WHereas it ſeemes to ſome lame in reaſon and blind in judgement, a great indignitie to call the Service-Book Porrage, by a metaphore and ſimilitude, which will verie well hold, conſidering the fat Cooks that firſt compoſed it out of the Popes Kitchin, and have put thereinto weeds of Idolatrie, thickened with many tautologies and repetitions; yet becauſe Similitudo currit quatuor pedibus, Similitudes are more cleare to illuſtrated than ſtrong to prove, it ſhall be here demonſtrated that the Service-Booke is corrupted and unlawfull, and firſt from the name, then from the nature: for that which is called the Liturgie is the ſame with the Maſſe, and ſo promiſcuouſly called by the Papiſt Ieſuites; and is only but an Engliſh Maſſe, as theirs is in Latine. Now it is knowne, that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , names are the verie images of things; ſo that this Liturgie is either a Lethargie of worſhip, or a Maſſe of Idolatrie: it is therefore the Popes porrage, and his Idoll of Ignorance, and wee are not to offer to an Idoll: Ergo, We are not to offer it to God as a worſhip.

But that you may take a view of this Crambe recocta, this twice-ſod pottage, mark the ingredients therof, and whereof it is made, and you ſhall find therein no puritie, but all papiſtrie; the common prayers taken out of the popiſh Breviarie, out of the Papiſts Rituall is deduced the Adminiſtration of the Sacraments, Buriall, Matrimony; and Viſitation of the ſick; and then the Conſecration of the Lords Supper, Collects, Epiſtles and Goſpels are taken out of the Maſſe-booke; and beſides, in all the eſſentiall and integrall parts thereof it is omoregenous with the Maſſe; and therefore being taken and tranſlated word for word out of the popiſh Maſſe, it is not a booke of Divine Service and worſhip, but an abomination to God, and therefore to be aboliſhed; which may be proved out of theſe places of Scripture, Deut. 7.25. 2 King. 23.13. Ezra 9.1. and Eſa. 44.19. Thus you ſee it is not taken out of the garden of godlineſſe, nor compoſed of pure wholeſome herbs, as ſome ignorant Cooks would pretend, but the old profane pot-herbs of papiſtrie. Now you ſhall next diſcerne the matter of this porrage, which is falſe and erroneous in the corrupt tranſlations of the Word; as firſt, Pſal. 105.28. the booke hath it thus, They were not obedient to his word; but the Scripture ſaith, They were not diſobedient to his word. Another place is, Luke 10.1. After theſe things the Lord appointed other ſeventie alſo, and ſent them, two and two before them: but the Service-booke reads, ſeventie two. Beſides, there are many omiſſions, as of Hallelujah in the 72 pſalme: and for, Praiſe the Lord, ſeventeenetimes omitted, the Book putteth in, Gloria Patri, drowning alſo 160 Chapters, and in ſtead therof have placed the Apocrypha. Beſides, in reading the Scriptures they take but ſcraps and ſhreds. And thirdly, much ſuperſtitious action in reading the Epiſtles and Goſpels. Having thus proceeded againſt the Service-booke in theſe accuſations, of falſe tranſlations, additions, omiſſions, and miſ-nominations, there are other faults in this booke committed by miſ-application of Scriptures, by coyning things, and by popiſh expoſitions, and by preſſing upon Miniſters and people an heap of popiſh Ceremonies and Tenents, as the prayer at the Buriall of the dead, Croſſes and Surplices, and bowing and cringing to the Altar, and Chriſtening Fout, all which being mans invention, muſt needs be idolatrous: for, Quicquid praeter mandatum eſt Idolum, Whatſoever is placed in Gods worſhip without the commandement of God, is an Idoll: beſides, there are foppiſh fooliſh things in the book, as tautologies and battologies, vaine repetitions of words, and that mutuall ſalutation between prieſt and people, in theſe words, The Lord be with you, and with your ſpirit; and women at the comming into the Church making a curteſie to the Prieſt: beſides all this there is a Letany, which is not a ſtump or limb of Dagon, but the head of the Maſſe-book, in which there is nothing but vaine repetition, and a multitude of words, as, Lord deliver us, Heare us wee beſeech thee, and ridiculous Invocations like Magick ſpels, and no better than conjuring. And therefore if the matter of the Service-book be partly falſe, fooliſh, ridiculous, and frivolous, therefore the worſhip therein contained ſhould not be preſented unto God.

Now as for forme, which is the eſſence of a thing, it is nothing but an unformed heap of diſorder, and will-worſhip, the Miniſter uſing a ſtrange and ridiculous change of voyce, poſture and place; and then many ſhort Collects, of ſhort ſhreds patched-up together, to make a weariſome Service upon the long laſt, and much toſſing or driving the Service between the Prieſt and the people, praying with the Prieſt, or repeating his prayer, and adding ſome reſponſes and anſwers: Thus the name, originall matter and manner of the Service-book, hath been ſhewed to be naught, and corrupt, and there not to be ſuffered, but aboliſhed, which hath beene proved by nominall and reall Arguments, and now it ſhall be alſo clearely evinced from the proper and neceſſary bad effects thereof, and the evil cauſe is worſe than the effect. Nam propter quod aliquid tale. &c. is a poſition in Logick and Philoſophy: and theſe evill effects are foure, firſt it maketh a number of Sir Iohns, meere Surplice and Service-book men: alſo many non-reſidents and pluralliſts, who take choyſe of Curates to ſerve their cures at a cheap rate; beſides, it was a great affliction to Conformiſts, and non-Conformiſts, ſo that the Service book was in ſome ſort like the Metheg Amath, the bridle of the Belly tract, or ſtrength of the Philiſtims; ſo this Service-book was the ſtrength of the Philiſtim Prelacy; and a bridle with a curbing bit to ſtop, to winde and turne them at their pleaſure; and ſome about this Service-book were committed to Aegyptian bondage.

In the ſecond place, this Service book brooked up all preaching, Doctor Houſon affirming that preaching was no part of Divine worſhip; and thus Chriſts Word gave place to a fardell of mens devices: beſides the Service Booke entrenched upon 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the people, Religion, and Law, and eſpecially upon the Law by impriſoning and exerciſing juriſdiction in rebus non ſpiritualibus, in matters that were not ſpirituall, and then good people ſuffered in this Furnace, in ſpoyling their goods, loſſe of liberty, and forſaking their owne Countrey, Genio patriae plangente, as Lipſius ſaith, the Genius of their Countrey lamenting after them, or elſe laid in priſon till their bones rotted, as Doctor Abbot ſaid Maſter Baits ſhould be, who was afterwards ſtarved in the Gate-houſe. And thus the Furnace (for not adoring the Service Booke, as Nebuchadnezzar for not adoring his Idoll) was ordinarily heated, and devowred many that were caſt into it, and all oppoſition in that kind was puniſhed with cutting, branding, ſlitting, whipping, pilloring, and fining. Then for bad people, if ignorance bee the mother of deſtruction, then much guilt lyeth in many places of the Service-Book, having in ſome pariſhes not had a Sermon in many yeers: and in other places Sermons that were onely Husks, and no bread to feed upon, and all this proceeding from divers places of the Liturgy and Service-booke, wherewith the Common people and Prieſts of Ignorance were enforced to be content.

The laſt evill effect of this Service-book is directly and immediately againſt God. Calvin in his Letter to Frankford calleth it, the leavings of the popiſh dregs: and the Frankford book calleth them burthens, yoaks, and clogs to Gods people and his Service: this derogation from Gods ſervice is their feſtivall dayes to Saints, and their kneeling at the Communion, for none but God can appoynt an holy-day, and for kneeling at the Sacrament, it is a popiſh, moderne poſture of but 400. yeeres ſtanding, and is meere will-worſhip; for denying of which ſome have extreamly ſuffered: and in regard this kneeling is a reſpect and adoration by or before a creature, it is Idolatry, and likewiſe there may bee many ſtrong arguments urged againſt the Cr • ſſe, to prove it the marke of the Beaſt. Laſtly, the interceſſion of the Saints muſt bee according to the will of God, otherwiſe hee heareth them not: but the prayers of the Service Book are not ſuch, but delinquent and peccant, both in name, originall, matter, forme, effects properly proceeding therefrom, therefore they have no acceptance before God, they ſhall not by him be heard: and therefore are profanely and ſuperſtitiouſly uſed, and being groſſe papiſtry, may bee called the Popes pottage, made of divers weeds in ſtead of Herbes, prepoſterouſly ſerved up by the Prieſt, unwholeſome for the ſoule, and diſpleaſing to God, as being mans Cookery, full of abſurdity, contrary to Gods glory.

Thus lame Giles Calfine, I hope I have ſatisfied you in your halting and Laodicean opinion: for whereas you ſay it is the true bread of Life, I doe thinke you are miſtaken, and that you were an hungry, and wanted your Breakfaſt at that time: and whereas you ſay, they are well ſeaſoned, you are miſtaken alſo, unleſſe you had put ſome fleſh into your pot, or at leaſtwiſe the foure firſt letters of your name; which if you had done, they would have beene ſomewhat better crummed and ſeaſoned. So in fine, good Giles Calfine, hopping to an end, Ile leave you in the middeſt of your pottage; and for my part I wil put off my Doublet, and will ſwim to the meat, which is fitting for men, and not for ſuch Children as you are who are ignorantly brought up, and ſtill are as innocent in matters of Expoſition, as all your generation was in matters of ſtate-affaires. And ſo much for this time.