,
As here they are;) I them shall recommend
Unto thy use (kinde Reader) to this end,
That thou maist weigh their matter, not their dresse;
Which is but rude, unworthy View, or Presse.
Minde then their Substance, not lame Poetry;
And all Defects in friendly sort passe by.
If any Health thou by this PVRGE shalt gaine;
Blesse God; and pray for him who shall remaine,
Thine in the Truth, WILLIAM PRYNNE.

A Table of the Epigrams herein comprised.

  • 1. ON, and against Popish Ave Maries. Page 1
  • 2. On, & against Popish Beades and Pater-nosters oft repe­tition on them. p. 19
  • 3. On, and against Popish Crucifixes, and I­mages of Christ. p. 23
  • 4. On, and against Popish Crucifixes, and A­doring them with Latria. p. 28
  • 5. On, and against Popish Pictures of the Vir­gin Mary, as a crowned Queene, sitting on a Throne with Christ a sucking Infant held in her armes; And on the Reliques o [...] her milke, which they keepe and shew. p. 31
  • 6. On, and against Papists painting the Vir­gin Mary, and other Saints in new fashions, with frizled haire, and rich dresses. p. 35
  • 7. On Saint Dominickes vision of Fryers of his Order, hid in Heaven under the Vir­gin Maries Peticoate; and on the Reliques of her Garments, which Papists keepe and shew in sundry places. p. 37.
  • 8. On, and against Papists reserving the [Page] Host, and carrying it in Procession. p. 39.
  • 9. On Popish Tapers. p. 42
  • 10. On Saint Michaels Buckler and Poynard kept for a Relique in the Chappel of Saint Michaels mount, in base Normandy. p. 42
  • 11. On the Reliques of Josephs Han, and the Asses taile, whereon Christ rode. p. 43
  • 12. On the Popish Sacrifice of the Masse. p. 44
  • 13. On Romes 7. Sacraments. p. 45
  • 14. On Romes 7. deadly sinnes. ib.
  • 15. On Romes Latin Prayers. p. 46
  • 16. On Popish Miracles ib.
  • 17. On Popish Whippings and Satisfactions. p. 47
  • 18. On Papists abstaining from flesh on Fa­sting dayes. ibid.
  • 19. On Papists making Marriage a Sacrament; yet forbidding their Priests to marry, and permitting them to keepe Whores. p. 48
  • 20. On Romes extreame Unction, and its be­ing a Sacrament. ib.
  • 21. On Papists implicit Faith, & Images. p. 49
  • 22. On Popish blinde obedience. ib.
  • 23. On Popish Pilgrimages, Offerings, Knee­lings, Prayers to the Images of the Virgin, and their worshipping of her and them. p. 50
  • 24. On Romes worshipping the Crosse, nailes, and what ever touched Christs body, with Latria, or divine Worship. p. 52
  • 25. On Romes Prayers to dead Saints, and for the dead. p. 53
  • [Page] 26. On Romes divine Adoration of her pain­ted Crosses. p. 54
  • 27. On Papists supposed looking-glasse of the Trinity, for their Saints to see prayers in. ib.
  • 28. On Prayers in an unknown Tongue. p. 56
  • 29. On Romes Idoll, and idle worship. ib.
  • 30. On Transubstantiation. ib.
  • 31. On Popish Transubstantiation, and An­nihilation. p. 57
  • 32. On Transubstantiation, and the Popes Vicarships repugnancy. p. 59
  • 33. On the reall presence, Pix and Crucifixes repugnancies. ib.
  • 34. On Transubstantiation, and Popes Lea­den Buls. p. 60
  • 35. On Popish Priests, taking away the cup from the people. ib.
  • 36. On Popish Concomitancy, and the sacred Cup. p. 61
  • 37. On Popish Concomitancy; and halfe Communion. ib.
  • 38. On Praying to, and representing of God and Saints by Pictures. p. 62
  • 39. On worshipping Images. ib.
  • 40. On Popish Confessors and Pardons. p. 63
  • 41. On Popish Altars and Masse-Priests. ib.
  • 42. On Popish Purgatory and its fire. ib.
  • 43. On Popish Indulgences. p. 64
  • 44. On Popish Merits, and Prayers to Saints.
  • 45. On Papists praying to Christ, to save them [Page] by Thomas Beckets blood. p. 65
  • 46. On Romes Freewill. ib.
  • 47. On Popish Priests shaven beards, and shorne Nunnes. ib.
  • 48. On Popes Buls, and doubting of Salva­tion, their contradict on. p. 67
  • 49. On Pop [...]sh Sa [...]nts [...] for parti­ticular Coun [...]s, [...], & kindes of [...] p. 68
  • 50. [...] p. 69
  • 5 [...]. [...] ib.
  • 5 [...]. On Pop [...]sh Merits. ib.
  • 53. On Auricular Confession. p. 70
  • 54. On Romes Prayers to Saints. ib.
  • 55. On Popish Monkes, Players, Prayers, and Merits. p. 71
  • 56. On Romes taking away the Scripture, Cup, and second Commandement from the people. ib.
  • 57. On the Romish Masse. p. 72
  • 58. On the Popes two swords. p. 73
  • 59. On the Popes two keyes. ib.
  • 60. On kissing the Popes feet. ib.
  • 61. On the Popes being Peters successor. ib.
  • 62. On the Popes not erring, whilst he sits in Peters chaire. p. 74
  • 63. On the Popes not erring. ib.
  • 64. On Popes not sinning and erring as Popes but as men. ib.
  • 65. On the Popes not erring, and falling from Grace.
  • [Page] 66. On the Popes pardons, and mortall sins. p. 75
  • 67. On the Popes being Christs Vicar ge­nerall upon earth.
  • 68. On Popes pardons of sinnes. p. 76
  • 69. On the Popes being head of the Church
  • 70. On Romes sins, curses and pardons.
  • 71. On the Pope and his Cardinals.
  • 72. On the Popes being Christs Vicar p. 77
  • 73. On the Popes Vicarship, and Vicars.
  • 74. On the Popes Porpherie chaire, wherein they are groped, and tryed to be men. p. 78
  • 75. On Christs Crowne of Thornes, and the Popes triple crowne of gold.
  • 76 On Peters poverty, and the Popes great wealth; and being Peters successors.
  • 77. On Popes prohibiting Priests from mar­riage. p. 79
  • 78. On Protestants damnation by Papists, and the reason of it. p. 82
  • 79. On Romes Saviours and Jesuites.
  • 80. On no Salvation out of the Church of Rome. p. 83
  • 81. On Papists making Apocrypha Canoni­nicall, and Canonicall Scripture lesse than Apocryphall; with their blasphemies against it, and Popes power over it. p. 84
  • 82. On the two Arch-Patriarches of Popish Fryers, Saint Francis and Saint Dominick and their blasphemies concerning them. p. 85
  • 83. On the strange Popish Miracles, attribu­ted [Page] to, and forged of Saint Vincent Ferryer, and Saint Anthony of Padua. p. 93
  • 84. On the Popish blasphemous Legends of their Saint Katherine of Sennes. p. 95
  • 85. On a Popish Miracle of their deified Ho­stia. p. 98
  • 86. On Papists Prayers to those for Saints, who neither were Saints nor men. p. 99
  • 87. On Popish blinde obedience. p. 100
  • 88. On Romes making perpetuall visibility a note of the true Church. p. 101
  • 89. On Romes making Multitude, and Ro­man, another note thereof. p. 102
  • 90. On Romes engrossing the name of the true Church of Christ to her selfe alone.
  • 91. On Romes Religion turned to policy. p. 103
  • 92. On Popes Right, to interpret Scripture, and their strange Glosses on sundry Texts to prove their supremacy, and the lawfulnesse of deposing and killing Kings, who disobey them. p. 104
  • 93. On the Popes Supremacy and Soveraign­ty over Kings, Emperours, and Kingdomes. p. 109
  • 94. On Popish Images. p. 111
  • 95. On Romes Doctrine and practise of E­quivocation.
  • 96. On Papists blasphemous assertions touch­ing the Virgin Mary, to the dishonour of God the Father, and Christ his Sonne. p. 112
  • [Page] 97. On Romes Novelties, notwithstanding her pretence of Antiquity. p. 114
  • 98. On, and against Romes halfe-Communi­on, and Sacrilegious depriving of the peo­ple of the Sacramentall Cup. p. 217
  • 99. On, and against Popish and superstitious bowing to Altars, and rayling in the Lords Table Altarwise. p. 140
  • 100. On, and against Popish bowing to Altars, and adoration of the Host. p. 181

Errata.

PAge 9. l. 3. for you, read your, l. 10 the, four. p. 13. l. 35. hers, his, p. 27. l. 5. it, is. p. 28. l. 1. Nazarene, p. 55. l. 25. ascend, p. 72. l. 16. eternity; extremity, p. 88. l. 18. there tarry, p. 95 l. 18. the Baker, p. 99 l. 12 you Saint, p. 113. l. 16. advocate, p. 117 l. 17. Constans, p. 120. l. 11. for to, p. 121. l. 33 great feast, l. 34. guest, p. 124. l. 17. received, l. 21. no; Nay, l. 27. whom when received, p. 126. l 25. makes, p. 129 l. 16. that, as, p. 131. l. 8. Dranke, l. 35. Sacraments of; Sacramentall: p. 134 l. 4. yet, it. p. 135. l. 8. and some, l. 23. publike, vulgar, p. 138. Nor, Not; p. 139. l. 9 they, th [...]are.

In the Margin, p. 12. l. 40. dele and, p. 13. l. 17. Novae, l. 27. Capreolus, p. 28. l. 34. Molanus, p. 66. l. 40. Rosella, p. 109. l. 24. Eutropius, p. 138. l. 5. Eucharistia, l. 11. Carnotensis, l. 17. Spe­ [...]. p. 174 l. 39 Sam. Sacr.

A PLEASANT PVRGE FOR A ROMAN CATHOLICK, TO EVACVATE HIS EVILL HVMORS. Consisting of sundry Epigrams; wher­in divers Errors, and grosse Corruptions of the Church of Rome are discovered, censured, refuted, in a Facetious, yet serious Manner.

On, and against Popish Ave-Maries.

NO Ave-Marie now? No Salutation
Of the blest Virgin since her Exal­tation?
The
Luk. 1. 28.
Angell sayd it whilst shee here did Live;
Must we not then this honour now her give,
[Page 2] In state of Glory, mounted up on High
To Gods
Fleurs des vies des Sts. A Paris 1637. part. 2. p. 124. to 132.
right hand, above the Starrie skie?
No. Why? because it is A
Luke 1. 29.
Salutation,
1 And so Casheer'd by this Her Elevation.
Friends, Neighbours use none to salute or greete
By speech, whilst absent, but when as they meete.
If Men in England should salute with Ave
Their friends in Spaine, & cry to them, God save yee,
All Haile good sirs, and with them Complement
Whiles absent there, as if they were present;
Or should they Aves to their Pictures say,
And them Salute, as you doe hers each day,
All would them deeme mad, foolish; are not ye
Then Mad, Craz'd, Sottish thus to cry Ave,
Hayle Mary full of Grace, to Mary here,
And to her Pictures, as if still she were
Here present with you; when you all grant, know,
She's now in
Fleurs, des vies des Sts p. 124. to 132. La Feste del Assumption nostre Dame
heav'n above, not here below,
See Burtons Melancholy p. 242. to 252.
Ten Millions more remote from you all, then▪
Those now in Spaine are from us English Men.
No doubt your wits are fled, you quite erre, dote,
Thus to salute her from you so Remote,
Since Fooles, yea little Children still deny
To aske their Parents blessing, if not by;
Go to Salute them with Cap, Congie, Knee,
Except they see them, and they present be.
2 The Angell Courted her not till he
Luc. 1. 28. And the Angel came in unto her and sayd, Haile. &c.
came
Into her Presence; pray doe ye the same;
Stay, till you meete her Person, then salute;
The Angell else your folly will confute;
Who in her absence us'd no Complement,
Nor Ave, but when, where she was present.
Nor did he her Salute, nor Ave cry
Till he
Luc. 1. 26. 27. 28. Fox. p. 1310.
was sent by God in Embassie
[Page 3] To Her from Heav'n Above, and to her came
With speciall tydings: doe you than the same.
Stay till God sends you to her, then salute:
The Angell, else, your Dotage will refute.
When you come to her with an Embassie
From God, then Her salute and Aue cry:
But not before, since tis Presumption
Her to salute without commission.
None but
Luc. 1. 26. 28. Fox 1310.
An Angell, not one Mortall Man 3
Saluted her with Ave here: how can
You then (no Angels, but meere men) presume
The Angels Salutation to Assume?
And this great
Flewrs des Sts Part. 2. p. 128. 129. Offi­cium B. Mariae. Parisiis 1635.
Queene of Heav'n greet thus? I feare
You are too bold with Him and Mary here,
First, to Vsurpe his words, and then to cry
Ave to this grand Queene Familiarly,
Without their leave or God's, as if you were
Their equals; till you be so, pray forbeare
Your Aves: Its not Manners, nor Decent
For you with this grand Queene to Complement:
It stands not with a Princesse Royalty,
That all should her salute Familiarly.
The Angle sayd his Ave
Luk. 1. 18.
once, no more 4
Then ceast, and did not oft repeate it o're.
How then can you your Aves every Day
Repeate oft times together, when you pray,
And never cease? the Angle certainely
Did never teach you such Battologie.
Ribadeniera Fleurs, des vies des Sts p. 222.
Your Legends write of great St Marguerite,
That she a thousand times us'd to recite
The Ave Mary, Prostrate on the Ground
On Each Feast, Vigil▪ which she sacred found
[Page 4] Ʋnto the Virgin, and did cry Ave
When and where ere she did her Image see;
Yea, Popes and
Rosarium B. Mariae. Sir Edwin Sandys Relation, p. 7. George Dowly, Briefe instructi­on: Edit. 4. p. 211. 212. Offi­cinm B. Mariae f. 7. Joan. Cri­spin L'estat, de Leglise p. 498. 512. Fox 1315 Tho. Beacons Reliques of Rome. vol. 3, f. [...]34.
Masse-Bookes order you each day
By sound of Bell, nine Aves for to Say,
Morning, Noone, Evening, three Aves together
Without one Pater Noster them to sever;
So that you pray to Mary nine times more
Each day, than unto God, if not nine Score.
For, in your Ladies Beades or Rosary;
(Which all Dominican Monkes, and sundry
Besides, are bound to use still) you each day
Rosarium B. Mariae George Dowley Priest, his brief instruction p. 211. 212. 213.
An hundred fifty Ave Maries say.
Successively; ten Ave Maries to
One Pater Noster; and so pray unto,
Her ten times more than to God the Father,
And so her ten times before him preferre,
At least, if not farre more,
Officium. B. Mariae nuper reformatum Pii 5 [...] Pontificis iussu A Paris 1636. f. 16. 37. 40. 43. 46. 49. 51. 57. 74. 76. 78. 80. 82. 86. 89. 106. 108. 110. 112. 114. and p 17. 67. 72. 82. 60. 66. 76. 97. 58. 83. 90. Fox p. 1310. 1314. 1315.
beginning all
Your houres, with Aves to her, ere you call
On God, your lips to open, and to be
Your Aide; proceeding, ending with Ave
To her: with it you still begin and end
Your Sermons, Prayers; Her, more than God intend.
Fooles, why doe ye thus her preferre before
God, and than him invoke thus ten times more?
Why doe you vexe her with Battologies,
And Peales of oft rehearst Ave Maries
From day to day? for shame this clamour cease,
The Angell else will bid you hold your Peace,
Who sayd his Ave onely once, no more
For ought we reade; give then your Aves o're;
You have repeated them so oft Each day,
That now tis time to cast them quite Away,
The Angell his Ave to Mary sayd
5
Luk. 1. 28 29.
Before his tydings to her were display'd;
To informe her of something she before
[Page 5] Knew not at all; which done, he spake no more.
You not to informe her of ought that's new,
Or of a thing which she before not knew;
But out of feare least she forget what He
Inform'd her then through flux of time, Ave
By
Sir Edwin Sandys his Re­lation p. 5. to 9. Rosarium. B. Mariae.
Millions to her still cry night and day
Unceasantly, and nought but Aves say;
No doubt she heares them not, for if she did,
She would as many times each day have chid
You for your folly, as you Ave cry,
Not to her honour, but great infamie;
Who thinke her deafe, dull, voyde of Memory,
Forgetfull of her Grace, Felicity,
And of the Angels Message; at least wise
Delighted with your vaine Tautologies,
That you such Peales of Aves to her Thunder;
If she heare ought for them it is a wonder.
Cease than to cloy, deafe, shame, vex her with Ave,
Else shee'l heare nought else, nor have time to save ye;
Tooke up, deaft, tyred with Aves alone;
To her no pleasing, but distastefull Tone,
Which at the first
Luk. 1. 29.
perplext; made her admire,
But now thus babled, her Provokes to Ire.
Learne Manners from the Angell, Ave cease
When utter'd once, then after hold your peace.
Cease Aves now for shame; if you proceede
You are no Angels but the Cuckoo's breed.
He, as a
Luk. 1. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33.
preface to his Embassie 6
Ʋs'd his Ave, whiles she was here onely
Among Women, in State of Grace, not Glory;
Be you then guided by the Angels story.
You have no Embassie unto her Grace,
From God himselfe, to preface thus; her Case,
State, Place, are altred much from what they were
When as the Angell her saluted here:
[Page 6] She was then
Luk. 1. 28. Blessed art thou among women.
among Women; now on high,
She hath no Women in her Company:
There are no women yet in heav'n; its true
Good womens Soules are there in Blisse, but you
Cannot their Soules call women; since soules are
Not Male nor female, and nought doth declare,
Make, differ Sexes but bodies alone;
And womens Bodies yet in heav'n are none;
Therefore no women doubtlesse are now there:
But Grant they be, yet no Women are neare
Where you place Her,
Ribadinei­ra les Fleurs des vies des Sts part. 2. p. 128. to 132 [...]afeste del Assumpti­on.
at Gods Righth and on high,
On the throne of the Blessed Trinity,
Above all Angels, Saints, who come not nigh
The Virgin, whom you mount, advance so high.
You cannot then say truely, Blest art thou
Among Women; Unto the Virgin now;
Sith no Women are in her Company:
When you say Aves now, you still doe Lye.
7 He, as a
Luk 1. 29. See Fox p. 1310. 1311.
Salutation, not a Prayer
His Ave Mary uttered first to her:
You as a prayer to her it say alway;
This doth your Error, sottishnesse display▪
His Salutation was not, cannot be
A
All the Pre­lates & Co [...] ­vocation of England and King Henry the 8. in their Ne­cessary Do­ctrine and Erudition; write; that al­though the Sa­lutation be not a prayer of Pe­tition, suppli­cation or re­quest or suite; yet neverthe­lesse the Church hath used to adjoyne it to the end of the Paret Noster, as a Hymme, of praise, partly of our Lord & Saviour & part­ly of the blessed Virgin, &c.
prayer to her, as you shall clearely [...].
1 First, t'was an
Luk▪ 1. 26. 28▪
Angell sayd it; Angels pray
Not unto men, whom they
Ps. 34. 7. Ps. 91. 11. Hob. 1, 14
gard, save alway;
God never sent an Angell to teach Men,
To pray to Him, much lesse to Mary; then
It is no Prayer; no Angels but Christ may
Presume once to prescribe what Men shall pray.
2 He spake it when he
Luk. 1. 28. 31. 32. 3 [...] ▪
came her newes to bring
Of Christs conception, craving her nothing.
[Page 7] It was a
Luk. 1. 26. 28.
greete from God; to make it then 3
A Prayer to her, makes God to pray to Men.
There is no word in it which possibly
His greete a Prayer to her can once Imply.4
Besides, the
Luk. 1. 29.
Text,
All Offices and Romish Catechismes terme it, the Angels or An­gelicall Salu­tation.
you, it expressely call 5
A Salutation, and no prayer at all.
And that a meere salute a pray'r should be
To her, seemes strange, nay senselesse unto me.
The Text addes further;
Luk. 1. 29. 30. So he sayd to Zacharie, v. 13. Fea [...]e not &c. yet none say thus to the Virgin or him though the Angell did it: why then say they Ave and not this to?
she was troubled at 6
His saying, and did cast in her minde, what
Manner of Salutation this should be:
Which made the Angell say, (c) Feare not: Had she
Thought this a prayer made to her, certainely
She had not thus bin troubled, scar'd thereby.
Nought this a prayer, unto her can import,
To make it then a Prayer now is mad sport,
Unlesse be for her: if you this deny,
A Prayer for her the words it prove clearely.
First
Luk. 1. 28. [...], signifies properly Gau­de, or rejoyce.
Ave, which All Haile, or happinesse 1
Attend you, signifies, is an expresse
Prayer for, not to her; and is just the same
With our salute, God save you blessed Dame;
Which all confesse to be a Pray'r not to
But for those we salute; than Ave's so.
Next, Dominus Tecum; The Lord be with thee,
Is a prayer for, not to her: this to be 2
So, is most cleare by all your Liturgies,
Houres Masse-bookes, where the Priest thus prayes and cryes.
Officium B. Mariae & Missale Roma­num passim.
Dominus Tecum oft times; which all call
A prayer to God, for, not to men at all.
[Page 8] By this then see your Madnesse, folly, shame,
In saying Aves to the Blessed Dame.
You thinke thereby you onely pray unto
Not for the Virgin, when you quite crosse doe,
Praying not to, but for her alwayes when
You say your Aves: O mad, senselesse Men!
If she thus neede your Aves her to save,
Blesse, bring to God, how can you then ought crave
Pray, gaine from her? If she needs prayers from you
She can ill ayde, save those who to her sue.
You
Fleurs des vies des S [...]s part. 2. pag. 128. to 130. Bernardinus de Bustilis Ma­riale, Pars. 3. Serm. 3. Ex­cellent. 4. 5. Pars. 5. Ser. 7. Pars 9. Ser. 2. Pars 10. Serm. 2. See Bishop Vshers answer to the Jesuites challenge p. 475. to 496
write, she is in height of Happinesse;
That God, Christ, she, doe now one throne possesse.
It is meere folly then and surplusage
To Power out Aves for her in this Age:
At least wise Salves; which you make the same
With Aves in your Masse-bookes; where the Dame
Is oft saluted, prayd for thus,
Officium B. Mariae fol. 22. 29. 35. 36. 82. 94. 95.
Salve
Maria, or Regina, God save thee
Mary, or Queene of heav'n; which doth imply,
That she is not yet saved perfectly;
Because you pray God thus to save her still;
(A pray [...] re not to, But for her Grace, as will
Appeare by this prayer often Mentioned,
1 Sam. 10. 24. 2 Sam. 16. 16. 1 King. 1 25. 34. 2 King. 11. 12. 2 Chro. 23. 11.
God save the King; us'd when Kings were Crowned,
Not to, but for them, by their subjects:) or
If she be sav'd already, this prayer for
Her (made for none but those not saved yet,
And men on Earth, if I doe not forget)
Must needes be Idle, Vaine, Absur'd; and she
With it no doubt, will much displeased be,
Since it her not yet saved doth imply,
As it did when she was
Luk 1 27. 28.
here, not on High.
Before she saved was you might well say,
Aves and Salves for her; but not pray
Thus for her now, when saved perfectly,
In Heav'n (as you hold)
Fleurs des vies des Sts part. 2. p. 128. to 132.
Both soule and Body.
[Page 9] The Angell had no Ave Mary
Sir [...]dwin Sandyes his Relation; p. 8.
Bell,
Sounding each morning, noone, night, him to tell
When he should say his Ave to Mary,
As you have, by whose sound your Aves Cry,
Thrice trebled dayly which Bell, no Popes Ban
Or Interdicts from ringing silence Can,
As
Tractar, de interdictis par. 1. nu. 79. Phi­lip de Marnix Talbeau des differens part. 4. c. [...]. f. 178. a.
Calderin most sagely notes; though they.
All other Bells from ringing wholy stay.
The ringing these Bells is of such Moment,
That the Orders of Monkes at Rome once
Albericus de Rosatis in Dictionar, ver­bum Campa­nella; Tablean des Differens: 4. part. c. 2. f. 178. a.
went
To Law about it, before the Popes Grace,
To know which of them foure should in first place
It ring each morning: where after long sute,
Much cost, more wrangling, and no small dispute:
It was at last resolved finally,
By an unalterable Act, that they
Who did first rise, should ring it first of all
Each morning, men to Aves thus to call.
But since the Angell sounded no such Bell,
You should not ring it if you would doe well.
The Angell had no Beads whereon to say
His Aves by set number every day; 9
He sayd it but once, without Beads, then you
Must
Alanus de Rupe Miroure des Rosaries Sir Edwin Sandy Rela­tion p. 7.
Beades and dayly Aves bid Adue.
He sayd it not by way of Pennance; ye 10
Sir Edwin Sandys Rela­tion, p. 17.
Injoyne men for their Penance the Ave
To Mumble over by set Scores, and then
They are absolved and meere guiltlesse Men.
The Angell fell not on his knees when he 11
Unto the Virgin spake his first Ave.
Why then doe
See Bellar-mine de Imagi­nibus, libi Li [...] ­wade Pro­vinc. Constit. li. 5. de Haeret. c. Nullus. Bishop Ʋshers answer to Jesuites challenge. p. 497.
you before her Image fall,
And kneele when you with Aves on her call?
[Page 10] The Angell sayd his Ave onely to
Her
Luk. 1. 28.
Person, not her Picture; you unto,
Before her
Petr. de Ca­breram 3. part Thoma qu. 25. artic. 3. disp. 2. num. 15. 32.
Image, not her Person say
Your Ave Maries onely, when you pray.
Is it that you her Pictures deeme to be
Her self, that you them greete thus with Ave?
If not, belike it is because you feare
She is so
1 King. 18. 27.
farre off now she cannot heare
Your voyce, but yet her Images close by
May chance to heare you, when you Ave cry
Before them: but I doubt they both have lost
Their hearing quite, she, and the painted post:
And so your Babled Aves are lost, vaine:
You may doe well then from them to abstaine.
13 The Angell sayd no Pater Noster as
A Prologue to his Ave; neither was
The Ave heretofore joyn'd to the Pater
Ad its part or Apendix why of Later
Times than doe ye in your Houres
Officium: B. Mariae p. 1. 5 9. 56. 61 62. 73. 88. 92. 94. 121. 125. 193. 399. 352. 354. 362. 366. 367 376
Offices
Prayers, Masse-bookes use to preface your Aves
With Pater Nosters, yea make them a part
Of the Lords Prayer, or Codicell by Art?
Conjoyning them so neare, that none may say
A Pater without Ave, when they pray:
As if they both were prayers alike, and all
Who pray Ovr Father, ought likewise to call
On Mary as their Mother, Queene, else they
Shall not be answered though they Paters say.
Had this beene so, the Angell, or Christ would
Have them conjoyn'd thus, or at least we should
Have found them coupled thus in sacred writ;
Which since it doth disjoyne them as unfit
To Match, sute, run together; you both erre
And sinne no doubt to Yoke them thus together.
[Page 11] Belike the Pater is a Beggerly
Prayer, and Ave
Fox: Acts and Monu­ments, p. 1 [...]10 1 [...]14.
is infinitely
Better than it, as some held heretofore,
That you conjoyne them, and say halfe a score
Aves for one sole Pater Noster; this
Angell neere taught you thus to pray amisse.
His Ave did in time and Place preceede 14
The Pater: you, in both make it succeede.
His Ave
Luk. 1. 28. 30. 31. 32. c. 11 2.
was before Christs birth, but the
Pater long after it; Luke, his Ave
Records in his first Chapter; the Pater
In his Eleaventh, in time, place later
Than it: you Ave after Pater say,
Place, and so from the Text run quite astray.
Nay you the Angles Ave farre out-goe 15
Joyning
Luk. 1. 42. Officium B. Mariae f. 1. 5. 9. &c.
Elizabeths salute thereto
As if it were the Angels owne; whereby
You Wrong the Text, and make the Angle Lye
And speake Non-sence, in saying, blessed be
The Fruite of thy Wombe; when tis cleare that she
Luk. 1. 31. 32.
Had then no Fruite conceived in her wombe:
Whence he tels her, The Holy Ghost shall come
Vpon thee, and the Power of the Highest
Shall over-shadow thee, both these exprest
Not in the Present, but the Future Tense,
Her clause as his, makes him lye, speake non-sence,
It being true when she it spake after
Maries conception; false when he to her.
Sayd his Ave before it. This is bad,
But that is worse which you to his words adde.
Officium B. Mariae p. 2. 5. 9.
Sancta Maria ora pro Nobis, &c.16
Holy Mary pray for us, none of his
[Page 12] Nor of Elizabeths Words, nor once found
In
Neither in the ancientest Masse-books, witnesse Offi­cium. B. Mariae secundum u­sum Sarum Pa­risiis. 1538. where this clause is not found.
scripture why then doe you joyne, confound
This cursed Pray'r thus with the Angels speech
As if the Angels Mary did beseech
To Pray God for men, and this clause indite
Which you as part of his salute recite,
To make poore people to the Virgin pray,
Who thinke all Scripture, Angels words they say.
Since
All Popish Houres, Mis­sals, Catechi­smes and wri­ters so terme it
all it tearme the Angells Salutation,
When these words are Romes damned innovation,
Patcht to the Angels greete: which forgery
The silly People cannot possibly
Discover, since Rome takes Gods Word away
From them, which should this Jugling trick display
And leaves them none but such bookes where they finde
This clause annext, the better them to blinde.
The Angle did not such forg'd Aves say:
You must them then discard and cast away.
17 Th' Angell before, and after Offices,
Psalms, Lessons, Hymns, Houres, Sermons and Glories
No Aves sayd,
Officium: B. Mariae nup. Reformatum Pii 5. jussu. Pa­risiis 16 36. p. 16. 17. 37. 40. 44. 46. 49. 51. 57. 58. 67 72. 76. 78. 80. 82. 65. 66. 83. 90. 86. 89. 97. 100. 108. 110. 112. 114. 118. 193. Sir Edwin San­dys Rela. p. 7.
Like, you; much lesse did he
Into the 95. Psalme his Ave:
And Lord be with you, insert, as you doe
Foure times within this Psalme, annexing two
Aves more unto its close,
Rosarium B. Mariae Offi­cium: B. Mariae Pii 5. jussu re­formatum. Ave Maria. is 86. times repeated and at large, & above an 100. times more in fractions. The Pater Nost. but 31. times.
placing one
Before it, though in the old Testment none
Can finde one Ave: Nay, whereas in the
Whose Bible there is onely one Ave
Us'd by the Angell, you doe it record
Repeate at large, omitting not one word
An hundred and fifty times in one small
Rosary onely; and in most of all
Your Offices, Houres, Missalls I it finde,
Well nigh as oft recited in this kinde.
[Page 13] O Monstrous Babling and Battologie!
George Doul [...]y his briefe Instru­ction Edit. 4. p. 84. Chachismus Tridentinus c. de Oratione Fon p. 1310. 1314.
The Angell taught you no such Cuckooes Cry.
The Angell sayd his Ave onely to 18
Mary her selfe; you say, (Nay write that you
May say) these Aves, Paters to, before
Those other Saints whom you invoke, implore,
As you now use to say your Beades and Pater
To Mary and her Image, as your Father,
And then say Aves at your Paters end
To God the Father: this for shame amend,
Since tis the height of Madnesse, Blasphemy
To God, to Saints to say Ave Mary,
And to say Paters to Saints, and to her
As if they were God, your heav'nly Father.
He never sayd an Ave too, before 19
The Crosse, which you now pray to and adore
With
Pontificale Romanum.
Ave Lignum Triumphale; nay
With
See G. be­fore.
Ave Maries which you to it say
Or
Pontificale Romanum cap de Bendictione none crucis. Fox p. 1311. a.
Ave Crux spes unica; All Haile
O Crosse our onely hope; doe thou availe
In Godly men to Judgement Righteousnesse,
And pardon to the guilty to adresse,
He never sayd an Ave to the speare
That did Christs blessed side both pierce and teare,
When you sing Ave Lignum triumphale,
Felix Hasta, All Haile,
Pontificale Romanum.
or God save thee
Triumphant Iron, happy speare, these you,
Salute, adore with
Aquinas 3. part. q. 5. Art 3. & 4. Cajeta­nus Ibid. Bona­venture Mar­cellus, Almain, Carthusian Ca­picolus, n. 3. sint Distinct. 9. Jacobus Na­clantus in Rom 1. Alensis. part. 3. qu. 30.
Latry as their due;
And the Crosse, Nayles, Speare,
Ceremonia­le. Romanum.
worship, deifie,
Because they did Christs Body Crucifie,
Officium B. Mariae, f. 381. 382.
As you salute, adore, Mary for that
She bore,
Officium. B. Mariae, f. 314.
preserved, nurst Christ; and did flat
Contrary to them, these your Aves be
Quite Crosse to hers, and cannot well agree
[Page 14] The Virgin cannot take it well that these
Should be ador'd with Latry and Aves
As well as she, and equaliz'd to her
For killing Christ, who did him Nurse and beare.
Yea, you say Ave Chrisma to that Oyle
And Chrisme wherwith you children grease & soile:
And to S. Anne,
Officium: B. Mariae, f. 314
Roch, others Aves say,
In all these you quite from the Angell stray.
20 He never said his Ave at no one day
By sound of bell, as you it use to say
Iohn Cre­spin L [...]estat de L [...]glise: f. 498. Stella and o­thers in vita Calixti.
By Pope Calixtus precept, to the end
That these Aves might those aide and defend
Who did against the Turkes fight usually,
A goodly charme, no doubt, to make Turkes fly.
Nor did he ever chaunt Ave Mary
21 To
Alanus de Rupe Mirrour des Rosaires Officium: B. Mariae. f. 349. 352. 354. 362. 366. 376.
rescue searcht sovles out of Purgatory,
Or rather Hell, as you doe, when you say
Your Ave Mary prayers at Nooneday,
And in your Offices for the dead where
You Ave Maries say, and pray God there
To
Ion Crespin. f. 512.
free the dead from Satans Power, Gods Ire
Endlesse Damnation,
Ab ira tua libera eos Do­mine; A fiamma ignis libera eos Domine: a po­testate Diaboli libera eos Do­mine: ute Pae­nis Inferni [...]ri­pere digneris: & omnes fide­les ab ae [...]erna damnatione li­berare digneris: Officium B. Mariae.
bells torments, and fire
Without one word at all of Purgatorie
Whose name in Missals, Houres, appeares rarely:
Good proofe there is no Purgatory: you
22 Must than this kinde of Aves bid adue.
The Angells Ave was but arbitrary,
Not sayd of duty but of
Luk. 1. 28. 39.
curtesie,
You deeme your Aves, Maries right and due,
Though neither God, Christ, She, them crave from you.
23 The Angell greeted Mary with Ave
Onely
Luk. 1. 26. 27. 28. 30. 31 to 37.
before Christs birth; you since, when ye
[Page 15] Cannot produce one Text, proofe, that any
Thus greeted her since Christs Nativitie:
Whereas we reade, the
Mat. 2. 1. 2. 11.
Wise men from the East
Who came to worship Christ, and did not rest
Ʋntill they found him, when they came into
The house, and saw him with his Mother too,
Fell prostrate, worshipt him onely, not her
And to him offred Gold, Incense, and Myrrhe,
But offered naught, we reade, to her at all;
Nor her saluted; you quite Crosse
See Rosari um & Offici­um Beatae Ma­riae.
downe fall
Worship, Salute, Present, Invoke onely
Her, and the Babe Christ, in her Armes, passe by
Uncourted, uninvoked, No Ave
Is said to him, knee bow'd, thing offered; she
(A Crowned Queene) hath all the Ceremonie,
Prayers, Worship, Off'rings, whiles he a Babie
In her Armes, is Neglected: O fooles see
How opposite to the wise Men you be,
Who
Mat. 2. 11.
did Salute, Adore, Present onely
The sucking Babe, but past the Mother by.
No doubt the
Heb. 1. 6. Rev. 19. 10.
Angell would have done likewise
Had he seene Christ with her, before his eyes:
Or in her armes: you must not Ave cry
Then, or her greet henceforth, if Christ be by,
As he is still, in Picture, when you say
Your Aves to her Image, as you pray.
He never did his Ave Mary say
To purge all Mortall, Veniall sinnes away,24
As
Alanus de Rupe in his Mirror of Ro­saries Table and es differens p. 4. p. 188. T. Becons Reliques of Rome, vol. 3. f. 358.
you your Aves and your Rosary
Vse for to say; a new found Purgatory
To Purge Men from all sinnes without Christs blood,
Which the Apostles never Understood.
[Page 16] He did establish no
Rosarium B. Mariae Ta­bleau des diffe­rens, f. 188.
Fraternity
Of our Ladies Chapter or Rosary,
As you have done, to cry Ave each day
An hundred and fifty times without stay;
To all of which Order Pope Innocent
The Eight by his hand, voyce and full consent
Tableau des differens 4. Part. c. 4. f. 188 189. Sir Edwin Sandys Rela­tion. p. 17. 19.
Gave two plenary Indulgences; In
Life one, in death the to'ther of all sinne;
And five yeares after gave an hundred yeares
And Quarantines of Pardons to each beares
The Chaplet but about him; and many
Popes since, to those who say the Rosary
And Ave, have granted them, seven, five, two
Yeares indulgence, with Quarantines thereto.
Nay Alexander the sixth gave Pardon
For thirty thousand yeares, to every one
Who before the Altar of our Lady
With Christ and her Mother, should say onely
A speciall Ave, importing that she
Was without sinne conceiv'd; such Pardons he
Did neither give nor grant to any here
For saying his Ave,
Sir Edwin Sandys Rela­tion p. 19 21.
Popes may well forbeare
Then for to grant them; till God, Christ, Mary,
This Angell give them such Authority.
26 The Angel which appear'd to Gideon,
Did use to him this Salutation;
Judg. 6. 11 12. c. 13. 3. 4. 5.
The Lord is with thee O thou Man of Might:
Yet none this greete to Gideon will recite:
An Angell unto Manoahs Wife, also
Brought downe from God these happie tidings; Lo
Thou shalt conceive and beare a Sonne; the same
In substance with those he to Mary came;
Yet none to her this greeting Message use:
You must then both repeate, or both refuse.
An
Luk. 1. 11. to 20. c. 2. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.
Angell to the Shepheards, Zachary
[Page 17] Brought tydings of Johns, Christs Nativity;
And sayd to them as unto Mary here,
Feare not, and so forth; yet it is most cleare
That none to them these greets or Aves say;
You must your Ave Maries cast away
Then by the selfesame reason, since that ye
Can shew no Precept, Ground to say Ave
To Mary onely, and to pretermit
The Angels words to all these, as unfit
To use each day alone, or joyn'd to the
Lords prayer, as your Ave Maries be.
The Angell never dreamp't that his Ave, 27
Could Reprobates and damned Soules set free
From hell it selfe, when as your Rosary
Of Ave Maries, (If
Quod Re­probi & prae­sciti per Devo­tionem Rosarii vitam aeternam assequantur. In his Mirrour of Rosaries, which passage is expunged in the Review of his Rosarie set forth by Copin­ger, Printed at Mentz. 1624.
Alanus lye
Not,) but devoutly used will obtaine
Eternall life for Reprobates, and gaine
Damn'd tortur'd Soules out of hell fire, whence ye
Record, that Abbot
Sigeberti Chron. Anno. 988. Petrus Dammian: in vita Odilonis. Tom. 1. Surii Jan. 1. p. 251: 253. 453. in the first Editi­ons.
Odilo did free
The soules of Reprobates and damn'd men by
His Prayers, and his Covents of Clary
From Hell, or Vuleans Pots, in whose flames they
By Devils were tormented night and day:
All which the Devills did oft times Lament
In hearing of an Anchorite, who sent
This newes to Odilo; who then ordaines
All-soules day hereupon, damn'd soules from paines
Of hell to free, and not from Purgatory,
As most now write against the sirst pend story.
If Ave Maries, Rosaries can free
Damn'd Soules from hell, Few then shall dam­ned be.
In fine, his Ave was esteem'd no part 28
Of Maries or Gods worship: by what art
[Page 18] Have you then
See Offici­um & Rosari­um B. Mariae, Missale Roma­num. The erudition of a Christian Man [...] by King Henry the 8. & the Convocati­on: Chap. 1. of the Angelicall Salutation.
made it both; who thinke that she,
And God too, by your Aves worshipt be:
Yet Mary more than God, since that you all
Your Offices, Houres, Psalters; Masse-bookes call
Not Gods, but Maries, so that you adore,
Serve, her onely now, at least-wise her more
By farre than God, Christ, since your bookes thus beare
Her name and title, not theirs, as is cleare
By your new Printed Masse-bookes, which stil'd be
In all their Titles, Fronts, as you may see,
Our Ladies Psalters, Primers, Offices,
Houres, Rosaries, and such like: This Aves
Use hath in time produced, you to Make
Her
See, Ber­nardinus de Busti his Mari­ale: and the Authors quo­ted by Bishop Vsher in his answere to the Jesuites chal­lenge, p. 477. to 496.
Servants and Devoti; who forsake
God, Christ, the Holy Ghost, and Trinity
Adoring none for God, but her onely:
She is Romes Goddesse; God, Father, Son, Sp'rite,
Trinity, Mother; and none else of Right.
The
Sir Edwin Sandyes Rela­tion. p. 5. to 10 Fleurs des vies des S. part. 2. pag. 129. 130. 131. part. 1. p. 63. 64.
Stateliest Churches, Altars, Images
Most Monkes, Nunnes, Orders; all Houres, Offices,
Bookes of Devotion are hers, beare her Name,
And all Grace, Pardon comes from this blest Dame,
As Rome Avers now. This Aves have wrought
Beyond, contrary to the Angels thought,
And Maries too; who by them hath undone,
Ungodded both the Father, and the Sonne.

On, and against Popish Beades, and Pater-Nosters 2 oft Repetition on them.

I Wonder much why Papists on
These Beads must be so­lemnely hal­lowed ere they must be used to say our Ladies Psalter on: the forme of which conse­cration you may reade in Tho. Beacons 3. Vol. f. 291. 292. 358. 359.
Bedes pray,
And all their Pater-Nosters by them say.
Is it because they set them out to sale,
And none will buy them by their weight but Tale?
As they doe wodden Billets; and therefore
They must have Beades to keepe true Count and score?
If so; it seemes a just and Lawfull Act;
Though to sell Prayers, be no Christian Fact.
Or is it, because they contract each day
With God, how many Paters they will say
To him? and so their Bedes serve to keepe true
Account, that God from them may have his due;
So many Pater-Nosters just as they
By Contract, vow, or pennance, ought to pay?
This seemes an honest Practise, and most just,
To render God his due: yet then they must
First prove, that God takes all their prayers by Tale
Not weight; but this would marre their price and sale.
Their Paters are so light, that God must take
Them all by Tale, sith they no weight will make.
For should he ballance them, their endlesse tale
Of Paters, would not Poyse, nor turne the Scale.
[Page 20] Bedes then keepe equall Scores, 'twixt God and them;
God would forget else what they pay to him:
He is oblivious, if not false; therefore
They dare not trust him, they must keepe the score.
Or else they deeme he mindes no more than they
Their mumbled Paters; else they would not pray
By Count; I doubt they cheate God in the Score
Sometimes, to make him minde their Paters more.
Or doe they use their Bedes alone to finde
That tale of Paters which they seldome minde?
Their thoughts being else-where when their Pater's sayd,
The Bedes must tell them still how oft they pray'd:
Their Paters sure are sayd with great devotion;
They doe not know their summe, but by Bedes Motion:
Should God them take by weight, than, not by Count,
So many feathers would their poyse surmount.
I doubt their Beades, though light, will overweigh
All Paters, Aves, which they on them say;
And are far more worth were they to be sold,
Than all the Paters, Aves, on them told.
But why must Paters thus be said by score?
Did Christs Apostles, Prophets, Saints before
Time use it? No, reade Scripture new or old
You finde no Paters, Prayers on Beades told.
Some thinke our Bede, these Beads did first invent,
From whom they tooke their Name; if I consent
(
Peter the Hermite was the first that invented Beades and Chappelets a­bout the yeare. 1263. Iohn Crespin: Le [...]st. de L'eglis. p. 382. O­thers make them of later date.
Though false,) yet for sev'n hundred yeares, or more
Next after Christ, none Paters by Beades score
Said; now the Case is alt'red; few can say
Their Paters, unlesse they on Beades them pray.
Pray on them? No: let him marke who this reads
[Page 21] They never use to pray, but say their Beads:
This is their Proper language, so as they
Confesse, their Beades helpe make them not to pray;
To say indeede, nay use vaine Repetition,
Against the Paters and Christs Prohibition,
Who first ordain'd the
Mat. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Eccles. 5. 2.
Pater purposely
Vaine Babling, and your Bedes quite to put by,
Which Christ condemnes as Heathnish, and defends
All his to use, because it God offends.
But Chaplets now this remedie hath mar'd,
And made it the disease it should discard:
Some scores of Pater Nosters must be said
On Beades, ere God can heare, minde what they praide:
He's growne now deafe belike, and cannot heare
Their first, next, third, fourth Pater; or they feare
He is asleepe, or dreaming; so that he
With peales of Paters must awaked be,
Or with their Beads great ratling sound and noise,
Ere he can heare or listen to their voyce.
If he heares the first dozen Paters, all
The next are Idle, Bootelesse, Prodigall,
Yea, a grosse
Exod. 20. 7. Matth. 6. 5. 7. 8.
taking of Gods Name in vaine;
Which if it merits ought, its nought but paine.
Such Idle Babble, and Battologie
God doth condemne, reject, hate, and defie,
Especially when they kneele downe before
Saints Images, and say their Paters o're
To them, as if they God the Father were,
And did their Beades and babled Paters heare:
Which damned common practise Rome allow's
In her
Cap. de O­ratione.
Trent Catechisme, not disavou's;
Yea, Hubberdin, with others long agoe,
Maintain'd,
Fox Acts and Monu­ments p. 1310. 1314. in the old Edi­tion.
that they might Pater Nosters to
S. Peter say, and other Saints full well
[Page 22] Without offence; and
A briefe in­struction, &c. By George Douley Priest: Edit. 4. 1638. Permissu supe­riorum. p. 84.
George Douly doth tell
Us now of late, in his Instruction
Of the chiefe points of your Religion,
That doubtlesse men may say the Pater, or
The Ave Marie unto the honour,
Or Invocation of any other
Saint or Angell, with this intent, either
To pray to God that he would have mercy
Vpon their soules, for this Saints, Angels Cry;
Or to craze of the Saints themselves, that they
Will offer to God for them what they pray.
A new point of faith and devotion,
Not knowne to Christ, but to Romes Priests alone:
Had Papists sense or Reason, they might see
How oft repeated Pater Nosters be
Most irkesome, loathsome to God, not pleasing.
For if men here should to a Judge, Lord, King,
Ten, twenty, thirty, Forty times, or more
Together the same words, requests, say o're,
(As they to God say Paters) all would thinke
Them mad or foolish; yea their suites would stinke
And be denide for this their Clam'rous cry,
Thougst Just, since mar'd by such Battologie.
If it be folly, frenzie, babling then
Oft to repeate our suites and plaints to men,
Yea, the next way to make them us deny;
Is it not just the same to God to cry
Thus Pater, Pater, for an houre or more
Untill your Beades be fully numbred ore?
Mat. 6. 5. to 10.
Doubtlesse it is, nay a meere mockery
Of God, who turnes his eares from this vaine cry.
All deeme the Cuckoos, which doe oft times sing
Nought else but Cuckoo, Cuckoo, in the spring
For three Moneths space; most foolish birds be­cause
They oft repeate their Cuckoo, without pause;
[Page 23] And we thinke children, fooles, the Cuckooes play,
In counting then how oft they Cuckoo say.
Papists are worse than Cuckooes, which forbeare
Their Cuckooes song for nine moneths space each yeare;
When they their Cuckoo-Paters night and day,
All the yeare long repeate, and never stay.
Yea, whereas Cuckooes never keepe account
How oft they Cuckoo cry; they them surmount
In this, that they cry Cuckoo and keepe score
How oft they doe it, on Beades made therefore;
So that they are more sottish, foolish, vaine
Than Cuckoos, Children, Fooles, and so remaine;
Whose severall follies all conjoyned be
In them, and linkt in one, as now we see.
If they on Beades to pray will still proceede,
They are Fooles, Children, and the Cuckooes seede.

On, and against Popish Crucifixes, and Images of Christ.

NO Pictures can so lively represent
Christs Death and Passion, as the
1 Cor. 11. 24. 25. 26. Gal. 3. 1.
Sacrament
And Word, the onely Crucifixes he
Hath left his Church, his death, to minde, and see.
What neede of Pictures, Crucifixes then
To shew Christs death, or Person unto men?
Had they beene usefull, he had instituted
Them too, like these: sith not, they are refuted.
[Page 24] If we Christs Person, or humanitie
At any time would set before our eye.
Let us behold our selves: No Image can
So lively set forth Christ to us, as Man,
Gods and Christs perfect
Gen. 1. 26. 27. c. 5. 1. c. 9. 6. 1 Cor. 11. 7. Eph 4. 24. Col. 3. 10.
Image; whose likenesse
And
Phil. 2. 7. 8. Heb. 2. 11. 14. 16. 17. c. 4 15. John 1. 14. 1. Cor. 15. 48. 49. 2 Cor. 3. 18.
Nature Christ assum'd: if Man expresse
Not Christ sufficiently unto our view,
No pictures can; they false are, He the true,
And perfect living Image of Christ; why
Neglect they truth then, and behold
Isay 44. 20. Hab. 2. 18. Jer. 10. 8.
a lye?
The Scripture no description of Christs face
Forme, feature, person makes, but of his
Joh. 1. 14. 16.
grace
That none should dare presume to undertake
His
Deut. 4. 15. 16. 17. 12. 23. 2 Cor. 5. 16.
unknowne Image, Ʋnseene shape to make,
Which cannot but be false, and a meere
Hab. c. 18. Isay 44. 20. Ezech. 10. 2. Rom. 1. 25.
lye,
Because no ground, shape's left to draw them by.
And none now know Christs true forme, portrai­ture:
How can the Papists, others then be sure
Those Crucifixes they adore, keepe, see
Are Christs true Pictures, and not one of the
Two
Mat. 27. 38 Ma [...]. 15. 27. Luk. 23. 32. 33. Joh. 19. 18. 32.
Theeves that were with him then Crucifi'd,
Since both alike upon their Crosses dy'd?
And those who made them for ought they can tell
Intended to present by them as well
These Theeves as Christ; sith nothing doth ap­peare
From the bare Picture, this great doubt to cleare?
You must then know the Painters thoughts ere ye
Them for Christs Pictures can once take to be.
Which nought can make them, but your fantasie,
And theirs that made them, but by guesse onely.
But grant them true, what fruites, good can accrue
To men by Christs meere outward shape they view?
Since all our comfort rests in this, that He
Mans
Joh. 1. 14. Phi. 2. 7 & Mar 1. 23. H [...]b. 2. 11. 14. 16. 17. c▪ 4. 15:
Nature tooke, not that shape which we see;
[Page 25] His Incarnation, not his Countenance
Was that which did our Natures, States advance;
Which men alone, not Pictures can expresse
Unto the Life, they then are vaine, uselesse.
Christ was unlike to most, or all in face,
His
Yet the Pa­pists say, Salve fancta facies nostri redem­ptoris. Salve vultus Do­mini Imago beata &c. Officium. B. Mariae. secun­dum usum Sa­rum. p. 67.
visage saves none, but his Nature, grace;
We must strive to be
Phil. 2. 5. 1 Cor. 15. 49. 2 Cor. 3. 19. Eph. 5. 2. Mat. 11. 29.
like him inwardly
In Graces, but not paint him outwardly.
Gods Word
Exod. 20. 4. 5. Levit. 26. 1 Deur. 4. 15. to 23. c. 5. 8. 9.
forbids such Images to make,
Or use at all: we must them then forsake.
The holy noynting Oyle which Sanctifi'd
The Arke, Priests, Tabernacle, all beside
Which did thereto belong, with that perfume
Which God prescrib'd of old, none might presume
On
Exod. 30. 31. 32. 33. 36. 37. 38.
paine of death to make the like; sith they
Were holy; and in type did Christ display,
Who doth us
Heb. 2. 11. c. 11 29. c. 13. 12. 1. Cor. 1. 2. c. 6. 11. Rev. 8. 3. 4.
sanctifie, and quite consume
The stinke of all our prayers, with his perfume.
If then it were so grand a crime for men
To make the like to these types of Christ, then
To make Christs Image, likenesse for a use
Civill, or Sacred, is a great abuse.
Its Civill use, walls, windowes, Roomes to grace,
Doth Christ, prophane, abuse and much debase;
Christ, is an
Luk. 1. 36. Mar. 1. 24. Act. 2. 27. c. 3. 14. c. 13. 35. 1 Joh. 2. 20. Dan. 9. 24.
holy and most sacred thing,
Ordaind for holy uses; the making
Then of him common, for a civill use
Is prophanation, and more grand abuse
Than to turne Churches, Lords Bords, Chalices
To prophane uses; damn'd by Popes Decrees
For prophanation, grosse impiety.
Its civill use you then must needs denie.
Tis sinne, prophanenesse, by all mens consents,
For to translate the sacred Elements
Of bread and wine (which Christs
1 Cor. 11. 25. 26. 27. 28. Gal. 3. 1.
death typifie
And paint his Body, blood-shed to our eye,)
[Page 26] Unto a vulgar use; then by the same
Reason it must deserve as great a blame,
To make Christs Image for a civill end,
Since both alike to prophanation tend.
Its Sacred use, to worship, or adore,
Makes it a sinnefull
Psal. 106. 19. 20. 21. Rom. 1. 19 23. 25. 2 Cor. 6. 16. Rev. 9. 20.
Idoll; and therefore
Be it for Common, or for Sacred use,
To make Christs Image is a grosse abuse,
Nay Sacriledge, falshood and blasphemy,
Sith it presents Christs bare humanity
Unto mens eyes, thoughts, fancies, separate
Quite from his Godhead and Divine estate,
Which hypostatically is joyn'd to
His humane Nature, in such sort, that no
Man must behold, view his humanity
But as
Mar. 1. 23. Joh. 1. 14. Acts 20. 28. Rom. 9. 5. Tit. 2. 13.
conjoyn'd still to his Deity,
Which
Isa 40. 18. Act. 17. 29. Rom. 1. 22. 23. 25. 1 Tim. 6. 16
no picture can possibly expresse
Ʋnto the eye, since voyd of all likenesse
And visibility. Christ as meere man
Unto us no Christ, Jesus, Saviour can
Be, Therefore 'tis both falshood, blasphemie
To picture Christ as a dead man onely,
Hanging upon his Crosse, quite severed
From what made him a Saviour, his Godhead.
What comfort, profit can it be to eye
Christ hanging on his Crosse as man onely?
Ah, none at all. Thus you him alwayes view
In Crucifixes. Therefore bid adieu
Unto them: and the rather because they
Mis-represent Christ to you day by day;
Not onely as meere man, but as hanging
Yet actually upon his Crosse: a thing
Both false and dangerous, which doth quite
1 Cor. 15. 15. to 20. Rom. 8. 34. c. 10. 9. c. 14. 425.
con­found
Our faith, hope, joy, and cast them to the ground;
Christs hanging on the Crosse was transient,
[Page 27] Past in
Mar. 15. 25. 33. 34. Joh. 19
few houres, which done he
Luk. 24. Act. 1. 1. to 12. c. 3. 21. c. 7. 56.
rose and went
Vp into Heav'n, where he now reignes onely,
And lives free from his Crosse
Rom. 6. 8. 9. 10. 11. Rev. 1. 18.
no more to dye.
To paint him then still hanging on his Crosse,
Or as a sucking infant, it most grosse
Abuse, controuling sacred History,
And representing nothing but a lye.
O than with
Isa 2 20. c. 30. 22. c. 31. 7. Hosea 14. 8.
indignation cast away
These Idoll Pictures, and aside them lay;
Which at the best are
Isa. 44. 20. Rom. 1. 25.
Lies, and different
From Christs forme which the Scriptures repre­sent.
The
See Mola­nus. Historiae de Imaginibus, & Lentulus his forged descrip­tion & Picture of him, com­monly printed and sold here of late yeares.
Papists paint Christ very lovely, faire,
And like a Nazarite, with long compt haire,
And somewhat fleshy; when the Text saith, he
Should
Isa. 52. 14. c. 5 [...]. c. 3. Phil. 2. 7. ps. 22. 6. 7.
like a roote which springs in dry ground be;
And that he had no forme nor comelinesse
Of Person in him, (as they him expresse)
So that when men should see him, no beauty,
Him to desire, they should in him espie;
Whence they should him reject, despise, despite,
And hide their faces from his gastly sight.
He was no Nazarite, nor long haire wore
(As some yet dreame, and many heretofore:)
For he
Mat. 11. 19. c. 26. 29. Mar. 14. 25. c. 15. 23. Joh. 2. 8. 9. 10. Luk. 2 [...]. 12.
dranke wine, oft
Mat. 9. 24. 25. Mar. 5. 35. 39. 41. 42.
toucht, nay rais'd the dead
Which
Num. 6. 3. to. 12 Am. [...]. 12
Nazarites might not, nor shav'd he his head
When he came neare dead Corps as Nazarites
Were bound to doe, nor us'd ought of their rites,
He was not, could not be
Heb. 4. 15. [...] Pet. 2. 22. See (l) before Joh. 14, 30.
defil'd at all
Like
Num. 6. 9. 10. 12.
them; no sinne in him was, nor could fall.
Into him. He no sinne-peace-burnt-offring,
Or such like for
Heb. 7. 26. 27. 28.
himselfe had neede to bring,
As
Nu. 6. 722
they: He was not then a Naz [...]rite
Nor yet could be, as some men vainely write:
Its true, he dwelt at Nazareth; whence he
[Page 28] A
Mat. 2. 13. as our last Translation truely renders it: whence Christians were cal­led Nazarens Act. 24. 5.
Nazaret (not rite) is sayd to be,
And oft stil'd Jesus of
Mat. 21. 11. Luc. 2. 39. 51. c. 4. 16. Joh. 1. 45. 46.
Naz'reth, but not
A Nazarite by Order, as these dote,
Who paint him with long baire, to men a
1 Cor. 11. 14. 15. 16.
shame
Saith Paul, yea Nature, and so him defame.
Nay, where the
Psa. 22. 14. 15. 16. 17. ap­plied to Christ. Matth. 27. 35. Luk. 23. 34. 35.
Scripture saith, that his body
Was like a pot-sheard, so leane, withered, dry,
That men might all his bones tell; these mistake
In that they in their Images him make
Plumpe, fleshy, so that none can tell his bones;
His Pictures than are meere lyes, and false ones,
Expressing not Christs true shape, but onely
The Painters fancie, and grosse forgery:
Those than who these false Images adore,
Worship the Painters fancy, and no more,
Instead of Christ himselfe; which certainely
Is both false
Exod. 20. 4. 5. Rom. 1. 19. to 27. Psa. 106. 19. 20. 21.
worship and Idolatry:
It is no doubt a great sinne to misdraw,
Mispicture Christ thus,
Exod. 20. 4. 5. 6. Deut. 4. 12. to 24. Lev. 26. 1.
'gainst his word and Law,
Which Popes have
Index Li­brorum pro­hib. reg. 4. The Rhemists Pre­face to the new Testament.
taken from the Laity
Whom these false
Molanu Historia de Imaginibus & Picturis Tho. Waldensis. Tom. 3. Tit. 19. c. 53. p. 274. &c.
Pictures must now edifie
And teach in stead of them: In this deale they
Like men with Children from whom they away
Take gold or silver, and then them content
With Babies, Counters, their cryes to prevent.
Papists are children, or the Children play,
To set up Pictures, cast Gods Word away.

On, and against Popish Crucifixes, and ado­ring them with Latria.

VVHat, Christ still hanging on the Crosse? not yet
Quite dead? or doth he his pains so forget
[Page 29] As to take pleasure thus to hang, not dye
For sundry ages? or are none there by
To take him downe, if dead; that he thus stayes.
So long upon his Crosse, both nights and dayes?
Is he not yet interred, Rais'd againe,
Ascended into heav'n there to remaine
At Gods right hand? and so
1 Cor. 15. 15. to. 20. Rom 4. 24. 25. c. 8. 34.
our Faith, Hope, gone;
Salvation lost, and our poore Soules undone?
Is not the
Mat. 27. 57. 58. Mar. 15. 42. 43. Luc. 23. 50. 51. Joh. 19. 31. 38. to 42.
Evening come him downe to take?
No Sabbath nigh? hath Joseph yet not spake
To Pilate for to take him downe? Shall He
Thus on his Gibbet alwayes hanging be?
Not among Jewes in Jury, but in Rome,
His Spouse, some say; O where's her love become?
Hath Peter now for ever and a day
Mat. 26. 56. 58. 69. to 75.
Renounc'd his Master, and fled quite away?
I feare he hath, else Christ had long ere this
Beene taken off the Crosse by him, or his.
But once tooke downe; Popes hang him up againe
Upon it, there not
Mark. 15. 25. 33. 34.
few houres to remaine
As at the first; but from age unto age.
This is small shew of love, no doubt 'tis rage;
Yea, greater malice farre than ought we finde
In Pilate, Jewes, High-Priests, who were so kind
As not to suffer Christ to hang
Mat. 27. 57. to the end. Joh. 19. 31. to the end.
one day
Ʋpon his crosse, when first they did him slay.
Rome's turn'd Jew, Judas, High-Priests, worse than all;
Their malice joyn'd, of hers farre short doth fall:
They nayl'd him onely to one Crosse; no more;
She to ten hundred thousands, past all score
And number; taking pleasure and delight
To see Christ ever hanging in her sight.
They on a crosse of
Act. 10. 39. c. 13. 29. Gal. 3. 13. 1 Pet, 2. 24.
wood hang'd Christ alone,
Rome upon Crosses of gold, silver, stone,
Tin, Lead, Brasse, Copper, Glasse, Wood, Tapestrie,
[Page 30] Waxe, Bricke, Past, Leather, Paper, Christ hang, tye;
And least she should not him sufficiently,
On all these Crosses, kill and Crucifie;
She doth it in as many
See Bellar­mine De sacri­ficio Missae, and others.
Masses more
Each day. O blessed Jesus what great store
Of Crosses, Tortures, deaths doth Rome provide
To pierce thy hands, feete and thy blessed side?
And kill thee every day oft times afresh;
Nay eate thy body,
Corpus Christi posse in Sacramento sensualiter frangi, & fide­lium dentibus atteri, Grati­an: Decret: pars 3. De Consecra­tione; Dest. 2. cap. Ego Be­rengarius.
teare and gnaw thy flesh?
Is this thy Vicars, Spouses Love to thee,
Thus worse than Pilate, Jewes, High-Priests to be?
But this their malice makes notorious,
That they deeme all this
Bellarmine, and others De Sacrificio Mis­sae: Tho. Bea­cons Reliques of Rome. [...] ol. 3 f. 366. 367.
meritorious;
No doubt it is so if they glosse it well;
It doth deserve the deepest place in Hell.
But why doe they thus fixe thee to the Crosse?
Because Romes Pope else should sustain [...] great losse;
He could not else possesse thy throne, and reigne,
Not as thy Vicar but thy Soveraigne;
Thy Lawes else must be kept, thy word obey'd,
Thy will by him fulfill'd, and not gaine-sayd:
All which Popes doe against, beside thy word
Should then be voyd, and by all men abhor'd;
They must be Peter then in Truth, not name,
Else thou wouldst thrust them from his chaire with shame.
Good reason have they then to nayle and tye
Christ to these Crosses for Eternity.
In this they shew their peerelesse faith, and love,
To bind Christ fast that he should never move
From off these Crosses, to oppose their-will,
They doe so love his precepts to fulfill.
If this be love, I may then truely say,
The Jewes in love did Crucifie and slay
Christ at the first; were Popes but loved so,
They would all Crucifixes damne, forgoe,
[Page 31] And never more the Crosse, nayles, speare adore
For Saints, which kil'd Christ, and his body tore:
But whilst they thus adore these, they imply
That to kill Christ, deserves a Deity:
The Souldiers than and Jewes who Crucifi'd
Him more than these, must now be deifide,
And worshipt with
Aquinas Summae: pars. 3. qu. 25. Art. 3. Azorius In­stit. Moralium. Tom. 1. l. 9. c. 6. Thomas Wal­densis. Tom. 3. Tit. 20. c. 159.
Latrie; like nayles, speare, Crosse,
By which Hell, Devills, shall receive great losse;
Since none to Hell can damned be, if they
Demerrit Heav'n, and Latry, who Christ slay.

On, and against, Popish Pictures of the Vir­gin Mary as a Queene, sitting on a Throne with a Triple Crowne on her head, and holding Christ, painted like a sucking Infant, in her Armes; and on the Reliques of her milke, which they keepe and shew.

FIe, Mary, fie; what give sucke to a Baby?
It is not decent, fit for Queene, nor Lady:
With them it's out of fashion; thou wilt shame
Thy selfe with these, they will thee taxe and blame:
Wer't thou no Lady, Queene, as heretofore,
Thou migh'st doe this; but now not doe it more
Since Queene and Lady too: Thy childe growes great
Or old enough to be wean'd from the Teat.
He hath suckt sixeteene hundred yeares and more,
Thirty mens ages, shall he ne're give o're?
[Page 32] Shall he be still a suckling, or a foole
To sucke so long? tis time he were at Schoole.
Others give sucke but for one yeare, or two;
Thou, sixteene hundred yeares, what doest thou doe
Thus to turmoyle thy selfe? and all in vaine,
He doth a little Infant yet remaine,
Where some not halfe so old as he, have knowne
Ten Generations unto old men growne.
Sure thy milke, I doubt, is very bad,
Thy Babe ere this might else have beene a Lad;
Out of his coates, at least; No age hath knowne
One sucke so long, and yet so little growne.
No doubt, if noted, tis a Miracle
Whose strangenesse doth all Wonders else excell.
But (blessed Virgin) can thy milke be ill,
Sith nought but
Luk. 1. 28.
Goodnesse all thy members fill?
This cannot be the reason, milke is scant
More likely, with thee; and thy Babe doth want
Milke, that hee thrives not; and hee'le sucke no o­ther
Nurse thou wouldst put him to, but thee his Mo­ther.
Yet, since I finde, thou hast much Milke to spare,
As Hogges-heads of its Reliques now declare
See Tho. Beacons Re­liques of Rome, Vol. 3. fol. 181. b. 184. a. 186. a 193. a. Declaration du Pere Basil. p. 85. There is a Chapple na­med S. Laict in Reimes where the Ladies Milke is kept.
Kept fresh and sweete, by sundry Priests and Fryers
(And tis thine own true milke, else they are lyers;)
The want of milke is not the cause why he
Growes not, there must some other reason be:
How these thy milke have got it is not knowne,
Belike they stole it, and thy Babe's not growne,
Because these cheates each day commit High-Trea­son
In stealing of his milke: Loe here's the reason:
No milke they shew, but i'ts fresh, sweete, not sowre;
No doubt they steale thy milke from thee each houre
[Page 33] Else it would wast,
If the conse­crated Bread and wine, which Rome holds, to be the very glori­fied Body and Blood of Christ, will putrifie, mould and corrupt if over-long re­served, as ex­perience wit­nesseth, and all Romish D [...] grant: then much more the Virgins milke: unlesse they make it better than Christs very body and blood.
grow stale, soure, putrifie
As other milke; such Theeves deserve to dye
At least, for stealing thy Babes milke so long,
Else he ere this had growne more great and strong;
Why Rome hath so much Virgins milke to shew,
And Christ is yet a Babe in part you know.
But can such theft be without her consent?
No sure; I feare his Mother is content
To keepe him still an Infant, that she may
The better rule, and make him her obey:
Were he but growne once unto mans estate,
Her Regency would be quite out of date:
Men would no longer to her pray, and say,
Impera Fi­lio tuo Monstra Te esse Ma­trem. Yet re­maining in all their Houres of our Lady and Masse-bookes and sundry Manuals of their Devoti­on, intimating Christ now in state of Glory to be still un­der his Mo­thers Cōmand. See B. Vsh. Ans. to the Iesuits Chal. p. 478. to 496.
Command thy Sonne, make him thee to obey,
Now shew thy selfe a Mother, would no more
Be heard, few would her ayde, or grace implore,
But his alone, whom Papists now passe by
Because a Babe, and worship, honour, Eye
His Mother more than him; when as the Wise
Men from the East, the
Mat. 2 [...]. 2. 9. 11.
Babe did onely prise;
They ran in Pilgrimage to him; they fall
Downe and odore him, not her; present all
Their gifts to him alone, but ne're once bent
Their knees her to salute in Complement,
Much lesse her to adore, for ought we read:
Rome will not here the Wisemens footesteps tread.
Nor suffer Christ to mans estate to grow,
Sith this her Church, Monkes, faith would over­throw.
Romes Ladies Prayers, her Primers, Offices,
Houres, Masse-bookes, Psalters, and such Blasphe­mies,
Must be casheer'd then, and her New faith too;
Most Monkes, Nunnes, Fryers it would quite undo;
To hinder Christ from doing all this ill
He must be kept a little sucking still.
[Page 34] Meane time his mother rules al, weares the Crown,
And he (poove Infant) is depos'd, kept down;
Least this should be forgot, or men it doubt
Rome though it fit to Paint, Print, set it out,
In all her Churches, Psalters, Bookes we find [...]
By Statues, Pictures, all of this to minde;
Where Mary sits as Lady, yea, as
Thus is She pictured not onely among Papist; abroad, but at home to, and such a Statue of her hath beene lately set up over the Porch of S. Maries Church in Ox­ford to the great scandall of Protestants, and obdurati­on of Papists.
Queene
Of Heav'n upon a Royall Throne, betweene
Two Angels, wearing a great Triple Crowne,
Vpon her head, to adde to her renowne;
With Christ a little Babe, held in her Armes
Or Lap, which she so over-rules and charmes
With threates, or flatt'ries, that he there still lyes.
For sundry ages, and yet never cryes,
Though thus abus'd, kept from his Crowne and right
So long; perchance his Mother doth affright
Him with the Rod, and should he but once cry
For justice, she would whip him instantly.
But Mary thou art full of innocence,
Not guilty of these crimes; its Romes offence
Thus to abuse thee, and thy Sonne, and make
Him still a Babe; thou from him thus to take
His rule, Crowne, Kingdome: O Sweete Jesus thou
Art very patient, and to anger slow;
Else thou couldst never suffer Rome so long,
Thee and thy blessed Mother thus to wong
With these Blasphemous Pictures, Images,
False Reliques, Legends, and Idolatries:
No doubt thou wilt avenge these in due time;
Meane while let me her censure, in this Rime.
Its not thy person, nor thy Mothers, I
Here lash, taxe, censure, but Romes Blasphemie;
I onely jeare, discover to her Eyes
Her damned follies, and Idolatries
In these her Pictures, Reliques, that she may
[Page 35] Discerne, renounce, and cast them cleane away.
Lord cleare her eyes by this, that she may see
Her cursed follies, and them henceforth flee.
Beholding thee, not as a small suckling,
But as her onely crowned Lord and King:
Not as thou once waste, but as thou art now;
Then all their knees to thee alone shall bow,
Not unto Mary, who is grieved sore,
To see Rome thee neglect, and her adore.

On, and against Papists painting the Vir­gin 6 Mary, and other Saints in new fa­shions, with frizled, poudred haire, and rich dresses.

VVHat? Lady Mary frizled, spotted, painted?
I feare the blessed Virgin is Un-Sainted;
Or hath quite lost her old Virginity,
She now appeeres so wanton to the Eye;
So rich, and stately, in such Dresses she
Never here used, and abhorr'd to see.
I feare some Ladies who curle, powder, paint,
To warrant these, have made her such a Saint:
Stript her of all her modest, course aray,
Put her in fashion, made her rich, compt, gay,
Curled and spotted; yea, as wanton, vaine
As those lew'd Females who in Stewes remaine.
She was a modest Virgin heretofore,
Now she may be a Lady, or a Whore.
Fie Ladies, fie! you may your selves defame
And Antique thus, but not this blessed Dame,
[Page 36] Who spits at all such Dresses, and defies
Her selfe and you, whiles clad in such disguise.
No wonder if lewd Rome the Whore now play;
Shee makes the Virgin one by such Aray,
To Grace her Trade, and keepe her Company:
How dare Her Nunnes then save their Chastitie?
Alas
Nicolaus de Clemangis, de corrupto Ecclesiae statu c. 15. 23. A­grippa De. Va. Scie [...]t. c. 63.
they doe it not; but seemingly;
They were Romes Bastards else, not Progeny.
I'le never thinke Romes Church chaste any more,
Who paints the blessed Virgin like a Whore;
Nor wonder why the Female Sexe curles, paints,
They learne to doe it from the Roman Saints.
These are now lawfull by Canonisation;
Not ill, but holy by Romes Consecration;
No doubt most Madams will now curle, spot, paint,
Since to doe these things is to be a Saint,
At least in shew; and that may well suffice;
No matter for the Heart, these please the Eyes.
If by nought else, by this at least we know
Romes Saints are voyd of substance, nought but shew;
Nay, Romes great vaunting Church to be a Whore,
Since farre more painted, gaudie than before,
More stor'd with Baudes and Panders to intice
Men to her lusts, and to uphold her vice.
Setting her Saints out to mens publike viewes
In such Attyre as suites best with her stewes.
Joyne but her
Agrip. De Vanitat. Scien. c. 63. Espenceus de Continentia l. 3. c. 4.
publike Stewes to this her Paint;
She's than a true Whore, but a varnisht Saint.

On Saint Dominicks vision of Fryers of his Order hid in heaven under the Vir­gin 7 Maries Peticote; and on the Re­liques of her Garments which Papists keepe and shew in sundry places.

SAint
Sum. part. 3. tit. 23. c. 3. f. 159. 160.
Antonine of Dominicke doth write,
That he to heav'n was rapt up in his sprite,
Where he Monkes of all Orders did espie,
But of his owne, not one could there descry:
Whereat amaz'd, the Lord Christ bids him be
Of good Cheere, for of his owne companie.
There were great troopes in heaven bid, (where I wot?)
Ʋnder the Ʋirgin Maries Peticoate;
Whom he there shew'd him; none being so nigh
Or deare to her as his fraternitie:
This storie's Canoniz'd, we must give faith
To what this Saint saw, and another saith.
Belike this chast pure Virgin, who
Luk. 1. 34.
here fled
Mans carnall knowledge, and the Marriage bed,
Mounted to heaven, and in state of joy
Is growne more wanton, common, not so coy
As here she was; or hath forgot, cast by
Her Virgins state, and Pristine chastity,
Since swarmes of Leacherous Fryers thus reside
Under her coates, too neare her skin, thighes, side.
T'was well this Order had no being when
She was on earth; Sh'ad scarce beene Virgin then.
These Jacobines who now so neere her lye,
I doubt had rob'd her, of her chastity.
But is the Virgin in her Robes there clad?
This news perchance may make some Monks look sad.
[Page 38] The
See Tho Beacons Re­liques of Rome. Hospi­nian De Origi­ne Templo­rum: cap. Re­liquiis.
Relikes of her Garments they shew here
Will prove all false, hath she her Wardrobe there;
Unlesse they say, she left her cloathes behind:
How doe they then her Coates in heav'n thus find?
Perhaps she hath new suites made there, her old
She them be queath'd to be kept, shew'd, bought, sold.
If so, then Taylors shall be sav'd, and skip
To heav'n, to make Coates for her Lady-ship:
Have they no merits, faith, grace, yet their trade
Will save them; else her cloathes could not be made.
And to make robes for Her deserves doubtlesse
A place in heav'n, she cannot give them lesse.
But how came Fryers by those cloathes which she
Here wore on earth? or how can they or we
For certaine know them to be hers? since they
So rich, fresh, gawdy, not like her aray,
(Not heard off in the world nine hundred yeares
Or more from her decease,) may breede just feares
They are
See Cassandri Consultatio, cap. De Venera­tiene Reliquia­rum, p. 973. 974. Where he freely confes­eth, that most of the Reliques Papists now shew, are great and detestable Impostures, & therefore wi­sheth that all shewing of Re­liques should be utterly abo­lished.
not hers? nor can they shew us by
What trusty hands they were kept anciently,
And thence transmitted to them, for to make
Blind sots adore them for the Virgins sake.
Besides, her cloathes were old when first off cast;
Full sixteene hundred yeares since that are past,
They then were rotted, perisht long agone,
And so the fresh, rich Ragges, they shew are none
Of hers, no doubt; unlesse they chance to say
New shreds of Reliques drop from heav'n each day
From her into their Wardrobes; whence their
See Tho Beacons Re­liques of Rome.
store
Of Reliques now is more than heretofore;
Sagreat, that they ten thousand times or more
Ex [...]eede all Garments which on Earth shewore:
Their store of new, sine, gaudy Reliques now
Must needes then fall from heav'n to them below:
[Page 39] She's now a Queene, a Lady, hath each day
Or weeke at least, rich suites of new aray,
Which once put on, the old droppe to them here,
Because none will adore such Reliques there,
As
See Tho. Waldensis, Tom 3. Tit. 23. c. 164. 165. & Tit. 21. c. 161.
some doe here, and trot from place to place
In pilgrimage them to see, kisse, embrace.
Againe, her Robes are now of
Eratque hoc tantae ca­pacitatis & im­mensitatis ve­stimen [...]um, quod totam caelestem patri­am amplexan­do dulciter continebat. Antoninus: Hist. pars. 3. Tit. 23. c. 3. f. 159. b.
larger size,
Sith under them an Host of Fryers lies:
I wondred much how Papists got such store
Of Maryes ragges, but I wonder more,
They have so few, since her Coate is so wide
And long, that it whole tooopes of Monkes can hide.
O Mary! now thou hast a monstrous traine,
Me thinkes its weight, length, breadth, should thee lade, paine,
And sinke to earth, unlesse supported by
Those strong fat Monkes who under it hid lye.

On, and against Papists reserving the Host and carryning it in Procession.8

VVHy doth Rome keepe Christs Body
See Tho. Be­cons. Reliques of Rome. Vol. 3. [...]ol. 328. b.
priso­ner still
Within her pixes, quite against his will?
Nought of the Paschall Lambe (which
Cor. 5. 7. 8.
typified
Christ and his Supper) might
Exod. 12. 10. c. 29. 34.
remaine, abide
Ʋntill the morning, if ought did they then
Must burne it in the fire forthwith: yea when
Christ did his Supper institute, he sayd,
Mat. 26. 26 Mar. 14. 22. Luc. 22. 11. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 24.
Take Eate forthwith, and nothing then up laid,
Reserv'd within a pix: Christs guesse must eate
Not keepe nor Closet up their sacred meate.
[Page 40] The
Exod. 12. 46.
Paschall Lambs flesh none were to carry
Abroade out of the house; to Typifie,
That none must carry Christs body abrode
Out of the Church, the place of its abode.
Yet Rome in her
Concil. Co­loniense sub Adolpho. An. 1549. c. 17. 22. Surius Tom. 4. Concil. p. 853. 854.
Processions carries it
Abroad about the streetes, and deemes it fit.
Christ rode but once, and then upon an
Mat. 20. 5. to 11. Mar. 11. 7. 8. 9. Luk. 19. 35. 36. 37.
Asse;
But now he doth oft in state, triumph passe
On great Mens shoulders in Procession,
As if he could not stand, walke, goe alone:
By which they turne Christs Supper to
Qua: (k) before.
a play;
When they Processions goe, they ever stray.
Besides, Rome doth her Hosts still
See Mis­sale Romanum: & the Cannon of the Masse Acts and Mo­numents. in the old Editi­on: p. 891. to 897. Tho. Bea­cons Reliques of Rome. p. 385. a.
elevate
And them adore; these customes are but late.
Christ, the Apostles, neither us'd nor taught
Them; doubtlesse, than they are not good, but naught.
Rome may ill boast of her Antiquity,
Her pactise in all this is Novelty.
But here
George Dou­ley Priest, his briefe Instru­ction. p. 175.
Rome pleads, that Aaron did reserve
A
Exod. 16. 32. 33. 34.
pot of Manna, and the same preserve.
Within the Arke, by Gods Command: therefore
She may and doth her Hosts reserve in store,
Thus in her pixes: But this will not serve
Her turne, for he the Manna did reserve
By Gods
Exod. 16. 32.
expresse Command: But she hath no
Command from God her Hosts to pix up so,
But onely them
Mat. 26. 26.
to Eate without delay,
As
Exod. 16. 19 20. 22. 23.
Manna eaten was the selfe-same day:
By Gods procept, and might not be kept till
The morrow, as her Sacred Hosts are still.
Besides, this Manna was not kept to eate,
As are her Hosts: nor did they oft repeate,
Renew the same; when Rome her Hosts ea [...]h day
Or weeke doth change; nor did Manna decay,
Or putrifie, as
Summa Angelica: Eu­charistia. 1. Sect. 38. 39. 40.
Romes hosts oft times doe,
[Page 41] Wanting Christs warrant to reserve them so;
Nor was it kept, but for a
Exod. 16. 32. 33. 34.
memory,
To shew unto the Jewes posterity
In future ages, when all Manna ceast,
With what bread God did their fore-fathers feast
In wildernesse, when he from Egypt Land
Them brought, and rescude with a potent hand:
So is the Text expresse: Now Hosts remaine
And shall not cease till Christ shall
1 Cor. 11. 25. 26.
come againe.
You then no ground from Manna have to store,
Reserve your Hosts in Pixes any more,
But rather not to doe it; since none might
Exod. 16. 19. 20.
Reserve their Manna till the next dayes light:
And Manna was a
Joh. 6. 31. to 52.
type of sacred bread,
Of Christ, wherewith our soules are nourished.
Nor is the Arkes removing, any ground
Whereon Rome can her Hosts Processions found,
For that remov'd not but by Gods
Exod. 17. 1 c. 40. 36. 37. 38. Num. 9. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23.
Command
Whilst Israel journeyed towards Cana's land;
Wherein when they were seated, it did
2 Chron. 6. 41. Psal. 132. 5. 8. 2 Sam. 6. 10. 11. 12. 17. 1 Sam. 7. 2.
rest
Still in one place, which by it was much blest.
Nor did the Arke once in Procession ride
About the streetes, as your Hosts doe: beside
When it remov'd none did fall downe before
And worship it, as you your Hosts adore
In your Processions, on set dayes kept still:
Whereas the Arke
Num. 9. 15. to 23.
remov'd still at Gods will:
But you have no command your Hosts to beare
Thus in Procession, and you seated are
In peace within your Countries; therefore you
To these Processions must quite bid adue
Till God command them, and you journey to
The Land of Canaan, as the Jewes did tho.

9 On Popish Tapers.

TApers at noone day burning? why? to light
A blind Religion to which day seemes Night.
Papists thinke all else blinde: How blind are they
Who thus need burning Torches at Noone-day?
But tis to
Fox Acts and Monu­ments. p. 685. in the old Edi­tion, Tho. Wal­densis. Tom. 3. Tit. 24. c. 166.
shew, that Christ is this worlds light:
Doth not the shining Sunne shew this more bright
Than any Tapers? which gives
Gen. 1. 16. Psal. 136. 7. 8. Psal. 19. 1. 2.
Light to all
The world alone, and is the Radicall
Fountaine of all light; whereas Tapers give
Light but to few, who cannot well perceive
Their Light at Noone-day: None then neede such light
But Romish Owles who hate the Sunne, love Night;
And are so senselesse, that they cannot see
Feele, taste, their Sacred Host still Bread to be.
Num igitur mentis suae compos putan­dus est, qui au­ctori & datori luminis can delatum aut cerarum lumen offer [...] pro mu­nere? De vero Cultu. l. 6. c. 2.
Lactamius deem'd this Madnesse heretofore
In Pagans; then in Papists 'tis much more.

On S. Michaels Buckler and Poynard, 10 kept for a Relique in the Chapple of S. Michaels Mount in Normandy.

IN
Tho. Bea­cons Reliques of Rome: Vol. 3. f. 90. a. De­clation du Pere Basil. a S [...]dan. 1637. p. 84.
Michaels Chappell in S. Michaels Mount
Is kept a Relique of no small account,
Arch-Angel Michaels double Buckler, made
Of fine red velvet, which doth never fade;
And his steele Poynard, with which Armes he fought
Against the
Rev. 12. 7. to 14.
Dragon, when he cast him out
[Page 43] Of Heaven, with all his Angels: certainely
These famous Reliques are a forgery,
Since Angels
Psal. 104. 4. Heb. 1. 7.
Spirits) in a Spirituall
Warre, as this was, could use no corporall
Armes, instruments of warre; nor doe I finde
By Scripture, they had weapons of this kinde:
I doubt these Armes were forg'd by Romes Clergie,
Who use such
See Platina, Balaeus, Benno Cardinalis, Crespin and o­thers in the life of Pope Hildebrand, and other his successors.
Armes, and lay devotion by
In all their warres, since Michael as they say
Clad with these Armes, not Prayers got the day
Of the red Dragon, Satan, and his Host;
Who else perchance the day and field had lost.
How Spirits can repel'd, or conquered be
With swords and Bucklers, I cannot yet see.
Those who this Dragon will repulse or slay
Must use no Armes, but onely
Mat. 17. 21. Eph. 6. 11. to 19. 1. Pet. 5. 8. 9. Jam. 4. 7.
fast and pray,
And neede no other Buckler, shield, or sword,
But Prayer, Faith, and Gods most Sacred Word
Saint Michaels Buckler, Poinyard, and such Armes
Cannot defend men from the Devils charmes.

On the Reliques of Iosephs Han, and the 11 Asses tayle.

IN France, at
Declarati­on du Pere Ba­sil. p. 85.
Courchiverni neere to Blois
Within a Bottle they keepe, shew the Noyse,
Or H [...]n which Joseph, (Christs reputed father)
Ʋs'd when he cleft wood, or when squar'd it rather.
A famous Relique: 'twas, a skilfull man
Who could both catch and bottle up his Han
In such good pickle, that it keepes fresh still
For sixeteene hundred yeares and more: what ill
[Page 44] Fortune had Josephs Body to decay,
When as his breath and Han last to this day,
And are preserved with such speciall care,
When as his body, bones, flesh perisht are.
His Han at first was not seene, onely heard;
Now onely seene, not heard; tis false, or mar'd:
The
At Genes: See Tho. Bea­cons Reliques of Rome. Vol. 3. f. 90 a.
Asses tayle whereon Christ rod, which they
Have yet to shew, to this Han joyne they may,
Nay weare the Asses tayle, eares, skin and head,
Since they such Lyes for Truths have credited;
Which Fooles and Children would deride and jeare:
They are more sottish than the Asse, I feare.

12 On the Popish Sacrifice of the Masse.

VVHat, Masse no Sacrifice? this mine heart cooles
Yet courage; tis the
Eccles. 5. 1.
Sacrifice of Fooles.
Why so? they thinke Priests offer Christ againe,
Yet doe not, cannot do't: the
Heb. 9. 12. 25. 26. 27. 28. c. 10. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 17. 18.
Text is plaine.
They say,
See Beller. de Sacrificio Missae. Decla­ration du. Pere Basil c. 1. Tho. Beacons Re­liques of Rome, Vol. 3. f. 366. 367.
it is for use, worth, better, more
Than that which Christ made on the Crosse before.
As if that Pictures were more excellent
Than any Persons which they represent.
It strangles, murders, Christ a fresh each day;
And yet it is unbloody, as they say:
Yea meritorious; then the High-Priests, Jewes
For killing Christ, Heav'n merit, its strange newes.
It doth availe (they hold) both quicke and dead:
True; Priests who live, by it are nourished;
Yea much inricht, and buried sumptuously
[Page 45] When dead; thus quicke and dead Priests gaine thereby;
When as Lay-men by it are oft undone;
The deade mans Masse, quite breakes his living Sonne.

On Romes seven Sacraments.13

TWo Sacraments? No more? too few by five,
Had Popes no more to sell they could not thrive:
See Bella [...]. De Sacramen­tis: Contr. 6. de Numera Sa­cramentorum. And Amesii. Bellarminus Eu [...]ruatus. Tom. 3. c. 6. f. 52. 53.
Seven's a compleate number; they may sell
One Sacrament each day, and so gaine well;
Its fit each day should have its Sacrament
To vent, else Popes would hardly be content,
Now they may Market keepe all weeke, yeare; this
Popes well remembring, thought it not amisse
To adde five Sacraments to Christs owne two,
The sale of which if lost, would them undoe.

On Romes seven deadly Sinnes.14

BUt
Officium beatae Mariae: Ledesma. c. 14. Canisius. sum. Doct. Christia­nae p. 237. 238.
Seven deadly Sinnes Rome? if thou sell
All sinnes but these, thou mayst thrive pretty well:
But thou to raise thy Holy Fathers rents
Mak'st veniall all thy seven Sacraments:
The sale of each which is a mortall sinne:
Thou must thy tale of deadly sinnes begin
To double, since they seven Sacraments
[Page 46] Thus sold, prove deadly sinnes in their events
But are these deadly, sith thou selst them all?
Not so: at Rome all sinnes are Veniall.

On Romes Latine prayers.

15 ROme will have none but
See Missale Romanum, Officium B. Mariae. Fox Acts and Mo­numents. p. 1717. to 1721. in the old Edi­tion.
Latine prayers to God;
Twere just to whip her with the selfe same rod;
Give her but Latin, henceforth, and no Coyne,
She will to Latin any Language joyne:
Nay damne the Tongue, and to gaine Gold good store,
Sweare she will ne're receive the Latine more.

16 On Popish Miracles.

MIracles still? after so many done?
Is such a wonder as the world might stonne.
Doth Romes faith stagger? is she yet in doubt
That she for
Tho. Wal­densis de Sa­cramentalibus. Tom. 3. Tit. 14. c. 124. 125. p. 239. to 233.
Miracles thus still cryes out?
Either the old were false,
Mar. 16. 17 20. Heb. 2. 4. Joh. 4. 48.
the Faith untrue
They did confirme, else ther's no neede of new.
The old Faith's lost in Rome, she hath a new one,
She needes new wonders, it to make a true one:
See Surius, Ribadeneira; Antoninus and others in the lives of the Saints: Maffaeus his History of In­dia, & the Je­suites letters thereto an­nexed from thence.
Such she hath store of too, and yet she cryes
For more: I doubt she knowes they are but lyes,
And false impostures, else she would not call
For fresh, her new false faith to keepe from fall.
Hold then thy peace Rome, else I must thee tell
Thy faith is false, and thou an Infidell;

On Popish whippings and Satisfactions.17

IF whipping might sinnes purge and satisfie;
Each Bridewell should then be a Purgatory;
And Rogues there dayly whipt, should merit more
Than all the members of the Roman whore;
Who now to satisfie and merrit well
Should still be kept, whipt, tortur'd in Bridewell.

On Papists abstaining from flesh on fasting 18 dayes.

PApists in
Surius Concil. Tom. 2. p. 1048. Sum­ma Angelica Tit. Jejunium.
Lent, on fasting dayes will Eate
No roast, boyld, backt flesh: its unlawfull meat,
Yea, mortall sin to taste it, yet they will
On all these dayes of raw flesh take their fill
Rome against drest flesh, on these dayes hath Law;
She might doe well to make some Acts 'gainst raw:
Gainst flesh in Chambers, not in Halls onely;
For her their Fasts, prove Feasts of Venery.
How ever its no
See Summa Angelica Tit. Jejunium. Am­brose se Elia & Jejunio.
Fast no flesh to eate,
And yet to feast on fish or better meate;
As Papists doe, who on their Fast dayes feede
On choycest fish, and in their Cates exceede.
Which doe their flesh more pamper, more inflame
Their lusts, than flesh, which they for this cause blame.

19 On Papists making marriage a Sacrament, and forbidding Priests to marry, yet per­mitting them to keepe Whores.

ROme
Concilium Senonense An. 1528. Decreta fidei. c. 10. 8. Surius Tom. 4. Concil. p. 627. 729.
Marriage makes one of her Sacraments,
Yet that her Priests should marry disassents:
They are too Holy, wives to have; yet they
Keepe
Agrippa de Vanitate Scient. c. 63. E­spenca us de continentia. l. 3 c. 4. Grauami­na Geimaniae.
Whores good store; Rome will not say them nay,
But force them to it by an annuall rent:
She should make whoredome then a Sacrament
Not marriage, since to her Sacred Clergie
She doth the last, not first, as ill, deny:
It is no Sacrament, but thing unclean▪
Which doth
Surius. Concil. Tom. 3. p. 158. Fox Acts and Mo­numents p. 924. Iohn Bales Acts of English Vota­ries. Gratian. Diss. 26, to 46.
unpriest, unhallow Sacred men:
This marriage doth, not whoredome now in Rome,
Nought is her Sacrament then but whoredome.

On Romes extreame unction, and its being 20 a Sacrament.

APostles
Mark. 6. 13. Jam. 5. 14
noynted sicke men to restore
Them to their health againe, onely, wherefore
Doth Rome then noint them soly at the last,
To dye, when all hopes of health, Life are past?
Well may she this her Unction terme, Extreame;
Tis extreame madnesse, folly or a dreame:
She saith a
Concilium Senonc [...]se An. [...]527. c. 10 Su­rius Tom. 4. p. [...] [...]. Summa [...]. Tit. [...] 6.
Sacrament too; this I doubt
Since ne're done in the Church, but alwayes out.
It is a Chamber, not Church Sacrament;
In this it doth from all the rest dissent.

On Papists implicit Faith, and Images.21

PApists have no faith: for they
Rhemists an­not. in Lu. 12. 11.
all beleeve
As doth their Church; they hang all on her sleeve;
Their saith is in their Church, not
As all true faith is in the person belee­ving. 1 Pet. 3. 15. 2 Tim. 1. 5.
them; they then
Are Infidels, at least wise Faithlesse men:
There is no
See D. Rai­nolds Theses; and M. Bur­tons Bable no Bethel.
true faith in their Church now left,
They then of all faith must needs be bereft:
We may then call each Papist Infidell,
Who hath no faith, or what he cannot tell.
No wonder than if Papists so delight
In Images, they onely walke by sight,
Not
2 Cor. 5. 7. c 4. 18.
Faith; and so must have before their eye
The
See Tho. Wal­densis Tom. 3. Tit. 19. c. 155. and Tit. 20. c. 158.
Pictures of Christ and the Deity;
Which cannot stand with Faith, the
Heb. 11. 1. 2 Cor. 5. 7.
evidence
Of things not seene, not subject unto sense.

On Popish blind obedience.22

PApists must
Tollet. de Instruct. Sacer­dotis. l. 4. c. 3. Cusanus. Exist. l: 2. & 6. See Sir Humfry Lynde his By-way-Sect. 22.
ne're once doubt what Priests have told:
Why tell they then Priests money, weigh their gold?
Belike their Doctrine's currant, not their scale:
Their Cayne not Doctrine, needes both Weights and Tale.
If they may erre, cheate, prove false in their coyne;
Why may they not then in faith erre, purloine?
[Which they than money lesse mind, and esteeme;]
Its safe to try their faith by weight and Beame.
The
Act. 17. 11 12.
Noble wise Bereans heretofore
By Scripture try'd Pauls Doctrine, you much more
[Page 50] Then ought to
1 Thes. 5. 20. 1 Joh. 4. 1 Joh. 5. 39. 2 Cor. 13. 5.
prove your Priests by Scriptures test,
Since they are sinnefull, erring men at best.

On Popish Pilgrimages, Offerings, Knee­lings 23 Prayers to the Images of the Vir­gin Mary; and their Worshipping of her and them.

VVHat,
See Tho. Wal­densis: Tom. 3. Tit. 15. c. 134. to 138.
Pilgrimages still? Crosse too and fro?
They erre no doubt, who thus a wandring goe;
Their way, light, guide are lost, yea faith, I doubt;
Perhaps they Straggle thus to finde them out.
The
Mat. 2. 12. 8.
wise Men which came to Jerusalem
Out of the East, when Christ at Bethlehem
Was newly borne, led by a wondrous Starre,
Tooke all this Paines and Pilgrimage so farre
To worship Christ alone; whom when they found,
Saw with his Mother Mary, to the ground
They
Mat. 2. 11.
fall and worship Him, not her; present
Their gifts, Gold, Incense, Myrrhe, with joynt consent
To him alone, though then a Babe; but to
His Mother they no gifts give; nor yet doe
Her any Worship that we reade off: Why
Doe foolish Papists then quite contrary
To these wise men,
Tho. Wal­densis. Tom 3. Tit. 15. c. 134. 135. 136. 137.
trotting in Pilgrimages
From place to place? to sundry Images
(Not Persons) of the Virgin; and before
Them fall downe on their knees and
See Tho. Beacon. Vol. 3. f. 232. 233. and Tho. Waldensis. Tom. 3. Tit. 19. c. 150. 151. 152. 153. 154. to 159. Petr. de Cabrera, in 3. part. Thom. quest. 25. Art. 3. Disp. 2. num. 15. 32. Lynde­wood Constit: prouinc. lib. 5. de Haeret. cap. Nullus.
them adore,
Present with gifts, pray, supplicate for Grace;
Whilst Christ in all this Worship hath no place,
[Page 51] Or very little; no nor yet his Mother,
Whose Images ador'd are, and not her.
But they them for her
Tho. Wal­densis qua. 1. Catechismus. Rom. part. 3. c. 2. Sect. 14.
sake alone adore,
And Honour thus: What then? these heretofore
Did not her Person Worship, when they came
Into her Presence, nor fall to the same,
But Worshipt Christ alone; Why then give you
More to her Picture than was ever due,
Or done unto her Person anciently?
No doubt it is most grosse Idolatry,
Point blanke against Gods Law: which doth defend
Men
Exod. 20. 4. 5. Den. 4. 15. to 21. c. 5. 8. 9. c. 16. 22. Levit. 26. 1 Psal. 97. 7. Exod 23. 24. Josh. 23. 7. Judg. 2. 12. 13. 14. 15. 1 King. 18. 19. 2 King. 17. 35. 36. 37. c. 19. 18. 2 Chr. 25. 24. Isa. 2. 8. 9. 20. c. 30. 22. c. 31. 7. c. 44. 15 17. 18. 19. 20.
to; before an Image once to bend
Bow, fall, or Worship; though the Imagry
Be of no Creature, but the Deity.
If then none must Gods, Christs Statues adore,
Nor make; much lesse may they bow, kneele before
The Virgins; or as Pilgrims to them goe
To offer gifts; the Wisemen did not so;
And those who these Wise Mens steps will not trace,
No doubt are errant Fooles, Sots, Voyd of grace;
We finde a
Mat. 8. 2. c. 9. 18. c. 28. 9. 17. Mar. 1. 40. c. 5. 6. 22. Luk. 5. 12. c. 24. 52. Joh. 9. 38. Mat. 15. 25. c. 20. 20.
Leaper, Jairus, one borne blinde,
A Man possest, two of the female kinde,
Both Maries, the Disciples, worshipping
Christ, and to him falling, kneeling, praying;
But reade not in the whole New Testament
Of any that in Pilgrimage once went
Unto the
Who went in person to vi­site her cosen Elizabeth, Lu. 1. 39. to 45. not Elizabeth to visit her.
Virgins Person, or that pray'd,
Or made suite to her for grace, helpe, or Ayde,
Or once ador'd, or worshipt her: What ground,
What shew have Papists then whereon to found
Their worship of, their Offerings, Pilgrimages
And prayers too, before her Images;
Their Ladies-Masses, Psalters, Houres? truely
None that I know, but their Priests knavery;
Who to enrich themselves make fooles by flockes
To Run, pray, Offer, to their Ladies Stockes:
[Page 52] Substract these offerings, then your Priests will say
You neede not to her Statues runne, kneele, pray,
As now you doe without all warrant, ground;
Take heede lest God your Soules for this con­found.

24 On Romes Worshipping the Crosse, Nayles and what ever touched Christs Body, with Latria or Divine Worship.

ROme holds for truth, that what
Tho. Wal­densis Tom. 3. Tit. 13. c. 120. 121. f. 223. 224
toucht Christs Body
Must be adored with Divine Latry.
Hence, she adores the Crosse, Nayles, Speare with it
And makes them Saints (at least the
Whom they stile S. Longi­nus the souldier that pierced Christs side and S. Eloi, which was but the Nayles. See Surius and Ribadeneira in their lives of the Saints.
Speare) tis fit
They should adde Judas to this Number, who
Hath
Mat. 26. 48. 49. Mar. 14. 43. 44. 45. Luk 22. 47. 48.
kist his Lippes, betray'd and kild him too,
And toucht him oftner, hurt him more than Crosse
Or Nayles; his Saint-ship must not suffer losse;
Rome must adore him too; with all the traine
That
Mat. 26. 67. c. 27. 26. to 37. Joh. 19. 16. 18.
led Christ to the Crosse when he was slaine;
Each thorne that Crown'd him, all his vestments; yea,
The
Mat. 25. 2. to 10. Joh. 12. 14. 15.
Asse he Rode on, Earth he trod on, Sea
He
Mat. 14. 25. Mar. 6. 48.
walkt on,
Mat. 8. 23. 24. c. 13. 2. c. 14. 13.
Shippes wherein he sate, or Sail'd,
All those his very
Mar. 6. 56.
touch to cure prevail'd.
If these be not Enough, Rome, to adore,
I will yet shew thee something else in store,
Thou must adore his very Excrement;
Twas in him, from him, hath a pleasant sent:
All other reliques, hadst thou store of these,
Would lose their Honour, worship, dignities,
[Page 53] There is one yet left, thou dost most adore,
The Devill, will you know the cause wherefore?
He
Mar. 4. 1. to 12. Luk. 41. to 10.
toucht Christs body too oft times, when be
First tempted him, as we in Scripture see,
Proffring him all Earths Kingdomes, Glory, store
If he would fall downe, and but him adore;
Christ then resus'd his bribe, and worship too
His Vicar takes it, will the Homage doe
Not for the bribe; no, he doth
Rev. 9. 20.
him adore
Because he toucht Christs Body heretofore;
And that not with Dulia, but Latrie;
Yet Rome is guiltlesse of Idolatrie.

On Romes Prayers to dead Saints, and 25 for the dead.

ALL Men beleeve
Psal. 65. 2.
God heares them when they Cry:
Where Saints doe so,
Peter Lom­bard sentent. l. 4. art. 25. see Scotus and o­thers on that place: and Gabr. Biel. in Can. Missae c. 31.
most doubt; some quite deny.
Its madnesse then to leave a certaine way
And chuse a doubtfull, when we goe to pray:
Saints cannot [...]eare,
Biel Ibi­dem Scotus. in 4. Sent. Dist. 45. qu. 4.
unlesse God first reveale:
Why doe they then from him to them appeale?
This done; they must rebound prayers back againe,
Why doe they trouble God and Saints in vaine?
In fine; not they, but God alone must grant:
Why run they then to Saints for what they want?
Fly then to God alone who heares, grants all:
Its
See Eccles. 9. 5. 6. Joh. 14. 20. 21. Isa. 8. 19. c. 38. 10. 11. c. 63. 16. Heb. 7. 23. 24. 25.
bootelesse, senselesse, on dead Saints to call.
Rome Prayes to, and for dead men; well she may;
Her prayers dead are, fit for none else but they.
Th'one heares them not; th'other no good thereby
[Page 54] Reape; they that make them lesse; such Prayers then fly.
Prayers to, and for dead men, well agree;
They both dead, faithlesse, bootelesse, sinfull be.

26 On Romes Divine adoration of her pain­ted Crosses.

ROme thy Crosse-worship now is at a losse,
Not one of all thy Reliques of Christs Crosse,
Or peeces of his vestments did once
See (x) be­fore. See T. Beacons Re­liques of Rome.
touch
His body; for his Garments were no such.
But grant these did, yet sure not one of thy
Carv'd, painted Crosses had this dignity,
Unlesse thou say his Bodie's Nail'd to all
Those Crosses before which thou now dost fall:
Thou must then make as many Christs or more,
As thou hast Crosses, or not one adore.

27 On the Papists supposed Looking-glasse of the Trinity, for their Saints to see Prayers in.

STrange newes! Romes God is now a
See Scotus, Durandus, and others School­men in. 4. Sent. dist. 25.
Loo­king-glasse
(A brittle God) to which her Prayers passe
That Saints may there behold them; She doth feare
Her Saints are deafe, and cannot prayers heare;
[Page 55] Nor see at all unlesse God turne a glasse,
God is no God; Saints deafe, or Rome an Asse:
Glasses Dense bodies are, not spirits, Frayle;
God is no God, but Glasse, if Rome prevaile.
She hath no Glasse, if God; if Glasse, no God:
Thy Glasse I doubt is now become thy rod.
No Glasse, no prayer to Saints, their sight is gone;
A Glasse, no God, but thy deafe Saints alone.
Prayers, were onely
1 King. 8. 30. 34. 36. 39. 43. 45. Psal. 4. 1. 3. Psa 17. 1. 6. Ps. 20. 1. 6. 7. Dan 9. 27. 18.
heard, not seene of old,
Now seene, not heard by Saints, as we are told,
Saints can doe more than God;
Psal. 65. 2. Psal. 84. 8. Joh. 11. 42.
he doth but heare,
They see Romes Prayers, they sure have lost their eare,
Or else their Eares are all turn'd into Eye,
That they no Prayers now heare, but all espie.
Nothing is seene but what is coloured,
Corporall, painted, guilt or varnished:
Romes Orisons are such of late, therefore
Her Saints must onely see, not heare them more:
But if they barely see them, and not beare,
They will not grant, nor answere them I feare;
Sith God, men never answere nor reply
But when they heare, as well as see Men cry;
Yet say they did, I doubt Romes painted prayre
Which must be seene, will vanish in the Ayre,
Before it can ascended above the skie
Into this new Glasse of the Trinity:
See then they frenzie, pray no more to Saints,
They cannot heare, grant, nor yet see thy Plaints:
Sounds are the proper Objects of the eare,
You cannot see, smell, taste, feele them, but heare
Them onely; you may colours heare, as well
As see mens prayers; it is impossible
As all men know well by experience
For eyes to see the Objects of eares sense.
Romes Looking-Glasse then is a meere fancie,
And Saints sight of prayers in it, a grosse Lye.

28 On Prayers in an unknowne Tongue.

PRay in
See 1 Cor. 14.
a tongue unknowne, to God? to Saints?
Neither, I doubt, will heare or know your plaints.
Its fit that those who know not what they pray'd,
Should not be understood, or else gaine-sayd.

29 On Romes Idoll and Idle Worship.

ROme thou hast in thee Idoll and Latrie,
Conjoyne them, then, thou hast Idolatrie:
Deny me Idols; Idle, and Latrie
Thou must yeeld; joyne them, here's Idel-Latrie:
Idoll, or Idle Worship, chuse thee whether,
If neither like thee, take them both together.

30 On Transubstantiation.

PArdon great Rome, I hope it is no Treason,
To call thy Transpanation voyd of Reason:
Its Non-sense to the Eye, Hand, mouth which finde
The substance of the Bread still left behinde:
It is Non-reason, yea,
1 Joh. 1. 2. 3. Joh. 20. 19. to 30. Luk. 21. 35 to 45. c. 1. 2. 1 Cor. 15. 1. to 10.
Non-scripture then,
Because Non-sense to all the Sense in Men;
Sith nought is Reason, but what first is sense,
Its voyd of Reason than, because Non-sense.
[Page 57] If ought be lost in Transubstantiation,
It is Romes Senses onely; and her Reason:
She cannot finde what all else feele, taste, see,
And findes that there which is not cannot be.
If Sense may erre, then (sweet Rome) tell me why
Thy Vicars, Priests, all else by sense doe [...]y?
They know the Bread, Wine, which before them are
Then to be hallowed, such, and so declare
For
Summa An­gelica. Tit. Eu­charistia. 1.
certaine by their sense; yet presently
When sacred, 'gainst sense they it bread deny.
If sense were certaine, at the first, to know
Them Bread and Wine; how doth it senselesse grow
Within a Moment? sure thy sense is fled,
Else thou must judge them stil but Wine and Bread:
Thy meate thou tryest by sense; thy silver, gold
By sense are alwayes felt, weigh'd, try'd and told.
Thou ever sel'st, but never takes backe Lead
For Gold: thy Sense here erres not, nor is dead.
If then Rome tries all else so sure by sense,
She must, her Host judge nought but bread from hence,
Since Christ himselfe hath made the
Joh. 20. 18. 20. 25. to 30. c. 1. 14. 15. 31. 32. 33. c. 19. 35. Luc. 1. 1. 24. 35. to 45. Act. 1. 3. 4. 10. 11. c. 10. 40. 41. 1 Cor. 15. 1. to 9. 2 Pet. 1. 16. 17. 18. 1 Joh. 1. 1. 2.
sense onely
The Proper judge of his humanity,
Birth, Miracles, Death, Resurrection,
The truth whereof are prov'd by sense alone.

On Popish Transubstantiation and Anni­hilation.31

THis
Mat. 26. 26.
is my Body, words of
So the Pa­pists generally now hold.
Consecration;
How can they change, or worke Annihila­tion?
[Page 58] It is a
Isa. 65. 8. Deut. 28. 2. Heb. 6. 8. Mal. 2. 1. 2. 2 Kings 22. 19. c. 2. 24. 25.
Curse, not Blessing, to destroy
That Bread which Christ would have us to enjoy;
Which if quite vanisht in the Consecration,
These words must cause, or need breads Re-creation.
Or else be Idle: for if bread begone
Nought can be sacred, but the words alone.
Rome saith, the
See Sum­ma Angelica. Tit. Euchari­stia. And Bel­larmin de Eu­charistia.
species are: I doubt the shade
Cannot be hallowed, if the Substances fade;
Else by this Doctrine, a meere Hypocrite
For shew were sacred though his heart's not right;
And Priests who lose their substance by Sacration,
Must by their shadowes worke out their Salvation.
Yea, all Romes
See Pontifi­cale & Cere­moniale Ro­manum: & Tho. Beacons Vol. 3. f. 201. to 236.
Churches, Bells, Saints, shades must be
When hallowed they from substance were made free.
If Consecration make the Substance fade,
Romes, Popes, Priests, Churches, Altars, Saints are shade,
For they are Hallowed too, as well as Bread,
Their substance then as well as its is fled.
O Rome, recant this errour, thou hast made;
Else all thou hast is nothing but a shade.
In all Romes Hallowings of Priests, Churches, dayes,
And other things their substances alwayes
Remaine without change or destruction:
Why then must Breads, Wines substances alone
In hallowing be destroy'd or changed? ye
Can give no Reason why. In fine, tell me,
What Priests doe Hallow? if you say Wine, Bread:
They then remaine such, though thus hallowed:
If you say ought else, tis an Error, Lye,
Since you Confesse, you
Gratian de Consecrat. Dist. 2 Summa An­gelica Tit. Eu­charistia.
Hallow them onely;
Now what you Hallow, that you take, eat, drink,
Its Bread, Wine, then; not true Christ, as you think

On Transubstantiation and the Popes Vi­carship.32

IS not the Pope Christs Vicar here? Yes: why?
Christs
See Bellar­min de Roma­no Pontifice; and all others, who make this the sole Reason and ground of the Papacy, & yet confesse a reall and Cor­poral presence of Christ in the Sacrament.
absence upon earth still to supply:
Is not Christ present in the Sacrament,
In reall manner? we have Romes consent.
Thy Pope his Vicar then cannot here be,
Sith Christ's here present by Romes owne decree.
Not in one Place or Country, as of old;
But in so many as cannot be told.
If his meere presence in one place; whilst here,
Banisht all Vicars; thou hast cause to feare
His omni-presence in each Church, Pix, Host,
Will quite exclud Popes from the wide earths Cost,
To be his Vicar no where but in Hell;
Sith he in Heav'n and Earth doth alwayes d well.
Pope Chuse thy fate, to be his Vicar there,
Or else deny his Reall presence here;
Else canst thou be no Vicar Generall
On earth for him, no Vicar, Pope at all.
But if to save thy place, thou wilt deale faire,
Confesse thou erdst; then
See Sir Humfry Lyn­des, By-way. Sect. 18. 21. 22.
Popes may erre in chaire:
And if in this, why not in more? in all?
Turne where thou wilt, Pope; here thou hast a fall.

On the Reall Presence, Pix and Crucifixe.33

IS Reall Presence true? Christ in the Pix?
What neede his Pictures than, or Crucifix?
Pictures are uselesse when the person's by,
[Page 60] Either your Pictures or your Pixes lye:
Both cannot stand together, one must part:
You Lye but are unskilfull in the Art.
Lyes must keepe quarter; if they chance to Jarre,
Or meete too neere, they will the tale quite marre.
Ye must disclaime Christs presence in the Pix,
Or else breake downe your lying Crucifix.
You were unwise to place these two so nigh,
That now they fight, and give each o're the Lye.

34 On Transubstantiation and Popes Leaders Bulls.

THose who can each day change Lead into Gold,
Bread to Christs Body chang'd, may safely hold.
The first, wants Scripture, but hath reason store;
The last, a
Mat. 26. 26.
shew of Scripture and no more.
Gaine proves the first, I thinke the latter too,
Should both prove fals, it would Popes quite undo.
Meane while they take the last by Scriptures shew;
The first by sense, not text they will still know.

35 On Popish Priests taking away the Cup from the People.

I Wonder not that
See D. Feat­lies Grand Sa­criledge of the Church of Rome.
Priests alone ingrosse
The Sacred Cup; they love the Pot to tosse.
Should Lay-men drinke, Vines would not them suffice
[Page 61] With Wine, at least, the price thereof would rise.
By this device they have ingrossed all
The Wine to them, and made the price to fall.
Men wondred much before, why Priests were drown'd
So oft in drinke; the reason now is found.

On Popish Concomitancy and the Sacred 36 Cup.

Bellarmin, Vasquez, Gret­ser, and others. Consil. Con­stant. Sess. 13. Surin [...] Tom. 3. p. 821.
PRiests say, that Laickes Christs Cup and Blood drinke
In eating of dry Bread, and so they thinke.
Could they perswade them thus to drink at Table,
Drunkennesse then would soone become a Fable
With them; and None but Joviall Priests be found
In wine or other liquors henceforth drown'd:
And so they onely of right should possesse,
Both Pot, Cup, Barrell, Wine, and drunkennesse.
But since they cannot make Fooles, Children think
(Much lesse men, drunkards) that they wine, beare drink
In eating of bread, or meate at their Table,
They should disclaime this whimsie, as a Fable.

On Popish Concomitancy and halfe Com­munion.37

THe
Bellarmin, Cotton, Douly, and others.
Priests say Laymen When they the bread eate,
Doe therein drinke Christs Blood; Bread's drinke and Meate.
[Page 62] If Laickes, then Priest likewise: pray then, why
Doe Priests not to themselves the Cup deny?
Belike they neede the Wine their Hearts to cheare,
And wash their throats to chaunt their Massemore cleare:
If so; they say, that they in
Firmissime credendum est, & nullatesand nus du bitandum, integrum Christi Corpus & Sanguinem, tam sub specie panis, quam sub specie Vi­ni, veraciter contineri. Con­cil. Constant Sess. 13. [...]. Tom. 3. p. 821.
drinking take
And eate Christs body; let them then part stake.
Priests drinke the Wine, Laickes eate all the bread,
Else Priests will twice, Laickes but once be fed.

On Praying to, and representing of God 38 and Saints by Pictures.

VVHat? goe by Pictures both to God and Saint?
You deeme both shaddowes then, or else but Paint.
If God or Saints be like to what you see,
They then no substance but meere shaddowes be.
And dare Rome Shaddowes for her Gods adore?
She's then more sot than Pagans heretofore.
Are they not like, nor what their picture [...]re,
Then are thy Pictures
Jer. 10 8. 9. Isa. 41. 29. Hab 2. 18. Zec. 10. 2.
Lyes, (Rome) and Popes erre
More than the Painte [...] for he onely Paints
These lyes and errours, but they make them Saints,
By consecrating them for sacred use;
For shame now see, detest this great abuse.

39 On Worshipping Images.

VVHat? must we have no Images nor Stockes
To Worship?
Concil. Tri­dent. Sess. 25. Surius. Tom. 4. p. 983.
Yes, you are not men, but blockes;
[Page 63] The
Psal. 115. 4. to 9. Psal. 135. 15. to 19.
Idols, Makers, Worshippers are one;
All, at the best but Mettle, Blockes or stone:
Your whole Religion's blockish, or a Play;
You just like it; your Puppits this display.

On Popish Confessers and Pardons.40

IF Men
1 Joh. 1. 9. Psal. 32. 5. Pro. 28. 13.
Confesse to God, absolv'd they are;
What neede they then their sinnes to Priests de­clare?
If to their Priests, not God, they may them Paine,
But not absolve: Confession then is Vaine.
If Men repent, God
Mich. 7. 28. 19. Psal. 32. 1. 2. Act. 3. 19. Ps. 103. 8. to 14
Pardons instantly
Without a fee; why will they Pardons buy?
If they
Luc. 13. 3. 5. Jer. 15. 1. 2. Ezech. 14. 13. 14. Numb. 23. 8. 20. 26.
repent not, Popes cannot forgive;
Their Pardon's voyde; why will they Money give?

On Popish Altars and Masse Priests.41

NO Altars now? Priests then are quite undone
There were no Masse-Priests till Altars begun;
Take them away, Masse, Massing-Priests must cease,
And Christs rent Church shall live in greater peace:
No sweeter Sacrifice can men devise,
Than Priests and Altars both to Sacrifice.
42

On Popish Purgatory, and its fire.

ALL Papists hold a fiery
Concil. Tri­dent. Sess. 25. Decretum de Purgatorio: Conc. Tom. 4. p. 982. 983. & Bellarmin de Purgatorio.
Purgatory;
The Wise, to gaine; the Fooles to spend their Money:
[Page 64] The first, to fill; the last, to Purge the Purse:
The ones great blessing; but the others Curse.
If it hath any fire, tis fed with Gold;
Substract but it, this fire will soone grow cold.

43 On Popish Judulgencies.

VVHat neede men pray to God, Angels or Saints
If Popes can pardon sinners, grant their Plaints?
See Bellar­min de Indul­gentiis Summa Angelica, Tit. Indulgent [...]a.
They that can loose from Hell, and Men Heav'n grant,
No doubt will give, if askt, all things they want.
Give did I say, if askt? No, they sell all,
Else none to God, Angells, or Saints would call
To give what Popes can grant; their sales to high,
Force most from them, to these to runne and cry.
If Popes would give, as free as sell; they might
In grosse all suites from these, be God's out right.

44 On Popish Merits and Prayers to Saints.

PApists have
See Bellar­min. De Indul­gentiis.
Merits store, themselves to save
And others too; yet not enough to crave
Pardon, or Almes from God, unlesse some
See, Offici­um B. Mariae the severall Collects there­in for Saints dayes, and Bel­larmin De cul­tu Sanctorum.
Saints
(Not Christ) put up their undeserving plaints:
They who can finde no Merit once to cry
For Almes, or Pardon; sure have none to buy
Heav'n for themselves, or others: they must now
Their Prayers to Saints, or Merits disavow.

On Papists praying to Christ to save them 45 by Thomas Beckets blood, an Arch-Traytor and Rebell.

PApists to Christ
Tu per Tho­ma sanguinem quem pro te impendit, fac nos Christe scandere quo Thomas ascen­dit. In Officio heata Mariae secundum V­sum Sarum. Used Anciently in most Chur­ches as their Common Masse Booke.
himselfe pray, them to save
By Beckets blood shed for him; an Arch-knave,
And ingrate
See Anti­quitates Eccle­siae Brit. and Godiwin in his life.
Traytor to his Soveraigne:
Yet his blood's saving, Christs, but shed in Vaine;
Else they would pray to Christ to save them by
His owne, not Beckets blood, yet tis onely
To make them to ascend where Thomas went:
If to the Gallowes, be their sole intent
Which he deserv'd, and some of them, its well;
Else they shall doubtlesse but ascend to hell
As Becket did; a place almost too good
For those who will be saved by his blood.
Its signe Rome Traytors loves, else would not she
By theirs, not Christ's blood, pray thus sav'd to be.

On Romes Freewill.46

ROme saith,
See Bellar­min: deliber. Arbitrio.
she hath Free-will to Good, as well
As unto Ill: why doth she then excell
In nought but Ill, and no good thing pursue?
Her Practice proves this her Doctrine untrue.
Either doe good, Rome, if thou hast Free-will;
Else confesse thou art Free to nought but Ill.

On Popish Priests shaven beards, and 47 Shorne Nunnes.

ROmes Priests their
See Iohn Valerian de sa­cerdotum Bar­bis. Polydor. Virgil. De In­venr. rerum, l. 4. c. 8. Gratian. Distinct. 33.
Beards shave, least Christs blood should stay
[Page 66] Thereon: twere better quite to take away
The cup from them, which they from Laymen, take
For feare their Beards should of Christs blood partake.
Let them his blood drinke onely in the bread,
No drop thereof can on their beards be shed.
They
Durandus, Rationale Di­vinorum. l. 2. c. 1.
shave their Crownes like
Baruch 6. 31. forbidden to Gods Priests Lev. 21. 5: and 19. 27. Ezek. 44. 20.
Pagan Priests of old,
That so their heads may some proportion hold
With spheares above, and earth below, both round
Bald, hairelesse, yet is neither shaven Crown'd:
When Spheares and Earth shave their Crounes, then Priests may
Shave theirs; till then, let them their shaving stay.
Rome
Baronius & Spondanus An 57. Sect. 27. Paulus Win­deck, de Theo­log. Juriscons. Locus. 38. p. 107. 108. 109. Summa Angeli­ca. Tit. Faemi­na.
shaves her Nunnes Crounes, heads too, though S. Paul
A shaven Crowne, a womans
1 Cor. 11. 5. 6. 14. 15. Isa. 3. 24. 1 Cor. 11. 14. 15. Ezech. 16. 7. Rev. 9. 8. Luc. 7. 28. 44.
shame doth call,
Whose long Haire is her * Glory, Covering,
By Gods and Natures dictate; yea a thing
Which for them thus to shave and sheare away
Is shamefull, sinfull, both to disobey.
Whence some who us'd it, dam'd, accursed were
By two old
Concil. Gangrens. Can. 13. 17. Surius. Tom. 1. p. 373. Sosemeni Hist. l. 3. c. 13. Nice­tas. Thesaur: Orthodox. l. 5. c. 14. Bib. Pa [...]. Tom. 12. par [...] 1. p. 587. b. Summa Ange­lica & Resela. Tit. Faemina.
Councils, others to deterre.
This shaving of their Nunnes did thus begin;
Some Germans Wives Convicted of the Sinne
Of Whoredome and adultery, were by
The Ancient custome of old
Tacitus de Motibus Germanorum. c. 6. Justinian God. l. 9. Tit. 9. Le [...]. 30. Ambros. ad Vitginem lapsam. c. 8. Zonaras Annal. Tom. 3. f. 141. 155. 165. Ni­ceph. Eccl. Hist. l. 17. c. 5. Surius. Concil. Tom. 3. p. 40.
Germany
Shav'd by their Husbands, to their Infamy,
And then shut Prisoners in a Nunnery;
Some Empresses, and Ladies of great Name
Thus us'd, for to abate and cloake this shame
Of shaving, turning Nunnes and Abbesses,
Brought in Nunnes shaving with them by degrees.
[Page 67] So long till none at last Nunnes made be might
Till they were
See Cornelius a Lapide in 1 Cor. 11, v. 5. 6.
shaven first in open sight.
No wonder then if Nunnes prove
See Onus Ecclesiae, c. 22. Sect. 12. Ni­cholaus De Cle­mangis de Cor­rupto Eccl. statu. c. 23. A­grippa de Va­nitate Scient. c. 63.
whores, they beare
This badge of whores, and by it hallowed are.
Did they respect their fame or chastity,
Shorne Crounes, the badge of Whores, they would defie,
And rather follow Gods, Pauls, Natures Lores
Than this invention of Notorious Whores:
The Patterne doth the Practise so disgrace,
That honesty forbids it to take place
In any Females, in Nunnes specially,
Who vow, professe nought else but Chastity.

On Popes Bulls and doubting of Sal­vation.48

POpes Heav'n to Men by such firme
See Offici­um B. Mariae secundum u­sum Sarum. Tho. Beacon. Vol 3. f. 200. 201.
Bulls intaile,
That none must doubt but that they will availe,
And yet they deeme Salvations Certaintie
A
Concil. Tri­dent: Sess. 6. c. 9. 12. 13. 14. 15. Surius. Tom. 4. p. 911. 912. 914.
grand presumption, if not Heresie.
See how they damne themselves; if to beleeve
Be such a Crime, what is it then to give
Assurance of Salvation? Give? I Lye,
Alas they sell it, and this
See Sum­ma Angelica; Tit. Simonia.
Symony
Makes voyd their Sales; they then to doubt have cause,
Since these Sales voyd are by all kinde of Lawes;
Rome now must hold, and give Heavens certainety
Hence forth; else none but fooles her Bulls will buy.

49 On Popish Saints and Patrons for particu­lar Countries, Professions, Diseases, and kindes of Cattle, and their Ma­ladies.

PApists have severall Saints for each
S. George for England, S. Denis for France, S. Pa­tricke for Ire­land. S Andrew for Scotland, S. Iago for Spaine, S. Gre­gory for stu­dents, S. Luke for Painters, Cosmus and Damian for Philosophers, S. Katherine for Spinners, S. Crispin for Shoomakers, S. Sebastian for the Plague, S. Valentine for the falling sicknesse, Pe tronella for A­gues, S. Apollo­nia for the rooth-ach, S. Anthony for Pigges, Saint Gallowes for Geese, S. Wencelaus for Sheep, S. Pelagius for Oxen, &c. See Surius R [...]badeneira and others in the lives of the Saints.
Country,
Profession, sickenesse, and Infirmity
In Man or Beasts; to whom for helpe they call,
God is no God, but these who gard, helpe all;
To whose bands, guidance, care, and Custody,
They still commit their whole Soule, Sprite, Body,
Wits, Senses, Members, Thoughts, Words, Actions, Ways
For Ever; so Romes Church in
Officium bearae Mariae with other Houres and Manuals and M [...]alls.
Masse-bookes prayes.
If they say, these are but Gods Substitutes;
They must them Prove, that God these Saints de­putes
To these distinct Climes, trades, beasts, maladies
Which they assigne them: this their great Rabbies,
Popes, Doctors, Monkes, and Jesuites cannot doe;
These Patrons then are false; they fooles, sots, to
Rely upon, pray to them; God alone
Make then your Patron, since these Saints are none.
Rome hath
See Tho. Beacons Relique [...] of Rom.
false Reliques store, but this surely
Is a true Relique of Idolatry,
And sottish Pagans, who had
1 King 20. 23. 2 [...]. 2 King 1 [...]. 29. 30. 3 [...] c. 18. 33. 34. 35.
Gods for all
Climes, Trades, Diseases which Men, beasts, befall.
Rome Playes the
See Ornerod his Pagano-papismus: and Francis de Croy his threefold Conformity.
Pagan in most things, but here
That she turnes Pagan, is to all most cleare.

On Workes of Supererogation.

SOme Popish Monks,
Summa Angelica Tit. Indulgentia Sect. 9.
Priests doe more than they neede,
And thinke this is a Meritorious deede:
True, they doe all besides, against Gods will,
Not it; I feare the Merit then is Ill.
Heav'n, say they; Hell, I; else there's no hell
If men may merit Heav'n by not doing well.

On Papists good Workes to Merit Salva­tion.

PApists dreame to be sav'd by
See Bellar­min De Justifi­catione; and Concil. Tri­dent. Sess. 6 c. De Justificati­one.
workes alone:
They must doe so, for true faith they have none.
But since their good workes from no good saith flow
No doubt at last they will no good workes grow.

On Popish Merits.52

GOd, mens good workes of
Psal. 62. 12. Neh. 13. 22. 2 Tim. 1. 15. 18. Tit. 3. 5. Jude 21. Rom. 11. 35. 36. Psal. 66. 12. Rev. 20. 13.
Mercy, not of debt
Or right rewards: This Papists quite forget
2 Cor. 5. 20.
According to, not for their workes; of Grace
And promise onely; debt hath here no place.
Hence Saints in Scripture, still for
Neh. 13. 22. Exod. 33. 19. c. 34. 7. 2 Chron 1. 8. Ps. 18. 50. Ps. 23. 6. Ps. 32. 10. 10 Ps. 33. 18. 22. Ps. 33. 18. 22. Ps. 52. 8. Ps 57. 3. 1 [...]. Ps. 61. 7.
mercy call
Not wages, Merits they knew not at all.
If Rome hath Merits, workes,
Ps. 66. 20. Psal. 85. 7. 10. Ps. 89 2 14. Psa. 98. 3. Psal. 102. 13. Psal. 103. 8. 11. 17. Psa 130. 3. 4. 7. Psal. 31. 16. Isa. 54. 7. 8. 10. Lam. 3. 22. 23. 32. Dan. 9 18. 19. Rom 9. 15. 16. 23. c. 11. 30. 31. 32. Luc. 1. 50. 54. 72. 78. Ga. 6. 16
and trust thereto,
I doubt at last they will her quite undoe.
Rome by her faith will not be justified:
Good reason, its not true, but false if try'd;
[Page 70] Her workes, or nought, must then her justifie;
But these prove ill, not good, if God them try:
Since then her Faith, workes, both prove Ill, when tride,
Rome must be damn'd by them, not justifi'd.

53 On Auricular Confession.

IF men confesse to God, will that suffice?
No: tell me why? Priests should not then be wise:
Lay-men should then have Secrets, and lose paines
Impos'd for sinnes confest, Priests cheifest gaines.
Priests now know all mens secrets, none Preists know;
And by injoyned Penance, wealthy grow.
Confesse and so be hang'd sayd once of old;
By Confesse and Absolv'd, seemes now control'd.
Not so, both stand well, sith Priests absolution,
Makes men neglect Gods, to their just confusion.
At leastwise hangs them in Priests halters, paines;
Who torture, racke them, to improve their gaines.
When Priests their owne faults
See Jam. 5. 16.
first confesse, and mend,
They to confession may all others send.

54 On Romes Prayers to Saints.

VVHy hath Rome
See Offici­um B. Mariae, and the Popish Letanies of the Saints.
store of Saints her pray­ers to heare?
Is God deafe to them? or else doth she feare,
So faithlesse, heartlesse, dead, ill, are here plaints,
They are not fit for God, but for her Saints?
Or doth she try her patience thus to pray
To Saints that cannot heare or else delay
[Page 71] To heare or grant! hence oft her cause is mar'd
Before her pray'rs by her dead Saints are heard;
And we who goe to God immediately,
Are heard and answer'd ere Saints heare her cry.

On Popish Monkes, Players, Prayers, and 55 Merits.

OUr Church hath some who worke not, but still play:
Romes more, who worke not, but yet always pray:
Prayer's no worke with Rome to merit by
Ʋnlesse with
Witnesse the Prayers and Masses of Priests and Monkes to free Soules out of Purgatory, which are day­ly bought and sold.
gold you will her prayers still buy:
Her Prayers therefore are Players, and doe play
Not worke, but when men wage them for to pray.
How can they merit then by workes, who play
Still, and no worke doe for which God can pay?
Men over-pay them for their prayers still here,
God than cannot owe, pay them any arreare:
They should be double payd if God and men
Should both reward them; wher's their merit then?

On Romes taking away the Scripture,56 Cup, and Second Commandement from the People.

LAickes reade Scripture? fie, it is not fit;
Rich Rome might soone lose all her wealth by it:
Her Popes & Canons then must both dismount;
Her Faith, Workes, Pardons, be of no account,
[Page 72] Her Monks, Nunnes, Fryers, Abbots, Prelates then
Would soone be banisht and cast out by men.
Better the people lose their soule, heaven, all,
Than Romes Popes, Prelates, Monkes, catch such a fall.
Christ
Joh. 5. 39. Act. 17. 11. Ps. 1. 2. 2 Tim. 3. 15. 16. 17. Col. 3. 16. 2 Pet. 1. 19. 20 Deut. 6. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. c. 11 18. 19. 20. 21. c. 17 18. 19. 20.
oft commands all, Scripture day and night
To search, reade, meditate, that so they might
Obtaine Eternall Life: The
See Index Librorum Pro­hibitorum and the Rhemists on 1 Cor 14.
Pope saith nay,
And from Lay-men the Scripture takes away:
He is not here true vicar unto Christ,
But Anti-christian, and true Antichrist.
The
See al their M [...]all [...] ▪ Cate­chismes, Hours and Manuals wherein it is omitted & con­cil. Constant. S [...]s. 13. Surius Tom. 3. p. [...]21.
Second Commandement, Cup, and Scripture
Popes steale from people too: Theeves are they sure
Of highest ranke: in that they stollen have
What Father, Some, and holy Ghost men gave;
For robbing Men and the whole Trinity:
They then deserve Lawes, deaths eternity
I wonder Papists dare their soules once trust
With these Arch-theeves, to God, men so unjust:
They will not trust theeves with their coine, I feare
Their Soules than Money are to them lesse deare.

57 On the Romish Masse.

MAsse is a wonder; its a
See Bellar­min de Sacrifi­cio Missae. [...] Yea S. Ma­clou a Popish Same raised a beast from death whom the Servant of a covetous Ma­ster had slaine, at the Servants request. Riba­deneira, fleurs des vies des Saincts part 2 p 413.
Sacrifice
For quicke and dead; and for all maladies
In Man or Beast, a rare receit and cure;
A sicke Man, Beast, Asse, Oxe, Cow, Hog, is sure
To be releast from any Malady,
If you a Masse for them, of Priests will buy:
Physitians, Farriers will be now undone,
All sickemen, beasts to Priests for cure will run,
They neede no other Physicke but a Masse,
Which you may
Pier de Moulin Bou­clier de Foy, a Geneve 1635. p. 612.
buy for Oxe, Cow, Horse, Hog, Asse,
Or any Creature else, all which must pay
Priests well, for Gratis they will no Masse say.

On the Popes two Swords.58

POpes have
See Abbas Vspergensis p. 3. 3. 344. and Platina & Ba­laeus in Boniface the 8. his life.
two swords, to smite, one hooke to keepe,
No wonder they more slay than feede Christs sheepe.

On the Popes two Keyes.59

POpes,
See Bel­larmin de Ro­mano Ponti­fice.
hold, they keepe the Keyes of Heav'n and Hell;
Some doe oppose: I like it very well,
Sith they locke Heavens straite gate fast up to all
Their flocke, but ope Hells wide, wherein they fall.

On kissing the Popes feete.60

OTher folkes Lips are kist, onely
Jean Cre­spin, L'estat de [...]eglise, p. 80.
Popes feete:
Their breath is Poyson, but their Shooe is sweete;
Psa. 140. 3. Rom 3. 1 [...].
Ʋnder their lips doth Addars poyson lye,
They therefore will have none their lippes come nigh.

On the Pope being Peters Successour.

SOme say
See Plati­na & Onuphrius de vitis Ponti­ficum: & Bel­larmin de Ro­mano Pontifice.
that Popes succeed to Peter, I 61
Confesse it, both their Master Christ deny.
Peter but
Mat. 26. 34. 64. to 75.
thrice: They oft, and so preceed
In sinne; Him, they in Place, not Grace Succeed.
But are they Peters Successors alone?
Th'are
See O [...]u [...] Ecclesiae & Nich. de Cle­mangis, de corrupto Eccl­statu.
Judas, Simons too, its ten to one.

62 On the Popes Non erring whilst he sits in Peters Chaire.

POpes
See Bellar­min de Pontifi. Romano.
cannot Erre, in Peters chaire whilst set;
Tis true, for sure, They nere once sate there yet:
No wonder then if they nought else but Erre,
Sith they in his un-erring chaire sat ne're.

63 On the Popes not Erring.

ALL
Rom. 4. 15
Error is from Rule; Popes will have none,
To judge, doe, live by, but
See Morney his Mystery of Iniquity. p. 454. 455.
themselves alone:
They cannot then once erre, because not stray
Quite from themselves, unto Gods Rules and way.

64 On the Popes not sinning and Erring as Popes, but as Men.

THe
Bellarmin de Pontif. Ro­mano.
Pope as man, not Pope, may sinne and Erre:
Why doth not then the Pope the Man deterre
From sinne and Errour? Can he not this doe?
The Man the Pope may make sinne, and erre too:
And if the Man for sinne and Error goe
To Hell, I feare the Pope too must doe so.

55 On the Popes not Erring, and on falling from Grace.

POpes cannot erre; yet they may
Concil. Trident. Sess. [...]. can. 16. 23.
totally
Away from Grace fall, yea and finally,
[Page 75] By Romes owne Doctrine; which they oft times doe,
To prove her Doctrine by their practise true.
It is no errour thus to fall from grace,
Since Popes herein Romes doctrines footsteps trace.
I wonder not at Romes Apostasie,
Her practise else her Doctrine would belye:
Now both accord, and she falls quite away
From faith, grace, truth, that none once question may,
Or doubt her Doctrine, which was questionable;
But thus confirm'd, it must be true and stable.

On the Popes Pardons, and mortall sinnes.66

MAy men
See Ta [...]a Camera.
buy Pardons, and for mortall sins?
Pardons are truely veniall then, not sinnes:
But yet at Rome alone, for God, Kings, all
But Popes, hold Pardons
Rom. 3. 24. c. 8. 32. Mich. 7. 18.
free, not veniall.

On the Popes being Christs Vicar Generall upon Earth.67

THe Pope on Earth's Christs Vicar Generall,
He's nothing then; Christ,
Joh. 18. 36.
here had nought at all:
But be he something, tis in Earth, or Hell,
Not Heav'n: Christ lets no Vicar ne're him dwell:
Who being still
Mat. 28. 20. Act. 3. 21.
present both in Heav'n and here,
Popes are his Vicars but in Hell I feare.

68 On Popes Pardons of Sinnes.

THe Popes doe Pardon sinnes; I thinke so too;
All, which men for them; None, they against them doe.
All against God; against themselves, not one.
What can, is not, what cannot they, is done.

69 On the Popes being head of the Church.

POpes are
Bellarmin, de Rom. Pon­tifice.
Supreame heads of the Church by due,
But of the false Church onely, not the True.
The true Church hath but one head,
Ephes. 1. 22. c. 4. 15. c. 5. 23. Col. 1. 18. c. 2. 10. 19. 1 Pet. 2. 7. 1 Cor. 11. 3.
Jesus Christ:
The false but one, the Pope, true Anti-Christ.

70 On Romes Sinnes, Curses and Pardons.

AT Rome all's Veniall, some say; I say no;
Her Sinnes, and Curses doubtlesse are not so:
The first are mortall; last not sold, but free
Bestow'd, all is not veniall Rome in thee.

71 On the Pope and his Cardinals.

CArdinalls
Concil. Constantiense. Sess. 23. Surius
hinges are; the Church the dore
Which hanges on them:
Tom. 4. p. 67. Cardinales si­cut nomine, ita re ipsa Cardi­nes sunt, super quos ostia, uni­versal [...] ver­sentur & su­stententur Ec­clesiae.
O Pope thy fate deplore;
If the Church on them, onely hanged be,
Nought but an Halter's left by them for thee;
Thou mayst goe bang thy selfe therewith; for they,
Not thou, the Church uphold, support, and stay.

On the Popes being Christs Vicar.72

IF Popes Christs Vicars be, his flocke to teach,
Why do they not like him, than feed and
Mat. 4. 17. c. 11. 1. Mar. 1. 14. 38. 59. c. 2. 1. Luk. 8. 1. c. 21. 37. 38. Joh. 8. 2. Luc. 22. 53.
preach?
They are his Vicars, but to sheare his sheepe;
When they should feed them, they are fast asleepe.
Christ but one Vicar can have here; He many,
To doe his Office; he then is not any.
Either the Pope must doe his worke alone,
Or if by Vicar, he must make but one:
Else Christ may chance to make more Vicars too
By his example, and so him undoe,
Unlesse he tye Christs hands from making any,
Because himselfe before had made too many.

On the Popes Vicarship and Vicars.73

A Vicar by the
Summa Angelica. Vi­carius Sect. 8.
Law can never make
Another Vicar: see how Popes mistake,
Who make so many Vicars of each kinde,
In every Country were they profit finde,
Either this Law is Error, or these be
No Vicars, but meere Factors for Romes See.
True, for they onely his rents helpe get in;
He, not they keepe them, else it were a sinne:
They are Christs rents, tithes, Peters patrimony;
Popes must be still sole Vicars of the money:
Twere Sacriledge, at least, for to assigne
Another Vicar to keepe Peters Coyne.

74 On the Popes porphiry Chaire, wherein they are groped and tryed to be men.

POpes neede no
Platina de vitis Pontif. in Joan, 8. See Cooke his Pope Ioane, and Morney his My­stery of Iniqui­tie. p. 166. 169. 170.
Porphry chaire now for to try
If they be males or not; they it descry
To all the world before-hand by the store
Of
Balaeus and others in vita Sixti, 41. Mor­ney his Mystery of Iniqu. p. 603. to 608. 591.
Bastards they beget. It then were more
Fit now, their Testicles to cut, than grope,
For feare a Leacher, not a Whore, turne Pope.

75 On Christs crowne of Thornes and the Popes triple Crowne of gold.

CHrist wore one
Mat. 27. 29. Joh. 19. 2. 3.
Crowne of Thornes, Popes three of gold;
No wonder then that Christ's by them control'd.
Christ
Mat. 21. 2. to 12. Joh. 12. 14. 15. 16.
rode but once, and that upon an Asse;
Popes ever ride and oft on
See Caere moniale & Pontificale Ro­manum.
Kings backes passe
The streetes: No wonder, they make Christ their Page
He never rode in such state, Equipage.
Popes now no Vicars, but Lords Paramount
Are, since they Kings, and Christ so far surmount.

76 On Peters poverty and the Popes great wealth and on the Popes being Peters Successors.

PEter
Act. 3. 6: Mat. 17. 27.
no Gold nor Silver had, or wore:
His Successors both
Bernard. De Consid. ad Eugenium, & ad Gulielmum Abbatem Apo­logia.
have, and weare great store.
[Page 79] The Church, poore then, had Peter a poore head;
She's now grown rich, great, since that Peter's dead.
Her head must then grow rich, great, like her body;
Else 'twere unseemely, and he were a Noddy:
Peter had no such Court, State, Table, traine
As Popes; who neede much gold them to maintain:
Peter was but a fisher, not a Pope,
They Popes, nay
See Bellar­min de Roma­no Pontif & D. Crakanthorp, of the Popes temporall Mo­narchy. c. 1 & 2.
Monarchs of the world: I hope
They must have gold store to support their State,
They cannot now live at S. Peters rate.
It were no lesse in Popes than
Platina in the life of Paul the 2. writes that in a Village not far from Rome di­vers men and women were apprehended & condemned for heretiques by this Pope, for holding, that of all those who succeeded S. Peter none was any true Vicar of Christ but those who imitated his poverty.
Heresie.
To succeede Peter in his povertie;
Whose very name they scorne, sith none of all
The Popes [who
See Platina Onuphrius, Ba­le, & Crespin, in vitis Ponti­ficium.
change their names] did ever call
Himselfe by this name Peter, but still by
Some other name, as John, Paul, Gregory,
And such like, which in all great doubt may breed,
That Popes, who Peter never will succeede
In name, doe lesse in Office, Grace, Chaire, State
Succeede him: then succession's out of date:
Till Popes resemble Peter more: say I,
That they succeed him, is an arrant lye.

On Popes Prohibiting Priests from mar­riage.77

PRiests are the seede of Adam, Noah; why
Should they not then have wives to multiply
And store the earth; as well as other men,
As
Gen. 1. 28. c. 9. 1. c. 8. 17.
God commands? From
See D. Halls Honour of the married Clergie: Iohn Bales Acts of English Vota­ries.
Adams dayes till ten
Hundred yeares after Christ, or more, Priests were
Still free to Marry, and did not forbeare
But use the marriage bed: why doe Popes now
[Page 80] Priests marriage
Gratian. Di­stinct 81. Sum­ma Angelica Matrimonium, Sect 4.
quite condemne, and disallow?
Which [...]oth before, under the
Levit 21. 7. 9 13. 14 15. Ezra 10. 18. to 44.
Law, Gospell,
Was used by, allow'd to Priests as well
As any others; yea God did prescribe
Wives, with their qualities, to Levies Tribe.
S. Paul writes,
Heb. 13. 4.
Marriage is honourable
In all men; Popes say it is
Gratian. Di­stinct 27 to 35. 81.
detestable
In Priests; belike Romes Priests are beasts, not men
For if they were, by Pauls rule marriage then
To them were lawfull, honourable, all
Priests under his all men, if men, must fall.
We read that
Mat 8. 14. Mar. 1. 30. 32. 1 Cor 9. 5. Phi. 4. 3. Act. 21. 8. 9.
Peter, Philip, James, Paul, were
Al married; why should Priests then wives forbeare,
When these Apostles; yea,
See Bishop Halls honour of the married Clergie, and M. Fox Acts and Monuments Vol. 2 p. 399. & 463. &c. Edit Ult. Gratian. Di­stinct. 38. 35. 32. 33. 34.
some Popes of old
And godly Bishops did wives wed and hold?
Which they no doubt would not have done, if it
Had beene unlawfull, or for Priests unfit.
To put this out of doubt, we finde that Paul
Himselfe among the qualities which all
Bishops and Deacons, ought to have, saith
1 Tim 3. 2 3. 4. 5. 11. 12. Tit. 1 6.
they
The husbands of one wife must be; none may
This text controule, found in Popes
Gratian Distinct. 26.
Canon Lawes,
Which to this day retaine this very clause;
Priests, Bishops, Deacons then may lawfully
Keepe wives; this clause else were a nullity,
Vaine, Idle, nay repugnant, and S. Paul
Mistaken in prescribing it to all
Bishops, and Deacons, midst those qualities
Which simply needfull are. If Rome denyes
This meant of Wives enjoyed actually
By Bishops, Deacons, whilst such; certainely
S. Paul confutes her by prescribing there
1 Tim. 11. Tit. 1. 6.
What Wives they ought to abuse, how they must beare
Themselves, and rule their Children well; else they
Gods Church unfitting were to rule and sway:
All which were needlesse, vaine; if meant of those
[Page 81] Not yet in Orders as Rome doth it glose.
Besides, Paul speakes of such as
A Bishop must be blame­lesse, the hus­band of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour; and 1 Tim. 3. 2. 3. 4. Tit. 1. 6. 7. 8. 9. All in the pre­sent, nor pre­ter perfect tense or future.
actually
Are Priests or Deacons, and not futurely
To be so; and this quality, to be
The Husband of one wife, is in degree
And tence the same with the
A Bishop must be blame­lesse, the hus­band of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour; and 1 Tim. 3. 2. 3. 4. Tit. 1. 6. 7. 8. 9. All in the pre­sent, nor pre­ter perfect tense or future.
rest specifi'd
There, which to Priests in act must be apply'd
In the present not Preterperfect Tense:
Priests marriage then must needs be lawfull hence.
In fine, S. Paul avers, that
1 Tim. 4. 1. 2. 3.
marriage
And meates, men to forbid in this last age,
[Both which Romes Popes doe] is Apostasie
From faith, meere devills doctrine, and a Lye.
Whence I conclude, that Popes have falne away
From faith, and that Lyes, devills doctrines sway
And rule them now, since they Priests marriage,
Free use of meates forbid, in this last age;
Gratian. Distinct. 34.
Permitting Priests whores,
Gratian. Dist. 26. to 35.
not wives; which doe make
Them quite unfit Orders to keepe or take,
Whereas grosse whoredome and Adultery
From Orders none thrust out, nor yet put by;
Which sinnes of Priests, should
See Cassan­dri Consulta­tio. Artic. 23. p. 987. &c.
cause the Roman whore
The Lawfull use of marriage to restore.
We reade, the
Mat. West­minster, Mat. Paris, Holin­shed, Speed, and others in the life of H. the 1. An. 1125. Hen­ry Huntingdon, l. 7. p. 32. Ho­venden. Annal. pars 1. p. 478. Grafton, p. 40. Polychron. l. 7. c. 16.
selfe-same day the marriage bed
Was first to English Priests prohibited,
In Councell, by John Crema, Legat to
The Pope, by whose Command he this did doe,
That he himselfe at night in bed was tooke
By Priests, lying with a whore, and so forsooke
And fled the Realme with publicke shame, whereby
The Priests their wives retained quietly
Long after: Were Romes Popes, Priests narrowly
Watch't, men them with whores might too oft espie;
Yea, its a Common trade now, and no newes
At Rome, for
Agrippa de vanitate Scient. c. 64. Wesselus, Tract de In­dulgentis Pa­palibus Grava­nina Germa­niae.
Priests to baunt the publicke stewes,
[Page 82] Which Popes maintaine, and have in Italy
Dispenc'd with Priests to commit Sodomie
In the hot monethes, with boyes and Ganymedes;
That is not good, but ill which such fruits breeds;
Which I forbeare at large to specifie,
Since
Nic. de Clemangis de Corrupto Ec­clesiaestatu Espencaeus de Continentia & in Titum. c. 1. 2. Alvares Pela gius de planctu Ecclesiae, Onus Ecclesiae. Ber­nardi concio in Concilio Rhe­mensi. Cassan­d [...] Consulta­tio. Artic. 2 [...] p. 987. 988 &c.
Romish writers, fully them descry,
Wishing that Popes, Priests marriage would restore,
The want whereof hath made their Church a whore.
There is no Pia-Mater in Popes braine
Who Priests from marriage, 'gainst Gods Word restraine,
And them quite barre from this their Sacrament,
Yet give them free leave, whores, stewes to frequent.

78 On Protestants damnation by Papists, and the Reason of it.

PRotestants damned are, say
See the Booke called Charity Mista­ken.
Papists; Why?
Because they to one Saviour, Christ, all fly.
Few or none damn'd are in Romes Church if any,
Sith she besides Christ, Saviours hath full many.
If
Mat. 7. 14. c. 20. 16. c. 22. 14. Luc. 13. 23. 24.
few be saved, as the Scriptures say,
One Saviour is enough to whom to pray;
Who seldome us'd in Romes Church, which him wants
Not, may finde leasure to save Protestants.
Lest this prove true, Romes Church may now doe well,
All Saviours, but Christ onely, to expell.

79 On Romes Saviours and Jesuites.

NO wonder if all Romes flock saved be,
They have ten thousand Saviours more than we;
So many that to keepe them from disorder,
[Page 83] She marshalls some into a distinct Order,
Grac'd with the saving name of Jesuites,
They are such active good, sweete, saving Sprits,
Saviours no doubt to Romes Church, Popes, and Crowne,
Which their plots, wits, pens keepe from tumbling downe.
Tis not their goodnesse, vertue, grace or merits
That make them Saviours, but their treasons, wits;
Saviours to Popes; could Kings and States say so,
They Jesuites were in Name and Nature too.
But whilst their Treasons, plots, 'gainst these them shame,
They are not such in truth, deed, but in name:
Nay meere Antipodes to this name, they
It into Judasites now alter may,
Or Jebusites, since they disturbe, annoy
Al States, Kings, Churches, & would them destroy.

On no Salvation out of the Church of 80 Rome.

ROme saith
See Bellar­in, de ecclesia: and Charity Mistaken.
Out of her Church none saved be,
And that no Church is Catholicke but she.
It's pride and gaine that make her thus to boast,
Since she faith and Salvation both hath lost.
The Patriarchs, Prophets, holy Jewes of old,
Christ, his Apostles, were not of Romes fold;
Yet were all saved: Greekes, with sundry more
Since them were, and are sav'd without the whore
Of Romes precincts; whose whoredomes, vices are
Now Catholicke, her faith, grace none, or rare.
She then had neede prevent her owne damnation,
Not others; doubt her owne, not our Salvation.

81 On Papists making Apocrypha Canoni­call, and Canonicall Scripture lesse than Apocryphall, and their blasphe­mies against it, and Popes power o­ver it.

PApists (against the
See Sir Humfrey Lyn­des By-way, Sect. 5. 6. & Jean Mestrezat Traicte de [...] es­criture Sancte, a Geneve, 1633.
joynt consent of all
Fathers) Apocrypha, Canonicall
Make, and all Protestants revile, condemne,
For not consenting in this point with them.
Meane time [ô wonder] that which both confesse
To be true Scripture Canon, they farre lesse
Esteeme, than what is meere Apocryphall,
And deeme no Scripture Text Canonicall;
Stiling Gods sacred booke,
[...]indanus l 2. Strom c. 2. Bellarmin de verbo Dei. l. 3. c. 8. 9. Costeri Enchir. c. 1. Salmeron Pro­legom. 1. Sta­pleton l. 2. De Author. S. Scrip. Vasquez Tom. 3. part. 3. Disp [...]. 216. An­drad [...]s Defens. Conc. l. Tridon. l. 2. Declaration du Per [...] Basil. p. 77. 78. 79. P [...] ­gghius Hierar. l. 1 c. 1.
a leaden sword,
A nose of waxe, a dead letter or word,
A leaden Parchment Rule; no Judge, rule, guide
Of faith, by which all doctrines must be try'd.
They write, it hath its force, authority,
Sense, exposition from the Pope onely,
Who can, may, doth it change, controule, annuall,
Repeale, dispence against it, by his Bull.
If this be true, Rome no Canonicall
Text grants; but makes all meere Apocryphall:
And so unchurcheth, yea quite overturnes
Her self, whilst she against Gods Word thus spurnes
On
Eph. 2. 20. 21. Mat. 16. 18
which all Christian Churches built, must fall,
If Scripture cease to be Canonicall.
O Rome recant thy fearefull blasphemie
Against Gods Word, which doth for vengeance cry
Against thee; and shall
Joh. 21. 48. Rom. 2. 16. Rev. 22. 18. 19.
judge thee at the last,
And into Hell, without repentance cast.

On the two Arch-Patriarchs of Popish 82 Fryers S. Francis and S. Domi­nicke.

I Hope I may without offence, recite
What Papists of their great S. Francis write,
The father of their Fryers Minorites,
In Printed
Bartholmeus de Pisa Confor­mitatum lib. approved at Assise by a Ge­nerall Chapter of the Francis­cans, Aug. 2. 1389. as con­taining no­thing in it wor­thy correction, and approved by three Popes fol. 3. 4. 5. 13. 14. 17. 24. 39. 66. 78. 144. 149. 294 250. 254. 247. An­tonini Chron. Tit. 24. c. 1. 2. Vincentius Be­luacensis Spe­culum Historiae l 3. c. 97. Riba­dencira Fleurs des vies des Saints part. 2. p 281 &c See Philip Mornay his Mystery of Iniquity Lon­don 1612 pag 34 [...] 348
Bookes, made by his favorites.
They write, that he John Baptist did surpasse
In foure respects: For first, John Baptist was
But Christs fore-runner, Francis [as they say]
Both his fore-runner to prepare his way,
And standard-bearer too: John received
The Word of Penance, but from Christ our head;
Francis, from Christ and the Pope, which is more:
John, but the Bridegroomes friend was, heretofore,
Francis was like the Bridegroome: John, on high,
Is but exalted to the Company
Of Seraphins, where Francis on the throne
Whence Lucifer was cast downe, sits alone.
They write, that Francis in worth farre excels
All the Apostles, and that now he dwels
In Heav'n in Christs owne bosome, More: That he
Was here a Jesus typically: yea
A figurative Saviour: who upon
His body receiv'd in a Vision
The selfe-same wounds that Christ did, yea suffred
The selfe-same paines: and thereby renewed
Christs passion in him, for to save man-kinde:
Of which the Prophet David doth men minde
Who saith.
Psal. 3. 5. Heb 2. 7. 9.
Thou hast with glory and honor
Him Crown'd, and thou hast him also set o're
The workes of thine owne hands; of whom did write
The Prophet thus,
Isa. 42. 6. c. 49. 6. Luc. 2. 32. Act. 13. 47.
Thou gavest him a light
[Page 86] Unto the Gentiles
Joh. 8. 56.
whose day Abraham
Saw, and rejoyced for to see the same.
[All meant of Christ alone.] Besides they write,
That what the Gospell saith of Christ, of right
May be sung of him,
Joh. 3. 35. Mat. 11. 27.
All things unto me
Are given of my Father; whence we see
The Scripture of him faith:
Heb. 1. 5.
A Father I
Will be to him; and he againe shall my
Son be; [both meant of Christ.] They adde, that all
The vertues of the Saints, both great and small,
In the Old and New Testament, doe rest
Ʋnited and conjoyned in his brest.
That by his merits he deserv'd to be
The Sonne of God, and that Leo did see
A roll descend from heav'n, which rested on
His head, containing this Inscription:
This man, is the grace of God, conformable
Wholly to Christ in all things, the Example
Of all perfection; deified in
The Glory of God the Father, and now in
The glory of the Saints united, to
God, whereby he precedes and doth out-goe
All living Creatures, is made one and the
Same spirit with God: Nay, they averre, that he
Deserves with God to be the Advocate
Of the who [...]e Militant Church on earth: that
Christs Passion is in him renu'd, for the
Salvation of all Mankind: So as he
By one Masse onely hath God pacifi'd
For all the world: This must not be deny'd.
They adde; that all are saved certainely
Who in S. Francis Order, Rule shall dye.
For Francis prayed and obtain'd likewise
From God, that none who in his Order dyes
Should dye an evill death [which is far
Mat. 7. 21. 22. 23. c. 22. 14.
more
Than Christ obtained from God heretofore
[Page 87] For all who him professe:] That the same grace
Descendeth on him, who shall but embrace
His Order of Religion, as doth fall
On him that is baptized. Is this all?
No: they say further, the meere putting on
Of Francis hood gives full remission
Of sinnes, and frees from their guilt, punishment:
That the bare resolution and intent
To take his Order, though not put inure,
Is a new Baptisme, doth pardon procure.
They teach; that Christ hath but prayed, but Francis
Hath impetrated or obtained. All this
(With sundry such like fearefull Blasphemies)
Appeares in the Booke of Conformities
Presented to the Chapter Generall
Of Cordiliers, and there approv'd by all
With this expresse clause; We have carefully
Searched, perused, examin'd throughly
This booke, and we have nothing in it found
Worthy Correction; all there is so sound
That they it terme, a Golden booke [So prise
They their S. Francis, and these Blasphemies]
Which Gregory the ninth, Pope Alexander
The fift, Nichlas the third [a whoremaster]
Sent unto all the faithfull; charging all
S. Francis wounds to credit, and not call
Them into doubt, on paine of Heresie:
And Benedict the twelfth, lest this grosse lye
Should be forgotten, did enjoyne all men
Yearely to keepe that day as Holy, when
S. Francis these forg'd wounds receiv'd. After,
The Hill Averna by Pope Alexander
The fourth his Bull, was tooke into the See
Of Romes protection, because these scar's he
Thereon receiv'd; which sundry deeme a ly,
And damne for a notorious Blasphemie.
[Page 88] Not to relate, how
Ribadeni­era Fleurs des vies des Saints part. 2. p. 290. Bonaventure in his Chroni­cle.
Francis oft times preacht
Ʋnto the very Birds, who their neckes reacht
Out to receive his Blessing, and did stay
Their singing whiles that he his Masse did say:
Or, how his haire did suddenly cement
A great new house from top to bottome rent
And like to fall, so that they could not get
The haire out thence: Or, how his Cord but wet
In water, and that drunke, did instantly
Cure divers sicke men of their maladie:
I shall but one thing more of him relate,
Recorded as a truth past all debate;
To wit, that at
Rosatium Be [...]nardi An­tonini Chron. Tit 24. c. 7. Sect 4. Peter Moulin Ac­croisement des Eaux de Siloe &c. p. 31. 32.
Assize in Italy
About the yeare twelve hundred thirty three
An Angell to S. Francis did appeare,
And told him that in Maries great Church there,
Cal'd Angels, Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary
With sundry Angels did for him tarry;
Where being come, Christ Jesus to him spake
Thus: Francis, for saving Soules one suite make,
For thou are sent to be a light unto
The Gentiles; Francis answered thereunto,
I crave that thou the Pardon of all sinne
Wilt grant to every one who enters in
To this Church, and I likewise supplicate
The Virgin Mary, mankindes Advocate,
To ayde me in this suite: then Jesus sayd
Freer Francis, that which thou of me has [...]pray'd
Is a great matter, but thou art worthy
Of greater things: I doe accord to thy
Request, and grant it: but yet goe to Rome
Ʋnto the Pope my Vicar, unto whom
I have given power to binde and to unty
In Earth and Heav'n, and of him aske in my
Behalfe this indulgence: On which he goes
To Pope Honorius, and doth this disclose.
[Page 89] Demanding of him for these plenary
Indulgence, without offrings or money.
The Pope reply'd, that this could not be done,
Because he that would gaine such full pardon
Must
Note here the Policie and a­varice of Popes.
merit it, by putting helping hands
To Peters Treasure, and this suite withstands.
By this we see, Popes can, doe, will deny
Those suites which Christ hath granted formerly.
The Pope demanded next, for how many
Yeares he desired pardon: His reply
Was, I not for yeares, but for soules did crave
Pardon, and will no Bulls for this grace have;
Adding, the Virgin should unto him be
Insteed of paper, Christ his Scribe, and the
Angels his witnesses. The Pope at last,
This indulgence at his intreaty past,
That whosoever this Church visited
Each first of August, and therein entred
During that whole dayes and nights space, should gaine
Perfect remission from the guilt and paine
Of all his sinnes, from baptisme till that day:
An easie rate to purge all sinnes away.
Now least S. Francis merits, wounds, and fame
Should quite eclipse S. Dominickes great Name,
I shall from Antonine, one of his Sect
[A Romish Saint] him cleare from disrespect;
Who writes as much of Dominicke well nigh
As others doe of Francis dignity,
Comparing him with Christ, in such a sort
Which makes Christ of him oft times to fall short.
For Christ [writes
Antouini Chron. Tit. 23. c. 1. 2. 3. See Morney his Mystery of Ini­quitie. p. 348. 349. 350. Ribadeniera Fleurs des vies des Saints par. 2. p. 94.
he] but three dead men in all
Rays'd up, when Dominick [...] within Romes wall
Did raise up three; and forty that were dead
And drowned neere Tolouse, he restored
To Life: Christ when immortall, the
Joh. 20.
doores shut
Entred in to his sad Disciples: but
[Page 90] S. Dominicke [which is far more] whiles yet
A mortall man into the Church did get
At night, the Gates fast shut, least he should wake
His Brethren: Christ, after his death thus spake
Mat. 28. 18.
All power in Heaven and Earth is given to me;
And this power to S. Dominicke [writes he]
Was not communicated sparingly
Whiles here, 'ore all things in the Heavens high
On Earth, and underneath the Earth: For he
Had the blest Angels at his Service; the
Foure Elements did unto him obey,
The Devils trembled at his sight, and they
Vnable were to dis-obey him; as
He doth by Legends prove: That ere he was
Borne or brought forth into the world, there were
In Venice two Statues: In Markes Church there,
The one of Paul as they use him to paint,
Over the which was this Inscription, Saint
Paul, but under the Image feete was writ,
By this man we come unto Christ; Neare it
The other of S. Dominicke was plac'd
In a poore preaching Fryers habit, grac'd
With this Motto, S. Dominicke, above,
But underfoote with; By this man we move
And goe more easie unto Christ; For why
The doctrine of St Paul [writes Anthony]
And other Apostles, did but onely lead
To Faith, and keeping of Gods Lawes we reade;
But Dominickes did teach men to obey
Counsells, which is the shorter, easier way
To goe to Christ: Oh horrid blasphemy
S. Dominicke thus to advance so high
Above S. Paul, all the Apostles; and
To make his Doctrines take the upper hand
Of the Apostles, as the shortest, best,
Way unto Christ! He addes yet to the rest,
[Page 91] That he was aptly named Dominike,
Because he was to Christ himselfe most like:
For Dominicke was that principally,
And by possession, what absolutely,
And by authority Christ was [marke ye
His proofe] For the Lord saith thus,
Joh. 8. 12.
I am the
Light of the world, and the Church doth thus sing
Of Dominick, Thou art the Light, Day-spring
Of the world: yea, as the Prophets of old
Of the Lord Christ bore witnesse, and foretold
In divers wayes: So Prophet Zachary
Of Dominicke and his Order saith
Zech. 11. 7.
I
Have taken unto me two staves, [...]ne I
Did call Beauty, the other Cords: Beauty
Is the Sect of Saint Dominicke, for the
Beautifull habits of their Prelates we
Behold: the Cords, are nought but Minor Fryers
Girt with a Cord, and thence cald Cordeliers
[A worthy Glosse on this Text;] thus they play
With Sacred Scripture: Furthermore they say,
Christ was borne on the bare earth, but Mary
For feare of cold, did him
Luk. 2. 7.
swath presently,
And put into a Manger. Dominicke,
Whiles yet an Infant, oft times off did kicke
His clothes, and getting from his cratch, was found
By his Nurse lying naked on hare ground,
Detesting, as it were, all the delights
Of the flesh: Anthony yet farther writes;
That at our Lords birth there appear'd a
Mat. 2. 1. to 20.
starre,
Which guided the wise men who came from farre
Ʋnto him: which did intimate that the
Whole world by him should then inlightned be.
So in the forehead of Dominicke, when
He was Baptiz'd his God-mother did [...]
A shining starre; which signifi'd, that he
A new light come into the world should be.
[Page 92] He addes: The prayer of Christ was heard alway
When ere he would: but yet when he did pray
Within the Garden,
Mat. 26. 36.
that the cup might passe
F [...]om him, this suite of his denyed was;
Because he praying thus but sensually,
He would in reason have God him deny.
But Dominicke did never ought require
Of God, but he obtain'd his full desire,
Because he nought requested according
Vnto the flesh; They harpe more on this string:
The
Revel. 1. 5.
Lord hath loved us, and washt away
Our sinnes in his blood: Dominicke, say they,
Out of perfection of his Charity,
Spending the whole night with God fervently
In prayer, did with his owne hands every day
A threefold whipping undergoe [I pray
By what command from God?] not with whipcord
But with an Iron chaine, wherewith be goard
And lasht himselfe to blood-shed; One was done
For his owne sinnes, which were but small or none;
Another for those Soules in Purgatory;
The third for those who in this world yet lye:
In fine, (to passe by and not name the rest
Of their blasphemous Parallels, at best;)
When our Lord Christ would leave this world, be to
His griev'd Disciples [loth him to fore-goe]
Promis'd to send a
Joh. 4. 16.
Comforter, that is
The holy Ghost: Saint Domincke to his
Disciples, neere his death, sayd; Doe not ye
My deare Friends mourne, nor vexe at all for me,
Nor let my now departure hence you move,
For in the place to which I goe, above
The Cloudes, I shall be far more profitable
To you than I, whiles here, to be am able:
For after my decease you shall me have
A better Advocate by much, to crave
[Page 93] Ought for you then I now am; by which speech
He doth
Rom. 8. 34. 1 Joh. 22. 3.
Christs Office usurpe, and impeech.
Who that hath any conscience, saith, grace, feare
Or love of God, can once with patience heare
Such grosse blasphemous speeches? or not hate
Those shamelesse Fryers who dare them to relate?
Yet Romes Church, Popes approve, and
See Surius & Ribadeniera in the Lives of S. Francis, Do­minicke and Antonine.
Cano­nize
For Saints, those who spake, writ these blasphemies.
With what face than can any man averre,
That
See Bellar­mine, de Eccle­sia, & Romano Pontif.
Romes Popes, Church, can never stray nor erre?
No doubt in this they erre so shamefully,
That all who love God, truth, their soules, will flye
From their Communion, since they Canonize
Such men for Saints, approve such blasphemies.

On the strange Popish Miracles, attributed 83 to, and forged of S. Vincent Ferrier, and S. Anthony of Padua.

SOme Popish Saints in Miracles out-reach
Christs owne Apostles; who sent out to
Act. 2. 1. to 12. c. 10. 46. c. 19. 6.
preach
To sundry Nations, were most wondrously
Endow'd with all tongues knowledge, from an high,
That so they might to all men preach in their
Owne Language: But
Ribadenie­ra Fleurs des vies des Saints part. p. 384.
Saint Vincent Ferrier,
Preaching in Spanish to strangers who knew
Not this his Language [if the tale be true]
Was understood by all as perfectly,
As if he had preacht to them severally
In their owne tongues; Nay, some who earnestly▪
Desir'd to heare him Preach, not possibly
Able to come unto the Church, did heare
Him more than one whole league off, very cleare;
He had a lowder voyce belike than all
Christs twelve Apostles, joyned with S. Paul,
[Page 94] Since none could heare them preaching halfe that space
As these this Saint heard. Nor was this his case
Alone;
Ribade­niera Ibid. pag. 563.
for I reade that S. Anthony
Of Padua, who Preacht in one onely
Language, to those of sundry Nations, who
Were unacquainted with his Tongue, was so
Well understood of them, as if that he
Had Preacht in their owne Dialect: yea the
Good wife who would have come to his Sermo [...]
But hindred by her husband, got upon
Her Barne to heare it, heard him perfectly
Halfe a league off the place he preach't in; she
Had very good eares doubtlesse, or else he
A thundring voyce. They make him yet doe more
Than Christ, or his Apostles heretofore.
For Preaching at Ariminum unto
The Heretiques, who stopt their Eares that so
They might not heare his voyce; he presently
Went to the Sea-side, to that Towne then nigh,
And there with great affiance in Gods ayde,
Called unto the fishes, and them pray'd
To bearken to him, whom the Sectaries
And Heretickes to heare did then despise.
This sayd: an infinite scooll of great, small
And middle sort of fishes, ranged all
In their set Order, lift their heads above
The water, him to heare; who out of love,
Calls them his Brethren, then did to them make
A Sermon of the blessings they partake,
And still receive from God, instructing them
What thankes and Service they should yeeld to him:
Which Sermon ended, all the Fishes bow'd
Their heads his blessing to receive; The crowd
Of people seeing this strange sight, were all
Astonied, and the Heretiques did fall
[Page 95] Downe at his feete, desiring him to preach
To them, and Gods truth among them to teach:
I wish he had it taught to those who write
These lyes of him, and them for truths recite.
Then had we never further
Ribadenei­ra Ibid.
read, that he
To Bouivil his Asse or Mule, brought the
Host with great reverence, when she had beene
Kept three dayes fasting, and no meate had seene,
Commanding the beast in the Lords name, he
Then held in his hands, to come how the knee
Forthwith to his Creator, and adore
Him, that Christs presence therein might no more
Be henceforth doubted, Heretiques thereby
Confounded; which spoke, the Asse instantly
Her Master, and her Provender forsakes,
Though hungry, and upon her knees there makes
Prostration to the Host, as to her maker
And Lord [though made by the Priest or Baker.]
Which miracle so evident, greatly
The Catholickes did comfort, edifie:
But did encourage Heretiques much more,
Who the Host as their Lord would not adore
For all this miracle: Rome might let passe
This peece of worship, prov'd thus by this Asse,
Sith they at least are Asses, if not more,
Who from an Asse learne how God to adore.

On the Popish Blasphemous Legends of 84 their S. Catherine of Sennes.

TIs strange what Romish
Antonini Chron. pars 3. Lugdun. 1543. Tit. 23. c. 14. Sect. 4. to 19. f. 180. to 188. Ribade­niera Fleurs des vies des Saints part. 1. p. 435. to 44 [...].
Legends write of their
Saint Catherine of Sennes, who cut her haire
To shun her Marriage, having formerly
Espous'd her selfe to Christ most solemnely,
[Page 96] And [...]ow'd to be his spouse alone. They say
That she did whip her selfe three times each day
For three houres space, with a sharpe Iron chaine,
So that her blood did issue forth amaine
Out of all parts of her body; willing
To repay Christ by this her blood-shedding,
The blood which he for her sinnes shed on the
Crosse, that she might no debtor to him be.
To passe by all her strict Fasts, Disciplines,
Strange Visions, as requiring many lines,
They write, that Christ did so familiarly
Converse with her, appeare so frequently
To her, when she did pray, or meditate,
Walke or repose her selfe, early and late,
That he seem'd alwayes present with her, yea
And talke with her saying, Thinke thou of me
And I shall thinke and take of thee the care,
With sundry such discourses which I spare:
That Jesus Christ enamored with her,
Appeared to her with his owne mother
And other Saints, and her most solemnely
Espoused in their presence visibly,
The Virgin Mary leading her unto
Her Sonne Christ Jesus, as a person who
Was worthy to be wedded specially
To him; who condescending, presently
To this her motion, put a Ring of Gold
With foure rich stones on her finger, then told
Her: I betroth thee to me thy maker
And Saviour: After which act he did her
Continually visit familiarly,
Bringing with him oft times Virgin Mary,
And sometimes other Saints, yet usually
Comming alone, keeping her company,
Walking, reciting Psalmes with her, which She
Ʋnlearned knew not how to read, till he
[Page 97] At her request, did teach her instantly
By Miracle to reade them perfectly.
They write, that Christ himselfe the Sacrament
Gave unto her, that the Host it selfe went
Vnto her mouth without helpe, and that she
The Child Jesus in the Host oft did see:
That Christ his wound in his left side opened
For her, who thence Christs owne warme blood sucked:
That he stampt on her his five wounds, that she
In suffring torments might like to Christ be.
In fine; they write, that Christ did really
Change hearts with her, tooke out of her body
[Opened on the left side] her heart; which he
Tooke with him for some space: that meane time She
Lived without an heart: that soone after
Christ in his glory did appeare to her
With a red beautifull heart in his hand,
And comming neere to her, where she did stand
He thrust it in to her on the left side,
Saying to her, My daughter and my Bride,
I here deliver my heart unto thee
In leiw of thine: which uttered then be
Her side clos'd up: and that this really
Was done, not in a vision, shew onely,
The scarre remaining in her side descry'd,
Which her Companions oft times view'd and ey'd.
These most Blasphemous, grosse, notorious lyes
Which every Christian Soule abhors, defies,
Romes Church proclaimes for truths conformable
Ʋnto her faith: and them approves full well.
Witnesse the
Nous &c. we under sig­ning Doctors in the faculty of Theologie at Paris certifie, that we have diligently read this book, &c. In which we have found no­thing but what is conformable to the faith of the Catholicke Apostolike and Roman Church, and therefore we judge it very usefull and ne­cessary to be published. No­vemb ult 1608 Gesselni, Blazi.
Sorbon Doctors approbation
Prefixt in Print before their late relation
Of Rabadeneira the Jesuit
His Flours of Saints lives, [Saints lyes a more fit
Title were for it] Re-Printed lately
With approbation in French. Certainely
[Page 98] Romes Church must needes be false; which justifies
Such monstrous Lyes, such horrid Blasphemies,
And deemes them very usefull, necessary,
For all to know; true; them, her to defy.

On a Popish Miracle of their Deifide Hostia.

OUr
Tho. Wal­singham ypo­digma Neu­striae, Anno. 1215. p. 55.
Walsingham relates this Miracle,
That Otho, when deposed, not being well,
At point of death did earnestly desire
His extreame Viand, ere he should expire:
Which he [unable to retaine ought, he
Then tooke] desired onely but to see,
Not eate Christs Body; which when the Priest nigh
Him brought, he it with great humility
Ador'd, then drawing neere to it stretching
His armes out, as if he were most willing
It to embrace, his body quite naked,
The Host out of the Priests hands then leaped,
And through an hole which opened instantly
In his flesh, just whereas his heart did lye
Entred into his Body: which done, the
Hole forthwith clos'd up so that none could see
The Print of any scarre: When he the Host
Had thus receiv'd, he rendred up the Ghost.
This nimble skipping Host was certainly
Ill tutored, to leape so wondrously
Into the heart of one deposed by
The Pope himselfe, as the Church enemy;
And to breake Christs owne institution
Not being
Mat. 26. 26.
eaten, nor once fed upon.
Which makes me feare this Monstrous Miracle
Is but a Fable, coyn'd in some Monkes Cell.

On Papists prayers to those for Saints who 86 neither were Saints nor Men.

I Much admire, deplore the sottishnesse,
Of Romes deluded flocke, who oft addresse
Their prayers unto
Pere Bosile, his Declaration c. 7. p. 34. 35.
S. Martiall, Christopher,
George, Margarite, and Saints who never were;
Nay, to the
See Offici­um S. Crucis Bren. Roman. Sab. in Heb. 4.
wodden-Crosse which Crucifide
Our Saviour; to the
Officium B. Mariae se­cundum usum Sarum, & Iohn Bridges of the Princes Supre­macy p. 481. to 490.
speare, which pierc'd his side;
Which they have made a Saint, and him now Name
Saint
Ribade­neira Fleues des vies des Saints part. 1. p. 332. 333. 2.
Longis, writing Legends of the same.
They pray unto the Nayles, which nayl'd his feete
And hands; Saint them too (tis very meete)
And then Saint Eloy nominate. I feare
These woodden, Iron Saints will hardly heare
Their prayers:
Ibid. part. pag. 473. &c.
If they doe not, yet verily
The three chiefe graces, Faith, Hope, Charity,
(Which they have made three Saints of later dayes,
And in their solemne Liturgies alwayes
Invoke thus;
Heures de Nostre Dame a l'usage de Romera Rov. And Heures Nostre Dame secundum u­sum Roven. in the Letanie of the Saints, San­cta fides, Ora pro nobis, San­cta Spes, Ora, Sancta Chari­tas Ora, &c. Not found in the Ancient Offices secun­dum usum Sa­rum.
O S. Faith, pray for us, Saint
Hope pray for us, S. Charity our plaint
Heare and pray for us) will undoubtedly
Both heare and give an answere to their cry,
Else they would not them invocate: I feare
These Saints are deafe too, and cannot them heare,
Since they are sacred
1 Cor. 13. 13.
Graces, not Saints, and
Extreame remote from those, not neare at hand,
Who them for Saints invoke, who certainely
Have in them no true Faith, Hope, Charity;
Sith they yet know not what they are, or where;
And cry to them as Saints in heav'n, not here.

87 On Popish blinde Obedience.

CHrist writes expressely,
Mat. 15. 14. Lu. 6. 39.
if Blind lead the Blind
They both shall fall into the pit, nay finde
Destruction, as the
Isa. 3. 12. c. 9. 16. Jer. 23. 13. [...]2.
Prophet punctually
Determines: 'tis then false Divinity
Which
Si rusticus circa articulos credit suo E­piscopo pro­ponenti ali­quod Dogma hae [...]eticum, MERETUR INCREDEN­DO, LICET SIT ERROR, quia tenetur credere donec ei constet esse contra Eccle­siam. Tollet. De Instruct. Sa­cerd l. 4. c. 3.
Tollet and Cusanus teach of late;
That he who doth beleeve his owne Prelate,
When as he shall propound an Heresie
Against the faith, shall merit much thereby,
Although it be an errour, because he
Is bound for to beleeve him, till it be
Apparent to him that tis contrary
To what the Church beleeves; whence they thus cry;
Quam fir­ma est aedifica­tio Ecclesiae, quia nemo de­cipi potest per malum praesi­dentem. Si di­xerit Domine obedi ut tibi in praeposito hoc tibi suffi­ciet ad salutem tu enim per obedientiam quam facis praeposito quem Eeclesia tolerat dicipi nequis, etiamsi praeceperit alia quam debuit [...] praesumit enim ecclesia de illa sententia, cui si tu obedieris MAGNA ERIT MERCES TUA; Obedientia igitur IRRATIONALIS, e [...] consummata obedientia & perfectissima, scil. quando obeditur sine inquisitio­ne rationis, sicut JUMENTUM obedit Domino suo. Cusanu [...] Exist. c. 1. l. 6.
O how strong is the Churches building? Why?
For no man can be deceiv'd, no not by
An evill Bishop. If thou to God say,
O Lord I did thee in my Priest obey;
This shall suffice thee to Salvation,
For thou by the willing submission
That thou yeeldst to thy Bishop canst not be
Deceived, although he shall command thee
Other things than he ought to doe; for the
Church doth presume his sentence good to be;
Which sentence, though false, if thou shalt obey
Thy reward shall be great. Therefore [say they]
Obedience without reason is a most
Full and compleate obedience, when thou dost
[Page 101] Obey without inquiring reason why,
As beasts obey their masters: a beastly
Contrary to 1 Joh. 4. 1. 2. 2 Joh. 10. 11. Rev. 2. 2. 1 Thes. 5. 20. 21. Joh. 5. 39. Act. 17. 11. Col. 2. 8. 18. 19. Phil 3 2.
Vnreasonable doctrine, which should make
All men suspect Romes Priests; and them forsake;
Who make them worse than beasts, cause thē deny
Their reason, senses, lest they should descry
Their grosse erronious Doctrines, which if try'd
By Scripture, reason, sense, would be deny'd
Of all, receiv'd of none; Romes faith would fall,
Did not her blind obedience most inthrall.

On Romes making perpetuall visibility a 88 note of the true Church.

ROme saith
See Bellar­min de Eccle­sia Contr. 2.
the true Church is still visible;
If Popes (her
Bellarmin, De Concil. Au­thor. l. 2 c. 17. 19. Gretzer, def. c. 10. l. 31, de verbo. Dei See sir Humfrey Lynde his By­way. Sect. 19.
Church and Head) were so, 'twere well:
But they dye, and then
See Pla­tina On [...]phrius, Luitprandius, Stella, & Balae­us de vitis Pon­tificum, Francis Mariu [...], & Za­barella, de Schismate, Theodoricus a Niem de Schi­sm. &c.
oft for sundry yeares
Monthes, weekes at least, no Church, nor head appeares
At all in Rome, which sometimes two or three
Popes hath at once, so as no man can see
Which is the true Church, Head, Pope, since each one
Doth then pretend he's true Church, Pope alone,
Rome then must bid this marke of hers adieu,
Else it will prove her a false Church, not true;
Since Popes [her Church] are not still seene, & she
Hath oft no Pope, head; sometimes two or three.

89 On Romes making Multitude and Roman a note of the true Church.

SOme
Panegi­rolla, with o­thers.
Romanists averre, that Multitude
A Churches truth and goodnesse doth conclude,
If so, the damn'd in Hell a truer Church are
Than Saints in heav'n, since they
Mat. 7. 13. 14 Luc. 13. 23. 24.
are more by farre.
Then world, flesh, Devill, whom most serve, adore,
And Mahomet, whose worshippers are more
Than Christs or Gods, shall truer, better be
Than Christ, God, Christians. Rome thine errour see
In this, which thou must needs retract, recall,
Because Christ saith, his true Flocke is but
Luc. 12. 32.
small.
Thou add'st; that
Bellarmin, Sanders, and others de Ec­clesia.
Roman, is a marke; then all
Those famous Churches to whom John, James, Paul,
Writ their Epistles, and that Church from whom
All other Churches are deriv'd, (Yea Rome
Her selfe) I meane
Isa. 2. 1. 2. 3. Act. 2. 1. to 16. c. 1. 4. c. 8. 1. to 15. c. 11. 27. to 30. c. 15. 1. to 40. c. 16. 4.
Jerusalem, were no
True Churches, since not Roman. And if so,
The Scriptures erre, who them true
Act. 19. 31. c. 15. 41. c. 16. 5. 1. Cor. 7. 17. c. 11. 16. c. 14. 33. 34. 2 Cor. 8. 1. 18. 19 23. 24. c. 11. 28 Gal. 1. 2. 2 Thes. 1. 2. Rev. 1. 11. 20. c. 2. 7.
Churches terme
Of God and Christ; this Rome dares not affirme.
But if these were true, though not Roman, then
Roman's no Note of the true Church to men;
At least in this age, when Romes Church of due,
Is either no Church, or corrupt, untrue.

On Romes engrossing the name of the true 90 Church of Christ to her selfe onely.

ROme boasts, that She is Christs true Church only
When as in Scripture none can her descry
[Page 103] So much as once a
Unlesse it be the Church that was in Priscilla and Aquila's house. Rom. 16. 5. which diminu­tive Church is far from Ca­tholicke and Universall.
Church stild, unlesse she
The Church of
1 Pet. 5. 13. applied by Bel­larmin himself to Rome.
Babylon there called be,
And that by Peter, when as sacred writ
Doth other
1 Cor. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 1. c. 8. 1. Gal. 1. 2. 1 Thes. 1. 1. 2 Thes. 3. 1. Rev. 1. 11. 20. c. 2. & 3.
Churches oft so stile, not it.
Why so? I doubt not but to signifie
Her future errors and Apostacie,
By which she should so far from true faith fall
That none should her a true Church deeme or call,
But that she should become a
Rev. 14. 8. c. 16. 19. c. 17. 5. c. 18. 2. 10.
Babylon
Of Errours, lewdnesse and confusion.

On Romes Religion turn'd to Policy.91

VVHat Romes Religion now decay'd? pray why?
Tis chang'd to State, wealth, worldly policy:
But what's Exchang'd for gaine, is not decayd
But much improv'd, it cannot be gaine-sayd;
Profit, and worldly honour comprise all
Those points which Rome doth now religion call:
Substract these two, and all Romes faith is gon;
Its Policy then, not Religion
Which Rome professeth: if these will her save
Her Machiavill chiefe place in heaven shall have.
And her
Diaboli inventum esse ut populus Biblia legere permitteretur De Tract. Part. 1. assent. 3.
Peresius, who in policy
Durst write and Print, this fearefull blasphemy;
It is the Devills invention to permit
The people to read Scripture (no way fit
For them to know) may by meere policy
Escape hell flames, and mount above the skie.

92 On Popes right to interpret Scripture, and their strange Glosses on sundry Texts, to prove their Supremacy, and the Law­fulnesse of deposing and killing Kings, who disobey them.

MUst not the Pope interpret Scripture? yea
Good reason, else a Pope he could not be.
No Text him makes Christs vicar, Peter, Pope;
His Glosse must helpe here, else he had no hope
Of being either, that makes him these, more:
No reason then he should this right give o're.
Popes
Bellar. de verbo Dei. l. 3. c. 10. Gretzer. De [...]. c. 1. l. 1. De verbo Dei. p. 16.
claime it as their proper right and due
To expound the Scriptures, which none doe so true,
So well as they, in all points, specially
In defence of their owne Supremacy,
And right to judge, depose, kill Kings, here they
Such comments make on Texts, as will display
Their learning, wisedome, and unerring power;
For instance, they say, that our Saviour
Sayd unto, Peter,
Joh 21. 15 16. 17.
Feede my sheepe: therefore
The Popes Supreame head of Christs Church: nay more
They hence inferre, that they may judge, depose,
Kill Christian Kings, & of their Crownes dispose:
Feeding is killing now with Popes, and they
Good shepheards are, when they their flockes spoyle, slay.
Christ sayd to Peter,
Luc. 5 4
lanch out from the shore
Into the deepe, and loose your Nets; therefore
The Pope is supreame head, may Kings put downe
And loose his Net, to catch their Kingdomes Crowne:
[Page 105] I doubt S. Peter never had one thought
Of catching such Fish when he lanch't his boate.
Christ sayd to Peter
Mat. 16. 19.
whatsoever thou
Shalt bind, or loose here upon Earth below,
Shall be bound, loos'd in heav'n, therefore Popes may
Kings Excomunicate, depose, judge, slay;
Nay loose those Subjects from their oathes, which tye
Them to obedience, truth, and Loyalty;
And bind Kings so, that they shall vassals be
To Popes, and ne're once strive against Romes See▪
I feare this kind of binding, loosing fall
Besides this text, which meant them not at all.
Once the Disciples sayd to Christ,
Luk. 22. 38. Pope Bo­niface inter­preted it. De Major. & Obe­dientia. Unam Sanctam, &c.
Behold
Here are two swords, upon which Christ them told,
That is enough; therefore both swords, with all
Soveraigne power, as well temporall
As spirituall doth appertaine of right
Unto the Pope; he may with both swords smite,
I thinke S. Peter did not then descry
That these two swords did so great power imply
As his successors have since in them found;
Who on the sword, not word their Empire ground.
No wonder if they slay, not Preach the Word;
They sticke not to the Text, but to the Sword.
Christ saith
Mat. 28. 18. Applied to Pope Leo the 10. in the Councell of Lataran by Stephen Arch-Bishop of Pa­tracla.
All things in heaven and earth to me
Are given of my Father; therefore the
Pope hath all power, Crownes, Kingdomes of meere right
Belonging to him, and by his owne might
May dispossesse all Kings who them enjoy,
When he thinkes meete, if they him disobey,
Yea hence they plead,
See Offici­um B. Mariae secundum usum Sarum the Rubrickes; there Pere Ba­sile his Decla­ration. c. 12. p. 61. &c.
that the Keyes of heav'n, hell
And Purgatory [wherein they Christ excell]
Belong to Popes, who can redeeme, release
Men from hell, Purgatory when they please,
Or send or keepe them there, or let in men
Or shut them out of Heav'n: They gods are then
[Page 106] I deeme this Text belongs to Christ onely,
Its error then it to Popes to apply.
Christ sayd to Peter,
Act. 10. 11. 12. 13.
Arise, kill and eate;
[That is, such beasts, fowles onely made for meate
Which he saw in a trance, from heav'n let downe
In a great sheete:] Therefore Popes may uncrowne,
Depose, kill Kings, and Princes at their will,
If they refuse their mandates to fulfill:
Nay send them soule and body unto h [...]ll.
I feare the Pope expounds this text not well,
Sith there was no King, man within the sheete,
Bu [...] creeping things, foules and beasts with fowre fe [...]e.
If Popes from hence will kill Kings, they must eate
Their flesh likewise. O'tis a royall meate.
Christ
Mat. 21. 1. 2. 3. Ma [...]. 11. 1. 2. 3.
two Disciples sent, and bad them loose
An Asses colt, and bring him [can you choose
But laugh at this rare glosse?] the Pope therefore
Hath right to all mens goods, both rich and poore:
Yea, to Kings Crownes, & may them binde, unty;
Depose; free subjects from their Loyalty,
Oathes of Allegiance, fealty, even as
Christs two Disciples did untie the Asse:
Popes are hard driven when they must repaire
Unto this Asse, to prop up Peters chaire.
Christ sayd,
Joh. 12. 32.
if I be lift up from earth, I
Will draw all things unto me: Popes hereby
All Kingdomes, Crownes, things of right to them draw
And claime them as their due, by Christs own law.
But since Christ drawes al things to him, on high,
Not to the Pope, on Earth, I must deny
This Roman glosse, till Popes can make it cleare
That Christ speaks of them, of Crowns not Soules
Ce [...]. 1. 1.
In the beginning [not beginnings] God
Created Heav'n and earth [note here Popes odde here.
Glosse and deduction;] Therefore there's but one
Beginning, Monarch; who? the Pope alone,
[Page 107] Whence all Kings, Princes, Prelates, Priests powre springs;
And Popes may make, judge, sway, depose, kill Kings.
In this beginning Popes were not at all;
This text then to their ayde they cannot call.
Gen. 1. 16.
God two great Lights created, the great'st Light
To rule the day, the lesse to rule the night:
Hence
D [...]cretalium l. 1. de Majori­tate & obedi­entia Tit. 33. c. Solitae.
Innocent the third, writes, the greater
Light is the Pope, the lesse the Emperour;
And then concludes most learnedly from hence,
That there's as great and vaste a difference
Betweene the Pope and Emperor, as is
Twixt Sunne and Moone: which his
Glossa Ibi­dem.
Glosser in this
Sort manifests; That as the Sunnes greatnesse
And magnitude exceeds the Moones, no lesse
Than forty seven [nay fifty sixe] times; so,
The Pope in greatnesse, might, power, doth out-goe
Him, no lesse than forty seven times; and as
The moone no luster, nor light in it has
But what the Sunne derives to it: so Kings
And Emperours power, lustre from Popes springs;
Whereas in truth, the Popes authority,
And greatnesse was
Matthew Westm. An. 609. p. 209. Jean C [...]spin Lesta [...], d [...] L [...] ­glise. p. 1 [...]. 184. Platina, Balaeus, and o­thers in the life of Boniface the 3.
deriv'd from them onely.
But sith the Sunne, not Pope, was this great light
Here meant, I doubt the Glosse is false, not right.
Christ sayd that
John 1. 42.
Peter should be cal'd Cephas;
That is, an head saith
Sermo in Fest Greg. Pa­pae, & senno. [...]. in festo S. Petri.
Innocent, whereas
Christ there interprets it to be, a Stone
Whence he inferres, that none but Popes alone
Are heads of Christs Church and Lords Paramount
To Kings, and may them censure, kill, dismount.
This Glosse was made but by an Innocent,
Who understood not what this Cephas ment,
Nor what's the duty of an head, to
Ephes. 4. 15. 16. c. 5. 22. 23. 24. 29.
guide
Not kill the members, or them rule with pride.
[Page 108] Christ sayd to Peter,
Mat. 26. 52.
Put thou up thy sword
Into the seabbard; from which very word
Pope
De Major. & Obed. unam Sanctam, &c.
Boniface the eight most learnedly
Resolves, the temporall sword doth rightly
Belong to Popes; and that the Temporall
Sword subject is to the Hierarchicall.
But since Christ sayd, put up, not use this sword,
This Text no such conclusion will afford.
God sayd to Jeremie the Prophet, See
I
Jer. 1. 10.
over Nations, Kingdomes have set thee
To roote out, pull downe and destroy [namely
By threatning judgements for their sinnes onely:]
Therefore say
Serm. in festo Greg. Pa­pae. Extran. de Ma [...]oritate & Obedientia. [...]. unam Sanctam.
Innocent and Boniface
[Two learned Popes] the Pope hath power, right, place,
Over all Monarch's and their Kingdomes, Crownes
All subject to him, and within the bounds
Of his Grand Empire; and he may at will
Destroy all Kingdomes, Kings dethrone, judge, kill.
This, not to Peter spoke, but Jeremy
Makes little for the Popes Supremacy:
And if
De Consid. ad Eugenium. l. 2. c. 6. Rusti­cani magis su­doris schemate quodam labor spiritualis, ex­pressus est, &c.
S. Bernard rightly glosse the place,
Confounds, not proves the Popes, state, power and grace.
Its writ of Christ,
Psal. 91. 13
that he should tread upon
The Lyon, Adder, yea the young Lyon
And eke the Dragon trample under feete:
Jean▪ Cre­spin, L'estat. de L'esglis. p. 357 Balaeus & Platina in Alexandro. 3. Grimstons im­periall History. in Fred. 1.
Pope Alexander the third, thought it meete
And lawfull for him, from this text, his foote
On Fredericke the first his throate to put,
And tr [...]mple on him, uttering this clause,
Whiles he [...] on him with his Papall Paws.
The
Rev. 12. 4. to the end. 1. Pet. 5. 8.
Devill and his power is meant onely
By Adder, Lyon, Dragon, certainely
In this Text, not the Emperour, therefore
This Pope mis-glost, abus'd it heretofore.
1 Cor. 9. 4.
Have we not power to eate and drinke? saith Paul:
[Page 109] Popes hence have right to all things temporall,
And may dispose of Kings Crowns, as some write,
Then all men sure may claime the selfe-same right
Sith they have power to eate and drinke; but yet
Not Kings, Crownes, Kingdomes, but their drink and meate.
Store of such learned glosses every where
In Popes
Extran. De Major & Obe­dientia. In Concil. Late­ran. sub. L [...]o. 10. p. 671. An­ton. Sum. parte. 3 Tit. 22. c. 5. Pope Innocen­tius the 3. his workes. In Popes Epistles in Aventine. & in Papists who defend the Popes supre­macy.
decrees, Epistles, workes appeare;
Which I omit, since these doe well descry
That Popes all else excell, in glossery,
And can from any text, high Treason draw.
Good cause then they alone should glose Gods Law

On the Popes Supremacy, and Soveraignety Over Kings, Emperours, and King­domes.93

THe Emperours,
See Platina, Crespin. Ba­laeus & Vola­teran de vitis Pontificum Romanorum Eutorpius: Grimstons Im­periall Histo­ry, Morney his Mystery of Iniquity, Ab­bas Uspergensis Volateranus, the Century writers, Caro­lus, Moluiaeus, with others.
nine hundred yeares, and more
Romes Popes confirm'd, chose, judg'd, ruld heretofore;
Who swore them homage and fidelity
As their Supreme Lords, who did summon, try,
Censure, depose them oft for crimes, as we
By Histories of former times may see.
By what right then do Romes Popes now of late
Themselves, 'bove
See Aven­tic. Annal. Boyorum.
Emperours, Kings elevate,
And them elect, confirme, crowne, judge, depose,
Kill, excommunicate, their Crownes dispose,
Their Kingdomes interdict, absolve, untye
Their subjects from their Oathes, faith, loyalty,
And stir them up to fight, revolt, rebell
Against their lawfull Princes, them to quell,
Exempt all Clergie mens goods, persons, lands
From publicke taxes, and Lay-Judges hands?
Mat. 17. 24 26 27
Christ, Peter, tribute did to Caesar pay,
[Page 110] And charged all to
Mat. 22. 21
give Caesar alway
The things that are Caesars; yea blessed Paul
Writing unto the Romans, saith,
Rom. 13. 1. to 9.
Let all,
Or every Soule be subject to obey,
The higher powers, and to them tribute pay,
Not out of feare but conscience, since they be
Ordain'd of God. The like precept reade we
Saint Peter gives to all;
1 Pet. 2. 13. 14. 15.
Your selves submit
To the King, as supreame, why so? for it
Is the will of God, and for the Lords sake
You must this doe; Here Popes Peter forsake,
And quite abandon: his Divinity
They now at Rome condemne for
See Balaeus & Benno in vi­ta Greg. 7. with Abbas Uspergensis, & Grimston in the life of Fre­dericke Barbe­rossa and Hen­ry the third.
Heresie.
The Jewish high-Priests to their Kings of old
Did still submit, and were
1 King. 2. 26. 27.
judg'd, rul'd, controld
By them; nay
Mat. 26. & 27.
Christ himselfe,
Act. c. 25. & 26. & 27. & 28. 2 Tim. 4. 16. 17.
Paul, Peter, all
Th' Apostles unto
See Doctor Crakenthorpe of the Popes Temporall Monarchie.
Caesars tribunall
Appeal'd, submitted; if Popes Vicars be
To Christ, or Peters Successors, their See,
Goods, persons, Lands, they must to Emperours
And Kings subject, as did their Ancestors;
They must no longer them judge, kill, depose,
Accurse, command, nor of their Crownes dispose;
Else they will prove the Devills Vicars, who
All earthly Kingdomes claim'd, [as Popes now doe
In sundry
See Doctor Crakenthorpe of the Popes Temporall Monarchie.
Printed bookes] and sayd
Mat. 7. 8. 9. Luk. 4 5. 6.
all these
Are mine to give unto whom I shall please;
But neither Devill, Pope have right to one
Kings Crowne or Kingdome, but
Prov. 8. 15. Psal. 22. 28. Dan 4. 25. c. 2. 21. c. 5. 21. 22. Job. 9. 5. to 13. 2 Chron. 2 [...]. 6. 7. c. 9, 8. 1 Tim. 6. 15. Rev. 17. 24 c. 19. 16.
Christ, God alone;
And Kings from under them immediately.
If Popes lay claime to any, certainely
They from the Devill must their right derive,
And such bad Title, doubtlesse will not thrive;
Which if they looke not well unto, I feare
The Devill will at last them to hell beare
For their encroachments on his royalties.
[Page 111] Popes than forbeare this claime, if ye be wise;
Christ, Peter did no
Joh. 18. 36.
earthly Crownes possesse,
Therefore Popes claimes to them are vaine, groundlesse.

On Popish [...]mages.94

PApists in Lent (a time of most devotion)
Their Images
Declara­tion du Pere Basil. p. 72.
still hide of their free motion
In all their Churches; So that none can eye
Them when they pray. This practise certainely
Is an undoubted signe that Images
And pictures placed, us'd in Rome Churches
Doe hinder mens devotion, since they hid [...]
Them thus in Lent: than lay them quite aside
At all times else, since no Saints heretofore
Had Images in Churches, or before
Them us'd to pray, bow, kneele, or worshipped
Them as Romes Creatures of late have learned
To doe; who Pagan like stockes
Cassandri Consul [...]atio. Artic. 21. Hieron. Lamas Sum. Pars. 3. 2. Adeo Gens af­fecta est trun­cis corrosis & deformibus I­maginibus, ut me teste, quo­ties episcopi decentiores po­ [...]ere jubent, veteres suas p [...]tant ploran­tes, &c.
deisie,
And after them when lost like Pagans cry,
As some of late have done in Spaine; 'twere well
Therefore if Images were damn'd to Hell,
Wherewith Romes flocke as grosse Idolatry
Commits, as Pagans with theirs anciently.

On Romes Doctrine and Practise of E­quivocation.95

ALL Rome for a false Church should damne, flye, hate,
Because she teacheth to
See Mos [...] of Equivoca­tion.
equivocate;
[Page 112] The worst of all
[...].
Lies, cheates, that is; no truth
Can be in Rome, who this defends, pursu'th.
How can men pin their faith on Romes Church sleeve,
Whose doubling faith, words, oathes none can be­leeve.
They may more faith, truth finde in Devills, then
In most of Romes Popes, Jesuites, Clergie-men;
Whose strange Equivocations, Lyes, should make,
All them, and their false Church quite to forsake.

96 On Papists blasphemous Assertions tou­ching the Virgin Mary, to the disho­nour of God the Father, and Christ his Sonne.

Marial. part 3▪ Serm. 3. Ex­cellent 4. Ga­briel Biel in Cen. Missae. Lect. 80. Joan. Gerson. Tract. 4. super Mag­nificat.
BErnard de Busti, and some Romanists
Since him, record, that Gods Kingdome con­sists
Chiefely in these two, Iustice and Mercy:
That God this last hath resign [...]d to Mary
As his Kingdomes best halfe; whence all who by
Gods Justice griev'd are, may appeale and flye,
From God to her, as men here commonly
From Courts of Law, appe [...]le to Chancery:
Who by her Mercy, will them ayde, releeve
Against Gods Justice when ere it them grieve.
So that if God in justice men condemne
Her Mercy, mauger God, will absolve them,
And free from condemnation; if this be
True, God's but halfe a God; no God but she:
God hath nought left but Justice, which damnes all;
Not one for Justice, all for Mercy call:
Mary hath all Gods Mercy; is all grace
Nay Mercies
Fons Mise­ricordiae, mater Misericordiae, &c. So is Mary stiled in most Offices, Pri­mers, Houres and Popish Masse-bookes: as if all Gods mercy were derived from her.
Fountaine: all then will embrace
[Page 113] Her for their onely Goddesse; all will flye,
Sue, pray to her, not one to God will cry;
Nor yet to Christ, who being just as well
As mercifull, doth oft delay, repell
Poore sinners suites (writes
De excel­lentia. B. Vir­ginis.
Anselme,) when Mary
Compos'd of nought but mercy, clemency,
Heares and grants all mens suites without delay,
As soone as they unto her seeke or pray.
So as all those who their suites would obtaine
With speede, must unto her resort, complaine.
Which (if true Doctrine) all to her will run,
And Christ, as Mediator, be undone,
Since all will sue to her, who doth first grant,
And ne're demand of God one thing they want
For Christ his Intercession, but seeke all
From her, whom they their
Eia [...]rgo ADVOCATA NOSTRA. Officium. B. Ma­riae secundum Usum Sarum; & in all other Offices Anci­ent and Mo­derne.
ADVGCATE oft
If these write truth, the Virgin hath undone
Un-Godded both the Father and Sonne:
Ingrost their Mercy, Office, Di [...]ty,
And made herselfe Romes onely god: Truely
Then well might Bonaventure, in his Psalter
Our Lord unto our Lady
See Bi­shop Vshers Answere to the Jesuites challenge, p. 490. 491.
change and alter
Throughout the Psalmes: and the
Psa. 110. 1
Lord sayd to my
Lord, sit thou at my right hand untill I
Thine enemies make thy footestoole; translate;
The Lord sayd to our
Psal. 71. 1. 2. 3.
Lady, sit thou at
My right hand, untill I thine enemies
Thy footestoole make: And in like sort disguise,
Psal. 71. 1. 2. 3.
O Lord in thee have I put my trust, let
Me never be confounded, and to set
It thus: O Lady I my trust in thee
Have put, O never suffer me to be
Put to confusion: in thy righteousnesse
Deliver me, for thou art my fortresse:
With sundry such like: This grosse Blasphemy
Which Romes Popes Church approve, use, justifie,
[Page 114] To Gods and Christs dishonour, should now make
All them quite to abandon and forsake.

97 On Romes Novelties, notwithstanding her pretence of Antiquity.

ROme is still vaunting of Antiquity,
Though all, or most in her be Novelty.
Her Popes, Arch-prelates, Prelates, Cardinals,
Arch-Deacons, Prebends, Deanes, Officialls,
Subdeacons, Readers, Clerkes, Acolythists,
Abbots, Abbesses, Priors, Massing-Priests,
Monke [...], Friers, Nunnes of all sorts, Anchorites,
Con [...]essors, [...]egats, Pard'ners, Jesuites,
Chancellours, Vicars, Proctors, Commissaries,
Dataries, Chaplaines, are all
See Wick­lisse. Dialog. l. 4. c. 15. 26. 33. to 39.
Novelties
Not found in Scripture, mens late forgery.
Now since Rome these her
See Bellar­min de Eccle­sia l. 3. c. 2. Mar­silius Patav. Defens. Pacis. part. 2. c. 2.
Church cals, deemes only,
Her Chuch is but a Novelty built on
Mens fancies, not on
Ephes. 2. 20. Mat. 16. 18. 1 Pet. 2. 5. 6. 7.
Christ the Corne [...] stone:
Her blotting out the second Commandement,
And doubling of the tenth, to give content.
Her monstrous Transubstan [...]tion,
Masse, Ladies Psalters, h [...]lfe Communion;
Her drinking of Christs blood within the bread
She eates, and that [...] in the veines not shed;
Making, ado [...]g gods, Saints Images,
[...] Crosses, Pixes, Crucifixes▪
Pray [...]s to God in unknowne Tongues: to Saints
Departed, who cannot heare their complaints;
Auricular confession, exempting
Delinquent clerkes from justice of their King;
Election for mens fore-seene workes; freewill,
Falling from Grace, new Miracles wrought still;
[Page 115] Her markes of a true Church, the Priests intent
Essentiall to make a true Sacrament,
Adoring of the host conditionally,
If it in truth be turn'd to Christs body;
Saints seeing Prayers in the Looking-glasse
O'th' Trinity, to which mens prayers still passe;
Her worshipping of all things with Latry
(As Crosse, speare, Nayles, Thornes) which toucht Christs body;
Her Pictures of our Lady on a throne
Crown'd Queen of Heav'n, with Christ a little one
Held in her Armes: Her praying unto her,
Jure ma­tris impera tuo delectis [...]i­mo filio Domi­no nostro Jesu Christo. Corona B. Mariae Vir­ginis, Bonavent. Opera. Tom. 6. Romae. 1588. Inclina vultum Dei & Filii rui super nos: COGE pecca­toribus misere­ri. Ibidem; Monstra [...]e esse matrem; Jure­matris IMPE­RA: Offic. B. Mariae.
Command thy Sonne, shew thy selfe a Mother;
See Tho. Beacons Re­liques of Rome.
Reliques of her milk, haire, combs, Gowns, smocks (all
Still fresh, sweete) sinnes in nature veniall;
Prayer to Angels, Limbus, Purgatory,
Popes Indulgences, Pardons sold for money,
For any sinne; five new coyn'd Sacraments,
Her publicke stewes allow'd to raise Popes rents,
Her Merits, workes of supererogation;
Doubt, no certaine assurance of Salvation;
Popes right to both swords, their supremacy
Over all Persons, Clergie, Laity:
Their excommunicating, deposing,
Iudging, nay killing Kings, interdicting
Whole Kingdomes; absolving from loyalty
And solemne oathes of that fidelity
Which subjects make unto their kings; arming,
Exciting subjects 'gainst their lawfull King;
Processions, Pilgrimages, reservations
Of Hosts in Pixes, with their elevations,
And Adorations: Lay men not to read
Gods Word: that it must be interpreted,
Confirm'd by Popes: that Romes Popes may di­spense
Against Gods word; controll the text, and sense;
[Page 116] That Popes are above Councels generall,
And must confirme, nay over-rule, and call
Them of due right: that Councels cannot erre,
Nor Popes in Peters chaire, where they sit ne're:
Saints canonizing; Romes rich Treasaury
Of Merit, whereof Popes must keepe the key;
Cases reserved to his Sanctity,
Buls, Masses to free Soules from Purgatory,
Justification not by faith alone
But workes, more Mediators besides one;
That Mary is the Churches Advocate,
Damning Priests marriage, vowing Celibate,
Saints Legends, Holi-dayes, strict abstinence
From meates at set dayes out of conscience;
Bowing at Altars, shaving Priests, Nuns Crowns,
Great difference in habits, Coules, Frocks, Gowns,
Beades, Pater Nosters, Aves, sayd by score,
Yea Ave Mary Bels, not known afore
Time; Holy-water, Holy-bred, Candels
Burning at Noon-day;
See Tho. Beacon of Ex­orcismes and Conjurations. vol. 3. f. 101. to 133.
Christning, hallowing Bells,
Palmes, Churches, Church-yards, Altars, Chalices,
Salt, Spittle, Chrisme, Swords, Pals, Ro [...]bets, Abbees,
Copes, Altar-Cloathes; Organs, strange Duckes, Bowings,
Nods, Gestures, Ceremonies, and Crossings;
Chaunting of Masses, praying toward the East,
Chusing of some Saints more than all the rest
For certaine Kingdomes, Countries, diseases;
Cities, Professions like the Pagans; these
With sundry other things, are Novelties,
Not found in Scripture, but mens Forgeries▪
Cease then thy Bragges Rome, thy Religion's new,
Vaine, false; ours onely is old, saving, true.

On, and against Romes halfe Communion, and Sacrilegious depriving the people of the Sacramentall Cup.

TEll me lewde Rome, with what sense, reason, grace
Canst thou fly in our blessed Saviours face?
And crosse his precept,
Mat. 26. 27.
Drinke yee ALL of this;
As if it were superfluous, or amisse?
Yea, bid a Non-obstante unto it,
To Christ, Apostles, Fathers, as unfit
Here to be follow'd, in a full
Quia in nonnullis par­tibus mundi perversus mos pullulate inci­pit, ut sacerdo­tes Laicos sub utraque spe­cie, panis viz. & vini, com­manicare non cessont, contra Romanae & universalis Ec­clesiae consue­tudinem ap­proba [...]am, un­de scandala & haereses veri­similiter oriti saspicantur Pe­timus; nos, &c. per vestras re verendissimas paternitates provideri salu­briter Ecclesiae Dei. &c. hinc est quod praesens Concilium sacum generale [...]onstantiense, in spiritu Sancto legitime congregatum, adversus hunc ERROREM provideri satagens, matura plurium Doctorum tam divini, quam humani Juris deliberatione praehabita, de­clarat, decernit & diffinit: Quod licet Christus post c [...]nam instituerit, & suis Discipulis administraverit, sub utraque specie panis & vini hoc venerabile Sacramentum: tamen hoc NON OBSTANTE: &c. Sessio. 13. Surius. Tom 3. p. 821. 822.
Councell,
And curse damne all those to the pit of Hell
Who dare tread in their Footesteps, or say, Lay
Men ought to drinke Christs Cup, and him obey
Herein; stiling receiving in both kinde,
A perverse custome, error, as we finde
In the Councell of Constan insolent,
Blasphemous Act, against Christs Sacrament.
Had Rome not lost her wits, sense, grace, all shame,
She would not thus Christs Lawes annull, Acts blame
And those as
P [...]rtinaciter asserentes oppositum praemissorum, tanquam haeretici arcendi, per Dioce sanos locorum, aut inquisitores haereticae pravitaris Concil. Constant. Ibid.
Heritiques damne, & pursue,
Who hold the Cup to be to Lay-men due.
To salve this sore: Rome first saith, she being
Christs Spouse, hath power, right to decree this thing.
This I deny: No wives have power, right to.
[Page 118] Annull,
Object. 1.
or change those acts their husbands doe.
The Lawes of God and Men, bid
Eph. 5. 22. 23. 24. Col. 3. 18. 1 Tim. 2. 11. 12. [...] Pe [...]. 3. 1.
wives obey
Their husbands Mandates,
Answ. 1.
not them crosse, gainesay;
She is no true spouse, but whore, who dares rent,
Divide or change her Husbands Testament.
He is no good childe, servant, or subject,
But Rebell, Traytor, who dares change, dissect
His Fathers, Masters, Princes Testament,
Or their Edicts oppose, controule or rent:
Rome is no true Spouse, servant, childe, subject
Of Christ then, as she boasts, who dares neglect,
Change, disannull his will and Testament,
And thus divide his blessed Sacrament,
Against his precept: Nor can she of right
It doe. For what Authority, Law, might
Hath any wife, child, Servant or subject
(Commanded to
Ephes. 5. 22. 23. 24. c. 6. 1. 2. Col 3. 20. to 26. 1 Tim. 6. 1. 2. Rom 13. 1. to 7. 1 Pet. 2. 13 14 18. c. 3. 1 Tit. 3. 1.
obey, nor crosse, correct,
Their Husbands, Parents, Masters, Princes will,
And their Acts, Edicts, Pleasures to fulfill)
To alter, nullifie, halve, disobey
Their Testaments, Acts, Edicts, or to stray
From, runne crosse to them? Romes Church can­not be
More than Christs Spouse, childe, servant, subject; she
Then being no more, if this, cannot cancell
Christs ordinances, nor his Lawes repeal,
Much lesse deprave, pervert his Testament,
His Cup restraine, divide his Sacrament.
Christ threatens
Deut. 4. 2. Josh. 1. 7. Pro. 30. 6. Rev. 22. 18. 19.
death to those who dare detract
2 Ought from his Word, much more from his last act,
The Sacrament, by his death ratifi'de,
And
1 Cor. 1 [...]. 25. 26. Luc. 22. 19.
doe this as oft as ye drinke: Beside,
3 Christ doth forbid to
Exod▪ 20. 15. Mat. 19. 18. Rom. 2. 21. c. 13. 9. Ephes. 4. 28.
stea [...]e or take away
What is anothers right: None can gainesay
Christs Cup and blood to be the Peoples right
As well as Priests; since Christ in the same night
[Page 119] He did ordaine the Sacrament; bids
Mat. 26. 27 1 Cor. 10. 4. 16. 17.
All
To drinke of his blest Cup in Generall;
And
2 Cor 5. 14 15. 1 Joh. 1. 7. c. 2. 1 2. Rev. 1. 5. c. 7. 14. Act. 20. 28. Rom. 5. 9. Ephes. 1. 5. c. 2. 13. Heb. 13. 11. 12. c. 9. 11. to 26. 1 Pet. 1. 2. 19.
shed his blood alike for all; as much
As well for Laymen, as for Priests, and such
As be in Orders. Since then Lay-men by
Christs owne gift, Charter, as great property 4
And right have to Christs Cup, as Romes Clergie
Or any Pope or Prelate; certainely
It cannot but be Sacriledge and theft
Them to deprive of what Christ to them left;
And that at his death, by his Testament,
To which the Church must yeeld, not disassent.
Christs owne Apostles here had no right, power
To change his Acts, Lawes; Hence our Saviour
Tels them
Joh. 14. 15. 21. 23. 24.
If ye love me, my Commandments
Keepe: adding, For he who loves me, assents
To, and keepes my Commandments. Romes Church then
Who keepes not Christs Commandments, and doth when
She please, annull, controule his Acts and will,
Loves not Christ, but rebells against him still.5
All the Apostles, and S. Peter say
Act 4. 19. c. 5. 29.
We ought rather God than men to obey,
Therefore we rather must obey Chri [...]t here
Who bids us drink, than Popes who say forbeare.6
The Sacred Cup, Blood in the Sacrament
Is the
Mat. 26. 28 Mat. 14. 24. Luk. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 25. Heb. 9. 20. c. 1 [...]. 29. c. 13. 11. Exod. 24. 8. Zech. 9. 11. Rom. 4. 11.
seale of Christ Cov'nant, Testament:
Whence Christ not of the Bread, but Cup saith, This
Cup the New Testament in my Blood is:
Now Christs Covenant, will, as
Jer. 33. 20 21. c. 31. 35. 36. 37. Isa. 54. 9. 10. Psal. 111. 7. 8. 9.
unchangeable
Are as the day and night, impossible
Once to be cancel'd, and stand fast for ever;
Therefore none can the Cups seale from them sover,
Containing Christs blood of the Covenant;
Which will be voyd, if it this great seale want.
[Page 120] 7 When Christ gave his Apostles their Charter
And grand Commission, he expresly there
Thus bounds their power, saying
Mat. 28. 19. 20.
Goe ye and Preach
The Gospell to all Nations, and them teach
ALL THINGS FOR TO OBSERVE WHAT­SOEVER I
HAVE YOU COMMANDED: adding, and loe, I
Am with you alwayes unto the worlds end.
Sith Christ then did his owne Apostles send
Forth, but to teach all men to observe
Whatever he commanded, and not swerve
From it unto the left hand or the right:
How Romes Popes, Church have now more po­wer, might, right
Than Peter, the Apostles had to change,
Repeal Christs will, Acts, Edicts, seemes most strange
To me, and she must shew me some expresse
Commission from Christ, which doth theirs sup­presse,
And give Popes power to rob the Laity
Quite of Christs Chalice, given formerly
Unto them by his will, and that Popes be
Exempt from Christs Injunctions now, though He
Be alwayes present in his Church as King
And Supreame Lord, directing every thing;
Or else I must deny that Popes justly
May take Christs Cup thus from the Laity.
When Paul th' abuses in the Sacrament
8 At Corinth would reforme, he that Church sent
1 Cor. 11. 17. to 30.
Ʋnto Christs owne prime Institution,
Blaming them first for its transgression,
And then informes them very punctually;
I have receiv'd of the Lord that which I
Also delivered unto you; that the
[Page 121] Lord Jesus in the selfe-same night that he
Was betray'd tooke bread; and so forth: After
Supper he tooke the Cup in like manner
Adding this clause to both; As oft as ye
Doe this, doe it in memory of me.
For as oft as ye eate this bread; AND this
Cup drinke, ye shew the Lords death untill his
Comming againe: By which words it is plaine,
All must drinke Christs Cup till he come againe.
Since Paul then doth them checke for varying
From Christs first Institution, injoyning
All to conforme thereto; I hence clearely
Conclude Romes Church hath no Authority
Or right at all from Christs first forme to stray;
Much lesse his Cup, Blood, thus to take away
From Laickes, who must it drinke and retaine
By this Texts warrant, till Christ come againe.
The scripture calls the blessed Sacrament
The Lords
1 Cor. 10. 21. c. 11. 20.
Supper and Table; with intent
To signifie, that as all constantly
Doe
Gen. 24. 54. c. 25. 34. c. 27. 25. c. 43. 34. Exod. 24. 11. c. 32. 6. Judg. 19. 4. 6. 21. 2 Sam. 11. 13. 1 King. 1. 25. c. 4. 20. c. 18. 41. 1 Chron. 29. 22. Est. 1. 7. 8. Job 1. 13. Isa. 22. 13. Mat. 11. 19. Luk. 10. 7.
drinke as well as eate when called by
Men to Sup with them at their Tables: so
Christ would have all the Guests invited to
His Sacred Table Supper, as well drinke
His wine, as eate his bread, else they might thinke
His feast defective, and himselfe to be
A niggard, not a bountifull, good, free
House-keeper. This was it which makes him cry▪
Cant. 5. 1:
Come drinke O Friends, yea drinke abundantly
O my beloved:
Rev. 22. 17.
Drinke ye all of this
And drinke it freely.
Mat. 26. 27.
Christ hath prepar'd his
Prov. 9. 2. 5. Gen. 14. 28.
Wine as well as Bread, Meate for his feast,
As Scripture oft recites, that so no guests
Might depart thirsty. This his bounteousnesse
Rome now controules, and deemes it an excesse,
And therefore sends all from his Supper dry
[Page 122] Except Masse-Priests, who drinke the wine onely;
To Christs dishonour, his guests discontents,
Who neither love dry feasts, nor Sacraments.
When Lords
Esth. 1. 7. 8. Dan. 5. 3. 4.
allow wine for all guests to drinke,
All will those lewde, presumptuous Servants think
Who dare eclipse their liberality,
And send their guests away from Supper dry.
Thus Rome deales with her Lord Christs guests: I feare
She will one day for this affront pay deare.
Reply.
If any urge, That
Mat. 19. 7. 8.
Moses anciently
In cases of Divorce did really
Dispence with Gods owne Law; Therefore Popes may
The Sacred Cup from Lay-men take away.
I rejoyne;
Rejoynder.
Moses did not this thing by
1 His owne meere power and Authority,
But by expresse
Deut. 24. 1. 2. 3. 4. c. 16. 17. c. 12. 1. Mar. 7. 8. 10. c. 3. to 10. compared to­gether.
Command from God, which we
In sundry Texts upon record yet see.
But Popes have no command from Christ to take
Away the Cup: see then their grosse mistake
And absur'd argument: Moses, say they,
By Gods Command, did let men put away
Their wives in certaine cases, contrary
To the first law of Marriage; formerly
Enacted: therefore Popes without command
From Christ, by their owne might may counter­mand
Christs Institutions; and quite take away
His Cup from people who are meerely Lay.
2 A grosse inconsequent. But if that I
Grant, Moses by his owne (authority
Did this, which is not true; yet Popes must next
Prove their power as great as his from some Text,
And that this cause of divorce, arbitrary
At mens free choyce, and practised onely
By few,) is just the same, with Popes taking
The Cup by force from all Lay-men: which thing
[Page 123] Sith they can no wayes prove, they must confesse
Their wicked error, theft, and it redresse.
But Romes Popes here object, this precept was
Given to Priests alone,
Object. 2.
who in the Masse
Still drinke the Cup; not unto Lay-men. I
To this evasion shall first thus reply:
Answer. 1.
That if, Drinke ye ALL of it, were spoke to
Th' Apostles onely as Priests, not Lay; so
Likewise must, Take, eate, this is my body;
Be spoken to, and meant of Priests onely,
Since both were spoke to the same men, at the
Same time, and this word, All, we clearely see
Omitted in the Breads delivery,
And exprest in this of the Cup onely,
Will this enforce; which if true, then you may
As well the Bread as Cup now take away
From all Lay-men; and so deprive them quite
Of the Lords Supper, Bread, Wine, Priests sole right.
Lay-men have right to both kinds, else to nether;
Rome must then keepe back or give both together.
But was it spoke to Priests onely? why then 2
Doth Rome deny, (as well as to Lay-men)
The Cup to
Concil. Trident, Sessio. 21. c. 1. 2. Suriu [...]. Tom. 4. p. 957.
Priests who doe not consecrate,
And by Trents Acts, leave them in Lay-mens state?
Christ onely hallow'd by consent of all,
The bread and wine at first; and did not call
Any of his Disciples to assist
Him in the consecration: yet then Christ
Sayd to them;
Mat. 26. 27.
Drinke ye all of this; and they
Mar. 14 23.
All dranke thereof, as in Marke read you may.
Its then against Christs precept, practise, to
Deny the Cup to such Priests, as you doe;
Or unto any who communicate,
Since Christ words to all such alike relate.
But how knowes Rome, that at this Sacrament 3
[Page 124] When first ordain'd, none but Priests were present?
The Twelve were present; but than they onely
Were there, no Text doth prove infallibly.
But grant it true; they did not receive then
As Priests, Apostles, but as Christian men
And members of Christs body, Church, which they
There represented; else no Priests nor Lay
Men any ground had to receive the bread
Or wine at all, [...]th Christs words related
Onely to the Apostles then present,
To whom he spake and gave the Sacrament.
Since therefore they first received bread and wine
In this sense onely, as all grant, define:
Then all Lay men have as good Title right
Unto the Cup, as any Jesuite,
Pope, Priest, or Prelate. Nor can Rome, say they,
Receive them as they were Priests, but as Lay.
For Rome resolved hath in
Sessio. 22. Can. 2. De Sa­crificio Missae Surius. Tom. 4. p. 962.
Trents Councill
That the Apostles were not made Priests till
After the consecration, and the bread
No sacred Cup to them delivered;
And that by vertue of these words; Doe this
In remembrance of me; which they say is,
The ground, and forme of her new Sacrament
Of Orders, Priesthood. Then by Romes assent
Not being Priests till these words uttered,
They were Laymen whom they first receiv'd.
The Bread, Wine; since Paul addes, Christ sayd,
1 Cor. 11. 25.
This doe
In my remembrance, after the Cup too.
Which clause if it makes Masse-priests all shall be
Created such Priests, who receive; which she
Cannot gaine say, since all men equally
Must take the bread and wine in memory
Of Christ, and DOE THIS, in as ample wise
As any Masse-priests: whence this will arise,
[Page 125] That all receivers are
Rev. 1. 6. 1 Pet. 2. 5.
Priests; and therefore
None must be kept from the cup any more.
Adde, Paul C [...]rists words applyeth equally
To all Receivers, Priests or Laity;
And makes the Cup as common unto all
As is the bread. Hence he is generall
Of the faithfull Jewes writes
1 Cor. 10. 2. 3. 4.
that they did eate
ALL (as we doe) the same spirituall meate,
And did ALL DRINKE, the SAME spirituall drink;
For they dranke of the Rocke Christ: If you think
This proofe not full enough, he writes to all
The
1 Cor. 1. 1. 2.
Church of Corinth, Saints in generall,
1 Cor. 10. 21.
Ye cannot drinke the Cup of the Lord, and
The Cup of Divils, which can never stand
Together) ye cannot partakers be
Of the Lords Table, and partake of the
Table of Devils: In which notable
Text the Cup is twice
1 Cor. 10. 16. 21.
plac'd before the Table
And sacred bread; and eke appropriated
To all the faithfull, as well as the bread.
He addes,
1 Cor. 11. 26. 27. 28. 29.
for as oft as ye this bread eate
And drinke this Cup, ye the Lords death repeate
And shew forth till be come: wherefore (O thinke
Of this) who ere shall eate this bread and DRINKE
THIS CƲP of the Lord but unworthily
Shall be guilty of the blood and body
Of Christ. But let a man well examine
Himselfe, and so eate of that bread divine
AND DRINKE of that Cup: for he that eateth
AND DRINKES unworthily, eates, AND DRIN­KETH
Da [...]ation to himselfe. Christ by S. Paul
Declares the Cup as common unto all
As is the bread. That Laymen must it drinke
As well as Priests, whence he the bread doth linke
Five times together with the Cup. Cup, Bread
[Page 126] Eate, Drinke are still conjoyn'd not severed:
All must them both receive, or both forbeare,
What
Mat. 196.
Christ conjoynes, none must asunder teare.
All Lay men must eate, drinke, as well as Priests,
Else they prove Rebles and meere Antichrists;
Yea, barre themselves both from the life of grace
And glory too; witnesse that noted place
In John.
Joh. 6. 53. 54. 55. 56.
Except ye eate the flesh, AND DRINKE
The blood of the Sonne of Man, (which Priests thinke
Meant onely of the Sacrament, though then
Not instituted, nor made knowne to men:)
You have no life in you. Whoso eateth
My flesh, AND my blood (by true faith) DRIN­KETH,
Hath life eternall, and at the last day
I will raise him up: for my flesh (I say)
Is
Christ saith not here; the bread is my flesh indeed, as Popelings dreame, but quite contrary: My flesh is meate (to wit bread) indeed. and my blood is drinke (to wit wine) indeede: therefore if there be any transubstantia­tion here im­plyed, it must be of Christs body and blood into bread and wine indeed: not of bread and wine into Christs bo­dy and blood.
meate indeede, and my blood drinke indeed;
(Which crosse conversion stands Rome in no steed
But damnes that Transubstantiation
Which she endeavours to erect hereon:)
He that eateth my flesh, AND DRINKETH my
Blood, dwels in me, and I in him, (onely
Spiritually, not corporally.) Here
Christs flesh and blood; eating, drinking, appeare
Foure severall times combined: and drinking
Christs blood is thrice made a most needfull thing
To gaine eternall life: Nor can Rome cry,
That this was spoken unto Priests onely;
For 'twas spoke to the people, as is cleare
By expresse words, and Christs whole discourse here.
Besides, it differs
10. 6. 24. 26. 23. 29. 31. 32. 34. 35. 41. 42. 43. 49. 5 [...]. [...]3.
eating from drinking
Oft times, as a distinct and diverse thing;
And make both equally needfull. Therefore
Rome to Lay-men the Cup must now restore;
Else she will rob them of life eternall,
[Page 127] Of Christs blood,
Object. 3.
and to Hell fire damne them all.
To shunne this Rocke, Rome saith,
Concil. Constantiense. Sessio. 13. Surius. Tom. 3. p. 821. Concil. Trident. Sessio. 21. cap. 3.
that Lay-men Drinke
Christs blood in eating the dry Host: I thinke
None but meere sots devoyd of reason, sense,
Will be deluded with this grosse non-sense.
Is any man so simple once to thinke
That he Wine, Cyder, Beere, doth truely drinke
In eating dry Grapes,
Answ.
Apples, Barly, Meate;
Or that he drinkes swines blood when he doth eate
Blacke puddings; and so needes not for drinke call
Because he drinkes Wine, Cyder, Beere in all
Reasons, Bread, Apples, meates he eates? Truely
I ne're yet heard, nor read in History
Of any so besotted as to thinke,
That in bare eating, he did truely drinke
Wine, Beare, included in dry bread onely,
And eate, drink, both in one, for company.
Should Priests tell Children, fooles, (than how much more
Wisemen) when they eate bread, dry meates good store
And then call for wine, beare, that they neede none
Because they truely drinke Wine, Beere alone,
In eating bread or dry meates; they would cry
Forthwith, they did but them mocke, cheat, belye,
And give no credit to their words at all
But them meere Lyers and impostors call.
Should Priests in this sort onely drinke at Table
They would this shift damne as a senselesse Fable;
Why are lay Papists then such blockes to thinke
Their Priests speake truth, in saying that they drinke
Christs Cup, blood truely, in eating dry bread?
[Page 128] No doubt their wits are lost; their senses fled.
Should they tell Priests, or Priests tell them when as
They feast at home in private, not at Masse,
That they drinke wine in eating of their bread,
Neither by either would be credited:
How then can they beleeve they drinke truely
Christs Cup, Blood, when they eate the bread onely?
All know that eating is not drinking; they
In
See (z) be­fore. Job 1. 18. Mat 11. 18. 19. Luk. 10. 7.
Scripture, Authors, speech, use are alway
Distinct things, and still put as opposite,
One to another. How then dares Rome write
Or Pope decree such Nonsense, that eating
Is drinking, drinking eating, both, one thing?
When each man, child, foole knows the contrary,
And may here justly say they erre and lye.
Are they the same? why then did Christ say,
Mat. 26. 26. 27. Joh. 6. 52. to 59. 1 Cor. 11. 25. to 3 [...].
Eate
And drinke? yea, both of them so oft repeate,
As different things? why doe Priests both eate, drinke
And as to them eating no drinking thinke?
If Lay-men drinke in eating, not Priests, then
They can doe more than Popes, Priests, Clergie-men:
If Priests in eating drinke as well as they,
The Cup must then from Priests be tooke away,
Lest they drinke twice for once; nay eate twice too
In drinking; wherein
See ( [...]) be­fore.
Rome holds her Priests doe
Eate Christs body, conjoyn'd unseprably
Vnto his blood; and by concomitancy
Is eate in drinking. But if neither drinke
In truth in eating bread, why doth Rome thinke
She doth it, against Scripture, reason, sense,
Christs expresse verdict, and experience?
Men alwayes chew the things they eate; and they
Hard, solid, dense (not liquid) things alway,
[Page 129] (The Objects of eating) are sayd to eate;
They swallow when they drinke; not chew; not meate,
Bread, solid things, but liquors, drinkes onely,
The objects which men still drinke properly.
Men take what they eate with hand, knife, spone: sup,
Quaffe what they drinke out of some, pot, glasse, Cup.
It is a contradiction then to thinke,
Say, he that eates the bread, doth truely drinke
The Cup thereby. O Papists now espie,
Renounce Romes monstrous Nonsense, Foolery.
Christ bids all eate and drinke still distinctly,
Not both in one; and that successively:
Mat. 26. 26 27. 28. 1 Cor. 11. 24. 25. &c.
First eate the bread, next drinke the Cup, that he
At first ordained, and them gave, thus the
Apostles still tooke them successively
In former times; but those who drinke onely
In eating of the bread, doe both together
In one act, moment, and doe not them sever.
Christ bids men
Matth. 29. 27.
drinke; not eate his blood; but they
Who take it in the Host, it eate alway,
Not drinke at all; as men doe onely eate
Blood in blacke puddings, fowles, or strangled meate,
Wherein blood is contain'd: Nay he bids all
Here not drinke of his blood in generall,
Mat. 26. 27. 18. 1 Cor. 10. 16. 21. c. 11. 25 to 30.
But specially to drinke it in the Cup
And wine. Now those who onely drinke it up
Within the bread; and neither Cup, wine take,
Transgresse Christs precept, and his forme forsake;
The Bread is not the Cup, wine: Christs body
Is not his blood; these differ really
One from another; then those who onely
[Page 130] The Body, Bread eate, cannot possibly
Be sayd to drinke the Cup,
Object. 4.
Wine, blood thereby.
This to evade, Romes
See (r) be­fore.
Doctors will reply,
That Christs body under the forme of bread
Containes his blood, and is accompaned
Still with it; Therefore those who eate the one
Doe drinke the other in it, not alone.
But Christ himselfe thought not so,
Answ. 1.
when he the
Lords Supper first ordained, sith that he
Commanded all to
Mat. 26. 26. 27. 1 Cor. 11. 23. to 30.
eate his body in
The bread alone, his blood to drinke within
The Cup and wine onely, not in the bread,
Which he from Cup and wine distinguished.
Those then who eate the body, bread onely,
Can not the Cup, Wine, Blood thus drink therby
As Christ enjoynes them: Nay, the Sacrament
Ordain'd by Christ to this end and intent
His
1 Cor. 11. 25. 26. Mat. 26. 27. 28.
blood-shedding and death to signifie,
Is quite subverted by this Novelty:
For blood within Christs Body and the Bread,
Unshed, cannot Christs Passion and Blood-shed
In any lively manner represent;
And so cannot be a true Sacrament
Of Christs death, bloodshed: who saith expresly
Mat. 26. 27. 28. Mat. 19. 24. Luk. 22. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 25. 26.
This Cup is the new Testament in my
Blood which IS SHED for many, for pardon
Of sinnes; of which there's
Heb. 9. 22.
no remission
Without the shedding of Christs blood;
Rev. 1. 5. Heb. 9. 14. 1 John 1. 7.
wherein,
Whereby we are washt, cleansed from all sinne.
You must then in the Sacrament, drinke up
Christs blood not in his body, veines, but Cup,
As shed and sever'd from his body on
The Crosse; else you his bloods effusion,
And sinnes remission cannot represent,
By an unbloody Host or Sacrament:
Which can no comfort to mens soules convey
[Page 131] Since it Christs blood-shed, death doth not display.
Adde, that Christs body in the sacred bread
Is eaten, not as living, but as
Luk. 22. 19. 20. 1 Cor. 11. 24. 25. 26. Mat. 26. 26. Mat. 14. 24.
dead,
Nail'd, broken on the Crosse; quite voyd of blood,
All shed out of his body for our good;
As three Evangelists, Saint Paul, and he
Expressely witnesse. His blood can't then be
Drinke, taken in his body, which is dead,
And out of which his blood is wholly shed?
Besides, admit his blood inclos'd to lye▪
Within the Host, and Veines of his body;
Yet since none drinke, but eate the Host alway,
And eating is not drinking; none can say
That those who onely eate the Host, body,
Doe drinke the blood in truth, or properly.
More; Rome takes that for granted which she can
Not prove; nor all the learning, wit of man
Make good; that Christs true Body, Blood com­binde
Are in each Host received in their kinde,
And proper substance: A grosse forgery:
For grant Christs blood be there substantially,
(Which I deny) it is still there as shed
Within the Cup, Wine onely, not the Bread.
This Christ himselfe resolves. Its then most cleare
That those who eate the bread onely don't there
In Christs blood eate, or drinke in any kinde;
But grant they doe it: did Christ himselfe minde,
Know, understand this Crochet when as he
Ordain'd the Sacrament, or not? if ye
Say no: then how come you now to know more,
And understand that Christ knew not before?
And that in point of his presence, being
In the Sacraments of Bread, Wine; the thing
Which he himselfe ordain'd, and so should know
Far better then; than Rome, you can doe now;
[Page 132] Unlesse you make Christ ignorant, and so
No God at all. But if he knew it tho,
That those who eate the bread doe really
Therein his blood drinke, and receive; than why
Did he ordaine the Cup, and command
Mat. 26. 27. 28.
ALL
To drinke of it, in such a speciall
Strict manner? which had beene superfluous,
Had all within the bread his blood drunke thus.
Sith then Christ did ordaine the Sacrament
In both kindes, and gave expresse Commandment
That all should drinke his sacred blood, as shed,
Within the Cup, wine onely, not the bread,
I may conclude, (sith Christ did nought in vaine)
That the dry Host doth not Christs blood con­taine;
And that those who the body, bread onely
Eate, cannot therein drinke Christs blood truely.
Rome then Christs Cup to Lay-men must restore,
And with these non-sense lyes, them cheate no more.
To say,
Object. 5.
the Scripture speakes of
Luk. 24. 85 Act. 2. 46. c. 20. 7. See Doctor Featly his Grand Sacriledge, c. 12. p. 148.
breaking bread
Onely, in some Texts, the Cup not named;
Therefore they did receive the bread onely
Without the Cup: Is an absurdity,
Since eating, breaking bread doth there imply
A full repast, with meate, drinke, wine, not dry
Bread onely without drinke:
Answ.
hence when we pray
Mat. 6. 11.
Give us this day our dayly bread; all say,
Professe we therein pray for wine, drinke, and
All things of which our Bodies in neede stand.
But say these texts be meant of bread onely,
And of the Sacrament, (which I deny:)
Without the Cup or Wine, yet they imply
Not as Rome dreames, that eating properly
Is drinking, and that those who eate the bread
Doe therewith drinke Christs blood in veines, or shed;
[Page 133] The thing in question; or that Priests onely
Must drinke the Cup; but proves the contrary;
That both Priests, people, must the Cup forbeare,
Because in these Texts no Cup, Wine, appeare
At all: and that Priests may well consecrate
Bread without Wine, sith these Texts nominate
No Cup nor wine them used; Rome must take
The Cup away quite,
Object. 6.
or these Texts forsake.
The(v)
(f) See Joan. Gerson, defensio De creti Concil. Constant.
Inconveniences she doth pretend
To justifie her theft, are to no end.
Since Christ, no doubt, did them foresee, as well
As Rome,
Answ.
yet none did from the Cup repell;
Rome then must be more carefull, wise, than he,
Or else disclaime these shifts,
Incon. 1.
which idle be.
The danger, lest some drops of it should shed;
Is common to the crums of Sacred bread,
As well as to the Cup; which Priests shed may
As soone as Laicks, and as(x)
(c) Gratian de Consecr. distinct 2. c. Si quis per libr. Sunima An­gelica Eucha­ristia. 3. Sect. 43.
Casuists say,
In drunken sits may chance to vomit up
Christs blood they dranke out of the Sacred Cup.
Whence Rome hath made Decrees for to redresse
This mischiefe, in the case of Priests excesse;
So that Rome must both of the Cup deprive,
Or it alike to Priests and People give.
The next pretext,
Inconv. 2.
of the wines waxing soure,
Is vaine, since no wine in one day or houre
Will putrifie, much lesse Christs blood: and bread
As well as wine will mould, be corrupted:
Yet you reserve it in a Pix, not wine,
Inconv. 3.
Till it grow stale: you must this shift decline.
The danger of its sticking on the beard
Of those that drinke, was never thought of, heard
In former times by any; and you may
With better colour shave mens beards away
(As you doe
See Cyprian Valerian de Sa­cerdotum ba [...]bis.
Priests for this cause) then deny
The Cup to them, l [...]st their beards it come nigh.
[Page 134] However, since youths, women, beardlesse men
Have no Beards to steale Christs blood; you must then
To all these give the Cup and yet deny
To none but men with beards; on which truely
Since crummes of bread may chance to sticke, as well
As drops of wine:
Incom. 4.
Rome now must them repell
Alike from both: That some want wine, therefore
Rome may the Cup take from those who have store;
Is most absur'd: and she may likewise say
The bread must be from all sorts tooke away
That have bread; because some Countries have, eate
No bread at all, but live on rootes, fish, meate.
But where no wine is, there Priests, Laity,
Are both alike; none drinke, both are still dry.
That some loath and can taste no wine,
Incom. 5.
therefore
Those who can drinke it, must not drinke it more,
Is most ridiculous: some love not bread,
Must none then with the sacred bread be fed?
If so, then neither Priests nor Laity
Must henceforth to Christs Supper once draw nigh.
The danger of infection some pretend,
Incom. 6.
Romes Transubstantiation doth quite end,
For if the bread and wine be really
Christs body, blood, they cannot certainely
Receive, nor yet convey infection
To any; nor reade I that any one
Tooke any sicknesse (Poxe, Plague, Leprosie)
By drinking Christs Cup in sincerity
As he commandeth: Nay, Christ who cures all
Kindes of diseases, will not let them fall
On such who thus obey his Sacred will,
But will preserve them from Contagion still.
[Page 135] Adde, that the bread may be infectious
Through Priests, Clarkes, Bakers, hands, nay poy­sonous
As well as the Cup, Wine, blood, for
Jean. Cre­spin & Grim­ston, in Henry the 7. Platina & Bal [...]us in Victor. 3.
Henry
The seventh (Emperour) was poysoned by
Bernard, and Victor the third in the bread,
As
Mat. Paris, An. 115. p. [...]8.
Henry of Yorke, King
See Speedes History. p. 587.
John were poysoned
With the Cup, by Monkes and Clergie men:
Neither of both are Christs body, blood then,
But bread and wine for substance: and if you
This inconvenience further will persue,
You must the bread as well as wine remove,
Since both (through Priests meanes) may infecti­ous prove.
Incom. 7.
Paul saith, he
1 Cor. 11. 27. 29.
that eates, drinkes unworthily
Eates, drinkes, damnation to himselfe thereby;
If then this greater danger must not drive
Men from Christs Supper; nor good men deprive
Thereof, though certaine: this lesse danger you
Pretend, but casuall, not like to ensue,
Must not debarre the people from drinking
The Cup: Much lesse the plea of differing
The Clergie from the publike Laity:
For since Christ for
Rev. 1. 5. 1 Joh. 2. 2. 3. Mat. 26. 27. 28.
both equally did dye
And shed his blood; yea, the
1 Cor. 10. 16. 21. c. 11.
Cup to both give
A [...]ike; none must them of this right deprive.
Tis more than devillish pride for to deny
Laickes the Cup, to rayse Priests dignity,
And to subvert Christs very Sacrament,
(Which bread alone cannot well represent)
Yea hurt mens soules, to Mount Masse-Priests on high
And them advance above the Laity.
To close up all: Romes
Comperimus autem quod qui­dam sumpta tan­tummodo corpo­ris sacri porti­one, a Calice Sacrati cruoris abstineant, qui proculdubio [...] quo­niam nescio qua superstitione do­centur astringi) aut integra Sa­cramenta perci­piant, aut ab in­tegris arceantur; quia divisio uni­us ejusdem (que) my­sterit SINE GRANDI SA­CRILEGIO esse non potest. Apud Gratia­num. De Con­secrat▪ Dist. 2.
Pope Gelasius
In his unerring chaire determin'd thus;
In this same case, long since, (when some onely
[Page 136] Would take the Sacred bread, and then deny
The sacred Cup to drinke, because they were
Perswaded wine was ill, and did forbeare
It onely from this superstition:)
That Priests such people with great caution,
Should cause to take both Elements intire,
Or drive them from both: If you now desire
His reason, marke it well: Because that one
And the same very Sacrament alone
Can no way possibly divided be
Without GREAT SACRILEDGE. In which De­cree,
Rome these particulars, well worthy note,
May see defin'd against her
Sessio 13. Surius. Tom. 4. p. 821. 822.
Constans vote.
1 First, that lay people in the Eucharist
Must drinke the Cup still, as well as the Priest.
2 Next, that the Manichees did first invent
The halfe Communion, and halfe Sacrament.
Because they thought wine in it selfe to be
3 Unlawfull. Thirdly, that by this Decree
Mens false perswasion in their conscience
That wine is simply ill, must not dispence
With, nor exempt them from the sacred Cup
But they must drinke it here, or else not Sup
With Christ at all, nor taste his bread and body:
Whence I against Romes Church shall pleade strongly;
That if those who thought wine in conscience
Unlawfull, must yet drinke it in plaine sense
Within the Cup, not bread, at Sacrament,
Or else be from the bread, and Church out-pent,
And quite secluded: Then much more must they
Who deeme Wine lawfull, not be kept away
From the Lords Cup; but drinke it punctually;
Nay be for'st to receive it constantly
If they refuse it: and by this decree
[Page 137] Eating to be no drinking, all may see.
Next that Popes, Prelates, Masse-Priests, must compell
All to drinke of Christs Cup, or else repell,
Them from the Sacred bread. But Romes Clergie,
Popes, Prelates, Priests d [...]e now quite contrary:
Compelling Laymen to eate bread alone,
Vsually suffring not so much as one
Of them to drinke the Sacred Cup: nay the
Councells of
Ipsa sancta Synodus decer­nit Patriarchis, Primatibus, Archiepiscopis, Episcopis, &c. processus esse. dirigendos ut effectualiter puniant eos. qui communi­cando populum sub utraque spe­cie panis & vi­ni exhortati fu­erint, & sic faciendum esse docuerint, & si ad paenitenti­am redierint, ad gremium Ecclesiae susci­piantur, injuncta eis pro modo culpae poenitentia salutari. Qui vero ex illis ad poeni­tentiam redire non curaverint animo indurato, per censuras Ecclesiasticas per eos ut HAERETICI sunt coercendi, invocato etiam ad hoc (si opus fuerit) auxi­lio br [...]chii secularis. Concil. Constantiense, Sessio 13. Surius. Tom. 3. p. 822.
Constans, and Trent, Thus decree:
That if any Priest shall exhort Laymen
To take the Sacrament in both kinds, then
For this offence, or if he admit any
Thus to receive, he shall be presently
Excommunicated; and if that he
Perssist herein, he shall condemned be
And censur'd as an Hereticke: yea
Qua propter dicere quod hanc consuetudinem aut legem observare, sit SA­CRILEGIƲM, aut illicitum, censeri debe [...] erroneum; & per tinaciter asse­rentes oppositum praemissorum, tanquam HAERETICI, arcendi sunt & gravi­ter puntendi, &c. Ibidem.
Lay
Men, who shall be so bold as once to say
As this Pope doth, that it is SACRILEDGE,
Ʋnlawfull, or erronious to abridge
Them of the Cup, shall for this cause onely
Be persecuted, punisht grievously
As Heretickes. O strange, prodigious
Decrees; quite crosse to Pope Gelasius!
Fiftly, that those who eate the Host onely
Drinke not Christs blood inclos'd in his body;
Nor take they the whole Sacrament, but it
Divide in halfe, and into peeces split:
[Page 138] Which
Sessio. 13. Suri [...]s Tom. 3. p. 821. 822.
Constans &
Sessio. 13. De Eucharisticae Sacr. Can. 3. Surius. Tom 4. 935. 936.
Trent Councels both deny,
Belike they love truth, Popes to contrary.
Sixthly, that not one element alone,
6 But both together taken by each one,
Christs bloody death compleately represent;
And make up one intire sweete Sacrament.
In fine, that none can sever or divide
The bread and Wine, or put the Cup aside
Taking the bread alone, or give it to
7 Lay men without the Cup, (as Priests now doe)
Without GREAT SACRILEDGE: And if that they
Who thinke wine ill in point of conscience, may
Nor here the Sacred wine refuse to drink
Without great Sacriledge; then all must thinke
Those Sacrilegious in the top degree
Who deeme wine lawfull, and will drinke it free
In Tavernes, and all places else, but here
In Christs owne Supper it forbid, forbeare.
These seven conclusions, Pope Gelasius
Hath in his chaire decreed of old for us,
In his Decrees, which Rome cannot gainesay,
Since part of her owne
G [...]atian De [...]ons. Dist [...]nct. 2. [...]. Decret pa [...]s. 2.
Canon Law this day.
Now tell me Rome, did this Pope erre? if so;
Then Popes may erre in chaire like him. If no;
Then thou and thy late Popes, Masse-Priests, Councill
Of Constans, Trent err'd grosly, and erre still;
Yea they commit great Sacriledge each day
In taking,
See Geor [...] Ca [...] ­s [...]ander, Consul­ta [...] de Sacra Commu. sul u [...] ra­que sperisi [...]pe­rum, p. 1019. &c.
keeping, Christs Cup, blood away
From Laymen, contrary to Christs command
And this Decree, which they doe much withstand.
O Rome, now see thy great impiety,
Grand Sacriledge, theft, grosse iniquity
In robbing Laickes of Christ Cup, Wine, Blood,
Which be bequeath'd them for their endlesse good.
[Page 139] And making them thinke
Matth. 26. 26.
This is my Body,
Pronounced by the Priest, doth really
The bread into Christs body; change when they
Recited in the Masse but to display
What Christ once did and sayd of old, when he
Ordain'd the Sacrament, at most can be
But a
The words in the Canon of the Masse run thus: Who in the same night he was be­trayed tooke bread into his holy and venera­ble hand, & lif­ting up his eyes to heaven to thee O God his Al­mighty Father▪ he blessed, brake, and gave it to his Disciples, saying, Take and eate ye all of this, for this is my bo­dy. In like manner after supper ta­king also the Cup into his Sa­cred hands, gi­ving also thankes to thee, he blessed and gave to his Disciples, say­ing, Drink ye all of this, &c. All which words are meer­ly narratively & historically re­cited, relating onely what Christ spake.
recitall of an History,
And of no more force to make Christs body
When uttered in the Masse, than when they read
In the Gospels themselves, since tis granted
By, and knowne unto all that the reading
Of any story doth change, make nothing
Anew at all. The reading the story
Of the Creation, Christs Nativity,
Death, resurrection, Miracles, effects
No new Creation of the world; reflects
The old, not makes a new Nativity,
Death, Resurrection of Christ really:
Therefore this is my body spoken by
The Priest, not Christ himselfe, rehearsively
Can worke no reall change of bread into
Christs body. And if bread be chang'd 'tis to
The Priests owne body, who saith, this is my
Body, not Christs; who being Christ onely
In represent when he doth consecrate
And use these words, which now to him relate
The bread can be Christs body onely as
The Priest is Christ himselfe, when he saith Masse,
And that is not in truth but represent,
Rome cannot from this cleare truth dis-assent.

On, and against, Popish and Superstitious Bowing to Altars, and rayling in the Lord Tables Altarwise.

NO Patriarches, Prophets, Saints for ought we finde
In Sacred writ, once bowed or Inclin'd
To, or before their Altars: though
Gen. 35. 1. 3. 7. Exod. 20. 14. 25. 26. c. 27 1. c. 40. 5. 10.
built by
Command from God, and did Christ typifie.
Altars of old, and Sacrifices too
Did
Heb. 7. 12. to 28. c. 6. 1. to 13. c. 9. 2. to 18 c. 10. 1. to 23. c. 13. 11. 12 13.
represent Christ, as Bread, Lords Boords doe:
Yea, they on Altars
1 Cor. 10. 2. 3. 4. 18. Heb. 13. 10. 11. 12.
ate the selfe-same meate
[Christ] in their Sacrifice, as we now eate.
Yet none did then to, towards Altars bow,
Why then must we bow, congie to them now,
Or Tables, or the Sacred Element,
Which Christ, no more, than theirs did, represent?
They had the self-same ground, to bow as you,
Yet did it not, nor ever thought it due,
As you doe now: Either you Erre, or they:
Judge whether is more like to goe astray.
Why doe ye then, since
Heb. 7. 11. 12. 13. 14. 24. 25. c. 8. 7. 8. 9. c. 9 9, 10, 11. 25, 26, 27, 28 c. 10 1, 2, to 22 c. 13 10 to 19. Col. 2. 14. to 23. 1 Cor. 9. 13. 14. c. 10. 16. to 22. c. 11. 20. to 34.
Altars Overthrow
By Christs death, to, before them cringe or bow?
Are they now growne more Sacred then before,
By mens Erections, that you them adore?
If they had no such honor done them when
Set up by God, why now, when made by men?
If not against, at least besides Gods word:
Perchance because mens owne, they are ador'd.
If you say you bow to them as a Table,
Not Altar; sure I thinke it is a Fable;
Your language doth betray you, you it call
See the Coale from the Altar▪ Doctor [...]ocklingtons Sunday no Sab­bath, & Altare Christianum. D. Heylins Anti­do [...] L [...]n [...]olni­ense. M. Meede, of Altars, and Edmond Re [...]ve, Exposition of the Cate­chisme in the Common Pray­er Booke.
An Altar; Altarwise against a wall
You fix and [...]aile it in, and still you say,
[Page 141] You to the Altar how; before it pray.
But be it so, where doe you read that now
Men to Lords Tables ought to stoope, or bow?
Did Christ, or his Apostles doe it? No,
Much lesse Command it; why must we doe so?
We read, when Christ ordain'd this Sacrament
They all
Mat. [...]6. 20. 26. Mar. 14. 3. 18. 22. Luc. 22. 14. 19. Iohn 13 4. 12. 23. 25. 26 28. compared with 1 Sam. 16. 11. Psal 128. 3 Cant. 1. 12 Ioh. 11▪ 2. 1 King. 12. 20. Mat. 9. 11. c. 26, 7. Lu. 7. 36 37. 49. c. 11. 37 Mark. 2. 15.
sate round, not to the Table bent.
Had they so done, or wil'd us so to doe
The text had sayd they sat, yet bowed too.
What are ye now more holy, or more wise
Than Christ or his Apostles, to devise
An inclination, which not one of them
Did ever use, command, or of it dreame?
Belike they were meere Rustickes, never knew
Fit Table Congies, they must learne from you.
All worship, honour, bowing, are
Rev. 4. 9 [...]. 10. 11. c. 5. 13 c. 7. 11, 12. c. 19 10 c. 22. 8, 9. 1 Chron. 16. 26. to 33. Heb. 1. 6. c. 5. 4. 2 Pet. 1. 17.
Gods Fee,
Right, due alone, and must not given be
To any Creature but by his expresse
Command or License; you then much transgresse
In yeelding honour, worship, reverence
To Altars, Tables, without Gods License
And warrant; which you never can produce
Out of his Word: For shame leave this abuse.
But you have Reasons for't: did they them know?
If you say yea, why did they not then bow?
Belike they were too weake to bend them: why
Are they so strong than you to bow awry?
If no, they were then ignorants to you,
And must learne from you now, what they ne're knew.
Christ, his Apostles must be put to Schoole
To learne of you to cringe,
Object. 1.
bow, play the foole.
But may we know your pond'rous Reasons why
You bow, stoope, ducke thus? you shall instantly.
First,
Archbishop Lauds speech in Starchamber, June 14. 1637. p. 44.
Gods house is a place of Reverence;
Therefore when we goe in, (i)
Gen. 28. 17. &c
or out from thence,
[Page 142] We must to, and before the Altar [...]end:
I doe deny the consequence,
Answ.
good friend,
Till you can prove this holy Reverence,
An Altar-cringe, going in, or out from thence,
And that good Iacob did bow and adore
To,
Object. 2.
and before the Altar heretofore.
Well, that is done;
Num. 20 6. Arch-Bp. Lauds Speech in Star-chamber, June 14. 1637. p. 43. 44. Tran­slated and re­printed in French and Dutch, and so well approved at Rome, that it is there transla­ted and Printed in Latine.
Moses and Aaron fell
Ʋpon their Face at doore of Tabernacle.
True, but what then? they fell flat on their face,
Not bow'd, like you, to supplicate for Grace,
Not Cringe and so away, as you adore;
Not at, to Altars: If you say no more,
All that your wits can rack from thence will be,
You must at, to the Church doore, bow your knee,
Fall prostrate on your face; but once, not still,
Not to an Altar, if you will fulfill
This Text: nay at the Church-doore make a stay,
Fall downe, rise up, not enter, then away,
Like them: and since it saith not, they did fall
To, before th' Altar [not nam'd there] twill mall
Your cause to peeces: they then did not bow
To, before Altars, you than must not now.
The Altar of burnt offering
Exod 40. 6. 7. 29. 30.
stood before,
And quite without the Tabernacle doore;
The Laver standing twixt the doore and it
By Gods expresse Command. See then how sit
This text is for your purpose: Moses fell
On his face at the doore oth' Tabernacle
With his backe to, face from the Altar [then
Behinde him unsaluted,] Therefore men
Must towards, to, before the Altar bow;
And turne their face, not backes still to it now.
A strange Non-sequell, Men must doe quite Crosse
To Moses, and this Text, as you it glosse.
He fell downe once, no more, and that behind
The Altar, not before it: if you minde
[Page 143] His steps to trace, you must fall once no more,
And that behinde your Altars, not before.
Which now you may not, cannot doe at all,
Unlesse you quite remove them from the wall,
Into the middle of the Church or Quire,
Their place of old, where men yet still desire
Lords Tables should now placed be. This Text
You see makes nothing for you:
Object. 3.
What's the next?
But,
2 Chron. 29. 29. 30. Arch-Bp Lauds speech Ibid. p. 44.
Hezekiah when the offering ended,
With all the people bowed, worshipped.
True, but not towards, to, before the Altar
Like you, this Text then is become your halter.
We reade of many who
Gen. 24. 26. 27. 48. 5. 2. Exod 4. 31. c. 12. 27. c. 34. 8. 1 Chron 29. 20. Neh. 8 1. 2. 6.
bow'd downe the head
Towards the Earth,
Answ.
and God so worshipped,
In places where no Altars were, therefore
They did not towards them, but Earth adore.
We finde not in Gods text, one nam'd who to
Or towards Altars did his worship doe.
Which had they done, and it were exemplary
It had not beene omitted in the Story:
Which saying stil; they
Gen. 24. 52 Exod. 34. 8. J [...]sh 5. 14. c. 7. 6. N [...]h. 8. 6. Esa. 49. 23. 2 Chron. 7. 3. This they did to testifie both their reverence, humility, and that they were but vile dust and ashes, Gen. [...]8. 27. Job 42. 6. c. 4. 19. Josh 7. 6. Psal. 119 25. Lam. 3. 29. Isay 29. 4.
bow'd to, towards the ground
Or Earth, your Altar worship doth confound:
Had they bow'd to the Altar, then you had
Urg'd something; now your case proves very bad.
They did not then unto the Altar bow;
Therefore you must and ought to doe it now;
Is but meere non-sense, and a running Crosse
To them: your cause, and you are at a losse;
This King and people joyntly bow'd their head
Together; and God joyntly worshipped;
You, one by one: they when they Sacrificed
Ʋpon the Altar, and new hallowed
The Temple; you when as no Sacrifice
Is offered, or upon your Altar lyes:
They bow'd once, when the Sacrifice was ended;
You oft, ere it begins; O well defended!
[Page 144] But yet,
Object. 4.
the
psal 95. 6, Archbishop [...] p 44.
Psalmist and the Liturgie
Bids us, Come Worship, fall downe, bow the knee
Before the Lord our Maker: Very true;
Therefore this bowing's to the Altar due:
A learned Sequell: Men must kneele, adore,
And bow before their Maker, Lord; therefore
To, and before the Altar: I thinke then
Not God, but Altars made you Priests, or men.
If Altars be your Makers, you wood, stone,
It's fit you should bow, kneele, to them alone:
But if God onely, you must then bow, fall,
Kneele before him alone, and on him call,
By this Texts precept, which whiles you apply
To Altar worship, you confesse thereby,
You bow to God and Altars both alike,
Take heed his
1 Chron. 13 to, 11.
venging hand doe not you stricke.
If that you say, you bow to God thereby;
Tis false, it is to Christs humanity
And
Archbi­shops speech, p. 47
body at the most, which you say there
Is present on it: grant this, yet you erre
From this your Text, since Christs humanity
Is not your Maker, but the Deitie:
And to adore Christs body and no more
Without his divine nature, heretofore
Was alwaies judged grosse Idolatrie,
Since but a creature, and no Deitie.
This Text then doth your practise quite confound,
Yea casts your cause and it downe to the ground.
As for the Liturgie, it saith no more
But what the Text, it helpes you not therefore;
Nay it strikes dead, & quite confounds your cause,
Because it Ever reades this Psalme and clause,
Not when you downe before the Altar bend
At the Communion, Entrance, Service end,
Or Second Service; but
This Psalme and Text is read, not at the beginning of prayers, but af­ter the confessi­on, absolution, & Lords prayer just before the Psalmes are read, and that onely at Mor­ning Prayer, not Evening▪ besides, this clause is not in the beginning, but in the midst of this Psalme, so that if you bow by vertue of it, it must not be at your entring in, or going out of the Church, or at your approa­ches to, or [...]e­cesses from, or your passings by the Altar, nor yet at E­vening Prayer, but just when this clause is read
before the Psalmes
At morning prayer only, which thing quite calmes
[Page 145] Your new devotions: for by this you must
Kneele, fall, bow downe, before the Altar just
When this Psalm's read; all joyntly, not before,
After, or single, as you now adore:
But sith you bow not to the Altar when
This Psalme is read, nor kneele, fall downe, but then
Doe alwayes stand, or sit, by this you shew
Both Text and Church-booke your cause over­throw,
And either you against them both offend
In not adoring when they bid you bend,
Or else you make both Church-booke and this Text
No warrant of your cause,
Object. 5.
but a pretext.
Answ.
Yet we,
Ibid. Arch­bishop. p. 43.
when we thus bow and fall before
The Altar, God, not it doe still adore.
First, shew where God commands you thus to bow
To him before the Altar; this I know
You cannot doe: in all the Texts you name,
There is no Scripture warrant for the same.
It is
Col. 2. 22. 1 Chron. 13. 10. c. 15. 12. 3. 15.
will-worship then at best, not true;
Nought but commanded worship is Gods due.
Isai. 1. 12.
Who hath required these things at your hand?
Should make you and this worship at a stand.
We must not to our parents, Kings, Men, bow
But that God doth
Gen. 27. 29 c. 43. 6. 26. Exod. 20. 12. Ephes. 6. 2. 1 Sam. 20. 21. 2 Sam. 14. 22. 23. See Ed­mund Gurney his Vindicati­on of the 2 Commande­ment
command, and us allow
To doe it; much lesse may we bow before
An Altar, Table, or them once adore;
Which are more base and vile by much than we,
And
Isai 44 10. to 21.
therefore by us must not worshipt be
With Cap or knee, sith God forbids us to
Exod. [...]0 5 Levit. 26. 2. Num. 25 2. Deut. 5. 9. Iosh. 23 7. 16. Iudg. 2. 19. 12. 17. 1 Kings. 19. 18. 2 King; 17. 35.
Bow downe to them, or to them worship doe.
But you bow unto God alone, Not so,
You say you doe it
Archbishop speech. p. 49 D [...]o et Altari. &c.
to the Altar to;
There is an holy Reverence due to it;
Which you unto it give, as just and fit,
[Page 146] Both joyntly, in one bowing and prostration
To God and it: the selfe-same adoration
You give then unto both; Is God's divine?
Then Altars too, you cannot it decline.
Both have the same for time, act, motion, place,
Therefore the selfe-same worship, honour, grace;
And so you act most grosse Idolatry
In joyning Altars thus with God most high.
If that you give to both like Reverence,
Not worship; God no doubt will take offence
That you give like and equall veneration
To him and Altars; it's no Christian fashion;
Nor courtly neither, for if any one
Should equall worship give to King and Throne,
And both at once in selfe-same sort adore
He would be trust up, or thrust out of doore.
You should doe well then to distinguish that
Worship, you say, you give to God, from what
You yeeld the Altar, in time, gesture, shew,
That they, you, others might their difference know
But doe you give to both like honour? I
Presume the Altar hath precedencie.
Were not the Altar there, you would not bend;
From it your bowings spring, to it they tend.
If Altars then this worship cause, and share
Therein with God, they most adored are;
God for the Altars sake, First: they for his:
The Altar hath more share than God in this;
He is beholding onely to the Altar
For this his worship, which else would quite falter;
Remove but it, Gods worship's at an end;
It doth then from, to it, not God move, tend:
You then commit the same Idolatry
As Pagans, Papists, in their Imag'rie:
Image and Altar worship are the same
In substance, differ but in object, name;
[Page 147] They say
See Gregory de Valentia A­pologia de Ido­lolatria, & Vas­quez, l. 2. de A­doratione.
they doe God worship and adore
When as they bow, kneele, fall downe, to, before
Their Idols; not the stockes or Images
Themselves: if then their worship God displease,
Your Altar worship cannot but doe so;
They are the same, you cannot say me no.
Your Reasons, grounds, excuses both agree,
They are but one in substance then we see.
You say
Archbish­ops speech. p. 43.
you bow not to the Altar, Table,
But God alone. No doubt it is a Fable,
Your words betray you, and in termes you doe
Confesse you bow to God and Altars too;
Archbishop Ibid. p. 49.
Deo & Altari, you in Print confesse,
To both conjoyntly; see your guiltinesse,
You all acknowledge that you bow before
The Altar [which you eye] to God; therefore
You worship it, before it, and thereby
Make it an Idoll, act Idolatry.
To worship God, and before God, are
Psal. 72. 9. 22. 27 86. 9. 95 6. Deut. 26. 10. Isay. 66. 23. Mich. 6. 6. Rev 3 9. c. 15. 4. 1 Sam. 2. 18. c. 3 1. 1 Chron. 16. 1. 2 Chron. 2. 6. c. 6. 19.
one
In Scripture phrase, and due to God alone.
The
Psal 95. 6.
Psalme you urge, with other Texts, there­fore
Injoynes all to fall, worship, kneele before
Their Lord and Maker onely; how then dare
You swerve from it, and openly declare,
That you before the Altar bow, adore,
As well as before God, if not farre more?
Are you then guiltlesse of Idolatry?
Not so in Scriptures judgement, for thereby
Bowing
2 Chron. 25. 14. Ezek. 44. 12. c 8. 16. Rev. 22. 8. 9. Isay. 44. 12. 14. Edit. Iunij.
before an Idoll, is the same
With bowing to it, and hath equall blame;
Both are alike Idolatrous: this you
May from the Devill learne to be most true,
Who tempted Christ, to fall downe and adore
Luk 4. 7, 8 [...]; a­doraveris coramme, as the vulgar Latine, and others render it
Before him onely, not desiring more:
Christ this refused; marke his reason why,
[Page 148] Its written, thou shalt worship God onely;
If then to worship, bow downe, kneele before
An Idoll, Devill, be them to adore
As Scripture, Christ, resolve, and we must all
Before God onely worship, bow, and fall
Religiously; your worshipping before
The Altar, is it, not God to adore;
And to give that to Altars which onely
Is due to God; which is Idolatry.
See then you vaine distinctions, whose conclusion
Will be nought else but your shame and
1 Chron. 15. 13.
con­fusion,
But yet we reade,
Object. 6.
the
Psal. 28. 2. Exod. 25. 21. Num. 7 8. 9. Psal. 5. 7. Iosh. 7. 6.
Iewes did heretofore
Towards Gods mercy-seate, looke, pray, adore,
And lift their hands;
Reeve. p. 132. Shelfords Answer. Sermon of Gods house. Cole from the Altar. p. 52. Archbishops speech. p. 47. 48.
Good reason then that we
Should to the Altar looke, pray, bow the knee,
It being now Gods onely Mercy-seate,
Yea the most holy place, where we Christ eate.
Well argu'd gentle Sir, you here descry
Your learned Logicke, and Divinitie;
The Jewes did never towards their Altars bow,
Pray looke of old, therefore you must do't now:
They looked, prayed towards the Mercy-Seate,
Not Altar; this your cause doth cleane defeate.
But when, and why look'd they sometimes that way?
(In speciall cases onely, not alway:)
Because
Exod. 25. 17. to 23. Num 7 8. 9. Iosh. 7. 6 to 17. Psal. 99. 1. 5. 9. Psal 28. 2. Psal. 80. 1. 2. Exod 30. 6. 1 Chron. 13. 3. 6. Levit. 16. 2. 1 Sam. 4. 4. 6. 7. 1 Chron. 21. 30.
from thence God promised to grant
An answere to them, when they should it want,
And there to meete them, to declare his will
And commune with them, which he did fulfill:
This made them looke that way, because from thence
God did his answeres unto them dispence
As men stil turn their face towards those to whom
They speake, to places, Courts whence answers come.
[Page 149] But God no answers from their Altars gave;
Hence they lookt, prai'd not so towards them; you have
No reason, ground, then hence to worship, bow
Or pray towards Altars, or Lords Tables now,
Since they did not: and God doth not from thence
His Sacred Will
See A Quench coale p. 37. to 44.
, Word now to men dispence,
But from the Pulpit, and the reading Pue,
Your bowing then to them [if ought] is due.
These, not your Altars, are Gods mercy-seat,
If ought now,
Neh. 8. 4. to 9. Luke. 4. 16. 20. 21. 22. Acts 13. 15. 16.
whence he doth his will repeate,
Reveale afresh, by those who
1 Cor 4. 1. 2 Cor. 5. 20. Matth. 28. 19. [...]0 Gal. 4. 24.
represent
His Person, and from him to us are sent:
But that your Altars Merci-seates should be
More than the Jewes of old, is
See A Quench coale p. 3. 7 to 44.
senselesse; ye
Have neither Scripture, reason, ground at all
To warrant it, and so your cause must fall:
The
Exod. 25. 17 to 22 Levit 16. 13. 14. 15. Num. 7 8. 9.
Mercy-seate was made of purest gold
With Cherubs at each end, and stood of old
Above Gods Arke, on high, like Pulpits
Exod. 25. 17. to 23 Num 7. 8. 9 Heb. 9. 5 Levit. 16. 2.
whence
God did his will and answers still dispence.
On it no Shew bread, Incense, Sacrifice,
Stood, or were offred; therefore in no wise
Can you make Altars, Tables now to be
Gods Mercy-seate: Hence then your dotage see.
And, if you will bow, cringe to Mercy-Seates,
You must hence-forth to Pulpits doe these feates,
As
Neh. 8. 1. 4 6. 7.
once the Jewes did bow downe and adore
Before the Pulpit [if ought] heretofore.
Object. 7.
But you say
Heylin An­tid. Lincol­niense Sect. 2. c. 7. p. 79. and o­thers.
Our Altars and Tables are
Sanctum Sanct [...]rums: Here you more declare
Your brain-sicke Non-sence, dotage▪ then before.
There was
Exod. 26. 33 34. Levit. 16. 2 3. &c.
but one most holy place,
Answ.
no more,
In former times, there must be millions now
If you speake truth, towards which to worship, bow.
[Page 150] We must have now a new High-Priest to goe
Into these Holyest places, Yet no moe
Than
Levit. 16. 34. Exod. 30. 10. Heb. 6. 7.
once each yeare, and none but he must come
Within your Chancels or your Altar-roome:
No Priest, nor Laicke must once enter, see
Your Chancells, Altars: what becomes of yee,
And this your worship then? you can no more
Before your Altars bow, kneele or adore;
Nor yet approach them there to celebrate,
Reade Second Service, offer, early, late,
To light your Tapers: all your Altar-play,
And court-ship now must vanish cleane away.
Fooles, then recant, and see how God confounds
And overthrowes you quite with your owne grounds;
Learne now at last, that this most Holy place,
Where to each yeare with blood the High-Priests grace
Once entred, and no more, did
Heb 9. 6. to 28.
typifie
Our High-Priest Christs Ascension, once onely,
Into the highest Heav'ns; with his owne blood,
There to redeeme us, for our endlesse good.
Thus saith the Text: then all Sanctorums gone
And vanisht are, none left but heaven alone:
Towards it,
Object. 8.
nought else, you must still look, turne▪ pray
And worship;
Acts. 3 21. c 9. 56. Heb. 9 24 Rom. 7. 34.
where Christ sits and Reignes alway.
See then the badnesse of your cause, when all
Your proofes on it, and you so heavie fall,
What have you more to say? The
1 Kings. 8. 29. 30. 35. 38 42. 44. 48. 2 Chron 6. 21. 26 29. 34. 38. Psal. 5 7. Psal. 138. 2.
Iewes when they
Of old did worship God, or to him pray,
Turned their faces to the Temple-ward.
What then? this puts you to it very hard;
If they thus towards the Temple pray'd;
See this ob­ject on fully an­swered in the Quench coale. p. 240. to 245.
then we
Must towards the Altar pray, bow, bend the knee.
Had you said towards the Church,
Answ.
it had bin better
[Page 151] No Altar is once nam'd within the letter;
They looked towards the Temple, not the Altar
When as they pray'd: In this you erre and faltar,
That you not towards the Church, but Altar bow
Pray, looke, herein you crosse the Text, I trow.
But when did they thus pray? in
1 Kings. 3. 37. 38. 44. 45. 4 [...]. 48. 2 Chro. 6 24 25. 29. 34. 36. 37. 38. 39. Daniel. 6. 10.
times of war,
Of Exile, or when as removed farre
Both from the Temple, and its view; but ye
In times of peace, not warre, when you are free,
Not Exiles, nor when out of Churches view,
But in the Church alone, will have it due:
None can looke towards the Church, place where they be,
You turne the Text to Non-sence, falsitie,
Unlesse without the Church you pray, as they;
For in it, toward it, you can never pray.
See then how you pervert the Text, and make
It senselesse, vaine, and false by your mistake.
They in
Dan. 6. 10. 2 Chron. 6. 29. 30.
their private prayers thus turn'd their face
Towards the Temple, when they sought for grace;
You not in private, but in publicke bend
Towards the Altar, yea, when as you send
No prayers up [...]nto God: you bow, and so
Passe in, out of the Church, or by it goe.
See now your learned arguments, from hence,
Yea Contradiction, follie, and non-sense.
The Jewes of old
1 Chron. 6 24. 25. 28. 29. 34. 36. 37. 38. Dan. 6. 10.
when remote from, and out
Of the Temples bounds, sight, did turne about
Their face, not bow towards it when as they pray'd,
[Not towards the Altar; or ought on it layd;]
Therefore must ye, if you their steps will trace,
Not in the Church, but in each private place
You pray, now turne your face towards some Church [to
What Church I wot not] which you never doe,
Not towards the Table, Altar, nor when ye
[Page 152] Within the Churches Precincts praying be:
And onely turne your face that way, not bow
Towards your Altars, as you practise now.
This is the onely sum and Consequence
That you for Altar-worship can draw hence.
Which quite confounds it; as shall yet more cleare
By that which followes, unto all appeare.
The Jewes did towards the Temple look and pray
Because God
Deut. 12. 11 1 Kings 8. 29 10. 11. 12. 13. 2 Chron. 5. 13. 14. c. 6. 1. 2. 20. 41. c. 7. 1 2 3. 12. 15. 16.
promis'd there to fix alway
His speciall presence; and there to reside
More than in any place on Earth beside,
Filling the Temple with his glory, and
His presence so, that the Priests could not stand
Nor stay therein to doe their Ministry:
But God by promise never yet did tye
His speciall presence in such sort to any
Church, Altar, Table [much lesse unto many]
Now Extant; nor from them immediately
With his owne Mouth, give answeres to their cry.
We have no reason than to turne our face
To any Altar, Table, Church or Place
On Earth, when as we pray; but still to move
And lift our hearts, hands, eyes, to heaven above,
Where God and Christ
Psal. 103. 19. Psal. 11. 4. Ezra 5. 11. 12 [...]am. 3. 41. Ma [...]th 6 9.
reside most, and whence they
Heare, answere, grant us all for which we pray.
Hence
Iohn 17. 1. c. 1 [...]. 41.
Christ and godly men most usually
Did
[...]am. 3. 11. Psal. [...] Psal. 123. 1. [...]. Psal. 25. 15. Isai 51. 6. 1 Kings 8 2 [...].
still lift up their Hearts, hands, Eyes on high
Towards Heaven alone, when as they prayd, as all
Or most doe now, who on God truely call.
Besides, they had
1 Kings 8. 23. 30. 35 38 42. 41. 48. 2 Chron 6 21. 26 29 34. 38. c. 7. 12. to 17.
a promise in Gods booke;
That if they should but towards the Temple looke
And pray, in warres, or their Captivity,
(When they to God in it could not draw nigh)
That he would heare their prayers; and hence did they
In times of Warre and
Dan 6. 10.
Exile oft thus pray.
[Page 153] This promise was made to the
2 Chron. 6. 24. 26. 29. 32.
Temple, not
The Altar, Arke, or
The pot of Manna was not in the Arke, when it was brought into the Temple, but onely the two Tables of the Law, 2 Chron. 5. 10. 1 King 8. 9 Therefore its a Fable which some say, that they prayed & looked toward the Temple, because the Ark stood there, & to the Ark, because the Man­na was in it, which typified Christ, and the Sacramentall bread. Joh. 6. 33, 34.
Manna, as some dote:
But you have no such promise in Gods booke,
That if you towards the Altar pray, bow, looke,
That he will heare you: therefore you must stay
Till God shall warrant you thus to bow, pray.
This promise was made to the Jewes, and ye
Can scarce apply it, till you Jewes shall be:
It was made onely to their Temple, (not
Their Synagogues:) which ruin'd and forgot
Long since, this promise is quite gone with it:
You cannot it unto your Altars fit,
Nor to our Churches, which succeed unto
Their
Psal. 74. 8. Ma [...]. 6. 2. Mark. 1. 21. 39. Luk. 4. 15, 16. Iohn 16. 2. Act. 9. 20 c. 19. 8.
Synagogues, not Temple: all that you
Can then extract from hence will be, that all
Must towards this ruin'd Temple, pray, bow, fall,
Not towards the Altar; strange Divinity
At this day, though by Jewes us'd anciently.
Adde, that this promise runnes promiscuously,
If they should towards their owne
1 King. 8. 44. 48. 2 Chro. 6. 34. 38.
Land, and City
[First nam'd] as well as towards the Temple pray,
That God would heare. Hence Daniel thrice each day,
Towards
Dan. 6. 10.
Jerusalem [not Temple] pray'd
In Babylon, whilst he there exil'd, staid;
Which City, Temple, being there out of view
And kenning, gives at least a checke to you
Who bow not towards the Altar but in sight
Thereof, and out of its view stand upright;
Whereas the Jewes did towards these
Land, City, Temple, but not Altar.
three adore,
Though out of sight, and kenning, heretofore.
Gods promise then, not their view, did excite
Them thus to pray; nought makes you bow but sight
Since then the text names praying towards al three
Alike, and that where men could not them see;
You may more fitly thence in ferre that all
When they in publike, private, on God call,
[Page 154] Ought towards their Countries, Cities turne their face
Or towards Jury, or the ruin'd place,
Where then Gods Temple stood, than that they now
Must towards the Altar, Church, or Temple bow.
This towards runnes conjunctively to
1 Kings 8. 48. 2 Chron 6 38.
Land,
City and House, as they in order stand;
Not to the Altar: whence conclude I may,
That they did never towards the Altar pray,
Bow, looke: for then no doubt the Text had knit
The Altar to these three, not past by it.
Which not once naming, and prescribing how
They should towards these three only pray; all now
May see that bowing towards the Altar then
Was not once thought on, nor in use with men.
Nay more, this
And he stood before the Altar of the Lord &c. 1 Kings. 8. 22. 2 Chron 6. 12. 13. So the Priest. stood [not bowed] at the East end of the Altar. 2 Chron 5. 12.
Chapter notes it to my hand.
That Solomon did not bow to, but STAND
Before the Altar, on a Scaffold; where
His [...]ands he spread forth towards heaven, and there
Kneeled downe upon his knees, before all
The
Before the Congregation [not the Altar] saith the Text.
Congregation present; whence I shall
Inferre; that had he bow'd towards, or unto
The Altar, doubtlesse the Text had said so;
But since it onely saith, he stood before
The Altar; not, that he did bow, adore
Towards it, it is most cleare from hence that he
To, towards it did not bow, nor bend the knee.
Nor did they then towards Altars turn their eyes,
But when on them they offered Sacrifice,
Or tooke some solemne Oath before them; (yet
They then to bow to them did quite forget;
Gen 18. 22. c. 19. 27. 2 Chron. 6. 12. 22. c. 7 1 See Num. 23. 1. 2. 3 6. 14. 15. 17. Rev. 8. 3. 1 Kings 13. 1. 2 Chron 5 12. 1 Kings 8. 22.
Standing before their Altars, or close by
Them, but not bowing, nere us'd anciently:)
If you thus towards the Table looke when yee
Thereat receive, the Elements, to see
Whilst they are consecrating, I consent
[Page 155] Thereto, but not when there's no Sacrament.
In fine, we read,
2 Chron 7. 1. 2. 3.
When Solomon had ended
His Prayer, and the fire which from God descended
Consum'd the Sacrifice, and Gods glory,
Quite fill'd the house; that all who then stood by
And saw this fight, bow'd themselves with their face
Ʋnto the ground, (not Altar) in that place;
And worshipt, and prais'd God, saying, For he
Is good, for his Mercies e're-lasting be.
Had they towards Temple, Altar, worshipped,
Or bow'd themselves, we shold no doubt have read
It in the Text; whose silence in this kind
Proves, that they to, towards neither thus inclin'd,
But simply bow'd to, before God alone:
By this Text then,
Object 9.
your cause is lost and gone.
Exod. 3 5. Iosh. 5. 5. Isai. 20. 2. Acts. 7. 53
Put off thy shooes from off thy feet; for why,
The ground whereon thou standest is holy,
Spoken to Moses, Joshua of old;
Urg'd
Dr. Laurence his Sermon on this Text and others.
next for Altar-bowing, will not hold;
No Altar, Bowing, is here nam'd: if you
These speciall Texts meane strictly to pursue,
You must your shooes put off;
Answ.
and barefoot goe
Into the Church, Church-yard; no shooes weare, so
As
See Burtons Melancholy. p. 673. Augusti­nus de haeresibus Gratian. Causa. 24 qu. 3. Isio­dor. Hispal. O­rig. l. 8. c. 5.
some fond Persons did of old, led by
These very Texts; which you more misapply
And wrest then they; Who got the brand [...]nd name
Of Heretiques, for practising the same,
In going barefoot: If you these Texts straine
To prove your Altar-worship, sure your braine
Is farre more crazy, and your practise more
Crosse to these Texts, than their was heretofore.
For what sense, reason, can in this be found?
Tw [...], their shooes
We read they were but once comman­ded to doe it, not alwayes, & they only & no other.
once put off in holy ground,
By Gods expresse command; therefore all men
Must bow downe towards, or to th' Altar when
They it approach; and when they come or goe
[Page 156] Into or from the Church, though they have no
Command or patterne so to doe? Surely
This is pure nonsence, if not Heresy.
Your Altars, Tables, are stone, wood, not ground:
No worship then of these, can here be found,
But of the Church-yard, Churches soyle, which you
Stile
Bishop Lauds and W [...]ers [...] ­tation Articles.
Holy ground; if worship hence be due
To ought, it is to the Church-ground onely,
Not Table, Altar; See now your folly,
In quoting Texts to prove, which overthrow
Your cause, and your nonsence to all men show.
Adde, that the shooes are here injoyn'd to be
Put off the feet, the lowest part; not the
Hat [...]lled off, head bowed downe; no art
Can from the lowest to the highest part,
Conclude ought that is solid: here your feet
And heads without sense, reason, strangely meet:
You may doe well then these Texts to put off,
Which will expose you and your cause to scoffe.
Object. 10.
That other Text some urge;
Eccles. 5. 1. Mr. Yates and others.
Keepe thy foote when
Thou go'st unto the House of God; is clean [...]
Besides the purpose: To presse bowing thence
To Altars, Tables, is to speake nonsense;
When men goe to Gods house, they must their feet
Keepe with all care; therefore they must there greet
And bow downe to the Altar, is a bad,
A senselesse sequell; fit for none but mad
Or crazy pates: No Altar, bowing are
Nam'd in this Text; whose scope is to declare,
That men when they approach Gods house to pray,
Must watch their feet (affections) and that they
Must shun vaine thoughts, rash, fond loquacity.
Their senses then are lost, who now apply
This Text, their Altar-worship to maintaine,
From whence they can nought to this purpose straine.
[Page 157] The cause is bad which such extravagant
And far-fetcht proofes, it to defend doth want.
Which none but those who are past grace or shame
Or voyd of wit, would for this purpose name.
But yet we read,
Object. 11
the
Rev. 4. 10. 11. c. 5. 8. 14. c. 19 4. Mr. Yates.
Elders fell before
Him who sate on the Throne, and did adore,
Casting their Crownes before the Throne; thus we
Before the Altar must fall, bow the knee.
Well argued learned Sir,
Answ.
have you a Crowne?
Are you an Elder? then you may fall downe,
If not, forbeare; since there you read of none
That prostrate fell, but twenty foure alone,
Elders by Office; when as thousands
Rev. 5 11. compared with c. 7. 9. 10. 11.
stood
Round by them, yet fell not; your proofe's not good.
But yet not here on Earth, but Heaven they fell;
This then concernes not those who on earth dwel.
But did they bow like you? no, their prostration
Was farre unlike your new-found adoration,
They when they fell downe,
Rev. 4. 9. 10. 11. c 5 8. 9. 13 14.
sang a song of praise
Ʋnto the Lambe; you ne'r then sing such Layes:
They when they fell had
Rev. 5. 8.
Harpes, Viols, made of Gold,
All full of Odours: you bowing, none such hold;
They prostrate fell, not going in, or out
Of any Church, or passing to, about.
Or from the Altar, as you now; their fact
Is then no warrant for what you now act.
They fell
Rev. 4. 10. c. 5. 8. 14. c. 19. 4.
before him who sate on the Throne,
Within their view. Doe you so? no not one;
You see not Christ, nor to him bow and fall,
But to the Altar, not Christs Throne at all;
There is no Altar, Table in the Text.
You may goe whistle then: what say you next?
Though Scripture faile, yet we have reasons left:
I feare you'l be at last of both bereft;
He who
Isai. 8. 20. 1 Cor. 3. 19.
wants Scripture hardly will find reason
[Page 158] For Sacred things, as you shall see in season.
Altars, and Tables are Christs royall
Archbi­shops speech, p 47, 48. Shelford Reeve, Widdows Heylin, Dr. Lau­rence, & others.
Throne
Whereon he sits within the Church:
Object. 12.
each one
Must therefore bow before, and to them. I
Your ground and sequell both at once deny.
Answ.
Christs
Psal. 103. 19. Psal. 11. 4. Acts 7. 49. Esay 66. 1. Mat. 5. 34 35.
Throne is in Heav'n, not on earth: tis plaine
By Creed and Scripture:
Act. 1 9 11 c. 3. 2 [...]. Luk. 24. 51. Act 2. 34. Rom. 8. 34 He. 4. 14 c. 8. 14. c. 9. 24 26. c. 10. 12, 13. c. 12. 2. Rev. 3. 21.
there he doth remaine.
Sitting at Gods right hand; His Thrones I feare
On earth are now cast downe. But yet to cleare
This further, if they be Christs Throne, its either
Of his divine or humane nature; neither
Of these they be. Of his humanity
Say you: its false; that onely is on high.
Christs humane body is in Heaven
Acts 3. 21. Mat. 28. 6. Joh. 10 28. c. 17. 11 Lu. 24. 51. He. 8. 1 4.
alone,
Fixt in one place, cannot be but in one.
But if each Altar, Table be his Chaire,
Wherein he sits, it must be every where
Upon these Thrones, and he must have as many
Bodies as Thrones: he is not then in any
Of all your Thrones; he ne'r yet once sat there,
They are not his, but your Thrones then, I feare.
But yet Christ's present in the Sacrament.
Reply
By grace;
Answ.
in person I cannot assent:
So is he
Mat. 28. 20. c 18 20. 1 Cor. 14, 25.
present in each Ordinance;
This will not then your cause one haire advance;
But he's
The Altar is the greatest place of Gods Residence upon earth: I say, the greatest, yea, greater then the Pulpit. For there tis, Hoc est Corpus meum, this is my Body: But in the Pulpit it is at most, but Hoc est Verbum meum, this is my word. And a greater reve­rence (no doubt) is due to the Body, than to the Word of our Lord. And so in Relation, answerably to the Throne, where his Body is usually present, then to the Seat where his Word useth to be proclaimed, &c. Archbishops Speech in Star-Chamber, p. 47. A rotten absurd passage, of false Romish Divinity.
most present in these Elements,
More then in other Rites:
Reply.
Some mens consents
You have in this,
Answ.
not mine; untill you say
And prove it too, I shall it still gain-say:
[Page 159] That is soone done,
Reply.
Matth. 26. 26. Archbish­ops speech. p. 47 48.
This is my Body, is
A proofe which cannot be gainsaid in this;
More grace is present with, more reverence due
Ʋnto Christs body then word: What say you?
A learned proofe.
Answ.
What Body of Christ I pray,
Is sacred Bread?
1 Cor. 10. 16. Gal. 3. 1.
this will the truth display.
If Naturall, that's in Heaven, bread's not it,
Its but Christs Body figurative, or it
Doth rather onely shew and typifie
The breaking of Christs body to the eye.
True: what then makes bread Christs Body? I say,
The
Matth. 26. 26. 1 Cor. 11. 23. 24.
words of Consecration: marke I pray.
If then Christs word doth make the bread his body,
Agreed by all,
Reply.
confirm'd by Sacred story,
Then its more worthy than the bread or wine;
Answ.
You must to it then, not to them incline.
That which gives being, honour to another;
Is greater, Nobler [if ought] than the tother.
The
1 Cor. 11. 23. 24. 25. 1 Tim. 4. 5.
word gives being to the Sacrament,
Its greater, Nobler, then; can you dissent?
But bread is cal'd Christs Body: So
1 Cor. 12. 12. 27. Ephes. 1. 22. 23.
each Saint
And Church is stil'd: your reason then is faint,
And quite casheer'd: each Saint is better then
Christs breaden-Body, made by, and
1 Cor. 3. 21. 22. Prov. 9. 2. 5 Rev. 22. 7.
for men
And for their Service; therefore they are better:
For this, ther's Text store, for you not one letter.
Besides,
Phil. 2▪ 7. 8. Heb. 2. 14. 16 17.
Christs humane Nature is the same
With ours; Bread is his Body but in name,
Not truth.
Gal. 2. 20. 1 Cor. 14. 25. Ephes. 3. 17. Iohn 17. 21. 23 2 Cor. 6. 16. Iohn 6. 51. 1 Iohn 3. 24. 2 Cor. 13 5.
Christ lives and dwels continually
Within his Saints by Grace, and Spiritually.
He dwels not so within the bread; if then
You bow to ought, it must be godly men;
These
1 Cor. 12. 12. 27. Ephes. 23. Col. 1 18. 24 1 Cor. 6. 15. Ephes. 2. 21. 22. 1 Per. 2. 5. Iohn 1. [...] to 26
are Christs Body, Members, Temples, Bone,
Flesh, and with Christ himselfe by Grace made one.
If he have any Throne on earth, its they,
[Page 160] [Not Altars] where he
Ephes. 3 16 Gal. 2. 20. Rom 5 17. 21. 1 Cor 14 25.
dwels, lives, Reignes alway.
If then you will bow to, before Christs Throne,
It must be to, before his Saints alone:
But to the Word againe, Christs Deity
Is cal'd the
Iohn 1. 1. 2. 14. 1 Iohn. 5 7.
Word, and is exprest thereby;
The Bread, is but his
Matth. 26. 26. 28. 1 Cor. 11. 23. 24
Body tearm'd; that's best
Of both, whereby his God-head is exprest.
Besides, the Word
Iohn. 5. 25 1 Pet. 1. 23. 1 Cor. 4. 15.
begets, the Sacrament
Doth but confirme Faith, Grace; Now all consent,
That what gives Life, excels what serves onely
But to confirme; (one's
Iohn. 2. 25. 1 Pet. 1. 23. Rom. 10. 13. 14 15.
simply necessary
To save, convert; the other's but supply.
Our grace to strengthen, seale, and ratify,
Men may be
Iam. 1. 21. 25. Mark. 16. 15. 16. Rom. 1. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 18. Ephes. 1. 13 1 Tim. 4. 16.
saved by the Word alone,
Without Christs breaden Body; but not one
By it, without the Word; which
Accedat ve [...] ad Ele­mentum ut fiat Sacramentum Augustin.
makes it be
A Sacrament; as you before may see.
Now what is able to save men alone,
Excels that which alone serves to save none.
Yet more, Gods Word is Christians
1 Pet. 2. 2. 3. Deut 6. 6. 7. 8. 9
daily food
In publicke, private: tother's not so good,
Because more rare, lesse common, not for all;
The
B [...]um quo communius eo melius Aristotle
Common'st good the best, men alwayes call.
The Word then is, of both, most excellent
In these respects; you cannot dis-assent.
But Christ's
Archbish­ops speech. p. 47.
more present in the Sacred bread
Than in the word, by which on soules are fed.
Some hold so I confesse, in this sense true,
It
1 Cor. 10. 16.
more presents Christs Passion to our view,
Than the meere Word without it:
Reply.
but to say
His grace and presence are more there, I may
Deny with safety; they co-operate
As much in all (nay more in most mens state,
With his blest word,
Answ.
than with the Eucharist,
Sith it requires a greater power from Christ,
A greater presence of him, and farre more
[Page 161] Strength to raise up dead men and them restore
From death to life, then to corroborate
A living Christian in a gracious state.
Now 'tis the
Joh. 5. 25. Ephe. 1. 18, 19. 20. Rom. 1. 16. Ephe. 2 1, 2. 1 Cor. 1. 18. Acts 19. 19, 20. Heb. 4. 12.
Word alone, not Sacrament
Which quickens dead men, as Divines consent.
Whence it is stil'd
Act. 13. 26. c. 14. 3. c. 20. 32. Phil. 2. 16. Acts 19. 20.
the word of Life, Faith, Grace,
Salvation,
Matth 6 11. Hebr. 5. 12, 13, 14. 1 Pet. 2. 1, 2 3. 1 Tim. 4. 6.
bread, milke, food, in every place
Of Sacred writ. Christ promiseth to be
Still
Mat. 28. 19 20. Act. 19. 9, 20. c 16. 14, 15. Rom 1, 16. Joh 16. 63. Act. 2. 4. 17. 2 Cor 3. 8. 18. Gal. 3 2. E­phes. 6. 17. 2 Thes 2 8. Heb. 1. 4. 12. Rev 2. 7
present with it to the end; nay he
His Spirit joynes therewith, makes it the maine,
Chiefe businesse of himselfe, Apostles, traine,
To preach the Word, this is their speciall charge
Most pressed, Acted; as we read at large
In Scripture, where we finde but thin and rare
Speech of Christs Supper; Whose most speciall care
Was for the
Isaih 61. 1. Mat. 4. 17. Mat 1. 4 7. 14. 38, 39. c. 2. 2. Luk. 3. 18. Ioh. 8, 2. Act. 5. 42. Rom 1. 16. 1 Cor. 1. 17. 2 Tim. 4. 11.
frequent Prea [...]hing, day and night
Of his sweet word, oft term'd, his power, and might
Ʋnto Salvation: All which will declare
That Christs grace, spirit, presence alwayes are
As much concurring with his Word,
Reply
yea more
Than with his Supper. Have you ought in store
Yet? yea, Christ's more present i'th Sacrament
Under the Bread,
Answ.
Wine, outward Element
Then in the Word: It's held so without ground,
But if discust, will prove an empty sound:
Marke what I say, Christs body, spirit, grace,
Have no inherent reall presence, place
Within the bread, or Wine themselves: for then
Both wicked, faithlesse, good, and faithfull men
Should them receive alike inclusively
Within the Sacred signes:
Reply
which
1 Cor. 11. 27, 28, 29.
we deny.
But is not Christ within them?
Answ.
yes, in signe
And Sacramentall wise, not grace divine.
Its
See the Practise of Piety, in the Preparative to the Sacrament▪ where all this is at large deba [...]ed and proved, with Mr. Philpots Examin. Fox Act. & Mon. Vol. 3.
not the signes, nor Ministers that give
[Page 162] The true bread Christ to men, whereby they live.
But Christ doth give himselfe there, unto all
Worthy Receivers, in a spirituall,
Yet reall manner; not by descending
From Heaven above, but by the secret sending
Downe of his Spirit, which doth comprehend
Them, and their Faith; Hearts, soules, cause to ascend
To heaven to him, and there on him to feed
By faith, as their mouthes feed here on the bread.
It is mens
Iohn. 6. 40. 47. 48. 49. Ephes. 3. 17. Gal. 2. 20.
Faith then, not the Element
That makes Christ present in the Sacrament:
As that is greater, lesse, so they more feed
Or lesse on Christ in Heaven, not in the bread,
Which ill men take; but not Christ, or his grace
Therein, for want of Faith, this quels your case.
For if Christs presence, spirit, grace, be not
Included in the signes, as now you wot,
And he be present onely in the heart,
Not mouth, of each beleever; then no part
Of his grace, body, presence, placed are
Upon your Altars, Tables, as their chaire,
Or throne; where if he were, its not in State,
As Lord and King, but onely as our
Iohn. 6. 22. to 64. 1 Cor. 11. 20. to 34. c. 10. 16. 17. 21.
meat:
Not in a state of glory, but as bread,
[In basest state] wherewith our [...]iles are fed.
How can Lords-Tables the [...] be stil'd his Throne;
When as he sits, not, but [...], stands thereon,
As food alone? who [...], yet heard, or read
Of Thrones, or cha [...]s prepar'd for meate, drinke, bread?
It is meere nonsence thus to call Lords-Tables,
Or Altars Christs Thrones, here your words prove fables;
The Faith, Arke, Table, are but his
1 Chron. 28 2. Psal. 39. 5. Psal. 132. 7. Isay 66. 1. Matth. 9. 35.
footstooles;
To all these Christs Thrones, is to play the fooles.
Therefore the reasons why you thus adore;
[Page 163] And bow to Altars, are quite out of doore.
Christ sits not on your Altars, Tables; he
Is
Matth. 28. 6. Acts 3. 21. Luk. 6. 51.
risen, gone hence up to Heaven, there ye
Must
Heb. 9. 24. 28. 1 Thes. 1. 10.
looke to, for him,
Matth. 24. 23. Mar. 13. 21 Luk. 17. 23.
not on earth below:
You must to Heaven then onely looke, and bow.
Hence doth the Church-booke, at the Sacrament
Exhort all, to
Heb. 9. 24. 28. [...]am. 3. 41.
lift up their hearts whole bent
Ʋnto the Lord on high, without one word
Of looking, bowing, to the Altar, Board:
Christs is not there, he sits in
1 Pet. 3. 22. Eph. 6. 9. Lam. 3. 41.
Heaven above
There must your eyes, thoughts, hearts be, there your love.
If you presume he sits upon the Table,
You make the Scripture, Church-book but a fable
Besides, you doe not take the Sacrament,
From off Lords-Tables, whence men now are pent
And bard with railes, for feare they should draw neere
Unto them, there to eate Christs sacred cheare:
What they receive, is from the Priests hands, at
The railes; why should they then bow, cringe to that,
From whence they nought receive? they must adore
The Priests hands, railes, not Tables, Altars more:
From them, not these they take the Elements,
They then doe best deserve these Complements.
But grant you what you would, that Christs body
[As Papists hold] doth on your Altars lie,
And that this is the cause, why you adore
To, towards Altars: I desire no more
But this your plaine confession, to descry
Your folly, falsehood, and Idolatry.
You say you bow to God alone, but lye;
This reason proves, it is to Christs body
There present [as you hold,] which is not God,
But man; your reason is become your rod:
For to adore Christs body, or the bread,
[Page 164] Which shews his Manhood onely, not God-head;
Or to adore God, or Christs Deity,
Meerely because of his humanity,
As you doe here at best, is
See Bishop Mortons Insti­tution of the Sacrament. b. 7. p. 504. to 541. where this is largely manife­sted.
certainely
Will-worship, Error, and Idolatry;
Since Christs body a creature is; and none
Ought to be
Luke. 4. 8. Rev. 19. 10 c. 22 9.
worshipped but God alone,
And that still for himselfe; where you adore
God for Christs Manhood, or it, and no more.
This all
Bishop Mortons Insti­tution of the sa­crament. b. 7. throughout: for what other thing doe they (popish priests when they are bowing and bleating be­fore their Ima­ges, burning incense and fall downe flat be­fore their Al­tars, but that which in times past the Pro­phets of Baal did when as they transpor­ted the worship of God unto an Idol [...] Sir Iohn Borthwicke Martyr: Answer to this 7. Article. Fox Acts & Mon. Edit. ult. vol. 2. p. 610. a.
condemne as grosse Idolatry
In Papists, who adore Christs bread-body,
As God Almighty, and bow downe before
Their Altars, onely it for to adore
(Not them) there present in the pix alway;
You are their Apes, say, doe the same as they;
Nay worse, in that you to the Altar bend
Bishop Mortons Institution of the Sacrament. Edit. ult. p 463.
When Christ is not there: this for shame amend.
If Christ his presence be the cause wherefore
You to, before the Altar thus adore,
You ought to doe it onely when, and where
He present is thereon; not when not there.
But you to your Altars bow commonly,
When as no sacred Elements there lye,
And Christ's not on them, so that you adore
The Altars, Tables onely, and no more.
Yea;
Reply
but though Christ be not there present then,
Yet he's sometimes there; therefore as
Widdows, Shelford, and others make this objecti­on, use this similitude. See my Quench-coale, p. 55, 56, 57. 38. to 44. 277. to 284
most men
At Court, doe use to bow to chaires of state,
Because that Kings in them sometimes have sate,
Though absent when they bow; so we likewise
Bow when there are no signes before our eyes.
Well said,
Answ.
I now see whence your conges came;
[Page 165] It was from Court, from whence you learnt the same,
But not from Gods Court, but the Kings; so then
It is a worship not from God, but men;
Yea, its no more but a Court complement:
To court, not serve God then, is your intent.
I doubt you meane to turne meere Courtiers now,
And therefore practise, thus to Congie, bow
Unto the Altar, Table, that thereby
You may be perfect in Court ceremony,
Against you resort thither, for to finde
Or seeke preferment: now I know your minde:
Those who would rise high, must first stoope, and bow;
I feele your pulses, and your tempers know:
But pray you shew me, where God ever sent
Men to the Court, to learne to complement
With him in his owne Temple? or that he
With Courtly complements will served be,
Which all deeme fained, grosse hypocrisie;
Take heed you prove not hypocrites thereby;
But say that some to chaires of State thus bow,
When Kings are absent; wisemen doubtlesse know
That this is nothing but Court adulation;
Such then must be your Courtly adoration.
It is a custome; true, yet voyd of reason;
Which
I [...]gens au­tem est vesania eorum qui talia dicunt. Nam rex purpuram indu­tus, ab omnibus adoratur; nun­quid ergo pur­pura adoratur, aut Rex? mani­festum est quod Rex: Vbi vero Rex hanc exu [...]t, & in locum re­posuit, non am­plius vestis purpura adoratur. Sedet etiam in templo sape Rex in proprio Thron [...], & adoran [...]es adorant regem in templo ac throno proprio; Vbi vero surrexit Rex, ne­mo neque Templum neq, thronum adorat. Nemo autem adeo insanus est, ut adorare volens Regem in Throno, dicerad Regem, Surgeex Throno ut te adorem; sed adorat Regem cum Throno. Epiphanius, lib. Anchoratus, Col. 970. 971.
some omit, and yet commit no treason.
Should men adore each place where Kings have set,
They must their senses, or themselves forget;
Yea, thus to congie when the Kings are gone,
[Page 166] Is but to mocke the Kings, and grace their Throne.
It is meere folly, frenzie too, I feare,
To now to chaires, because Kings once sate there.
But be this as it may, no chaire of State
Is bow'd to, but that wherein Kings once sate
In person, not in picture onely; True,
Hence see your sottish folly; then must you
Bow to no Altars, Tables henceforth; Why?
Because Christ nere sate on them really
In person, but in figure, picture; ye
By this your instance quite confounded be:
Its just with God mens reason to confound,
When they make Reason, not his Word, their ground.
But grant you further, that Christ's present in
The sacred bread and wine; yet still you spin
A greater thread of solly, and insnare
Your selves more fast, as I shall next declare.
For first, no Tables, Altars touch, containe,
Immediately, the sacred bread and wine;
But onely hold the vessels, Paten, Cup,
(As Tables doe our dishes when we sup)
Which the bread, wine, containe in them alone;
They therefore (if ought) are Christs chaire, and Throne,
Wherein he sits; Altars but their
See 1 Chron. 28 2. Psal. 99. 5 Psal. 132. [...]. [...]am 2. 1. where the Arke and Temple, are stiled Gods Footstoole, not his Throne or chaire of state.
footestooles,
Or Christs at least: why play you then the fooles
To bow to Altars, Tables, as Christs Throne,
Not Cup, or Paten, where he sits alone?
All Altars, Tables, are but stone, or wood;
These vessels silver, gold, not neere so good
As these for matter, substance; and in end,
They, Tables, Altars, in worth farre transcend,
Made purposely these vessels to sustaine,
Which the blest bread and wine in them containe;
Therefore more worthy Congies and respect.
[Page 167] Why bow you then to those, yet these neglect?
If there be any reason to encline
To ought, its to these vessels; the bread, wine:
Yet see more folly, you bow to the Table,
When these are in your hands, count these a fable,
And Christ within them [as you hold.] And here
You are most grosse Idolaters, I feare;
For when you hold these & Christ in your hand,
You bow to Altars, whereon neither stand:
Did you thus bow to Christ, as you pretend,
You would not to your naked Altars bend,
When he is in your hands, contained in
These vessels: here you faulter, erre, and sin;
As you doe likewise, when you bow, adore
Towards the Altar, Tables, just before
You goe to consecrate the Sacrament,
Ere Christ's there present in the Element:
You should (me thinkes) not bow, but stay till he
By consecration should there present be.
Yet one bout more; the bread and wine you say,
Are, or containe Christs body, blood; and they
Are better, greater than Gods sacred word:
Why doe you then bow to the Altar, Board,
Not to the Bread, Wine, Christ, nay them neglect,
When in your hands, to turne, bow with respect
Unto meere naked Tables, Altars? sure
Your wits are lost, and Christ will not endure
To see a stone, or planke ador'd, whilst he,
Then in your hands, must not thus worshipt be.
By this all know it is a truth, no fable,
That you adore not Christ thus, but the Table,
Or Altar, else you would not to them bow,
Whilst you hold Christ within your hands. Then now
At last discerne your folly, and pretend
No more, you worship Christ; you him offend:
[Page 168] And since nought in the Sacrament presents
Christ to us, but the Sacred Elements,
You must your Altar-worship quite give o're,
And nought but them (if ought) henceforth adore.
And yet the signes, are not so venerable,
As is each Saints heart, wherein
Ephes. 3. 17 2 Cor. 13. 5. Psal. 2. 20. 2 Cor. 6. 15.
Christ doth dwell
In farre more lively, reall manner, then
In bread, wine, Altars, made for holy men.
Christs reall presence is in these alone,
2 Cor. 12. 12. 37 1 Cor. 6 15. 19. Eph. 5. 30. Col. 1. 29.
They are his members, body, flesh, bone, one
In, and with him, call'd
1 Cor. 10. 12 Ephes. 4. 12 13.
Christ; if you adore
Christ where he dwels most, you must bow before,
To, towards these his
1 Cor. 6. 15 19. 1. Pet. 25. 1 Cor. 3. 10. 17 2 Cor. 6. 16. Eph. 2. 2.
living Temples, where
He still resides; this you'le not doe, I feare,
But rather bow to senselesse Altars, stones
Then to the dearest of Christs holy ones,
The common objects of your disrespect;
Take heed you be not one day for it checkt.
If this displease, to give you some content,
Me thinkes your Priests, by office reverent,
Who hallow, hold, take, give the sacred bread
And wine to all, should be more worshipped
Then your bare Altars, sith they
1 Cor. 10. 16. 2 Cor. 5. 20 Gal. 4. 14.
represent
Christs person, who blest, gave this Sacrament
At first: are Altars (senselesse wood or stone)
More sacred, worthy then Priests? who alone
Neglected are, not bow'd to then by you;
Doubtlesse, if bowing be to either due,
It is to Priests [your name] or if you will,
To
Col. 1. 23. 24. 1 Thes. 3. 1. 1 Tim 4. 6. 1 Cor. 4. 1. 2 Cor 3. 6. Heb. 1. 7. Ephes. 4. 12. 1 Tim. 1. 12. 2 Tim. 4 5. Rom. 12. 7.
Ministers; who there act and fulfill
Christs Office, who more present then resides
In their hands, persons, then in ought besides,
More than in Paten, Chalice, Altar: yet
These worthy persons, now too oft forget
Their honour, office, Christ, whom they present,
And whilst they Paten, Cup, blest Element,
[Page 169] Hold in their hands, like
Isay. 44. 9. to 21. Psal. 115. 8. Baruch 6.
senselesse stocks, or stones
They unto Altars turne, and bow their bones,
Whereas, if Altars, Tables, had but sence,
Life, they would bow and doe them reverence.
For shame then be not stocks, or fooles henceforth
But know your selves, your office, place, state, worth
And no more cracke your braines to justifie
Gestures, that strip you of your dignity,
And senses both at once, as you must see,
And now confesse, unlesse you senselesse be:
Where Christ's more truely present on the Altar
Then in the Priests; the Priests deserve an halter;
And I shall deeme that man a stocke or stone,
Who bowes to Altars, lets the Priests alone.
O Priests consider well of what I say,
And then in this you will not say me nay:
But if you doe, and Altars still adore,
Ile not spend breath to plead a Priests cause more.
But ere we part, once more to Church wee'l tend;
Why doe you not to Font, Pue, Pulpit bend,
As well as Altars, Tables? since in these
Christ is more present in his Ordinances,
Then on these, in most Churches, places where
Baptisme, Lords Supper, Sermons frequent are:
In these each weeke, day, Christ is constantly
Present; on Altars, Tables, quarterly,
Or monethly at the most; he then resides
More in the Pulpit, Font, than ought besides.
You hold, that
Matth. 28. 15. 16. Iohn 3. 3. 5 Rom. 10. 13 14. 15.
Baptisme, yea, and Gods word too,
Are simply needfull men to save; but so
Is not the Eucharist, as all agree;
They then more usefull, worthy, needs must be.
These two save men alone, but t'other not,
The greatest reverence then you should allot
To Pulpits, Fonts, whence these dispensed are,
Than to the Altars, where Christ is more rare.
[Page 170] But let these passe; you cannot this deny,
That Bibles farre surpasse in dignity,
Fonts, Altars, Tables, Churches, Pulpits, all;
Which without Gods word, to the ground wil fal;
This is their
Ephes. 2. 20, 21.
sole foundation, if it fade,
All else without it, is nought but meere shade;
Both Table, Pulpit, Church, Font, Sacrament:
Of all these then Gods word's most excellent;
In it Gods Spirit, Christ, grace, more reside
Then in all places of the Church beside;
If then you will adore, bow, cringe at all,
You must unto, before Church-Bibles fall:
Your Altar-bowings, while you these neglect,
With God and good men will finde no respect.
In fine, Christ's promise is, where two or three
In his name meete together, he will be
Mat. 18. 20 Luk. 24. 3. Re. 5 6 Joh. 20. 13. 26. c 19. 26.
In midst of them: yea, Scripture saith alway,
That God amidst his Church, house, folke doth stay:
As he dwels, lives, most in mens middle part
And center;
Numb. 5. 3 Psa. 46. 5. Ps. 48 Ier. 14. 9. Hos. 11. 9. Ioe. 2. 27 Zeph. 3. 5. 15. 17 Zech. 2. 5. 10, 11. cap. 8. 3. Rev. 1. 13. c. 2. 3. c. 5. 6 Heb. 2 12. 1 Chro. 16. 1. Exod. 8. 22. Ezech. 43. 7. 9.
not head, foot, but in their
Ephe. 3. 17 Gal. 4 6. 2 Cor. 1. 22.
heart,
Whence Altars in the midst of Church did stand
As hearts in midst of men doe, writes
Per Altare c [...]r nostrum intelligitur, quod est in medio corporis, sicut Altare in medio Ecclesiae, Rat. Divin. lib. 1.
Durand.
To say then that Christ sits upon the Table
As you now place it, is no doubt a Fable:
For it stands not in midst of Church, Quire, but
Against the Chancels East-wall, there up shut
Close prisoner, with a new raile, remote from
The Congregation, which now must not come
Nor have seats neare it: it's a
Laici juxta Altare non sedeant, nec inter cle­ricos sta [...]e vel sedere praesumant, sed pars illa quae cancellis ab Altari dividitur, tan­tum psallentibus p [...]teat cle [...]icis. Iuo Ca [...]notensis, Decret. pars. 2. c. 1 37. Sed & hoc secundum auth [...]ri atem canonum modis emnibus prohibendum, ut nulla foemina ad Al­tare p [...]aesi [...]at accedere, aut infra Cancellos stare aut sedere. Conc. Nan. apud Sur. tom. 3. p. 569.
place too high
And sacred for Lay people to come nigh.
[Page 171] If then God, Christ, midst Church and people be,
As by forequoted Scriptures you may see,
Your Tables, Altars, which now stand alone
Far from the Churches midst, are not their Throne:
If you will have them grac'd with their presence
You must remove them to the midst from thence,
Where they are present; else they will still set,
Besides these Thrones,
Object.
whose due place you forget.
But ancient Christians pray'd, lookt towards the East,
Because the Altar was so plac'd, at least,
In most old Churches; this is
Antid. Lin­coln. Sect. 2. c. 7. pag. 86.
Heylins Fable,
To justifie the placing of the Table
Against the East end of the Chancell wall,
Answ.
Though he no Altars, Tables, findes in all
Antiquity so seated; when as they
In midst of Church, or Quire were plac'd alway;
Hence Quires were so stil'd, because men did stand
About the Altar round, like a Crowne; and
Did there sing praises; as writes
Ideo dictus Chorus, quia in sacris Collectis in modum Coro­nae circa Aras starent, & ita psallerent. Isiod. hisp. Orig. l. 6. c. 19.
Isidore,
De Vniver­so. l. 5. c. 9.
Rabanus Maurus,
Durandus Rat. divinorum l. 1. c. 1. nu. 18 Durantus de ri­tibus Ecclesiae, l 1. c. 17. n. 1. Bar­thol. Gavanus; commen. in rubt. Miss. pars. 1 Tit. 15. sect. 2. Cas­san. Litur. c. 22.
others heretofore,
Though some fond Novellists the contrary
Averre, against truth, and antiquity.
Hence in old times, the people round about
The Priest and Table stood [not thence bar'd out
With rayles as now] when as the Sacrament
Was celebrated, as is evident,
By
O miraculum quicum Patre seorsum sed [...]t, in illo ipso temporis articulo omnium manibus pertra­ctatur, &c. Fit autem id nullis praestigiis, sed apertis & circumspicientibus Circum­sistent ium omnium oculis. De Sacerdotio. l. 3. Edit. Fronto-ducaei. Tom. 4. p. 28. See l. 6. p. 83. Multitudinem conspexisse Altare ipsum Circumdantium.
Chrysostomes words, in the Margin, and
By the Priests prayer at
Pro omnibus hic circumstantibus. Canon Missa: And, omnium Circumstantium qui tibi hoc sacrificium laudis Offerunt. Ib. Honorius in Genima l. 1. c. 66. Durandus Rationale diu. l. 4. c. 53. Fox Act. & Monum. Edit. ult. vol. 3. p. 3. 11. Cassandri Liturg. p. 22. 25. 61, 62, 65, 66. 72. 94. Neque Canon debet nimium tacite legi, sed expressa voce, ut a Circum­stantium, posset a [...]diri & percipi, cum Circumstantes debeant ad Orationes singulas respondere, Amen. Gerardus. Lerithicus de Missa puel. prorogand.
Masse, for all that stand
[Page 172] There
Altare Domi­ni multorum multi [...]udine Circund [...]tum. Athanasius in vita Antonii, in Bishop Mortors Institution of the Sacrament, l. 6. c. 5. p. 462. Circunstant au­tem eum soli eum Sacerdoti­bus ministri se­lecti. Dionysius Areop. Eccles. Hierarch. c. 3.
Round about him, And by old
Sacerdos so­lus Missam ne­quaquam cele­bret, &c. Esse e­nim debent qui ei Circunstent, quos ille salutet, a quibus [...]i re­spondeatur, & ad memoriam il­li reducendus est ille dominicus sermo. Vbicunque fuerint duo vel tres in nomine meo congregat [...], ibi sum & ego IN MEDIO eo [...]m: Spelmanni Concilia. p. 589. Cassan­d [...]i Liturgica, c. 33. p. 8. Which was taken out of Gregory, lib. Capitulari. c. 7. Regino de Eccles. Officiis, c. 19.
Saxon
Canons at home, forbidding Priests alone
To celebrate Masse. [marke the reason why]
Because there ought some people to stand by
There round about him, whom he may salute,
And who may answer him, and in pursuite
Hereof, he must remember Christs words, where
Two or three in my name together are
Met, there am I in midst of them; hence we
In the
Bibl. Patrum. Tom. 15. p. 787. c. [...].
Musarabicke Office find the
Priest kneeling at the Altar, praying thus;
Be present, be present, O good Jesus
In midst of us, an high Priest, as thou wast
In midst of thy Disciples in times past;
And sanctifie this our Oblation:
Hence
Ser [...]o ad Clerum in Concil. Rhem. Col. 1726. Jesus autem in Medio est, non in angulo: unde ipse in [...] angelio, Ʋbi duo, inquit, vel tres congregati fuerint in no­mine meo, in Medio eoru [...] sum. Et iterum, Jesus autem transiens per Medium illo­rum ibat. Et in libro Sapientiae, In Medio, inquit, Ecclesiae aperuios meum. Et rursus in Evangelio dicitur, Stetit Jesus in medio discipulorum subrum. Vae mihi Domine Jesu, si tecum ero in domo tuae, & non in medio domus tuae. At isti non sic, sunt qui­dem cum Jesu, sed non in medio domus ejus, &c.
Bernard sweetly descanting upon
That of the Psalmist, He shall not dwell in
The midst of my house who workes pride and sin;
Saith, Jesus in the midst of the Church is
Not in a corner; which he proves by this
His speech, Where two or three are met together
In my name, I in midst of them am ever.
And by some other texts. Hence
De ecclesiasticis Officiis, l. 2. c. 8 Concil. Aquisoran: sub Ludov: Surius tom. 3. p. 298. Circa aram Christi, quasi Co­lumnae Altaris sisterent.
Isiodor
With others write, that Deacons heretofore
Stood round about the Altar, as if they
[Page 173] Its pillars were, it to support and stay.
Yea, hence in ancient
Liturgia sancti Petri bib. Patrum tom. 1. p. 210. & Li­turgia sancti Iacobi, ib. p. 18, 19. Missa Ae­thiopica, et mis­sa Mozarab. & Muzarab: ibid tom. 15. p 746. 748. 763. c. 78. Missa Christia­norum apud In­dos, ibid. p. 790. a. 791. a. & Li­turgia Basilii, & Chrysostomi.
Massebooke, writers, I
Finde Priests still singing, thus I will wash my
Hands in innocency, and so I will
Compasse thine Altar round; and Bishops still
When they did hallow Altars anciently,
Did
Rational. div. l. 1. cap. de Consecrat. Al­taris, & l. 4. c. de thurificatio­ne Pontif. Ro­man. p. 144, 145, &c.
cense and Circuit them round frequently,
Which they could not doe, unlesse they stood so
That they might round about them freely goe.
Yea, in the ancient
Tunc Acolyti vadunt dextra­laevaque post E­piscopos Circa Altare. Subdi­aconi finito of­fertorio, vadunt Retro Altare, aspicientes Pontificem, stantes erecti. Ordo Ro­manus de Officio Missae, apud Georg. Cassandri Opera, p. 101, 102. 107. 112. 118, 119.
Roman order, I
This passage finde, that Bishops anciently
Did round about the Altar goe, when they
Did consecrate; that sub-deacons alway
Behind the Altar went, and stood upright
After the Offerture, with their eye-sight
Fixt on the Pope, which could not be at all,
If Altars stood not distant from the wall.
Besides, 'tis cleare out of
Eccles. hist. l. 10. c. 4.
Eusebius,
Hom. 1. in Isai, c. 6. Vidi Dom. de Sacerdotio, l. 3. & 6. and in his Liturgie.
Chrysostome,
De Verbis Domini, Serm. 46.
Austin,
Eccles. Hierar. l. 3.
Dionysius,
Oratio. 21.
Nazianzen,
Eccles. hist. l 5. c. 22.
Socrates Scholasticus,
Eccles. hist. l. 12. c. 34.
Nicephorus,
Eccles. hist. l. 2. c 3.
Bede,
De Rebus Eccles. l. 4. c. 19.
Walafrid Strabus,
Ra­tionale Divinorum, l. 1. c. 2. n. 15. c. 1. n. 18. c. 7. n. 15. See Cassandri Liturgica, c. 3 [...]. p. 84. and my Quench-coale. p. 11. to 30. 235. to 239. 290, &c.
Durand, that Altars, Tables, anciently
Stood in the midst of Churches, Quires, not by
The Eastwall, Altarwise, as now they place
Them in our Churches, with a brazen face.
Affirming that they so stood of old, when
De Origine Altarium c. 6. p. 135.
Hospinian
De Missa l. 2. c. 1. p. 177.
Mourney,
Tablean, des diffe­rens, part. 5. c. 6. p. 307.
Marnix,
Nouvaute du Papisme Contr. 11. c. 17, 18. p. 1022.
Moulin, men
[Page 174] Of note] with
Cathol. Or­thodox. tom. 1. qu. 29 p. 514.
Rivet, and some more learned
Men, in Reformed forraine Churches bred,
With
Scripta Anglicana p. 475.
Bucer,
In his workes p. 476, 477.
Tyndall,
Fox Acts & Monuments, p. 1211, 1212.
Ridley,
Notes on Exod. c. 20. & 27. p. 279 307
Ba­bington,
Old
Fox Acts & Monuments, p 1404 1406.
Ferrer,
Answer to Hardings Pre­face. Reply to Harding, Artic. 3. Divis. 26. Arti. 13. Divis. 6. p. 362.
Jewell,
Answer of a true Christian to a counterfeit Catholique, ar­tic. 15. p. 55, 56 Confuta. of the Rhemish Testament notes, on 1 Cor. 5. 11. sect. 18. 9. Hebr. 13. sect. 6. Defence against Gregory Martin c. 17. sect. 15.
Fulke,
Answer to the Rhemish Testament notes on 1 Cor. 11. sect. 18.
Cartwright
Institution of the Sacrament, l. 6. c. 5. p. 462.
Morton,
Synopsis Papismi contr. 9. qu. 6. Error. 53.
Willet, with others prove, that anciently
Altars stood not against the wall, close by
The East end of the Quire, as in these dayes,
But in the midst, that people might alwayes
Goe or stand round about them; Thus stood the
Altar of old in the
Roma sater, l. 3. c. 13. l. 2. c. 4. p. 31.
Catacombe
At Rome, and in Saint Peters Church lately,
[Romes prime Cathedrall;] and in history
I read, that
Crantzius me trop. l. 1. c. 9. Hospinian de Orig. Alt. c. 6. histor. Sam. l. 3. c. 1. p. 184.
Witikindonce saw the face
Of Charles the great, deckt with a chearefull grace,
After his approach to the Lords Table
In the midst of the Church: And I am able
By
See my Quench. coale p. 157, to 160. 3. to 37 & 269. 237, 238. 290. Beda, Eccl. hist. l. 5. c. 11. 17. 18. 21.
sundry instances to manifest
That Altars stood not anciently at th'East
End of the Quire, against the wall, but I
Will onely name two more for brevity:
And those at home. In
Beda eccl. hist. l. 2. c. 3. Antiq eccle. Brit. p. 7. habet hoc in medio pene sui Altare, &c.
Austins Church, built by
Austin, first Arch-bishop of Canterbury:
In that great Church, in Bedes time, the Altar
Stood almost in the midst of the Church, farre
From the East-wall, in the North-Isle: [If I
Chemnitius examen concil. Trident. pars 4. Platina in Nich. 3. Ana­stasius de Vitis Pontif. p. 68, 69. Thomas Becons workes, vol. 3. p. 281, 282. Hospi­man de Orig. Altar. p. 35.
[Page 175] Conceive him right.] And the
Caenbdens Brit. p 460.
Monkes of Bury
Abbey in Suffolke in King Edwards dayes,
[The first of that name] whiles they went to raise
Them a new Chappell, as they digged, found
The wals of an old Church, that was built round,
So as the Altar stood, as it were nigh
Or in the midst; and we thinke verily,
[Writes Everden a Monke of that place, yea
And Cambden out of him] that this was the
First Church there built unto Saint Edmonds name
And service: In these two Churches of Fame,
Of speciall note, and great antiquity,
The Altar stood in, neere the midst onely:
And in the Church where
Beda eccl. hist. l. 3. c. 19. Sed p [...]st annos quatuor. constru­cta domuncula cultio [...]i recep­ [...]ui corporis e­jusdem, ad O­rientem altaris adhuc sine macu­la corruptionis invention, &c.
Saint Furse was in­shrinde,
Above the Altars East end; as I find,
Saint
Godwins Catalogue of Bishops, p 295 296. 315. 352.
Hugh of Lincolne, and John Elmer were
Interr'd above the Altar, even here
At home: therefore it stood not anciently
Against the East wall of the Quire. Lastly,
Epist. lecto­ri, p. 115. be­fore his transla­tion of the Greeke Litur­gy.
Hervetus,
De Graeco­ [...]n Ritibus, Bibl. Patrum, tom. 15. p. 771. [...].
Genebrard, and
Claudius Saintes in his Edition of the Greek Liturgy: Parisiis. 1560.
others write,
That in Greeke Churches, the high Altars site,
Or place, is in the midst of the Quire, where
De Antiquis Missae Ritibus l. 2. c. 28.
Josephus Vicecomes proves most cleare,
That Altars seated were of old, both by
Eusebius, and Martyrs Tombes, anciently
The
Beda Eccles. hist. l. 2. c. 1. Fecit inter alia pa­pa Gregorius, ut in ecclesiis petri et pauli, super corpora eorum missae celebrarentur.
onely Altars, which stood East and West,
Not North and South. We must then needs detest
Their shamelesse impudence, and forgery
Who contradict so cleare a verity,
And dare affirme, that Altars heretofore
Were plac'd against the East wall evermore,
And there rayl'd in; and that men did receive
[Page 176] The Sacrament kneeling, as most beleeve,
When as its cleare, they did receive onely
Standing or
Hence the Waldenses saith was, That the Sacrament ought to be re­ceived at the Table, accor­ding to the an­ci [...]nt use of the Primitive Church, where they used to communicate sitting. Fox Acts & Monuments, old Edition, p. 43. a. & Edit ult, vol. 1. p. 300 a. And Mr. Fox himselfe, Editi­on old. p 89. [...]. Christordained his Supper a Table matter; wee turne it to an Altar matter be for a memory, we for a Sacrifice. He sa [...]e, our men stand, and make it a matter of kneeling. See my Quench-coale, p. 106, to 108. 95.
sitting round the Table, nigh
Them: and where Heylin writes, that men did pray
Eastward, because their Altars stood that way.
There is no ancient Writer, Councell, Booke,
Attests, that Christians to the East did looke,
Because their Altars were so plac'd: bely
Not thus for shame [then] grave
Antidotum Lincolniense, c. 5 p 86, 87.
Antiquity,
To bolster out your errors, Novelties;
That cause is naught which needs the helpe of lies.
They
Gen 2. 8. Basil de Spirim sancto, c 27. Tertullian Apolog. c. 16.
Eastward lookt, pray'd, because Paradise
Stood there of old, and there the Sun did rise;
Poore reasons if well scan'd; yet not the truth,
They learnt
Ezek 8. 16 Vitruvius de Architectura. l. 4. c. 58 Hospin [...]an de Origine Altarium, Philip de Marnix, Tableau des differens, part 5. f 307. See my Quench coale, p 303. to 307. Dr. Reinolds de Idolo. Rom. Eccl. p. 432.
it from the Pagans in their Youth
As might be prov'd by grave authority,
And Fathers verdicts, which I here passe by.
There is small reason then to symbolize
With them in this their heathenish Rite and guise.
Yet Christians bow'd to Altars anciently.
It is a falshood, one passage onely
There is to prove it, 'tis
De Poenitentia. vid. Notae Ibidem.
Tertullians,
And that corrupted by some evill hands,
Written antiently Haris, and so this mistake and corruption might easily happen, by omitting Cor [...]h which ad­ded to Haris, or Aris, makes Charis.
Aris Dei adgeniculari,
Whereas tis Charis in the true Copy,
As notes
Lacerda, & Junus, Ibid.
Pamelius, though a Papist, and
Some
Alba­spinaeus. Observ. l. 2. Obs. 22. Heraldus Observat. l. 2. Obs. 22. Mornay, li. 2. de Mis­sa, c. 1. Salmacius ad Aram Dosiadi.
others, which to cite I will not stand.
The best and oldest Manuscripts so read
[Page 177] That place; yea, sense, and reason for it plead:
For he speakes there, of none but
Rhenanus, & la Cerda thidem Tripartita hist. l 7. c. 35.
penitents,
Excluded both from Church and Sacraments.
For some great crimes; which since they might not come
Within the Church, much lesse the Altar roome,
As
See Pameli­us ibid. and my Quench-coale, p. 250. to 253.
all confesse, they could not bow the knee
Unto the Altar, which they might not see,
But to Gods deare Saints, out of Church, whom they
Kneeld downe to, at their houses, both to pray
Them to forgive them, and to supplicate
God for them, whilst thus Excommunicate:
This is the onely sense, scope of that place:
This Aris then for Charis, doth disgrace,
Not helpe your cause. Besides this, there's not any
Cleare proofe or passage in Antiquity,
For Altar-bowing, till
Oratio de Imaginibus, 1 & 2. p. 449. b. 762
John Damascen,
To prove that Images of holy men
And Christ might be ador'd, writ, men may bow
To Images, and Altars, (as Rome now
And some it seemes did then:)
Ʋt Laici secus Altare quo san­cta mysteria ce­lebrantur, inter Clericos tam ad­vigilias, quam ad missam, stare [...] vel sedere peni­tus non praesu­mant; sed pars illa quae cancellis, ab Altari divi­ditur [...], tantum psallentibus pa­teat Clericis. Ad adorandum vero & communicandum Laicis & foeminis; sicut [...]os est pareant Sancta Sanctorum: Juo Carna [...]ensis Decretalium pars, 2. c. 137. Ex Concilio Moguntino, c. 13. See Concil. Nannetense, cap. 3. apud Surium, Tom. 3. p. 569. a accordingly.
If you relye
On him, you must commit Idolatry,
And
Which is I­dolatry, Exod. 20. 5 Iudg. 2. 12 17. 19. Numb. 25. 2. 1 Kings 19 18. Iosh. 23 7. Isa. 2. 8. 9.
how to Altars, Images alike,
As well as towards them, which you mislike,
In words at least, and say,
Archbishops speech in Star­chamber, p. 48. 51.
You bow not to
But towards them; these Authours both say, To:
This last, seven hundred twenty yeares and more
From Christ liv'd; till then none did thus adore
Altars, nor since, till Transubstantiation
Brought in the breads, then Altars adoration.
The Christians for eight hundred yeares, or more
[Page 178] After Christ, did not bow, kneele, or adore
In Prayer on the Lords dayes, nor yet betweene
Easter and Pentecost, as may be seene
In
Concil. Con­stant. 6.
Councels,
Tertullian de Co [...]ona Mil­litis. Basil. de Spiritu Sancto. c. 27.
Fathers, but stood; whence we know
That they to Tables, Altars, did not bow;
Nor to the sacred Elements, since they
These alwayes standing tooke on the Lords day,
Wherein their knees to pray they ne're once bent,
Much lesse to Altars, or the Sacrament.
Whence grave
Nonne solen­nior erit Statio tua si ad Aram Dei stetteris? De Orat. c. 14. So did Pagans and others ancient­ly in Scripture stand, not kneel at Altars. Num. 23. 2. 3. 6. 14. 15. 17. 2 Chron 5. 10. c. 6. 12. 23. Rev. 8. 3. Chrysostom. de Sacerdotio. l. 3. & the prayers at the Masse forecited.
Tertullian writes, that they stood by
[Not bow'd, kneel'd to] the Altar anciently,
In all their stations when they celebrated
Christs supper; Altars then were not rail'd, grated
About as now, to
Dum datur communio aut aliud quippiam officij fit, omnes stant erecti. Georgij Cassan­dri Liturgica. c. 11. p. 29 See p 65. 70. 73. 82. 94. 95.
keepe the Laity
From comming neere them, since they them stood by,
As doe the
Dum datur communio aut aliud quippian officij fit, omnes stant erecti. Georgij Cassan­dri Liturgica. c. 11. p. 29 See p 65. 70. 73. 82. 94. 95.
Aethiopians at this day,
Who stand upright when they receive alway.
But
Archbish­ops speech in Starchamber. p 47. to 52.
Knights o'th Garter bow'd to, and before
The Altar, and both God and it adore.
What then? I hope this new found argument,
Proves it no worship, but a Complement;
Us'd by those Knights alone, [not other men]
Not commonly in each place, but where, when
They offer in their grand solemnity;
Their practice then, to others is no tye;
Nor doe they deeme these congies then, divine,
But meerely civill, since they then incline,
As much, or more to the Kings Person, Throne,
As to the Altar, or ought plac'd thereon:
Nor did these Knights,
Archbish­ops speech. p. 49. 50.
thus bow at first, as ye
In him who this objects, may read; where he
[Admit the
Libro Nigro Windorien. p. 65
Blacke Bookes Legend true, though not
Once nam'd in English Annals, but forgot]
Confesseth, that King Henry of that name
[Page 179] The fifth, by Charter first ordain'd the same,
When as these Knights first bow'd to him alone,
And to his seat; but of them all not one
To God, or to the Altar; whereat he
Offended, thereupon made this decree,
That they thenceforth in their solemnity
Should not to him, and his seat bow onely,
But
Domino D [...]o & Altari ejus in modum viroruus Eccle­siasticorum, Ib.
unto God, and to his Altar too,
As Priests and Monkes then used for to doe:
The King and Lords, who made this Act, were all
Blind Papists, and the times quite blind withall;
The patterne which they then took, was unsound,
Blind Priests and Monkes: what shadow then or ground
Can thence be rais'd, true Christians to induce
Unto this Courtly, or meere Popish use?
Which since it orders them, alike to bow
To God and Altars in one act, I know
Not how they can escape Idolatry;
This then's no rule to follow, but to fly.
And though these Knights, these congies stil retain
As civill, they this act and them disdaine,
As Popish, as an apish imitation,
Of Priests and Monkes grosse Altar-adoration.
Who in their Masses, used for to bow
To (before) Altars, as our Priests doe now:
Witnesse their ancient
Pontifex in­clinans se paulu lum A D Alta­re: Altari in­clinans: Adorato Altare: per­transit Pontifex in caput Scholae & in gradu su­periore inclina­to capite ad Al­tare. Et salutar Altare, Sacer­dos quando dicit Supplices te ro gamus; humilia­to capite incli­nat se ante Al­tare, Sub [...]llaconi ad Al [...]are pro­gredientes simul se inclinant co­ram [...]o: Ordo Romanus de Offic. Missae a pud Greg. Cas­sandri opera, p. 108. to 130.
Offices and the
Missale parvum pro Sacerdotibus in Anglia itinerantibus. Printed Anno 1623 Ordo Missae p. 19. Sacerdos paratus cum ingreditur ad Altare, facta illi Debita Re­verentia, p. 29. Profunde inclinatus ante Altare.
Small Missall, made for Priests that travelling be
In England (lately Printed,) which enjoyne
Their Priests at Masse to bow downe and incline
Ʋnto their Altars, and due reverence
To make to them: which
Ribadeniera Fleurs des vies des Saintes part 1. p. 104 After Compline and Mattins he visited all the Altar; o [...] the Church, making a prostration and reverence to every of them.
Raymond used, whence
[Page 180] He prescribes
Tunc te Cur­v [...]bis ad a [...]am, [...] est, in [...]linabis Alta [...] Su [...]u­la Ray [...]undi fo. 133.
Priests beginning Masse to bow
Ʋnto the Altar, as our Priests doe now.
Should I to this Kings Act, annex the story
Of Card'nall Poole, Popes Legate to Queene Mary,
Whose
Fox Acts & Monuments Edit. 1610: p. 1781.
Visitons in Cambridge, did enjoyne
Schollers [in her dayes] to bow, and incline
To, and before the Altar, [the onely
Injunction of this kind, our Church story
Affords for Altar-worship] all would cry
Forthwith, it is a brat of Popery;
Begot at first by Transubstantiation,
The
See Fox Acts & Monuments old Edition. p. 359 a. 623. b. 1528. 1541. 1 [...]30. and my Quenchcoale p. 295. 296. 277. to 284.
ground and cause of Altars veneration:
But sith my Muse may not expatiate,
I leave this point for others to dilate;
And how
2 Kings 18 22. 2 Chron. 32 12. Ier. 36. 7. Acts 17 23.
some Pagans did bow and adore
Before their Idoll-Altars heretofore.
But will you not have men for to adore
God with their bodyes? Yes, fall, kneele before
Him with all humble reverence, when you pray:
This is a worship, which none will gainesay:
It is
Psal. 95. 6. Psal. 86. 9. Dan. 6. 10. Acts. 21. 5 Ephes. 3. 14. Psal. 72. 9. 11.
commanded in Gods Word;
Object.
adore
God thus devoutly,
Answ.
he expects no more
Worship but this, and will be pleas'd with it,
Though all these Altar-bowings should omit;
As you by this one Text may understand;
Isay 1. 12. Col. 2. 20. 22. 23.
Who hath required these things at your hand?
I have now
See my Quenchcoale where this is more fully de­bated.
answer'd every Text, proofe, ground,
Whereon you this new Altar-worship found;
And made you see, how they all severally
Confute, confound it by Gods destiny;
Your Scriptures, Reasons now are all quite spent;
Had God, or Christ, wil'd that you should have bent,
Or bow'd thus, they no doubt would have exprest
It in the Scripture, where is not the least
Touch, shew, or colour of it: and if these
[Page 181] Texts, grounds and reasons which some men now please,
To urge, had beene sufficient to inclin'd
Men thus to bow, those holy men we find
In sacred writ, would doubtlesse constantly
Have practis'd it; be not more wise then they.
You have no more, I know, left to produce;
Consider all here said, and make good use.

On, and against Popish bowing to Altars,100 and adoration of the Host.

RIbadeniera
Fleures des vies des Saincts part. 1 p. 104.
, a late Jesuite,
Of Romes Saint Raimond of Rochfort, doth write,
That in the nights he us'd it discipline
Himselfe, after the Mattins, and compline,
He all the Altars in the Church, duly
Would visit, and unto them severally
Prostrate himselfe, and make low reverence.
Belike our Priests and Prelates learnt from hence
To bow to their new Altars; since I find
This Saint the
He dyed Anno 1275.
first, who Altars in this kind
Adored; yet not constantly, but when
He whipt himselfe; in nights, not dayes. If then
Our Novellers will imitate him, they
Must whip themselves, ere they bow; and in day
Time quite forbeare this Complement; and use
It but at night: Both these they will refuse.
I read, Saint
Surius Tom. 5. vita Francis­ci ex Bonaven­tura. c. 8. et Du­ralt Iesuit Flores Exemp c. 5. tit. 6.
Francis the Fryer, exhorted
A Cade-Lambe (for he to Beasts, Birds, Preached
Oft-times;) to be attentive to Gods praise;
And hereupon, this holy Lambe alwayes
After, the Church frequented every day,
And without any Tutor (as they say)
[Page 182] Kneeled before the Altar of our Lady,
At the Hosts elevation; (marke you why)
In honour of her Maker;
O discant haeretici vel a pecude venera­ri matrem Christi, et Eu­charistiam ado­rare. Ibidem.
Surius
Who doth relate this history to us,
Writes; O let heretiques learne to adore
The blessed Sacrament, and bow before
It, by this Lambes example: happily
Our Altar Worshippers were lesson'd by
This silly Lambes example, to kneele, bow,
Adore before their Altars, Tables now;
And worship them, and Christ, who sitteth on
Them (as
Shelfold, Wid­dowes, Heylin, Archbishop Laud; and Dr. Pocklington, in their places forcited.
they write) as in his Chaire or Throne:
But then they should, like this Lambe, kneele only,
And bow thus, when they lift the Host on high;
And that not to the Altar, but the Host:
Should they this doe yet, their designe were lost,
Wherefore, I doubt, these Wolves in
Matth 7. 15.
sheepes-clothing,
Have rather from two Asses learn't this thing,
Famous in Popish Legends, who before
The Host, and Altar kneeled, to adore
Them. The first was, the
Rihadeniera Fleures des v [...]es des Saints. p. 1. pag. 563.
Asse of Bouivil,
Kept three dayes fasting, who of her Free-will
Forsooke her provender for to adore
The Host her Maker, brought and held before
Her by Saint Anthony; which miracle
P. 95.
Already toucht more largely) wrought so well,
That it her owne did Convert, nay, more,
Teach Catholickes the host for to adore.
I wonder why the
Matth. 21. 2. to 10. Mar. 11. 1. to 11.
Asse which Christ rode on
Into Jerusalem, fell not upon
Her knees, her Makers person to adore,
When as this Asse fell on her knees before
This Host, which did but onely represent
His body. Sure some leud Fryer did invent
This Legend; or this Asse was tutored
Like Bankes his horse, to kneele thus to the bread,
[Page 183] To cheate the vulgar, and make them adore
The Host, like this Asse, for their Creator;
Else that Asse whereon Christ rode, would as well
As this, have to him on her knees downe fell.
In memory whereof Saint Anthony
Holding the Host, and this Asse kneeling by
Thereto, are graven on the high Altar
At Padua, where this hap'ned, or not far
From thence. But this devout Asse did adore
The Host, not Altar; but once, and no more.
Those then who bow to Altars frequently,
Transcend this Asse in devout foolery;
And the next Asse, or Mule; which, as I read,
From
Ribadenie­ra Fleures, &c. part 1. p. 151.
Andelousa in Spaine carryed
The reliques of Saint Bernard, Accurse, and
Three Martyrs more, slaine by the cruell hand
Of Pagan Moore in Morrocco, unto
(If you beleeve the Legend which writes so)
Conimbri, by Gods conduct directly;
And went to the Gate of the Monast'ry
Of Saint Crosse, where the Canons Regular
Of Saint Austin reside; and staying there
Ʋntill' the gates were opened to her, she
Went in first, King Alphonsus, [...]is Queene, the
Whole Court, and multitudes then following her
In great procession, to the high Altar;
Before which she kneel'd downe, and would not stirre
Thence, untill they had quite discharged her
Of these Saints reliques she thus carryed;
Which, for a miracle is registred.
This devout Asse, who kneeled thus before
This Altar, taught our Asse-priests to adore
And bow before their Altars constantly:
Yet the but once, and that prodigiously
Thus kneeled; they, in this her farre transcend,
In that they to their Altars daily bend,
[Page 184] Without a miracle, and them adore;
Whereas she did, not kneele to, but before
The Altar; not in to rev'rence, or pray
To God; but there her burden downe to lay.
Those then who bow to Altars, farre surpasse
Saint Francis Lambe, Bonivils, and this Asse
In fond devotion; Beasts, Sheepe, Asses, Mules
Acts, in Gods worship, must not be mens rules;
As Rome now makes them, but
Psal. 119. 9 Iohn 5. 39. Gal. 6. 16. Isay. 1. 12 3. c. 8. 20. Luk 16. 29. 2 Pet 1 19. Matth. 15. 1 to 10. Col. 2. 8. 16. to 23.
Gods word only,
Which Altar-worship doth not justify;
Nor yet the adoration of the Host,
Which is not God, but sacred
1 Cor. 10. 16. 17. c. 11 23 24. 26. 27. 28. Luk. 24 30 35. Acts 2 46. c. 20 11. Iohn 6. 32. 33. 34. 35 41. 48. 50. 51. 55. 58 compared together.
bread at most.
FINIS.

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