I Need not make an Appology to the ensuing Discourse; Tis well known to all honest and discreet Protestants, how basely our Service-Book is tearmed (by the name of Por­rage, a name very frequent in uncivill mouthes) and trampled under foot by unreasonable men, that have neither Faith nor Charity; and although they be now well fed to the full, and may go from one Church to another to please their pallat, and taste of what pleaseth them best; yet there may a time come, (which I pray God there do not) that they may be glad of the crums which fall from theit Masters Table: but let them alone awhile, the thing that I say is this, That our Common Prayer is so abhorred, depraved, detested, and despised of by many, as if it were the most vilest thing in the World; nay, if the Devill himselfe had composed it, it could not be more villified then it is: Tis a shame to speak, and I blush to heare it, that Men that think themselves such rare Divines, that people that think they have such knowledge and zeal, to tearme such a good thing and such holy matter as there is, to be Porrage: oh fie! where is your judgment? where is your moderation; what, quite lost? is this your zeale turned to hate? you are surely of a hot and fiery Spirit, contrary to the nature of warme and wholesome Porrage; if you knew but the right vertue of Pottage, you would not have tearmed the Common Prayer so, but your owne Prayers: For do ye not know, That they were godly men that made them; they were not made ex tempore, but with delibe­ration, not hand over head, as many do in these dayes, but seri­ously considered of, and premeditated and do you not know, [Page]That these good men layd downe their lives for this and the Truth? and doe ye not know, That they were established and maintained by Acts of Parliament? in the Raigne of three Kings and one Queen, and is it now made a laughing stock; surely you should have more manners then so.

Indeed, is Parliament time, and men speak and do what they lyst now, and so do ye; for ye speak evill of Kings, of authori­ty and dignity, and despise government, contrary to the Apo­stles rule. Oh the great malice that is one against another! against Peere and Peasant, against Priest and People oh envie, thou limbe of the Devill! how rulest thou in the hearts of people, especially against Bishops; oh how odious is that name to many! but I counsell you to speake moderately, and judge charitably; if they be stained, let them be pained: they have faults as well as we; yet they are Gods Embassador, his Stew­ards, his Angels, disposers of Gods secrets, disbursers of his trea­suries; then revile them not, For tis written, Thou shalt not speak evill of the Ruler of the People.

But as for that which you call Porrage, who hatcht the name I know not, neither is it worth the enquiring after, nor the worse for that name, nor none the worse that useth it, for I hold Porrage good food; it is better to a sick man then meat; for a sick man will sooner eat Porrage then meat: Pottage will di­gest with him, when meat will not: Pottage will nourish the bloud, filles the vaines, runs into every part of a man, and makes him warmer, so will these prayers do, and work more effectu­ally; set the body and soule in a heat; warme our devotion, works fervency in us, lifts up our soules to God. And many things more it worketh in us, if we had but appetite to them, and tis well stored with hearbs out of Gods Garden, here a lit­tle, and there a little, as appeares in the beginning of the Com­mon Prayer, and so forward to the end of it. For there is the hearbs of Gods own planting (in our Pottage, as you call it) the [Page]ten Commandements, dainty hearbs to season any Pottage in the world then there is our Saviours form of prayer, & that is a most sweet pot-hearbe, cannot be denied, then there is also Davids hearb, his Prayers and Psalmes, help, to make our Pottage rellish well; then, S. Pauls precepts; also the Creed, a very faithfull pot-hearbe; and the Song of the blessed Virgin, a good pot-hearb, so that this porrage hath abundance of choice herbs to season it and those that will eat no such porrage as these so well drest it is pity but they should fast, & as the proverb is, those that will eat no porrage must eat no meat. Though they be as (some tearm them) Cockcrowed porrage, yet they are as sweet, as good, as dainty and as fresh, as they were at the first: The Sunne hath not made them sowre with its heat: neither hath the cold winter taken away their vigour, and strength, but they are as whole­som and as well rellished as at the first, and unlesse you be sick for novelties, you cannot eate better then these. Compare them with the Scriptures, and see if they be not as well seasoned and crumbd: if you find any thing in them, that is either too salt or too fresh, too bitter, or too sowre, too little or too great; that herb shall be taken out, and a better put in if it can be got or none at all: And as in Kitchin porrage there is many good herbs in it so there is likewise in this Church porrage, (as you call it) For first in Kitchin porrage, is good water to make them so, on the contrary, in the other porrage, is the water of life. 2. There is salt to season them. In the other is a prayer for grace, to season our hearts. 3. There is Oatmeal, to nourish the body: in the other is the words of him, that is the bread of life, which nourisheth our soules and bodies to eternall Life. 4. There is Thyme in them to rellish them, and it is very whol­som: in the other is a wholsome exhortation, not to harden our hearts, whilest it is called to day; this rellisheth well. 5. There is a small Onion to give a taste. In the other is a good herb, called, Lord have mercy upon us, which gives a sweet [Page]taste to the soule. 6. There is Rosemary to comfort and re­fresh the body, In the other is comfortable words of Christ: Come unto me all yee that are heavie laden, and I will refresh your soules. 7. There is Marygold leaves, to revive the spirits. And so in the other, there is the souls magnifying the Lord, and the spi­rits rejoycing in God our Saviour. These and many wholsom herbs are contained in it, and all these boyling in the heart of mans will, make as good porrage as the world can affoord, espe­cially if you use these herbs following for digestion. viz. The herb repentance, the herb grace, the herb faith, the herb hope, the herb love, the herb good works, the herb piety, the herb zeal the herb fervency. the herb ardency, the herb vigilancy, and the herb constancy; with many more of this nature, which are most excellent for digestion. And those that despise this porrage of ours, have no appetite to the Lords prayer, the ten comman­dements, the Psalmes of David, and other good matter that is in them, this being contained in the common prayer, must be despised also but me thinks I hear some say, they despise not those What is it then I pray that you dislike in this porrage? Oh Sir, I know your meaning by your gaping, this slicks in your teeth and spoils your stomack. 1. There is, (you say) too much of the surplice which smelleth of the garment of the Whore. 2 There is too much crossing in Baptisme, and that smells (you say) of the mark of the Beast, (but of what beast, I wot not). 3. There is too much bowing, and that tasts of Idolatry. 4. There is too much ring in Matrimonie, and this smells of Superstition. 5. Too much kneeling at the Sacrament, this tasts of Antechrist. 6. Too much standing up, this smells of vain glorie. 7. Too much glorie be to the Father, and this is superfluous. 8. There is too much Lord have mercy on us, and this is needlesse. 9. Too much Lords Prayer and this is odious in everie ones mouth. 10. There be too many prayers and they savour not of the spirit. And what of all these, doe they savour so strong in [Page]your nose, that you dare not peep into the Church. Then I may say, you savour of an ill smell, and are very absurd, and you have got a great cold in your feet, and it is sumed up into your head, and so stuffes your brain, that you cannot smell at all, and carrion is as good to your sent, as good and wholsom porrage is. That which you hold to be the worst, (as namely) trossing, bowing, surplice, kneeling, &c. is not worth the speak­ing, and he is a mad man that believes there is salvation in them and so of necessitie we must use them: no, they may be left at any time, when authoritie shall command: they are ordered but for decencie sake, and as neare to the Primitive times as could be gathered, and if we have no order in our Churches, we shall be a reproch to all people. If we should be of that mind, as the fashion is or many people are, we then must have a new form of prayer everie yeare, so you would have something, but you know not what: so that you are neuer content full nor fasting, neither with porrage nor without.

If Pottage had not been good food, Jacob would have made none neither would the Angel of the Lord, have carried Abbacuc by the haire of the head, to Daniel in the Lyons Den, that he might eat the Pottage which Abbacuc had prepared for the reapers. Ile warrant you Daniel was glad of them, he went not behind the dore to eat them, as many in our daies do stay at the Church dore till the service is done, and then come and eat the bread out of others mouthes: but beleeve it, theres no death in this Pot­tage, in this Common Prayer: though many have preached and said there is, and that tis meere Popery. If this be the opinion of Roundheads, then tis no marvell we are so subject to change; for marke it alwaies, that that which is round is soonest moved and never constant, neither in manner, fashion, or place; their wit is like quick-silver in a foot-ball, alwaies running, so nothing will stay their humour. Therefore I counsell you to do as Esou; Ja­cobs brother did, who sould his Birth-right for a Messe of Pottage; [Page]so would I have you to do, to sell your selfe opinions for this Porrage; I do not mean that you should sell your chiefest Birth-right, The Word of God, that unto which you are born, and must die for; not to sell this for Ceremonies, not to sell the sub­stance for a shaddow, but despise the bare conceits of it; and I dare warrant you, that the using of this which you call Porrage, will never prove your bane neither shall you commit any sinne in the least degree, provided, that you use them to no other end, then they were ordered unto, and that is as S. Paul speaks concer­ning the World, to use it, as not abusing it; for the fashion of the World passeth away, to such end we may use them, and not abuse them, knowing that it is in the power of the King and Parlia­ment, to alter and change them when they please, if in case they be corrupted.