The Marrow and Juice of 260 Scriptures, Title page – Dedication
THE MARROVV AND IVICE OF TWO HVNDRED AND SIXTIE SCRIPTVRES.
OR MONAS TESSARAGRAPHICA, That is: THE FOVRE HOLY SCRIPTVRES of the Old and New Testament, appointed eueryevery Sonday to be read in our Church of England, combined and brought vntounto one chiefe head and point of doctrine: Together with the rest of the holy Scriptures, set out also for the principall solemne Feasts of the Natiuitie, Circumcision, and Epiphany of our Lord and Sauiour Christ Iesus, of his Resurrection, Ascension, and sending downe the holy Ghost vponupon his Apostles, and the rest of the Church assembled (in vniformity) in Ierusalem, at the Feast of Pentecost.
WITH
1 A generall Harmony and connexion of all these together:
AND
2 A particular analyse of eueryevery one of them:
SO THAT
1 Not the Ministers alone:
BVT
2 EueryEvery godly housholder, and studious Christian may not onelyonly
1 Confirme their consciences in the sound truth of the Religion of Adam, Seth, Enos, Christ and his Apostles: But also
2 Confute all aduersaries, of what ranke soeuer, with these combined and selected euidences of Gods truth.
Extracted by Iames Forrester▪ Minister of Gods word at Enderby neere Bullingbrooke in Lincolnshire, Chapleine to the Queenes most excellent Maiestie.
Printed at London for Simon Waterson dwelling at the signe of the Crowne in Paules Church-yard. 1611.
TO THE MOST CHRISTIAN, HIGH AND MIGHTIE PRINCE, OVR SOVERAIGNE LORD, IAMES, BY THE Grace of God, King of great Brittaine, France and Ireland, Defender of the true, ancient, and Catholicke Faith.
MOST Mightie Monarch, and our renowmed Soueraigne. It was the speech and position of Plato, Platoes common-wealth.delighting in his owne element of Philosophy, and farre exceeding others therein, That those States and Kingdomes were happie, wherein either Philosophers held the Helme, or Kings and Potentates were able to discourse philosophically. More blessed and happy had these bene, in his eyes & estimation, if he had knowne diuine Philosophy, that sacred Theology, & had begun to taste that life eternall, by acknowledging of God in Christ Iesus.Ciceroes common-wealth. It was the poeme of that most eloquent Orator, though a very proud man (like the lad Narcissus delighting in his owne shadow) O fortunatam, natam, me consule, Romam: He would also hauehave beene of another opinion, if he could hauehave spoken the tongue of Canaan, so well as the Latine and Roman language. For how had holy Religion (so called a religando) restraining men so effectually, as with a bridle, from that capitall sinne of pride and arrogancie, held him in, as with a curbe, and not suffered him to beare his head so loftily.
Romish synagogue and false Church.But to speake no more of Heathen Philosophers & Orators, men without God in this world, weakened or rather wasted with that incureable disease of pride and selfe-louelove. This iron age of ours, I may call it earthly, this old and last age, this crooked and decrepite time, this melancolike Sa…urne, or rather Sathan, hath ingendred a brood and issue of children, exceeding both Plato and Cicero in haughtinesse, and exalting themselues.
Pontifex Romanus hermaphrodita.That Bishop of Rome, that monster of and among men, that Hermaphrodite, though calling himselfe by a most humble title and name, the seruant of seruants of the most high God, is neuerthelesse more proud then Pharaoh, more blasphemous then Sennacherib, of an haughtier spirit then Nebuchadnezzar and Herod; exalts the happinesse of the Romish Church aboue all other: enuies our felicitie (which he cals misery) and would hauehave vsus happie, after the new Romish fashion. He disclaimes vsus altogether, proclaimes vsus heretikes and apostataes, for that we are departed (aut mentiuntur philosophi) from the true mother and the most ancient Catholike Church of Rome. They say, that all those are happy, and none other are blessed, but such as are blessed of that Romish Father, Christs Vicar, with his leaden paper, or parchment Bull-blessings: if a desparate stabber or ruffian like swash-buckler, and the diuels hangman (more bloudy then any butcher) may hauehave his bare word go for payment. Whether he be Emperor, King, Priest, or Subiect, he must be Anathema Maranatha, cursed with a greater curse then with Booke, Bell and Candle, that will not subiugate himselfe to that Romish Money-monger, S. Peters Cacozelist, and bastard successor: that will not giuegive him honour and worship, of Douleia and Latreia, as to the Lord God Almightie.
Whereupon those cursed impes of his, foreign vagi & errones, his vagabond false Prophets, those regular and secular Priests, those Man-slayers, King-killers, and traytors of that last, but most damnable and wicked order the Iebusites (I would say the Iesuites) those hellish Alchimists, calciners of Kings, Queenes, Princes, Nobles, Gentles and Parliament houses, such matters as neuer any but the diuels Pyrophilactikes wrought vponupon. These, these I say, are still in hand with their Romish caco-lukes, to depart from the English Church, which hath so long stood excommunicate, to abhorre and detest our Temples and holy assemblies: to ioyne themselues to their catholicke, and (if you will beleeue the lyars) the most ancient Religion, to be reconciled to the Romish power, and not to take the oath of Allegiance, or of Supremacie, at the instance of any Magistrates, in the kingdome of England.
Amongst our selues there is yet another ranke of men,The seditious and factious conuenticles. who hauehave seuered and torne themselues from the true Church of Christ, dispersed abroad, or gathered, either in great Britaine, Germany, France, or other places. These people are very like bad Phisitions, who professe great cunning in healing other mens maladies, but are farre vnable to cure themselues. They would heale vsus (whom they call Babylon) themselues being blind and vnskilfull in their owne grieuous diseases of pride and confusion. Oh (say they) happie were the inhabitants of this land, and more happie were the Rulers and Teachers, if they were members of the true, that is (as they call it) of their separated congregation. Twice happie should the people of England, and other countries be, if once they would worship God, according to his word with vsus that are separate, abdicate and abiured. Thrice happy should they be, if they would throw away their Leitourgie, that is, their booke of Common Prayer, and would not pray to God, in any prescript forme of prayer, or premeditate: If they would not celebrate the feast dayes of Christ and his Saints: If they would not appoint the Scriptures, and stint them to be read vponupon certaine daies and times: if they would separate the good from the bad, the cleane from the vncleane: if they would do all things after the discipline, forme and administration vsed in the primitiue Church.
Wherfore they cry out against our Church, holding it to be false and adulterate, Antichristian, Babylonish, and Romes sister. For (say they) you worship God in vaine, teaching for doctrines mens commandements: therefore it is no ioyning with you in any spirituall societie. For which cause, that with more craft and speed, they may inueigle the vnletterd, ignorant, yonglings and weake ones with their Syrene songs, & sweete baites, vntounto their faction, they abuse our Lords words pronounced by Esay, Ieremy, and his holy Apostles,Esay 52.11. Ieremy 51 6. 2. Cor. 6.17.18. Reuel. 18.6. S. Paul & S. Iohn, Depart ye, depart ye, get ye hence, come out from among them, purge your selues, ye that carry the vessels of the Lord, and then will I receiue you. With these and the like inchantments (as did Simon Magus) they do bewitch the people and yong lambes, of that great Shepheard, and Lord of the flocke, that Archbishop of our soules Christ Iesus.
All these, the eyes of your Maiestie do behold, and your eye-lids do consider, that they are in the gall of bitternesse, and wrapped in iniquity: all these Pharisies (I meane) who iustifie their owne assemblies, disallowing, scoffing, and deriding ours, as meerly false, meretricious, Babylonish and Antichristian. These mockers do call (the booke of Common prayer) a peece of swines flesh, spitting at it and despising it as a thing most vncleane and abhominable. The bookes of the holy Bible, of the old and new Testament, which are yearly or oftner read through in our congregations (because they are set forth some for one time, & some for another, to be read in order and course) they say they are read by patches and peeces, they are cut, rent, and violently torne, and applied superstitiously to dayes, feasts and times.
For these causes (most religious King) I that am the least and most vnworthy of all your seruants,English church a member of the true catholicke Church. neither allowing of Platoes or Ciceroes Common-wealth, nor of the Romish or factious synagogues; but professing my selfe a member and Minister of the true, Catholicke and most ancient Church of Christ; hauehave dedicated and consecrated this my Monas tessaragraphicke vntounto your Soueraigne Maiestie (being the true Monarch of foure kingdomes) for that of right such a Treatise belongs vntounto your Excellency.Subiect of this Booke and Treatise. Wherein those foure Scriptures which are for eueryevery Sonneday throughout the yeare, appointed to be read and expounded in our Churches, are reduced vntounto one chiefe head of holy and Christian Religion. Wherein those principall and fundamentall heauenly doctrines may easily be seene and perceiued. Wherein not the dead Sceleton, but the liuing Anatomy of the body and soule of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, God and Man is described. Of that Sonne of man, I say, which for vsus was borne, circumcised for vsus, appeared to the Gentiles, was baptised for vsus, fasted and prayed for vsus, was tempted of Sathan, preached to vsus, and for vsus: Suffered vnderunder Pontius Pilate, & died for vsus, rose againe & ascended into heauen to prepare a place for vsus, sits at the right hand of God in glory. Sēt his holy spirit that comforter vntounto his Church, which with one accord (not contentiously) were assembled together. Which holy spirit, with all the gracious and necessary gifts thereof, he promised to continue with this his true Church, vntounto the end of the world.
This is that holy coniunction of the chiefe and principall heads of Christian Religion, handled, confirmed and applied in our english Leitourgie. A true coniunction and copulation of the chiefe points of Christian faith in our English Leitourgie.This (most renowmed King) is that holy knot of mariage, and vndefiled wedlocke: which no mortall man ought to breake or loose, vnlesse he will be guiltie of heynous and mischieuous sacrilege. This is the order and method, the end and scope of those holy theopneustall bookes, conteined in the old and new Testament. That vnitie of all vnities in the Monarchie and mysterie of that indiuisible Trinitie, who hath appeared to vsus in, by and through Iesus Christ, who is yesterday, and to day, and the same for euer.
That King of Kings, and Monarch of Monarchs, blesse your Monarchie for euer. That inuincible, victorious Lyon of the tribe of Iuda, preserue in soule and body your excellent Maiestie, your most louing, loued, and beloued Queene, my gracious Lady and Mistresse, with all that holy of-spring, those flourishing Palmes and blessed Bay trees, from all treacherous and trayterous machinations of all Romish Malshrags, and other mischieuous persons. That holy spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Sonne, fill you all full of graces, gifts and blessi…gs in this your troublesome pilgrim…ge: and giuegive you the expectation o… the blessed hope, euen the appearing of that great God our Sauiour Iesus Christ Amen.
Which that he m…y d…, I will and must incessantly pray, as being your most dutifull seruant in all submission,
The most vnworthy of all your Chapleines, IAMES FORRESTER.