Warning to Take Heed of Fowlers Psalter, Text

Warning to Take Heed of Fowlers Psalter · Text

p. 9A WARNING TO TAKE HEEDE OF FOWLERS PSALTER, GIVEN By Tho. Sampſon.

IT hath ben alwayes the manner of ſuch as do departe from the trueth and faith which is in Chriſt Ieſus onelyonly, and do betake them ſelues to the errour, and vntruth of their owne choyſe, and are ſetled therein, their manner hath ben, and is (I ſay) to inuente and deuiſe ſuch proper thinges as maye ſerue to induce other men to like of that which they doe, and by litle and litle to draw them to become like to them ſelues. And to this ende they doe vſe to paint their owne foule doinges with faire coulours: for they thinke if they ſhoulde at the firſt openly ſhowe that groſenes which is in their errour, they ſhoulde driue all men from them rather then allure any to them. And therfore they do make a choiſe of goodly wordes, and do ſet the ſame as cloſely as they can vponupon their errour, becauſe they woulde by a ſhewe of that which is p. 10good, deceaue men the more readily, and draw them to their euill. So many olde Heretiques did in their hereſie retaine the name of Ieſus Chriſt, and vnderunder that moſt holy name they did hyde all their poyſon. They did ſpeake ſome good thinges, and cited alſo ſome ſentences of holy Scripture, vnderunder theſe good couers to conueye their errours into the mindes of men. Likewiſe do the Papiſts now. They hauehave and hold for the couer of their filthes and abhominacions the names of God, of Chriſt, of Ieſus, of the Church, of the ſpirit, of truth, of Catholike, and what not? But all theſe they do vſe, but as a ſconſe to deceaue, and vnderunder theſe faire titles to drawe ſimple ſoules into their filth. They hauehave heretofore foughte for them ſelues in this lande with fire and ſworde feircely: but when that tyrannie was, as now it is, ouerturned, through Gods great mercy towardes vsus, bleſſed be his name for it, by the moſt mercyfull and milde gouernement of our gratious ſoueraine Queene Elizabeth, whoſe life amōg vsus & reigne ouer vsus, God almighty proſper and prolonge: They ſoughte a while to holde & maintaine their owne with bookes and writinges full of forgeries and of furiouſe ſpeaches, threates, & curſed ſpeakinges. They hauehave alſo had their practiſes to recouer againe p. 11into their hands that gouernment which once they had, and now they hauehave loſte. In which deſire they hauehave ben, and are, as deſperately ſet, as any cruell tyraunte euer was, or can be. And though our good God hetherto hath of his moſt gratious goodnes diſappointed them of all their purpoſes (bleſſed be his name for it) yet they do ſtill biggly breath foorth blood, and ſlaughters, and ceaſe not. For euen at this day, they do by libells and letters threatten our ruine, and blowe foorth their owne triumphe. And herein they are ſo forewarde, that they do name the perſons which ſhalbe (they ſaye) their captaines. They aſſigne the time in which they ſhall reigne ouer vsus: they ſhall floriſhe, we ſhall ſmoake, or elſe their kalender fayleth them, yea they do note the men almoſt by name whom they hauehave appointed to the ſlaughter, and thus they do blowe vp the trumpette of their triumphe, but before the victory thankes be to God. Surely we do not feare them at all, but we do feare God, whoſe iuſt wrath we do prouoke, by our vnholy handling of his moſt holy Goſpel. This, this is it, that doth moſt feare vsus, for by this we know, that we do deſerue that he ſhoulde once againe ſcourge vsus with the whippes of theſe Popiſh Philiſtines. But we do pray him, that he will p. 12hauehave mercy on vsus, euen for his owne goodnes ſake. For he is kinde, mercyfull, and ſlowe to wrath, yea he ſayth of him ſelfe. Iſai 27. Anger is not in me. May it pleaſe him therefore to giuegive vsus the grace to be at peace, & at one with him, we care not then, though all the Papiſtes in the worlde, and all the Deuills in hell, do ſette them ſelues againſt vsus. Whileſt they fume & freatte at vsus, we learne to beleeue that goodnes of y^e Lord which for our comfort he doth laye foorth, Iſai 48. where he ſayth: For my names ſake I will differ my wrath, & for my praiſe I wil reſtraine it from thee, that I cutte thee not of, for mine owne ſake, will I do it. And we humbly pray as they did Ier. 14. VVe acknowledge o Lorde our wickednes and the iniquities of our fathers, for we hauehave ſinned againſt thee: Doe not abhorre vsus for thy names ſake: caſt not downe the throne of thy glory: remember, and breake not thy couenaunt with vsus. And to this alſo we truſt, that he will hauehave an eye now, as euer he hath had, to his enemies, and cutte them ſhorte of their purpoſe, according to his owne good pleaſure, that they do not triumphe ouer him: & ſo we know that God, as he is able, ſo he wil deale againſt them for vsus.…ſai 2. He doth bid vsus not to feare man whoſe breath is in his noſtrells. p. 13For wherein is he to be eſteemed?Matth. 10.Matt 10 He biddeth vsus not to feare them, which can but kill the body, but to feare him, who when he hath killed the bodie, hath power to caſt the ſoule into euerlaſting fire. Notwithſtanding all the bigge & braue bragges which Papiſts make, it ſeemeth that all thinges as yet do not come about, to ſerue the turne ſo roundly as they woulde, and therefore in the meane time they do content them ſelues, to take a lower courſe, and will by cullor of prayer, creepe into our boſomes.2. Cor. 11.2 Cor 11 But the Apoſtle ſayeth that the deuill can turne him ſelfe into the faſhion of an Angell of lighte: And therefore it is no great thinge though his miniſters tranſforme them ſelues as though they were the miniſters of righteouſnes, but their ende ſhalbe according to their workes. By libells at Oxford, and bulls from Rome, they breath out the furye of their conceaued malice, and ſodenly they chaunge their mode, into their kind of prayer. They do now herein, as their kinge the Pope hath done hertofore againſt vsus. The laſt Pope Pius thundred out a bull of his curriſh cenſure againſt our good Queene Elizabeth, to turne her out of her royall ſtate, and life, and after that he ſent into England cloſely a meſſenger whoſe name (as Doctor Saunders telleth vsus) p. 14is Nicolas Morton, by office a prieſt, a meete officer for ſuch a Pope & purpoſe. This man was ſente to follow that Popiſh bull, and he did it ſo freaſhly, that thereon did follow a rebellion in the North partes of this lande. But God almightie quenched this fire in his moſt riche mercy. The rebells ranne their country, Pope Pius by death is picked ouer y^e pearche: Our Queene Elizabeth doth ſtill holde her place, thankes be to God, & reigneth in Godly quietnes: O Lord graunt that ſhe may longe ſo do. Pope Gregorie that now is, ſeeing this roughe attempt of his predeceſſor hauehave ſo euil ſucces, chaungeth the courſe of his Popiſhe proceading, and hath nowe ſente by his ſuppoſtes certain bulls into England, in which he promiſeth full remiſſion of ſinnes to them which after that diſſembled deuotion which he putteth downe, ſhal pray for the conuerſion of Englande (he ſayeth,) to the Catholicke fayth, but he doeth meane the peruertion of Englande from the true Chriſtian faith, into that filthe and falſehoode of the Romiſh error. Thus the Popes are cōtēt to fall from armes, fighting and curſing, to faire promiſes flattery, and praying. But I truſt Engliſh men for whoſe pleaſure the Pope wil ſeeme to hauehave brought foorth this bull, hauehave learned more p. 15wiſedome in the Goſpell of God then now to be made calues by ſuch a Popiſh bull. In like manner our Louaniſtes, hauing ſpente (as it ſeemeth) the greateſt parte of their common ſhotte at vsus, but in vaine (thankes be to God) beginne to allure vsus to like of them by teaching vsus to praye. But we hauehave already learned to praye of the beſt ſchoolemaiſter that euer was, is, or ſhalbe, euen of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt. And therefore we hauehave no eare to hearken to theſe Popiſh bunglers and corrupters of holy thinges. They hauehave to this ende publiſhed in prince of late a thing, which they call Ieſus Pſalter, and the author thereof, or Maſter Fowler, the printer therof doth tell vsus: That there be three manner of Pſalters: the firſt is called Dauids Pſalter, which containeth thriſe fifty Pſalmes: the ſecond (ſayth he) is called the Pſalter of our Lady, cōteining thriſe fiftie Aues: the third is called the Pſalter of Ieſu, or the inuocatiō of Ieſus, conteining fiftene principall petitions, which tenne times repeated make alſo thriſe fiftie.

What meane theſe men ſo farre to forgette them ſelues that they do now commend to the Reader but theſe three manner of Pſalters? Their forefathers hauehave ben more liberall to p. 16vsus as ſhall forthwith appeare. The Pſalter of Dauid conteyning 150. Pſalmes we do acknowledge to be deliuered to vsus by the ſpirite of God for our comforte and inſtruction. For Chriſt Ieſus himſelfe teacheth vsus,Marc. 12.Mark 12 that Dauid in his Pſalmes doth ſpeake inſpired by the holy Ghoſt. And therfore with all humblenes of harte and reuerēce, we do receaue the ſame as a booke of holy Scripture deliuered to vsus as other bookes of the holy Scripture are, euen by God him ſelfe. We do not receaue it as a Pſalter giuen to vsus by the Papiſtes: For it is no Pſalter of theirs, although it pleaſeth them nowe in the accompte of Pſalters, to matche it with theirs, to make vp their packe of Pſalters. But what are theſe other two Pſalters of which they tell vsus? Who hath blowen them foorth into the world? Let them tell vsus alſo why they do not adde to this nomber of Pſalters, thoſe which their forefathers hauehave heretofore publiſhed as Pſalters to the worlde in printe? Be they now aſhamed of them? ſo may they be of this. They printed at Parris a Primer anno 1554. in the 160. leafe of that booke they do giuegive vsus an other Pſalter which they do there call, The Pſalter of Sainct Hierome, and they do in their Rubricke there tell vsus, for how many purpoſes p. 17good (if we will beleeue them) the ſame Pſalter was printed. In the ſame booke alſo Fol. 125 they tell vsus howe S. Bernard was on a time in his prayers, and the deuil ſayd to him, I know that there be certaine verſes in the Pſalter, who that doth ſaye them dayly ſhall not peariſhe, for he ſhall hauehave knowledge of the daye that he ſhall dye, but the feinde (ſaye they) woulde not ſhewe them to S. Bernard. Then ſayd S. Bernard, I ſhall ſaye dayly the whole Pſalter. The feinde conſidering that S. Bernard ſhould do ſo much profit to labour ſo, he ſhewed him the verſes there following. This is their Rubricke in that place, in which might be noted many thinges, which now I paſſe ouer. As firſt, that the deuill is buſie to daſill men in prayer. Againe that this was a packe of verſes bounde together by the deuill him ſelfe: An handſome peice of worke be ye ſure. And thus he doth now buſie him ſelfe, by this newe founde Pſalter to playe his olde pranckes. But why be not theſe verſes thus packed together called S. Bernard his Pſalter, as well as his verſes? and why be they not ioyned together as one Pſalter, with that other Pſalter of S. Hierome, to increaſe the number of Pſalters? For ſo mighte our Papiſts yeeld vntounto vsus more Pſalters then three. p. 18They maye know alſo if they will, how that ſame their ſeraphicall doctor S. Bonauenture did moſt ſhamefully corrupte the moſt holy Pſalter of Dauid, chaunging through the whole Pſalter the name of Lorde into Ladye to turne his reader from the Lord God, whom the prophet Dauid praiſed, and to whom he prayed, vntounto y^t Virgin Mary as his ſouerain. The booke is in printe, and therefore I leaue it to the veiw of them who luſt to ſee ſuch corrupte Popiſh blaſphemies. But how happeneth it now, that our Papiſtes do make no accompt of that Pſalter, to be a Pſalter? Truely as full of filth and blaſphemy as it is, yet is it adorned by ſome of their forefathers in poperie with this glorious title: The Pſalter of the Virgin Mary, compiled by the deuoute doctor Sainct Bonauenture.

Then the Virgin Mary with papiſts hath two Pſalters, or elſe ſome of them doe lye: why doth not M. Fowler tel vsus of them? Surely I thinke he is as much bounde to tell vsus of the one, as of the other. But it may be that by aduiſe he doth omitte theſe pſalters, becauſe our papiſtes now be aſhamed of the filth, and corruption of their forefathers: I would there were ſo much grace in them. Truely if there were, they would neuer hauehave ſent foorth this p. 19new corruption of theirs. They do therefore but deale doubly with the reader, to tell him but of three pſalters, as if there were with them no more but three pſalters, wheras they hauehave ſo many. But they woulde faine make a waye for this their new pſalter, therefore they ſuppreſſe the number and naminge of others. They tell vsus that this is the pſalter of Ieſu, good wordes. But why call they it a pſalter? There are ſome of their good maiſters in popery,Th… Pſal. … which do tell vsus that a pſalter is an inſtrument of tenne ſtringes, and theſe men do now tell vsus that this their pſalter hath 150. ſtringes, I meane petitions: therefore it is ſome new kinde of inſtrument deuiſed by their owne idle and corrupt braines. Their ſaide maiſters teach vsus, that the pſalter, that is the inſtrument, which hath tenne ſtringes, doth ſignifie the tenne commaundements. And will M. Fowler tell vsus on his credite, that this his new pſalter doth ſignifie the ten commaundements? If he do ſo tell vsus, we ſhalbe able I hope to proue that this his pſalter, is but a counterfaite and falſe ſigne. More their maiſters do teache vsus, that an hymne doth thus differ from a pſalme. For an hymne (ſay they) is that ſonge which is ſonge with the naturall voice: but a Pſalme is that which is played p. 20vponupon an inſtrument. Now ſithence it is their pleaſure to giuegive vsus a pſalter, they will I thinke aſſigne ſome inſtrument wherevpon the pſalmes of this pſalter maye be played. And ſo they do ful deuoutly forſooth. For they do aſſigne to them which ſhall hādle this their pſalter, to playe the ſame vponupon their Tenne fingers. A proper inſtrument and ſoundeth as ſweetly, as when an Ape layeth his fore hands croſſe one vponupon an other, and is taught to ſweare by his owne tenne bones, full ſweetly kiſſing his proper pawes. This verely is but apes playe. But how aptly or vnaptly ſoeuer it is to be called a pſalter, all is made vp by adding vntounto the pſalter the name of Ieſu: for they call it the pſalter of Ieſu. The name of Ieſu hath in it an heauenly and glorious ſweetnes, when it is rightly looked into. For he that doth know him ſelfe to be a ſinner, and that he is to receaue the rewarde of ſinne, that is death and damnation by the moſt iuſte iuſtice of God: When this man with a trembling and troubled ſpirite doth looke about quaking for feare, and hungry of helpe, and findeth that Ieſus is the true and only Ieſus, that it is he that ſaueth his people from their ſinnes, and therefore is euen the ſame in deede which his name noteth, that is a Sauiour: p. 21This poore ſoule reioyſeth with ioye vnſpeakable, becauſe he hath founde a Ieſus, and fealeth in him ſelfe a taſte of that kingdome of God which is righteouſnes, ioye and peace in the holy Ghoſt. If M. Fowler did minde to teach his reader to vnderſtand what the name of Ieſus doth meane, he would I thinke hauehave told him y^e ſame thing which the Angel did tell Ioſeph: Thou shalt cal his name Ieſus: Mattfor he shall ſaue his people frō their ſinnes. Where we learne that the name of Ieſus doth ſignifie a Sauiour: and Ieſus is he called becauſe it is he that doth ſaue his people from their ſinnes. And this ſauinge health hath ſuche a ſweete taſte in it, that it maketh the Virgin Marie, Simeon, and all other well taughte children of God, which do rightely taſte of this ſaluation, to reioyce in God their ſauiour. M. Fowler mighte alſo hauehave tolde vsus out of Bernard that Ieſus is honey in the mouth,Ber. in Serm. 1… and melodie in the eare, and myrthe in the harte. And alſo that the name of Ieſus, is lighte, it is meate, it is medecine. For Ieſus is lighte to them which ſitte in darknes, he is meate to them which do hunger, and thriſt after righteouſnes and ſaluation: he filleth the hungry with good thinges: he is a medecine and a playſter of life for the ſicke ſoule and broken harte. Yea p. 22if all theſe had miſliked him, he mighte hauehave tolde vsus yet,Ri. de ſ. …ict. ex Io. …ath. that one of his owne elders ſayth, that y^e name of Ieſus is a ſweete name, a name full of delighte, a name comforting a ſinner, a name of good hope, and that this man thus ſpeaking of this name Ieſus, bruſteth foorth into prayer, as it ſhoulde ſeeme feeling ſome excellent ſweetnes in that name, and ſayth, O Ieſus be vntounto me a Ieſus, that is, O Sauiour, be vntounto me a ſauiour, or O ſauiour ſaue me. All theſe thinges M. Fowler doth paſſe ouer, and giueth vsus as he ſayth a pſalter of Ieſus, in which he doth teach vsus oftē to name the name of Ieſus. But it is a matter of vnderſtanding, ſence and feeling truely to ſpeake of Ieſus, it is not a matter of fidling with tenne fingers as M. Fowler teacheth. They which hauehave experience of Ieſus do know this beſt. This is not had nor feelt by looking on the letters, nor ſpelling of the name of Ieſus by ſillables, nor yet by bare pronouncing the name Ieſu. The old heretikes called Marcoſij made them ſelues much adoe about this name and the letters thereof, yea and curiouſly deuiſed on ſome nomber which mighte be noted by the letters of this name as Epiphanius doth write. And notably doth this auncient writer ſaye to them all as in one:Epiph. contra her. lib. 1. to . 3. Vocem enim ſolum habes, virtutem p. 23vero ipſius ignoras: that is, thou haſt onelyonly the worde or voice, but the vertue or power thereof thou doeſt not know. It is one thing to pronounce the worde, and an other to vnderſtand and feele the vertue and power noted by that word. This, this giueth life and therefore to ſpeake of Ieſus with vnderſtāding and ſenſe of that life and ſaluatiō which Ieſus doth giuegive, is ſuch a thing as the holy Ghoſt doth worke in the elect alone, whereof the Apoſtle ſayeth 1. Cor. 12. No man can ſaye that Ieſus is the Lorde, but by the holy Ghoſt. If we ſaye the Lord Ieſus truely, we are taught ſo to do by the holy Ghoſt, for it onelyonly doth frame our tongues to make a true confeſſion of the Lord Ieſus, and of the ſaluation which by faith we do feele in our hartes that we hauehave by him: It teacheth vsus to ſpeake of Ieſus not in bare ſpeache alone, but waying what we ſay, as Hierom noteth in theſe wordes:Hier… Ioel. Tamen hoc ipſum dicere non ſermone ſed affectu cordis eſt ponderandum, that is, this ſaying is to be wayed with, and in affection of harte, not in, or with bare ſpeach. Otherwiſe many hauehave vſed this name Ieſus, and pronounced it, but euill, and to their owne hurte.Act. … We do reade of certeine vagabounde coniurers which tooke in hande to name ouer them that had euill ſpirits p. 24the name of the Lord Ieſus, ſaying: We do adiure you by Ieſus whom Paule preacheth. They abuſed the name of Ieſus, they did not vnderſtande the vertue and power of Ieſus. Though they did pronounce the word Ieſus, yet had they not faith in Ieſus nor feeling of his power and ſauing health. They ſpake not of Ieſus by the holy Ghoſt, and in true vnderſtanding, and they did ſpeede thereafter: For the euill ſpirite aunſwered them: Ieſus I acknowledge, and Paule I know, but who are ye? Thus were theſe coniurers driuen awaye, beaten and wounded euen by the euill ſpirite, whom they thought to hauehave driuen awaye by pronouncing the name Ieſus. You maye ſee that coniurers, and the deuill him ſelfe can name and pronounce the name of Ieſus, and yet are no whitte the better for ſo doing. It is not therefore the bare pronouncinge of the name, that doth profit at all, as by this example is to be ſeene.Act. 13.Acts 13 We do alſo reade of a certeine ſorcerer that made him ſelfe ſo boulde of this name Ieſus, that he called him ſelfe Barieſus as though he were the very man of ſaluation. And yet did this wretched man withſtand ſo much as he coulde the doctrine of Ieſus preached by Paule, and ſought to turne others from the faith, and labored to peruerte the p. 25ſtraight waye of the Lorde.Math… We are by Ieſus Chriſt him ſelfe forwarned to take heede of ſuch as ſhall abuſe and counterfeit his name to deceaue and ſeduce vsus, beleeue them not ſayth Chriſt. Suche a company of counterfeits are in Poperie. For in it they hauehave their brotherhoodes of Ieſus, their feaſtes of the name of Ieſus, their pardons of Ieſus, their Maſſe of the ſame, mattens howres and euen ſong of it. And of late dayes the Papiſts hauehave hatched and brought foorth a ſwarme of ſuch vermine as call themſelues Ieſuites, whoſe trauell is like to that of Barieſu, that is, to peruerte the right wayes of the Lorde Ieſus, to turne men from the true vnderſtanding of the vertue and power of Ieſus. To this purpoſe be they ſent foorth to carrye men from hearckening to the Goſpell of Ieſus, and from beleeuing truly in Ieſus, and yet they be called Ieſuites, vnderunder this faire name to worke their feate, that is to ſeduce men and leade them from Ieſus. They are enemies to Ieſus, to his doctrine, power, & ſauing health, as both by their name, doing and doctrine is proued at large, by that learned writer of our age Martin Kemnitius. And euen ſo to their new found pſalter, is the name of Ieſu by them added, but as a ſnare whereby the pſalter maker woulde drawe his reader p. 26from the truth of Ieſu into the puddle of poperie. It may be maruailed greatly that Papiſtes dare thus boldly and impudently abuſe the name of Ieſus, the name of our bleſſed God and Sauiour. HaueHave they no conſcience of breaking Gods commaundement? Thou ſhalt not take the name of the Lorde thy God in vaine, for the Lorde will not holde him giltles that taketh his name in vaine. Though now they do not feare to committe the faulte, yet ſhall they not eſcape but by a true verdicte be founde guilty of it before God. For to take his name, to confirme a falſhoode, is to take his name in vaine, and to breake his commaundemēt. But thus do they now take the name of the Lorde Ieſus, therefore lette Papiſtes holde vp their handes and aunſwere guiltie, or not guiltie? if they pleade, not guiltie, they ſhall abide the triall before God by his lawe, and then they wilbe founde guiltie. I know it will grieue them to be thus charged, but if any of them do thinke them ſelues to be ouercharged herein, lette them tell vsus truely who made them ſo bolde to applie the holy name of Ieſus to their owne deuiſes, to their Maſſes, pardons, brotherhoodes and ſuch trumperie, or to call their ſectaries Ieſuites, or to call this their new deuiſe, the pſalter of Ieſu? did Ieſus Chriſt euer p. 27giuegive them commiſſion thus to vſe his name? or did he euer make this pſalter? Lette them ſhew this by the holy Scriptures. If he did not, then lette them tell vsus if any of his Apoſtles or diſciples did make this pſalter, or did deliuer this pſalter to vsus, and did tell vsus on their creadite that it was the pſalter of Ieſus? If neither Chriſt Ieſus him ſelfe nor any of his Apoſtles, nor diſciples did deliuer this pſalter to vsus, from whom then did it come? who did make it? who can aſſure vsus that it is as they ſaye, the pſalter of Ieſu? Who was ſo bolde with the name of the Lord Ieſus, to put it to this pſalter as though it were made by Ieſus? We know that there hauehave ben ſome olde deceauers which hauehave publiſhed their owne forgeries in the name of Ieſus, as there hauehave bene alſo manye double dealers which hauehave foyſted out their falſhoodes vnderunder the name of good men which hauehave bene of greate creadite in the Church of God. Surely our Papiſtes coulde not hauehave picked out a more glorious name then is this name of Ieſu, vnderunder which they mighte hauehave ſette foorth this their new founde pſalter. But this to do is to the authors thereof a thing moſt daungerous. For it maketh them guiltie of taking the glorious name of Ieſus in vaine, and ſheweth p. 28that they hauehave no deutifull regarde of the glory due to the Lord Ieſus, and to his moſt glorious name. S. Paule intreating Philip. 2. how the Lorde of glorie Ieſus Chriſt did for our ſake, humble him ſelfe and became obediente to the death euen the death of the croſſe, ſayth alſo, that now God hath highly exalted him, and giuen him a name, aboue eueryevery name, that at the name of Ieſu eueryevery knee ſhoulde bowe of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth, and thinges vnderunder the earth, and that eueryevery tonge ſhoulde confes that Ieſus Chriſt is the Lorde vntounto the glorie of God the father. Thus doth the holy Apoſtle teach, that God hath giuen to Ieſus a name, a dignitie and power aboue all names, dignities, and powers. For all power in heauen and earth is giuen vntounto him. He is ſo aboue all, that they all muſt bowe the knee at the name of Ieſus which as Hierom ſayth:Hieron. in epiſt. ad Epheſ. lib. 2. cap. 3. Non ad genua corporis, ſed ad ſubiectionem mentis, & inclinationem animae cordis que obſequium pertinet: doth not pertaine to the bowinge of the knee of the bodie, but it pertaineth to the ſubiection of the mind, the bowinge of the ſoule, and obedience of the harte, for all muſt obey him and be ſubiect to Ieſus, to the will, maieſtie & power of Ieſus Chriſt. Sithence this glorie is due and to be giuen to p. 29our Lorde Ieſus and to his glorious name, howe dare Papiſtes be thus bolde to vſe and abuſe it, to filthie ſectes of their owne ſetting foorth, to brotherhoodes, to pardons, feaſtes, Maſſes, mattens, pſalters & ſuch like thinges as they deuiſe them ſelues? vnderunder that moſt holy name to gette creadite to their falſhoodes and ſale to their marchaundiſe. Now we Chriſtians do know by the doings and preachings of Ieſus, which are ſette foorth vntounto vsus by the moſt true witneſſes of him, that is by his holy Apoſtles and diſciples, we do by their witnes perceaue, that Ieſus made no ſuch brotherhoodes, feaſtes, Maſſes, mattens, howres, Euenſonges, pardons, no ſuch pſalters, for if he had, they woulde hauehave made ſome mention of them. Yea and by the comparing of that which they did truely write of Ieſu, with theſe forgeries of Papiſtes, we ſee the contrariety betwene them ſo greate, that their firſt moſt auncient and true writinge doth ſufficiently condemne theſe popiſh nouelties, and this new pſalter as a noueltie of falſhoode and errour. I call it a noueltie as it is. If Papiſtes will diſproue me, then lette them ſhow what Apoſtle, what auncient apoſtolique man, what approued auncient catholique doctor, what auncient generall councell hath commended p. 30vntounto vsus this pſalter as the Pſalter of Ieſu? If any, ſhewe vsus: but if none, then is it a noueltie deuiſed either by that ſecte of Ieſuites, or els it may be that Fowler now wanting worke to occupie his preſſe (for his olde maiſters which were wont to ſette him on worke hauehave ſpente their ſtoare, and do not occupie him ſo freaſhely as they hauehave done and him ſelfe deſireth) hath deuiſed with ſome of his brethren how to make this pſalter, and ſo it maye be called Fowlers pſalter, but not the pſalter of Ieſus. He doth adorne his worke with this braue title: Certaine deuoute and Godly petitions, commonly called Ieſus pſalter. What deuotion and godlynes is in them ſhall hereafter appeare. But lette M. Fowler tell vsus when did this common callinge beginne? I ſaye when did it beginne? and among whom? It muſt hauehave a large compaſſe that is common. Is it ynough to make it common becauſe now the Papiſtes doe call it common? or becauſe M. Fowler doth by his printe call it common? Truely this is but a ſtraighte, narrow and ſhorte common: but euen ſuch a common is this as is their catholiciſme. In this their pſalter they do as truely name common, as they do in the reſt of their religion name Catholique: for there is no truth in either of thē. p. 31Neither is this pſalter ſo commonly called, nor their religion Catholique, but onelyonly ſo called by them ſelues. It ſeemeth alſo that the worke of this pſalter did fall out ſhorter, then M. Fowler thought it would, and therefore he hath filled vp aboue three ſcore leaues of his booke as in one of his copies is to be ſeene, though it be lefte out in the leſſer booke, with a certaine new deuiſed Imagerie, ſo y^e ſithence wordes fayled him, he might yet fill vp his booke with ſome thing to feede the eyes of his ſimple reader, that is with a new ſtampe of Imagerie. This his workemanſhippe of Imagerie he doth adorne with this title: Godly contemplations for the vnlearned. He doth alſo for confirmation of this his worke adde a ſentence out of Baſill which he turneth into Engliſh meeter, & yet cannot this his whole worke of Imagerie be warranted by that ſentence of Baſill. For it ſpeaketh of ſuch Imagerie onelyonly as is reported vntounto vsus by hiſtorie. But there are among the images made by M. Fowler ſome, whereof we hauehave no reports by hiſtorie. In what hiſtorie doth he reade, that the Lorde God almightie which made both heauen and earth, did in the creatiō of them ſhew him ſelfe in the likenes of an aged perſon with a crowne vponupon his heade? It was wont to be among p. 32popiſh painters a triple & Popelike crowne, but with M. Fovvler it is nowe but a ſingle crowne, not ſo much as a cloſe crowne, ſuch as kinges & monarches do weare, but euen ſuch a one as it pleaſeth M. Fowler to put vponupon his head. Who taught M. Fowler to be thus bold with the Lorde God, to make ſuch a baſe and earthlie image of his glorious and heauenlie Maieſty? Let vsus looke for his aunſwere. In the meane ſeaſon we will be ſo bolde with M. Fowler & his fellowe helpers to aske of them the ſame queſtion which is asked in the prophecy of Iſay 40: To whome will yee liken God: or what ſimilitude will yee ſet vp vntounto him. And againe, to whom wil yee liken me? that I should be like vntounto him, ſayth the holy one? Aunſwere M. Fowler, aunſwere to theſe queſtions, and lette vsus heare how you can defende this your bold doing, and this your likening of the immortall God to a mortall & corruptible man. Let him ſhewe vsus alſo in what hiſtory he findeth that there was before Chriſt on y^e top of the mountaine on which he praied, a Chalice with a litle round hoſt or cake in it, holden (as he doth graue it) in the hand of an Angell. And where did he reade that Chriſt Ieſus did deſcende into hell corporally with a long ſtaffe in his hande, hauing a croſſe and a p. 33banner cloth in the top of it, & did there drawe ſoules by the handes out of hell, by a payre of ſtayres at a great gate of hewen ſtone, as his imagery ſheweth: let not M. Fowler now cauill & ſay that I do deny an article of our chriſtian faith. For I doe firmely beleue, that Article, he deſcended into hell: but I do not beleue that this image which M. Fowler hath graued, doth truely ſet foorth the trueth of the deſcending of Chriſt into hell. Let M. Fowler therefore ſhewe by what true hiſtorie, he can proue this his image and all the partes therof. Likewiſe let him ſhewe vsus what hiſtorie it is that reporteth vntounto vsus the trueth of that his image, in which he graueth howe the virgine Mary was perſonally or bodily aſſumpted into heauen, by the handes of Angells, a great cōpany of people kneeling by & worſhipping. And laſt of all let him tel vsus in what hiſtory he findeth the reporte of the next followinge image. That is, how the virgine Mary beinge in heauen was crowned by two men, the one ſittinge vppon the one ſide, and the other man ſittinge on the other ſide, of her: Let vsus know what theſe two mē were? what be their names? & when the ſolemnitie of this coronation was kept? And let him alſo tell vsus by what catholique ſence this coronation is proued by that p. 34place of holie Scripture which he doth there cite Cantic. 4: to vnderproppe this his image? we know the place of holy Scripture, but we know not where this catholike ſenſe which M. Fowler doth gather thereon, where (I ſay) the vnderſtanding of that place, to ſerue the coronation of the virgin Mary, was coyned. There are none of all his images, but that they hauehave M. Fowlers approbation by coatinge ſome chapters of ſome booke of the holy bible. But a number of them ſtande there but to fill vppe a place to make a ſhew of ſome thinge and ſay nothing. Thus he is bolde with naminge the bookes of the holy bible, to ſhore vp his imagerie, which can not ſtande by them. With ſuch images, which hauehave neither hiſtorie nor wryter of credite to reporte them, it pleaſeth M. Fowler for want of better matter to fill vp his booke, to pleaſe and feede the eyes of his ſimple reader which is not done accordinge to that rule which him ſelfe citeth out of Baſill. But lette vsus leaue M. Fowler with his new imagined imagery to him ſelfe, & lette me aſke this. Dare Fowler, or any of his fellowes deuiſe a pſalter, and father the ſame vppon the lord Ieſus as though he were y^e author thereof? Surely this his boldenes draweth nigh to blaſphemie and very nigh to the ſinne againſt p. 35y^e holy Ghoſt: for (as I ſaid before) it is a plain breaking of Gods cōmaundement. He taketh the name of y^e Lord Ieſus in vaine. And he alſo ſpeaketh of y^e Lord Ieſus an vntrueth againſt his owne conſcience & knowledge, in calling it the pſalter of Ieſus as though Ieſus had made it. But it may be y^t M. Fowler will ſay for him ſelfe y^t he will not auow, that Ieſus made this Pſalter, or that it is y^e Pſalter of Ieſus. If he will not auowe, but deny his owne wordes, I am content herein, to take his denial, & thinke that it is not as he tearmeth it, the Pſalter of Ieſus. And ſo I may well make my ſelfe the more bolde to deale with this Pſalter, and to touche the ſtringes thereof, to trie whether they be in tune or not. Yea if it were ſo in dede, that Fowlers meaninge is not to ſette out this Pſalter, as though it were made by Ieſus Chriſt, why doth he call it the Pſalter of Ieſus? I wil take mine aunſwere out of his own words. It is (ſaith he) the Pſalter of Ieſu, or y^e Inuocation of Ieſu. M. Fowler ſeemeth to explicate this word Pſalter by y^e following word Inuocation. Then with M. Fowler, the word Pſalter is all one with that word which out of the Latine tongue we borrowe into our Engliſhe, and do tearme it Inuocation, which in proper engliſh is, a calling vponupon, ſo that this p. 36Pſalter of Ieſu, is as much to ſay in Engliſhe as the callinge vppon Ieſu. And this may be gathered to be his meaninge, becauſe that the name of Ieſu is ſo often repeated in his Pſalter. But if M. Fowler will ſuffer his great maiſter Thomas to tell vsus what a Pſalter is, and what it doth ſignifie as I hauehave cited out of him before, then can not (I trowe) this his interpretation of the worde Pſalter ſtande. But I am content to leaue him to trye this matter with his ſayed maiſter him ſelfe. The name of Ieſus is glorious, pretious & of great power as I hauehave ſayd, and therefore none can name that name rightly but by y^e holy Ghoſt. Wherof it is alſo, that they which do rightly name the name of the Lord Ieſus, are taught to departe from iniquitie. If the meaninge of M. Fowler be to teache his ſimple reader to Inuocate or to call vppon the Lord Ieſus, he muſt do that he meaneth truly by the word of God, which is y^e onelyonly ground worke of Inuocatiō. And M. Fowler muſt firſt teach his reader to beleue truely in the Lorde Ieſus before he can well inuocate or call vppon him. For the Apoſtle teacheth Ro. 10. that men doe call on him on whom they do beleue. They beleue that which they hauehave hearde by the worde preached, if there be no worde of God hearde, p. 37there is no true beliefe, if there be no true beleife, there is no calling vppon, or to vſe his tearme, no Inuocation & ſo no Pſalter. Nowe Maiſter Fowler preacheth not the worde of God, nor the Goſpell of Ieſus, to warrant vntounto vsus this his Pſalter, neither doth he in it teach vsus truely to beleue in the Lorde Ieſus. But in this Pſalter he doth teach his reader to pronounce ſome thinges which are contrary to the worde of God, and againſt the trueth of Ieſus, as ſhall appeare by that handeling of this Pſalter which followeth. If then the Reader of this Pſalter doth not by Maiſter Fowler heare to beleue, he can not inuocate nor pray: For how ſhall they call on him on whom they doe not beleue? Chriſt our Sauiour and maiſter teacheth vsus thus of prayer,Math. 21Matt 21 whatſoeuer ye ſhall aske in prayer, if ye beleue, ye ſhall receiue it. And againe, whatſoeuer ye deſire when ye pray,Marke. 1Mark 1 beleue that ye ſhall hauehave it and it ſhall be done to you. Thus doth our heauenly maiſter teach vsus to ioyne faith to our prayer, and prayer to our faith. And his Apoſtle Iames inſtructing vsus how to pray,Iacob. 1. biddeth him that prayeth aske in faith and wauer not, for he that wauereth is like to a waue of the ſea toſt with the winde and carried away, neither let that man thinke that he ſhall obteyne any p. 38thing of the Lord. As for this kinde of inuocacion which M. Fovvler teacheth in his Pſalter is to trayne his Reader onelyonly to name Ieſus, but that is a thinge which manye hauehave done without faith, and a thinge vnprofitable as ye hauehave hearde. A moſt certeine and comfortable rule is giuen vsus whereby we are to be ruled in prayer, that is: If we aske any thing of God according to his wil, it ſhal be giuē vntounto vsus as holy Iohn ſayth 1. lo. 1. Now how God would hauehave vsus to pray: Ieſus him ſelfe hath taught vsus, not onelyonly in that prayer which he did teach vsus, and is therefore of him called the Lordes prayer, but alſo in thoſe precepts in which he doth commaund vsus to aske of the father in his name, & without doubting as you hauehave partely heard before. Theſe and other like to them, verely be the right rules of prayer taught in y^e worde of God, by the rule of which we muſt frame all our prayer, if we will ſo pray that we may be heard and obteyne. For it is deepely to be weighed of vsus, that Ieſus Chriſt doth couple our praying together bothe w^t faith as you hauehave heard, and alſo with our abiding in him & the abyding of his worde in vsus.Ioan. 15.John 15 If ye abide in me ſayth he, and my vvordes abide in you, aske vvhat ye vvill and it shall be don for you. If we will pray profitably, we muſt p. 39abide in Chriſt, and his word in vsus. But Maiſter Fovvler giueth vsus an inuocation or Pſalter of Ieſu, for which he hath no worde of Chriſt, and by which he draweth his reader & follower from Chriſt & from his word as ſhal appeare hereafter. There can be no profit thē in this Pſalter of Fovvler. The onelyonly true & cō fortable rules of praier (once again I ſay) are thoſe which are giuē vntounto vsus by Ieſus Chriſt, his Apoſtles & diſciples in the worde of God: he that ſhall giuegive vsus any other rules of prayer contrary to thoſe, is but a deceauer, what fayre worke ſoeuer he make in outwarde ſhew of them. They are therefore but filthes and forgeries, with which Papiſtes hauehave farced their olde Prymers, and called them prayers receiued by reuelatiō, though they be bombaſted with popiſh pardons in plenty. Nowe let vsus try & examine this Pſalter, which M. Fowler calleth Ieſus Pſalter, by thoſe true rules of prayer which Ieſus Chriſt hath giuē vsus. The name of Ieſu is holy, ſweete, & comfortable: but M. Fowler hath ioyned vntounto it a Pſalter very vnſauery and hurtefull. True Chriſtians which hauehave right faith do not lightly receaue wicked things, they doe ſeparat right things from thoſe which are euill as the chriſtian emperor Iuſtinian did write to certeine Biſhops. p. 40Let vsus therfore ſeparate the addicions which M. Fowler in his Pſalter hath ioyned to the good name of Ieſu, that the chriſtian may cō template that bleſſed name as it is by it ſelf, & that things differing frō it may be eſpied out & refuſed. But before I do come to the petitions by which M. Fowler patcheth vp his pſalter, ſomewhat more muſt be ſpoken touchinge thoſe other Pſalters which M. Fowler doth ſo boldly publiſh and commend to the world. He telleth vsus that there be three manner of Pſalters, he might hauehave told vsus of more Pſalters as I hauehave ſaid before. Dauids pſalter we know we read with comforte and thanke God for it: we do with humble hartes receaue it, with all the whole number of 150. Pſalmes, which number M. Fowler diuideth into thriſe fiftie, to make a way into ſome miſtery belike of his other Pſalters. The ſeconde is (ſayth he) called the Pſalter of our Lady. Is it called ſo M. Fowler? by whom? or who hath giuen it that name? did your Lady make it? did ſhe ſo call it? If not ſhe, who then? We will not take thinges vppon your bare reporte M. Fowler. Tell vsus therfore the author of this Pſalter as you doe of the firſt which is Dauids, elſe you wil make this your ſtuffe ſuſpected. You paſſe from the name to the matter of this Pſalter, p. 41and doe tell vsus that this Pſalter of your Lady containeth thriſe fifty Aues. I told you before that M. Fowler did deuide the number of the Pſalmes of y^e Pſalter of Dauid into thriſe fiftie, to make thereby a way into ſome miſterie of his other Pſalters. And nowe yee ſee, that his ſeconde Pſalter though it doth in nothing elſe reſemble that of Dauid, yet he maketh it to reſemble the ſame in the number of thriſe fifty, and in the tearme Pſalter. A proper peece of worke. But once againe I aske who hath tolde M. Fowler that his Ladie Pſalter contayneth the iuſt number of thriſe fiftie Aues? Truly I thinke there are more then thriſe fifty men and women in England & elſe where yet plunged in poperie, which can not tell vsus by iuſt accompt that thriſe fifty Aues do make their Lady Pſalter. And no maruell: for it is a very harde thing for an vnlearned perſon to know the perfection of that thing which hath ſo obſcure a beginninge as hathe this Ladie Pſalter. But lette it paſſe vponupon the credite of M. Fowler, if any like vponupon his credite to accept it: yet may I aske why theſe Aues thus packed together are called a Pſalter? It is no inſtrument of tenne ſtringes therefore no Pſalter. But Fowler teacheth his reader to ſaye it vppon his tenne fingers, what inſtrument p. 42call you that? ſurely theſe are but childiſhe and a piſhe toyes. It is no inuocation, it is no prayer, for it hath no petition in it, as it is graunted by M. Fowler his greate frende M. Vaws, euen there where he maketh the moſt that he can of the Aue Maria: howe can it be then any inuocation? or howe can it be a Pſalter. M. Fowler muſt take the payne to make this matter more playne to vsus, in better ſhewe of trueth, or elſe we will tell him plainely that this his Pſalter muſt be turned ouer to him ſelfe, for his owne paſtime, to be played vppon his tenne fingers. For I do not elſe thinke that any man of good vnderſtandinge will daunce after his pipe. But lette vsus come to this his thirde Pſalter vnheard of before this our age, that is, the Pſalter of Ieſu: which M. Fowler doth ſay, doth containe fifteene principall petitions, which tenne times repeated make alſo thriſe fiftie. Thus is the miſterie made vppe which M. Fowler brotched to vsus, when in the accompt of the Pſalmes of Dauid, he did deuide the number of thē into thriſe fiftie. And all this is but to ſhewe the reader that theſe Pſalters as M. Fowler doth temper them do agree in name and number, though in nothing els. But we thinke not that this agreement in name & number only, p. 43either can, or doth make this newe Pſalter of M. Fowlers a perfect Pſalter, cōſidering how this Pſalter of M. Fowlers trimming doth differ from that ſound Pſalter of Dauid, & from the doctrine of God. M. Fowler doth tell vsus that in his Pſalter and Inuocation, the glorious name of Ieſu, is called vppon foure hundred and fifty tymes. Tell vsus not how often, but how wel you doe call vponupon this name moſt holy, & glorious in deede. For it is not in inuocation ynough to pronounce the letters and ſyllables of the worde Ieſu, but we muſt looke into that name by faith and ſo by faith feede on the vertue, ſauing health, and power of Ieſu, that it may encorage vsus to call vponupon him in faith and ſure confidence, knowing that he and he only, yea he, and none other vnderunder heauen but he, is giuen to men by whome they muſt be ſaued. which thing S. Peter preacheth in that ſermon Act. 4. a part of which M. Fowler doth cite. If I ſhould find falt with his trāſlation, he would ſay that I did but picke quarrells. But to the matter. If nothing at all be giuē to men wherby they muſt be ſaued, then are all men dāned: but there is one and but onelyonly one thing for all giuen, whereby men muſt be ſaued, & that one thing, as Peter doth there tell vsus, is the Lord Ieſus. Other name, power, or thing, there is p. 44none in which men muſt be ſaued, but that one onelyonly name, vertue and power, the Lord Ieſus. And if as Auguſtine ſayth,De verb. Ap. ſerm. 14. we muſt be ſaued in this name, doubtles that is no ſaluation which is promiſed without this name. And therefore doth S. Peter ſay that there is no ſaluation in any other, for among men there is giuen none other name vnderunder heauen wherby we muſt be ſaued. This trāſlation ſemeth to expreſſe the mynd and purpoſe of S. Peter ſomewhat more plainly then that of M. Fowlers, where he doth tranſlate, In the which it behoueth vsus to be ſaued. What preaty thing it is that M. Fowler would cōuey vnderunder this terme behoueth I know not, and therfore I leaue it. But the minde of S. Peter is to teache vsus, that Ieſus is that perſon by whom only and alone, the good pleaſure of God is to ſaue men, and by whom onelyonly they muſt be ſaued, that ſhall be ſaued. To perceaue this, is not onelyonly to name Ieſus, but to hauehave true vnderſtanding of, & faith in Ieſus. Without this true vnderſtanding & faith to ſownd out, or to pronounce y^e name of Ieſus doth profit no more men now, then it did the old exorciſts and coniurers, yea, or the deuills which pronounced that name, or the olde hereticks which did alſo retaine that name in their hereſie, and pronounced it with p. 45their lippes. And therefore M. Fowler your aſſuring of your reader to find ſuch commoditie by your Inuocation, which with you cōſiſteth onelyonly almoſt in the often and bare pronouncing of the name Ieſus, is not ſo ſure, as you woulde ſeeme to make it. You tell vsus alſo that our ſauiour hath taught vsus in the Goſpell of S. Iohn: that we should make our petitions in his name. In deede we doe heare our Sauiour Ieſus ſay in that holy Goſpell written by S. Iohn 14. chapter. VVhatſoeuer ye aske in my name that will I doe, that the father may be glorified in the ſonne: If ye aske any thing in my name, I will doe it. For to this, as to one ende, are true Chriſtians ordeined, that whatſoeuer (ſayth Chriſt) Ioan. 15. ye shall aske of the father in my name, he may giuegive it you: and againe, Ioan. 16. Verely verely I ſay vntounto you, whatſoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name, he will giuegive it you. Theſe and the like precepts of prayer, and promiſes of obtaining our requeſts, we knowe that y^e ſame ſonne of God our moſt gracious Lorde Ieſus hath made to vsus, and in them we doe reſt. But what meaneth that which followeth in this Pſalter of M. Fowlers? in theſe words, which (Ieſus he doth meane) is the Mediator of our ſaluation. It is true verely M. Fowler, that p. 46Ieſus is the onelyonly alone Mediator meane and worker of our ſaluation, as the former ſaying of Peter doth teach. But M. Fowler this is not all that is in Ieſus. In theſe your wordes you doe leaue out a peece of the office and dignitie of our Sauiour Chriſt Ieſus. And herein you doe followe ſome of your olde popiſh maſters, who to finde out ſome place for the interceſſion of their Sainctes, are bolde to ſpoyle Chriſt of one peece of his office, and to beſtowe it on Sainctes. For they ſaye that Chriſt is our Mediator of ſaluation, but thoffice of interceſſion they do commit to ſaincts, who they ſay do make interceſſion for vsus. But we doe learne in the holy Scriptures, that as Ieſus Chriſt alone is the Mediator of our ſaluation, by whome we are ſaued: ſo is he our Mediator of interceſſion, for it is he which maketh interceſſion for vsus. That ſame very place which M. Fovvler citeth out of the Goſpell of S. Iohn, in which he ſayth that our Sauiour doth ſay that we ſhould make our petitions in his name, teacheth that Ieſus is y^e Mediator alſo of interceſſiō. For to make our petitions in his name, is to acknowledge him to be our interceſſor.Rom. 8.Rom 8 S. Paule likewiſe ſpeaking of the moſt happy ſtate, in which y^e faithful doe ſtand before God by the redēption which they p. 47hauehave by Chriſt Ieſus, ſayeth amonge other things: It is God that iuſtifieth, who shal cō demne. It is Chriſt which is deade, yea or rather which is riſen againe, he meaneth which iuſtifieth. And of Chriſt his office towards vsus he continueth ſaying: who is alſo at the right hand of God and maketh interceſſion for vsus. Here y^e holy Apoſtle teacheth vsus ſo to looke to Ieſus Chriſt, y^t we may knowe that as it is he which died for vsus, did riſe againe, & aſcende, & is at the right hande of God for our ſaluation, euen ſo he it is alſo, that maketh interceſſiō or requeſt for vsus. And in y^e epiſtle to the Hebrues the 7. chapter, the Apoſtle ſpeaking of y^e euerlaſting prieſthood of Chriſt ſaith: wherfore he is able perfectly to ſaue them that come vntounto God by him, ſeing he liueth euer to make interceſſion for thē. He ſaith likewiſe afterward He. 9. That Chriſt is entred into heauē to appeare now in y^e ſight of God for vsus. Again that bleſſed Apoſtle Iohn in his epiſtle teacheth vsus 1. Ioh. 2. If any man do ſin we hauehave an aduocate with the father, Ieſus Chriſt the righteus & he is the recōciliation for our ſins. The Apoſtle teacheth vsus y^e Chriſt Ieſus is our only & ſufficient aduocate & attonement with the father. For y^e office & worke of interceſſion & recōciliatiō are ioyned together in Chriſt Ieſus p. 48alone.Auguſt. in Epi. Ioan. tract. 1. And here M. Fowler his frendes could hauehave tolde him that Auguſtine intreatinge vponupon this place of S. Iohn, doth count it a thing antichriſtian, hereticall, and ſchiſmaticall, to aſſigne any other aduocate or interceſſor betwene God and man but Ieſus Chriſt. But perhappes they woulde make deintie ſo to do, leaſt the chriſtian reader ſhould thereby be encoraged to accompt Fovvler and ſuch papiſts as he is, which do robbe Chriſt of this glorie of being our aduocate and interceſſor with the father, and do beſtow that office and honor vponupon their Sainctes, to accompt them (I ſay) to be antichriſtes, heretikes, & ſchiſmatikes, as they are in deede. The chriſtian which can content him ſelfe with the doctrine and worde of God, is taught as you do heare, that Chriſt Ieſus is nowe at the right hande of God, and maketh requeſt for vsus, that we muſt goe to God by him, who liueth to make interceſſion for vsus, that he is our aduocate with the father, and ſo Chriſt him ſelfe ſayth Ioan. 14. of him ſelfe: I am the vvay, the trueth, & the life: No man commeth to the father, but by me. Sithence then we hauehave Ieſus the euerliuing, almightie, and moſt mercifull aduocate and interceſſor with the father, let vsus giuegive vntounto him the honor due to him with faithfull confeſſion p. 49thereof, and thankes giuing therefore, and alſo do our ſelues as the Apoſtle doth exhort vsus, Hebr. 4. Let vsus therefore goe boldely (ſayth he) vntounto the throne of grace, that we may receaue mercy, and find grace to helpe in time of neede. Thus much touching this peece of legierdemain which M. Fowler vſeth euen at the entrey into his Pſalter to ſpoyle Ieſus Chriſt of his office, and glory of being our interceſſor and aduocate, to make place for his Pſalter which is patched vp, as ſhal hereafter appeare, with praying to Sainctes to make interceſſion for vsus. By the ſworde of the ſpirit, which is the word of God, ſuch patches of popery are to be pared away, & the chriſtians are to be left to their Ieſus Chriſt alone, both for ſaluation & interceſſion. If it ſhall pleaſe God to make this poynt of our Chriſtian faith and religion well knowne, vnderſtanded, and the comfort thereof felt in the conſciences of men, they wil fall as faſt and thicke from popery to Chriſt his Goſpell, as bees doe flye out of the rayne to their hyues. But it ſhall be good to proceede in this Pſalter. The Reader may thinke that I do hange long in the beginning thereof, but M. Fowlers entry into it being ſo fowle, it is meete that the reader ſhould be admoniſhed thereof, to the ende he may be warned p. 50of it, & deliuered (if it ſo be the good pleaſure of God) from ſticking or ſincking into ſo fowle a puddle with Fowler, as is this Pſalter. Let it be marcked then, that M. Fovvler doth giuegive vsus a Pſalter of Ieſus (he ſayth) in which he taketh from Ieſus at the firſt daſhe a principall peece of his honor and office. Such ſacriledge Fowler and his fellowes can commit, and dare couer their villanie with y^e name of Ieſus. But this is but to fill vp the number of their ſinnes. Then M. Fowler taketh paines to teach his reader, how he muſt ſay this pſalter, and (ſayth he) he may ſay it vppon his tenne fingers, and why not vponupon his tenne toes? He ſayth alſo that his ſcholler which will learne of him how to ſay this pſalter, muſt begin with deuout genuflection, or at the leaſt wiſe, with Inclination to Ieſu. M. Fowler forgetteth him ſelfe (I trowe) for he will ſeeme to ſette out this Pſalter for the vnlearned, but the vnlearned knowe not what theſe tearmes genuflection and inclination doe meane. Therefore let Maiſter Fowler ſpeake Engliſh to his vnlearned ſchollers. After that he hath thus prepared his Reader to this Pſalter, he beginneth the firſt petition and doth in it name the name of Ieſu thirtie tymes together, adding to eueryevery thryſe naminge of Ieſu, this p. 51worde MercieMercy. If he meaneth to teache his Reader to praye the Lorde Ieſus to hauehave merciemercy on him, we doe agree with him in that good prayer, and ſo praye we. But if there be any myſterie in this often repeatinge of the worde or name Ieſu, it is a thing hidden from vsus, ſo often to repeate that name without further inſtruction. Is it Maiſter Fovvlers mynde to teache his Reader to thincke that this bare and often repeatinge of that name, and that in ſuch a iuſte number as is by him prefixed, is therefore an acceptable prayer, becauſe it is ſo often repeated onelyonly? Surely that conceipte ſauoreth ſtrongely of that battologie, and lippe labour which Ieſus Chriſt reiecteth. Matth. 6. I might alſo note the ſtraungenes of the phraſe of that petition whiche he putteth downe in theſe wordes, where he ſpeaketh of ſinners. Turne (ſayth he) their vices into vertues: this is one in all his petitions. But it is but a ſtraunge tranſmutation that he asketh. It had bene more playne to hauehave ſayde, Turne ſinners from their vices to vertues, but to lette this paſſe. That ſauoreth ſtrongly of the Popes pumpe whiche followeth in theſe wordes: HaueHave mercye (ſayth he) on the ſoules in Purgatorye for thy bytter paſſion I beſeech thee; and p. 52for thy glorious name Ieſu. It ſhal not be amiſſe now to ſay ſomwhat to the reader of this purgatorie which hath beene and is the common pickepurſe, for the Pope and his chaplaines the maſſinge prieſtes. I knowe it will anger the papiſtes to heare of this, for it toucheth their free holde (as the common ſayinge is.) But I will lay before the reader, this popiſhe purgatory in as few wordes as I can, that he may ſmell what a ſweete flowre it is. Whatſoeuer it be, it ſeemeth to ſauor very ſweetely with M. Fowler, & therefore he doth very diligently place it, as one in eueryevery petition of his Pſalter. Such is his charitie to their ſoules which are in purgatory, forſooth. But let vsus ſee ſomewhat of this purgatorie, and partely euen as ſome of the maiſters of Rome hauehave wrytten thereof, I might deuide this matter into two braunches: firſt of prayer for y^e ſoules of men departed out of this mortall life: then of this kinde of praier for the ſoules which are in purgatorie. But I will ſpeake of this purgatorie prayer onelyonly, for becauſe M. Fowler prayeth in his Pſalter for ſoules in purgatory only, as though that they onelyonly of all other ſoules departed had nede of this prayer. It is alſo confeſſed by ſome maiſters of that popiſh ſecte, that the prayers, or to vſe their owne p. 53tearmes, the Suffrages of the church be auailable only for ſoules in purgatory. They hauehave a reaſon for this their aſſertion, but I paſſe it ouer, becauſe that M. Fowler him ſelfe doth ſeeme to encline to the iudgement of thoſe his maiſters. For in the petitions of his Pſalter he maketh mention only of ſuch ſoules as are in purgatory. But if there be no purgatory at all, then are there no ſoules in purgatory to be prayed for. A vaine petition then it is in this Pſalter, and a needeleſſe diligence, when M. Fowler ſheweth him ſelfe ſo diligent in praying for the ſoules in purgatory. Yea and it is more then vaine to abuſe the glorious name of Ieſu, and of his bitter paſſion to this his vanity of purgatory. Nowe lette vsus conſider whether there be ſuch a purgatorie in which ſoules doe ſuffer (as they ſaye) the paines of ſcorching, broyling, or burninge, till they be purged from their ſinnes, and relieued by the charitable deedes of the liuinge, yea, or no. Let vsus ſee who they were, that did firſt ſpeake of purgatory, and how it paſſed from them to ſome of the olde chriſtian wryters, which doe make mention thereof, but very doubtfully, and diuerſlie in their wrytinges. So ſhall it appeare vppon what fainte groundes purgatorie is founded. Firſt it is graunted that p. 54purgatory can not be proued by any place of the holy Scripture:Petr. a ſoto Auguſt. Hy…ognoſt. It is I ſay graunted by one Archepapiſt of this our age, and alſo by an olde writer of good antiquitie. But the holy Scripture is the rule whereby our prayers are to be framed, and it is the worde of trueth which doth truely teach vsus of the true being of thinges. So that vnles God in his word did teach vsus that there were a purgatory, we are not to beleue that there is any. And againe vponupon that which God doth promiſe vsus in the holy Scripture we muſt grownd our faith in the prayers which we do make to God. For if we wil dewly regarde Gods good will with truſt that he will heare our prayers and graunt our requeſts, we muſt hauehave both a promiſe of hearing, and a rule warrantinge the rightnes of our requeſtes in the moſt holy worde of God, without which we can not truely hauehave any faith or aſſurance of the hearing of our prayers: without this knowledge we can make no true prayer. It is no true prayer therefore which thoſe men ſeeme to make which hauehave no vnderſtanding of Gods wil, nor truſt in his promiſes. Turkes, Iewes, and Papiſtes doe prate in their ignorance and vnbeleefe, but that prating is not right praying. Now then let vsus admitte it as a trueth, which is as you p. 55hauehave hearde confeſſed, that there is no holie Scripture, no word of God to warrant vsus this purgatory, then hauehave we by the worde of God no aſſurance to aſſertaine vsus that there be any ſoules in purgatory, nor commaundement of God giuen to vsus to praye for ſoules in purgatorie, nor promiſe to beleue that our prayers made for them can do them good. If we hauehave no aſſurance nor certeinety hereof, we can not pray for ſoules in purgatory. Wil you know then from whence this opinion of purgatorie doth come? The firſt and moſt auncient promoter thereof was (ſo farre as I learne) not God, but Plato the Philoſopher, a man which did not truely know God. His opinion of purgatorie as Euſebius doth reporte it,Libr. 1. de praepar. Euang. is the moſt auncient recorde that I hauehave red. Virgill the Pagan Poette hath ſpoken alſo of ſuch a thinge as purgatory is fained to be, but from Plato it ſhould ſeeme to be conueyed to other, who accordinge to their fantaſie layed the firſt platforme of a purgatory, euen y^t whereon the Papiſtes hauehave builded this their purgatorie. Which building by the papiſtes, is not yet ſo handſomely cowched together, but that their owne fathers aſſembled in the laſt councell of Trent thought good by waye of correction to giuegive this admonition to them of their ſeete,Concil. Trident. p. 56that they do not hereafter in their ſermons before the common people, handle the hard and dark queſtions touching purgatory, and that they ſhoulde not meddle with ſuch vncerteyne thinges touching purgatory as are thought to be falſe. They do alſo forbid them to handle thoſe thinges touching purgatory which doe ſauor of curioſitie, or concerne ſuperſticion, or ſauor of filthy lucre. And thoſe fathers as popiſhe as they were, doe yet commaunde them whome they may cōmaund, that they let theſe thinges alone as offences. By this forbidding nowe, it appeareth that before this time, the purgatory Proctors vſed to publiſhe ſuche thinges of purgatory, and for it, as this councell now forbiddeth, elſe why doth it now forbid them? And ſo by the wordes of Papiſtes them ſelues we may perceaue that they hauehave had among them ſuch Proctors for their purgatory, as hauehave handeled it ſo corruptly that they them ſelues are aſhamed thereof, and do forbid the like, and yet do theſe popiſh fathers in that councell vnderproppe this purgatory by their authoritie ſtill. But if they did meane in good earneſt, to take from their purgatory all ſuch thinges as are vncerteine and falſe, or curious or ſuperſtitious, and ſuch as ſerued for filthy gaine or lucre, let them I ſay pare al p. 57theſe thinges from their purgatorie in good earneſt, and ſurely they ſhall leaue to their Pope then, ſuch a ſimple purgatory, as is not able to be a ſufficient pinfold to impounde a poore pigge. But as is ſayd, they and their fathers will needes maintaine their purgatory, for they hauehave taken in hande the defence thereof, and it ſerueth ſo well for their purſe, and purpoſe, that it deſerueth their defence. They ſaye that their Churche hathe learned it of the holie Scriptures. But I ſaye naye, and ſome of their owne men and their elders alſo doe ſaye naye, as is touched before. Neither doe they them ſelues ſhewe vntounto vsus any one place of the holie Scriptures in whiche we are taught the ſame purgatorie, on which they doe conclude. This nowe is the manner of the catholike church (as papiſtes call their romiſhe Church) in their councelles to conclude canons and articles of the faith without any Scripture. They tell vsus that they hauehave it alſo of the auncient tradition of the fathers: hereof the reader ſhalbe informed more hereafter. Againe they ſay that this purgatorie is deliuered to them in holie councelles. A man would thinke that theſe Tridentine Prelates did meane ſome of the firſt auncient holy coū cells, as that firſt councell holden at Nice, or p. 58that at Epheſus, or ſome of the other olde holy councells. But there is no mention made in any of them either of this purgatorie, or of the ſoules in it, or howe they are to be releued by the doinges of liuinge men. Yea if ſearche be made in the Tomes of the councelles, it will be founde true (I thinke) that the firſt general councell which did ſet this purgatory on foote by concluding thereon, was that late councell begonne by Pope Eugenius at Ferrara, continued and ended at Florence about the yeare of our Lord 1439. So young a thing among auncient councells is this proper ſpringalde their popiſh purgatory: before then it was not concluded in any auncient holie councell: ſo that yet the head of it neede not to be gray for age. It is no maruell then that the papiſtes hauehave now againe in Trent concluded thereon. For it ſerueth ſo well for their kitchins that they had rather looſe heauen it ſelfe, then this proper purgatory. And now our papiſts may ſay that it is a thinge decreed in councells, ſithence a ſeconde councell, nowe againe hathe concluded it: but yet ſuch councells as are neither auncient, nor holie. Thus pleaſeth it the papiſts now to burniſh and refreſh the old forgeries of olde infidelles, and to ſette the ſame foorth as an article of their catholike faith. p. 59The opinions of Pagans touchinge purgatory, ſome auncient wryters ſithence the aſcenſion of Ieſus Chriſt and the time of the Apoſtles hauehave repeated, as Euſebius doth: ſome hauehave giuen their addition to them, as Origen and ſome other, and yet that purgatory was not like vntounto this of papiſtes. For papiſts do allowe that the ſoules fried in the fier of their purgatory, may be releued by the deedes and helpes of liuing men. But this is not ſeene in the olde purgatory of Origen, nor in that of the Pagans ſo plainely as papiſtes now talke of it. When purgatory had once thus put in a foote into the church, it went forwarde yet for a good ſpace of time, but weakely and waueringely. The opinion thereof was cited by ſome followinge wryters after Origen. For Ambroſe whoſe maner is (as ſome hauehave noted) to take many thinges out of Origen, doth make mention of this purgatorie. So doth Hierome and alſo Auguſtine, but very diuerſly. For ſometime they doe as it were, but diſpute and reaſon of the matter, as if it were a queſtion to be doubted of: Sometime it is affirmed: Sometime that whiche one affirmeth: an other denyeth. And here is a peece of the falſe dealing of the papiſts to be marked. For their manner is to cyte the olde fathers p. 60and their ſentences, in which they make this mention of purgatory as though they had with one conſent wrytten ſo of purgatory as them ſelues doe at this daye holde. They will not make knowne to the people in trueth neither from whence this Purgatorie did firſt come, nor how it crept into y^e Church, nor how ſome of the olde fathers doubled about it. Some doubted of it, ſome denied it, all this I ſaye the Papiſtes nowe doe conceale, for the knowledge therof would marre their market, and not ſerue well for their kitchin. Therfore they doe ſtill drawe cloſely the ſayings of the olde writers to prope vppe this purgatory, as though there were no doubt in the matter, but that all the olde fathers did faithfully beleeue that to be true, which nowe they doe holde of purgatory. And yet becauſe their own conſciences doe beare them witnes, that they want ſufficient warrant of the worde of God & true antiquity to vphold their purgatory, they hauehave bene driuen to make other ſhiftes for y^e ſame. And therefore where truth and antiquitie doe not ſerue their purpoſe, they hauehave buſied them ſelues to ſuſteine purgatory by other follyes, as by their forgeries of ſatisfactions, and by that ſame their preattie profitable deuiſe of praying for the dead. To this they hauehave added p. 61ſtraunge viſions, voyces, and ſightes of ſuch as were by their conceites reuealed in purgatory and deliuered out of it (ſay they:) yea they hauehave added ſome ſuch ſtraunge ſightes as liuing men hauehave ſeene in traunſes: and they do not ſtick alſo to father ſome of their owne new falſe forgeries for purgatory, vponupon ſome writers of antiquitie which neuer taught any ſuch thinge. And thus for their purgatory, for proofe whereof they hauehave no direct worde of God, they drawe in fathers, yea and Angels, and ſpirites (they ſaye) but lyinge ſpirites (I ſaye.) They bringe in alſo deade men, yea and the ſculls of deade men to ſpeake to men liuinge on earthe for purgatory. And not content with all this they doe ſtill proceede, and y^e better to ſetle this purgatory in their church as an article of their faithe, they make them ſelues ſo bold euen with God him ſelfe, y^t they do draw his moſt holy word with new racking and wraſting y^e ſame out of time, to ſerue this their purpoſe: wherein verely they ſhew them ſelues to be corrupt handlers of the worde of God. VponUpon theſe proppes did their purgatory ſtande ſtowtly till the light & heate of the glorious Goſpell of God did bewray it, and conſume it to aſhes. Then did this Dagon fall before the Arke of the God of Iſraell, bleſſed p. 62be his name for it. And nowe that they ſee their purgatory doth beginne to decaye, they doe roare and crye for greefe, and doe ſtyll ſeeke to maintayne it by newe additions, or reparations, ſo loth they are to hauehave it ſo decay, that it ſhoulde ſerue their turne no more. Some tyme they tell vsus of the kinde of thoſe ſinnes which are to be purged in purgatory: ſome time they tell vsus of the greatnes of the paines which ſoules ſuffer there: ſome time of the releefe which ſoules doe feele there: ſome time they tell vsus of the place where purgatory is. But theſe their tales be not all one, nor they them ſelues in telling theſe tales doe agree in one. For towching the place where this purgatory is: Some of them hauehave found this purgatory (as they ſaye) in Irelande, and this they call the Purgatory of Patricke, vntounto which alſo they ſay that once they had a keye. I knowe not whether they hauehave loſte it. And in this purgatory one luſtie Champion Noble Nicolas (as they ſaye) trauelled and did ſee the ſtraunge paynes and ſights which were in it. One other purgatory their holy Sainct Odilo did finde for them in the iland of Sicily in y^e fiery hil Aetna. And of this inuention by the good aduiſe of their pope Iohn did ſpring vp y^e ſolemne feaſt of al ſoules, & al y^e p. 63buſy paines y^t they do take about y^e ſame, which yet the church of Chriſt both could & did well ſpare aboue the ſpace of one thowſand yeares after Chriſtes aſcenſion, although the popiſhe ſinagogue can not now ſpare it for pinchinge their bellies not one yere. Theſe men not content with theſe purgatories, and fearinge the ruine of it without it be continually repayred, hauehave gotten of late the fauorable help toward this worke, of a new Archbiſhop of theirs named Aolaus Magnus: This man hath founde a third purgatory in the Iland of Thyle which we call Iſelande, for there (ſayth he) are hills which hauehave ſnow on their toppes and burning fyer at their foote, and he telleth vsus that there is y^e place to purge ſoules. Thus groweth the popiſhe purgatory in errour and ignoraunce, and getteth grounde ſtill more & more among ignoraunt men. This popiſh palace of purgatory ſhould be very large truely, if it did reach ſo farre as is Iſeland from Sicily. What fyer there is I knowe not, but ſurely there is good ſtoare of ſea water betwene theſe forenamed Ilandes Irelande, Sicily, and Iſelande, yet all the water which is in the ſea will not quenche that purgatorie which the Pope and his kitchin clarkes hauehave blowen and ſette on fyer to roaſt their meate. Thus much of y^e beginning p. 64and growing of this purgatory hauehave I ſhortly wrytten, that the reader may knowe out of what forge this purgatory is flowen of which M. Fowler maketh ſo often mention in his Pſalter, & doth ſo bitterly pray for the ſoules which are in it. But as I ſayd before, if there be no purgatory at all, thē are there no ſoules in it nor any thinge elſe: and will M. Fowler teache his ſchollers to praye to God for nothinge? This purgatory hath no grounde of the worde of God: We hauehave neither cōmaundement to pray, nor promiſe to be heard, if we do pray for ſoules in purgatory, therefore we can neither doe the one, nor beleue the other. He then that will praye with M. Fowler for ſoules in purgatory, prayeth without faith, which is a faithleſſe labor, at the leaſt, though I ſay no more. But he that wil conſider rightly what a faulte it is, for a man to preſent him ſelfe before y^e Maieſty of God, to make praier to him for nothing, for a forgery & falſe thing, it wil make him (I trow) afeard to make ſuch ſtraunge prayers, though M. Fowler be very buſie with them. But nowe will I leaue this purgatory, I will in this treatiſe touche it no more, ſuppoſing that this which I hauehave ſayd, is ſufficient to vnfolde the forgerie of this popiſhe poppet. M. Fowler teacheth him which p. 65will daunce after his pype to pray: That he may execute the workes of vertue, whereby he may come to euerlaſting ioy and felicitie. To exerciſe vertue to the pleaſing of God, is a good thinge, and our dewtie. But if Maiſter Fowler doth meane to teach his Reader to do this, with this minde, to hope thereby to come to, y^t is to gaine, and to obtayne euerlaſting ioye and felicitie, this is, but to labour vainely and prowdly, to get that by our doing, which is freely giuen to the elect by the merciemercy of God in Ieſus Chriſt. For life euerlaſting is the gifte of God by Ieſus Chriſt,Rom. 6.Rom 6 as thApoſtle teacheth. Ieſus Chriſt is the onelyonly waye, that true way by which that happy theefe of whome we reade Luke 23. went into Paradiſe. Ieſus is he only and alone, by & thorough whome euerlaſting life is giuen to the beleeuers. The chriſtian reader may wel perceaue therefore wherein this petition fayleth. Then followeth a petition in which he teacheth his reader to pray thus: Graunt me firme purpoſe mercifull Ieſu to amend my life & to recompenſe for thoſe yeares which I hauehave mispent to the displeaſure of thee in euill thoughtes, delectations, &c. Alſo in breaking thy cōmaundements wherby I hauehave deſerued damnation & thine enimitie. To pray for amendement of life is neceſſary. p. 66But in that which followeth, M. Fowler doth fowly abuſe the holy name of Ieſus. For to pray to Ieſus to hauehave a firme purpoſe to make recompenſe for thoſe ſinnes whereby we hauehave deſerued damnation, is to pray for purpoſe to deny and forſake the ſaluation which we hauehave in Ieſus. For Ieſus is he which doth ſaue his people from their ſinnes. And therefore he is called Ieſus. M. Fowler hath giuen vsus (as he ſayth) A Pſalter of Ieſus, & he ſemeth to make great accompt of y^e often repeating of y^e name Ieſus. But now he doth ſhew him ſelfe not only not to know what Ieſus doth meane, but to be willing to draw his reader to deny that Ieſus is Ieſus in deede, which is to deny the Lorde that bought him. We hauehave learned that in that redemptiō which Ieſus hath wrought for his elect, he onelyonly hath made the full recompenſe to God by him ſelfe alone for all their ſinnes, and therefore he is their Ieſus, and ſo is moſt truely called Ieſus. Ieſus did giuegive him ſelfe for vsus, when we could giuegive nothing in recompenſe for our ſelues, he did giuegive his body to be broken & his bloode to be ſhed for the forgiuenes of our ſinnes, for which we could make no recompenſe. He did beare the paines due to vsus for our ſinnes, and as the Prophet ſayth Iſai 53. he hath borne our infirmities & carried our p. 67ſorrowes, he was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, he was broken for our iniquities: y^e chaſtiſement of our peace was vppon him, & with his ſtripes are we healed. Here is the true recompenſe made for ſinne ſet forth, and this recompenſe verely did Ieſus make in his owne bleſſed body. In if he payd the price of our redemption, and made that only ſatis…cing, and fully ſufficing recompenſe for vsus, wherein his owne ſelf did beare our ſinnes to his body on y^e tree 1. Pet. 2. & by this recōpenſe by him made we are ſet free, for by his wounds are we healed. Sithence Fowler is not content with this recompenſe thus made by Ieſus for vsus, but aſketh an other, let him tell me wherein that recompenſe which Ieſus Chriſt hath made for vsus is imperfect▪ if it be imperfect, ſhew wherin? If it be not imperfect but moſt full and perfect, then what meaneth M. Fowler to pray for full purpoſe to make any other recompēſe him ſelf for his ſinnes. Again I would know what it is, that he or any childe of Adam can giuegive to God to make a recompenſe for his and their ſinns? What Ieſus hath giuē we know. Now let vsus know what Fowler hath to giuegive? Fowler can giuegive nothing verely but that which is corrupt, but ſuch thinges are not auaileable, they are no recompenſe at all for ſinnes. And p. 68therefore God of his great mercy prouidinge better for vsus, then we coulde do for our ſelues, hath giuen vntounto vsus Chriſt Ieſus, to make, and to be the recompenſe for vsus. For we are not as S. Peter ſayeth redeemed with corruptible thinges as ſiluer and golde, but with the precious bloode of Chriſt. For Ieſus hath with this moſt precious price made full recompēce for vsus, & thereby hath he ſo fully redeemed vsus, that therfore he is become the author & prince of our ſaluation, our redeemer, our Sauiour, to him only do we giuegive the glory and praiſe of & for this worke of our ſaluation wrought by him ſelfe for vsus. God our heauenly father hath ſet forth his ſonne Ieſus to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood Rom. 3. It is Ieſus only which did giuegive his life a ranſome for many.…ath. 20. Our foreign, is his life, which Ieſus did giuegive for the price, raunſome, and recompence of our deliuerie. For Chriſt onelyonly is he, in whom as the Apoſtle ſaith we hauehave redēption through his blood, euen the forgiuenes of our ſinnes, Colo. 1. And Ieſus alone is the reconciliation and attonement for our ſinnes 1. Ioh. 2. Thus as we are taughte, we doe learne of God him ſelfe, that it is Ieſus alone, which doth deliuer vsus from that dampnation which through our ſinnes we doe deſerue, euē by that p. 69recompence, which he hath already made for vsus in his owne moſt bitter death, and bloody paſſion. It is y^e blood of Chriſt which through the eternall ſpirite offered him ſelfe without ſpotte to God, which purgeth our conſcience from dead workes, to ſerue the liuinge God. It is Ieſus Chriſt who hath appeared once to take away ſinne, by the ſacrifice of him ſelfe. Heb. 9. Now as the ſame Apoſtle ſayth, Heb. 10. Where the remiſſion of theſe thinges is, there is no more offeringe for ſinne: and I ſay where the recompence for ſinne is thus made by Ieſus, there is no more recompence to be made for ſinne. How dare Fowler then teache vsus to require to hauehave a firme purpoſe in vsus to make our ſelues a recompence for this which Ieſus only both coulde doe, and alſo did fully, & ſufficiently for vsus? What is this elſe, but to aſke of Ieſus a firme purpoſe to renounce and forſake him? It is nothing elſe verely, but to forſake y^e redemption which we hauehave in Chriſt Ieſus, & to repoſe our ſelues vppon our owne making of recompēce, to pray as Fowler teacheth. But what Prophet, what Apoſtle, or Sainct did euer ſo pray? or taught vsus to pray? That which none hath done euer, Fowler now dare do. Dauid prayeth humbly to the Lorde in his Pſalter that he will forget and forgiue p. 70the faults of his youth Pſal. 25. And he reioyceth that the Lord hath forgiuen him his ſins, that he hath forgotten thē, y^t he hath remoued them from him as farre as is the Eaſt from the Weſt: that he hath throwne them into the bottome of the ſea Pſal. 103. Dauid prayeth not to hauehave a firme purpoſe to make recompence for his ſins, but reſteth in the bleſſed remiſſion of his ſinnes giuen him by God of his free goodnes & mercy through Chriſt Ieſus. And againe, Dauid in the Pſal. 31. confeſſeth of him ſelfe this: I acknowledge my ſinne vntounto thee, neither hide I mine iniquitie, for I thought I will confeſſe againſt my ſelfe my wickednes vntounto the Lorde, and thou haſt forgiuē the iniquity of my ſinne. Thus doth Dauid in his Pſalter, ſinge an other manner of Pſalme then Fowler doth in this his Pſalter. For the true Prophet Dauid prayeth for forgiueneſſe of his ſinnes, and reioyceth in this, y^t God did forgiue him, which is ſuch a thinge to be deſired, that Dauid ſayth immediatly in that Pſalme: Therefore ſhall eueryevery one that is godly make his prayer vntounto thee &c. What accompt then ſhall we make of Fowler who prayeth not for this, but cleane contrarie to this? for he will hauehave a firme purpoſe to make him ſelfe a recompence for his owne ſinnes. p. 71Surely neither is this prayer of Fowlers like to that of the godly, nor him ſelf godly in this praying. For if eueryevery one y^t is godly prayeth for forgiuenes of ſins, Fowler is vngodly who prayeth not for forgiueneſſe, but for a firme purpoſe to make a recompenſe for his ſinnes. The holy children of God are all moſt holily taught by Ieſus our very Ieſus and Sauior to pray, Forgiue vsus our treſpaſſes. This is an other manner of thing then to pray for a firme purpoſe to make our ſelues recōpenſe for our ſinnes. Simple is he that will forſake that forme of prayer which Ieſus Chriſte hath taught, and holy Dauid vſed in his Pſalter, Dauid (I ſay) who was that ſweete Pſalme ſinger of Iſraell 2. Sam. 23. & will follow this faithles fiddle of Fowler. Simple is he that will forſake that recompenſe which Ieſus Chriſt hath once made for him & truſt to a recompenſe of his own making. This were fowly to fal from Chriſt & to runne headlong into the dungeon of deſpaire. Al the Angels & heauenly ſpirites in heauen, all the men in earth can not make ſuch a recompenſe. OnelyOnly Ieſus Chriſt, Ieſus (I ſay) alone was able to make, and did make the full recompenſe for ſinne, & did it fully for the faithfull, & therfore he hath founde euerlaſting ſaluation for them which p. 72ſhalbe ſaued, as y^e Apoſtle ſayth Heb. 9. which truely he could not hauehave gayned vnles the recompenſe which he made for them had bene fully ſufficient. Now to take this work of making recompenſe into our owne handes, is either to deny, or to dout of the fulnes of that recompenſe which Ieſus Chriſt hath made for vsus, and this to doe, is to robbe Ieſus of his glory, and the robber doth robbe him ſelfe of comfort and ſaluation in Chriſt, & ſo doth but deceaue him ſelf, and double his owne ſinne & damnation. Yet thus woulde M. Fowler hauehave his Reader to pray to Ieſu, to hauehave not onelyonly his purpoſe, but his firme purpoſe to make him ſelf recompenſe for his ſinnes, which is to robbe Ieſus of his glory, & to be him ſelf a deceit to him ſelf, & to make his way to moſt ſpedy & certein damnation. If M. Fowler miſtruſt the recompenſe which Ieſus hath made, and doth deſire to make his owne recompenſe for his owne ſinnes: then doth he not beleue that Ieſus hath made either any recompenſe at al, or not a full recompēſe for his ſinnes, which is a point of plaine infidelitie. Such as floweth in the Romiſh Catholike Church. This peece of poyſon lyeth in this Pſalter of M. Fowlers, euen this robbing of Ieſus in M. Fowler his Pſalter of Ieſus. An other petition followteh p. 73containing theſe wordes. Graunt me the ſeuen giftes of the holy Ghost, the eyght beatitudes, the foure Cardinall vertues, and in receiuing of the Sacrament deuoutly to dispoſe me. M. Fowler delighteth him ſelfe greately in ſett numbers, and yet he is no good Arithmetrician. When he ſpeaketh of the ſeuen gifts of the holy ghoſt he ſhould hauehave tolde his Reader what they be, and where he learned that there be but ſeuen. Surely we knowe that there are many more giftes then ſeauen which the holy Ghoſt doth giuegive to the elect children of God, I ſay many more. Likewiſe I ſaye of the Beatitudes of which he ſpeaketh as though there were no more but eight. It may be that I am ſo ignorant that I doe not know to what places of the holy ſcriptures M. Fowler had his eye in theſe his ſet numbers. Therefore let him name the places him ſelfe, & proue to vsus if he can, either that they do containe theſe preciſe numbers of ſeauen or eight, and no more, or that there be no more giftes of the holy Ghoſt but ſeauen, nor more beatitudes but eight. In the meane tyme the Chriſtian Reader, which loueth with godly reuerence to ſearche the Scriptures, in ſearchinge ſhall finde that there be many more giftes of the holy Ghoſt then ſeauen, & many more beatitudes then eight. Let p. 74not him therfore be thus abridged of his bleſſednes by Maiſter Fowler, if he doe louelove ſanctification and bleſſednes. M. Fowler ſeemeth alſo to hauehave ſome ſmattering of Philoſophy in telling vsus of foure cardinal vertues. But ſome of his Maiſters in teaching vertues hauehave ſpoken of the three diuine or Theologicall vertues, & this he might hauehave learned in his pops Primer lately printed, and hauehave named them faith, hope and charitie. Wherein they doe ſpeake more like Diuines then M. Fowler doth either like a Diuine or good Philoſopher. Amonge the Philoſophers them ſelues he might hauehave found more vertues then foure. He might alſo hauehave done ſomewhat for the helpe of his ſimple Reader for whoſe pleaſure he hath made this Pſalter, if he had told him what thoſe vertues were, and why they be called Cardinall vertues. For a ſimple man may thinke that they are ſo called of the Romiſh Cardinals, a ſect of men moſt voyd of vertues, as by their particular doings may be eaſily founde out. And to ſpeake of the vertues needefull to a Chriſtian, there are many more then foure which a chriſtian is to learne in the bleſſed booke of God, the holy Scripture I meane. So M. Fowler in this peece of his Pſalter ſtriketh but like a bungeling p. 75fidler, not cleane, not full, but ſtriketh very ſhorte, and doth but fumble & dally with them, whom he would hauehave daūce after his pipe. In his fourth petitiō he teacheth them which are minded to play on his Pſalter, to ſay, Graunt me the ſpirite of penaunce, contrition, confeſſion & ſatisfaction, to obtaine thy grace, & from filthy ſinne to purge me. Trewe penaunce we doe know, and pray that it may be truly practiſed: we do alſo know thoſe tearmes which M. Fowler doth vſe: They are the ſame, by which the popiſhe ſchoolemen doe ſet foorth their three partes of their Sacrament of penaunce. But this their deuiſe is already ſo euidētly vndone, and the filthe and forgery thereof, ſo vnfolded by the learned wryters of our age, that I will no further meddle therewith, then to referre the reader to the readinge of the fourth chapter of the thirde booke of the Inſtitutions of M. Caluin, which if he will diligently read ouer, he ſhall perceaue that in this popiſh partition is no perfect penance, & that this peece of worke as M. Fowler doth penne it, is vnmeete to hauehave place in the prayer of a trewe Chriſtian, howe meete ſoeuer it be, to be placed in this Pſalter of M. Fowler. And where he addeth that by this parted Penaunce, he might obtaine Gods grace, he knoweth not p. 76verily what grace meaneth. For as the Apoſtle teacheth: If grace be of workes, it is no more grace: he falleth from grace that doth by his workes thruſt on him ſelfe, to gaine, deſerue merite and gette grace. In the fifte petition he teacheth vsus to pray thus: The catholike obſeruances of the church make me to kepe truely. What he meaneth by theſe catholike obſeruaunces, I dare not take on me to iudge, I knowe them not. But if he doe by them meane thoſe fiue commaundementes of the church, which his frend & companiō M. Vaws hath ſet foorth in his Catechiſme, in which he doth but bungel, and woulde faine imitate the Ieſuites in their Catechiſme. Yf theſe be the catholike obſeruances of the church of which M. Fowler ſpeaketh, or if he doe meane thoſe preceptes of the church which his Pope Pius hathe packed together in his newe Primer, I aunſwere thus. Firſt, we do deny that they be catholike: Then that they be any obſeruaunces of the true church of Chriſt. As for that romiſh church which both hath and doth take vppon her to deliuer ſuch commaundementes as God did neuer giuegive to his church, we doe abhorre that proude harlot, and all her commaundementes, neither hath a Chriſtian any warraunt of Gods worde to aſſure his conſcience p. 77either to make this petition, whiche is here ſette downe by M. Fowler, nor promiſe to be hearde, if he make it, and therefore it is to be lefte to the deuiſers of it. And ſurely this his petition, doth not agree with the firſt pece of the next petition followinge, that is: Make my ſoule obedient to holy doctrine. He whoſe ſoule is made obedient to holy doctrine, doth deteſt all ſuche vnholie doctrines, and obſeruaunces as men doe deliuer out of their owne deuiſes, ſuche as are the commaundementes and obſeruaunces of the catholike churche of Rome, and he prayeth God to keepe him from them, he can not praye to keepe or obey them. In the ſeauenth petition, he hathe put in this for a prayer: Thy bleſſed mother be mediatrice for me, and purchaſe me a contrite hearte, for that I hauehave offended thee. You hauehave heard before howe Maiſter Fowler hath called the Lord Ieſus, the Mediator of ſaluation, as though this were all that is in the Lord Ieſus▪ And you hauehave heard how I hauehave proued that our Lorde Ieſus is the Mediator of our ſaluation, and is alſo our Mediator of interceſſion. Now Maiſter Fowler as though Ieſus the onelyonly Mediatour did not content him, findeth vsus out a newe Mediatour the Virgine Marie, whome he will hauehave to be a p. 78mediatrice for him, and a purchaſer for him. But we chriſtians do knowe, no other Mediator nor purchaſer for vsus, but one, euen that one only Lord Ieſus the ſonne of the virgin Mary, for he is the Mediator betwene God and man, euen that man Chriſt Ieſus. Ieſus is as the Apoſtle calleth him, He. 12. the Mediator of the New Teſtament. The Goſpell & word of the New Teſtament doth teach vsus to know Ieſus to be the Mediator of al them, which do appertaine to the New Teſtament, & are receaued into that couenaunt of life. It doth not aſſigne vsus any other Mediator, not the virgin Mary, not any Sainct, nor Angell. We dare not take this office from the ſonne, and giuegive it to the mother: we will not forſake the ſonne who is our certaine, ſure, and only Mediator, and go to the mother, who hath no ſuch office committed vntounto her. We learne alſo that a contrite harte is wroughte in the electe by the ſpirite and word of God. We doe not knowe howe the virgine Mary can purchaſe this for vsus. Againe, in that petition he placeth theſe wordes: All thy Sainctes pray for me, that I be not ſeparate from thee, and their bleſſed fellowſhippe in the heauenly city. Thoughe it be graunted to M. Fowler that the Sainctes in heauen doe pray for vsus, yet hathe he giuen vsus p. 79no warrant of the worde of God, to aſſure our cōſciences, either to make our prayers to thē, or to pray the Lord Ieſus to ſpeake to them, or to appoint them to pray for vsus. The Lorde Ieſus prayed for Peter, that his faith might not faile, if it had failed he had bien ſeparated from the Lorde Chriſt. Lette them therefore whiche feare this ſeparation, pray the Lorde Ieſus to be euen ſo good to them in this point as he was to Peter. For Chriſt prayed not for the Apoſtles only, but for all them which ſhal beleue in him truly. I pray not for theſe alone (ſayth he) but for all them alſo which ſhall beleue in me through their worde, Ioh. 17. We know that the Lorde Ieſus him ſelfe maketh interceſſion for vsus, and with that we doe content our ſelues, & therefore we leaue Saincts to M. Fowler. In the eight petition he putteth in this peece: VVhen I offende thee, ſmite me not with ſodaine death I beſeeche thee: and in the fifteenth petition, he prayeth likewiſe: from ſodaine death and vnforeſeene Lorde preſerue me. What meaneth M. Fowler to aſke this one thinge thus twiſe? Woulde he hauehave the worlde vnderſtande that he is afrayed of death, and afrayed to dye?Cip. ſerm. de mort. He feareth death ſayeth Cyprian, that is vnwillinge to goe to Chriſt. M. Fowler maketh by his Pſalter a p. 80ſhew as though he were well acquainted with the name of Ieſus, and is he (I ſay) afrayd to die? Then he is not well acquainted with Ieſus himſelfe, how buſie ſo euer he be with his name. For that feare is of want of faith in Ieſus verely. This feare hath bene ſeene in ſome cloiſterers, if all be true that they doe wryte, which doe wryte the liues of cloyſterers. For of cloyſterers we may ſee ſome which hauehave earneſtly deſired the puttinge of,Vit. patr. of death, and the prolonging of life. But yet other of them hauehave corrected this feare in them ſelues by faith, as they wryte of Hylarion who feeling him ſelfe to be afrayed of death, ſayed to him ſelfe: O ſoule thou haſt ſerued Chriſt theſe foureſcore yeares, and art thou now afrayed to goe out. Exi quia miſericors eſt: that is: Go out for he is mercifull. This correction of feare by faith in Chriſt is much better then M. Fowlers feareful prayer. But this tearme, vnforeſeene death may giuegive vsus occaſion to thinke that M. Fowler and ſuch as he is, do lead a very ſecure, and careleſſe life, which doe neuer foreſee death. That manne that ſo leadeth his life, that he doth not in his life time foreſee his death draw on him dayly, is maruelouſly miſled. Blinde he is which can not foreſee death which is daily ſeene, and dull he is, whome ſo p. 81many warninges of death giuen can not prepare to death. The life of a chriſtian hath in it a continuall premeditation and foreſight of death, & that death which is ſo foreſeene rightly, ſhall not (I trow) be ſuddaine when it commeth. Neither ſhall any death be ſuddaine to him, or vnforeſeene of him, that is both godly and dayly prepared to dye. Therefore let M. Fowler acquaint his hearte with that deſire which the Apoſtle had in his breaſt, when he deſired to be loaſed and to be w^t Chriſt. And let him teache his reader that leſſon, after that he hath well digeſted it him ſelfe, which the holy Apoſtle teacheth 2. Cor. 5. That is, that the faithfull doe ſigh, deſiringe to be clothed with their houſe which is from heauen. They hauehave their deſire that mortalitie might be ſwallowed vppe of life, and to remoue out of the body and to dwell with the Lord. If M. Fowler will learne to acquainte him ſelfe well with the godly deſires of the faithfull, truely then he ſhall not neede to make this petition of his either ſingle or double, as nowe he doth. The firſt parte of the ninth petition is: Ieſu graunt me grace for to remember perfectly the daunger of death, and the great accōpt which I muſt giuegive to thee, and to diſpoſe me that my ſoule may be acceptable to thee & to thy glorious mother the p. 82bleſſed virgin Mary. The right remembraunce of death is very neceſſary and profitable to the liuing. But it is ſtraūge that M. Fowler prayeth Ieſus ſo to diſpoſe him that his ſoule may be acceptable to him and to his glorious mother the virgine Mary. It is ſufficient truely that our ſoules be made acceptable to God our father by the Lorde Ieſus, for ſo be they ſufficiētly accepted to ſaluation, & they which are made ſo acceptable, can not but be welcome to the companie of that bleſſed virgine Mary, to y^e Saincts which are in heauen with her, & to all the Angells alſo: why Ieſus ſhold make our ſoules, which by his owne grace are accepted to ſaluation, acceptable to his mother, I knowe not, vnleſſe M. Fowler thinketh that y^e thing which Ieſus Chriſt doth accept, his mother may, or wil miſlike. But I thinke not ſo euell of that bleſſed virgin Mary, whatſoeuer M. Fowler doth. For I thinke that ſhe doth rather adore the grace of her ſonne Ieſus, by which he doth accept our ſoules to ſaluation, then either miſlike it, or ioyne with him in the office, and authority of acceptinge. It followeth, in the ſame petition: Then with the aſſiſtance of thy glorious Angell Sainct Michaell, deliuer me from the daunger of my ghoſtly enemie. This name of the holy Angell p. 83we know, & we know alſo that the deliuerer of the faithfull from their ghoſtly enemy the deuill, is Ieſus Chriſt alone, for he thorough death did deſtroy him that hadde the power of death, that is the deuill as the Apoſtle ſayeth, Heb. 2. And S. Iohn ſayth, 1. Ioh. 3. That for this purpoſe the ſonne of God appeared that he might loaſe the workes of the deuill, he it is by whom only it is, that the God of power treadeth Sathan vnderunder the feete of the faithfull.Rom. 16.Rom 16 Why doth M. Fowler flee from this grace, and power of the Lord Ieſus to S. Michaell. We knowe not who hathe aſſigned S. Michaell the Archangell to this office to be a deliuerer of ſoules in daunger of death, from the daunger of the Ghoſtlie enemie. If Maiſter Fowler liſteth to make him ſelfe bolde to aſſigne offices to Aungelles in heauen, it is but a popiſhe pryde. It followeth: And thee my good Aungell I beſeeche than to helpe me. And what doe you ſaye Maiſter Fowler, to your badde Aungell? will you ſaye nothing to him? you do dreame in popery that eueryevery manne hath his two Angells, that is his good Angell, & his bad Angell, as al y^e worlde knoweth.Heb. 1.Heb 1 But in the worde of trueth we doe learne & by it we know that God hath appointed his Aungelles to be miniſtringe ſpirites p. 84ſent forthe to miniſter for their ſakes which ſhall be heires of ſaluation, but that each man hath his ſeuerall Angell appoynted to helpe him I doe not yet certeinly know. But I will leaue this queſtion to the time and place of more full knowledge. And in the meane tyme till I doe know it, I would faine learne of M. Fowler, where he hath learned to pray to his good Aungell, or to any Aungell. We knowe that the holy Angells doe not ſuffer men to adore or worſhip them Apoca. 21. Howe will they then admit that men ſhould pray to them? Will M. Fovvler pray to them whether they will or no? Prayer is a ſeruice which we are taught to doe to God, to whom Chriſt Ieſus commaundeth vsus to pray. But neither Ieſus nor his Apoſtles, did euer teache vsus in any place to pray to our good Angell. Who then hath taught Maiſter Fowler to praye to his good Angell for helpe thus ſolemnly? Let M. Fowler tell vsus this in trueth, or els we will turne it ouer to him ſelfe, as one of his owne dreames and forgeries. In the tenth petition he ſayth: Ieſu ſende me here my purgatory and preſerue me from thoſe torments of fier which euer ſhall puniſh ſinne and iniquitie. I will not, without further proofe, preſume to ſay that M. Fowler is fallen into that beaſtly filth of Pithagoras, p. 85who dreamed of a monſtrous kinde of purgatory and purginge of ſoules in this mortall life. But let M. Fowler awake out of his owne dreame and tell vsus, howe and where he hath found vsus out this new purgatory, that is ſuch a one as he doth praye to hauehave in this life here. Of which belike he is not greatly affraid, for be teacheth his ſcholler to praye for it tenne times together. But this is not that purgatory (I trow) out of which he prayeth in eueryevery one of the petitions in his Pſalter ſo bitterly to hauehave ſoules deliuered, nor yet is it that purgatory of which his catholike fathers in the laſt councell of Trent doe conclude: Neither is this fire which doth euer puniſh ſinne, that fire of the popiſh purgatory. For if it doe euer puniſh ſinne, then doth it neuer ceaſe nor ende. But the fire of the popiſh purgatory hath an ende, as Papiſtes them ſelues doe ſay, if they ſay truely. And therfore a Maiſter of that ſect doth call that their purgatory fire ignem tranſitorium, a fire tranſitory or paſſing away. This purgatory then, is none of thoſe purgatories of which we hauehave hearde before, neither is this fire that fire of purgatory. It is needefull therefore that M. Fowler doe tell vsus what fierles purgatory this is which he ſo buſiely prayeth to hauehave in this life. We muſt p. 86know what it is, before we doe pray for it. If it ſhall pleaſe him to tell vsus, what that purgatory is which he calleth my purgatory, and deſireth to hauehave it in this life, we ſhall conſider the matter more diligently with him, in the mean time I leaue it to him ſelfe. It followeth in his Pſalter: Mother of God, Patriarches, &c. (he reckneth vp a number of Sainctes) I offer me to your merits and beſeech you to pray for me, & at my paſſing helpe to protect me. I ſuppoſe M. Fowler will accompt Abraham to be one among the Patriarches to whom he prayeth. But what if Abraham doe not know him? In the prophecie of …ſaica. 63. We reade of ſome who in their prayer to God ſeeme to be ſturred vppe the more vehemently to praye vntounto God himſelfe for helpe, by this doubtles (ſay they) thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of vsus, and Iſraell knoweth vsus not, yet thou O Lord, art our father and redemer, thy name is for euer. Loe here is a people which doe offer them ſelues to God their father, and ſay that the Patriarches Abraham and Iſrael doe not know them. If theſe Patriarches doe not knowe nor vnderſtande of the liuing men, what other Patriarches doe it? Let M. Fowler tell vsus this, and alſo let him tell vsus by what warrant of the word of God, he doth teach his p. 87Reader to offer him ſelfe thus to the merites of the mother of God, of the Patriarches, Prophetes, Sainctes &c. We are taughte to offer our ſelues to God. The ſacrifices and offeringes whiche are to be made of our ſelues, are to be made to God alone whoſe we are Rom. 12. And S. Peter 1. Peter 2. doth teache that the beleuing Chriſtians are made a ſpirituall houſe and holy prieſthoode to offer vppe ſacrifices acceptable to God by Ieſus Chriſt. We hauehave not learned to offer our ſelues to the merits of the mother of God or of any Patriarche, Prophet or Sainct liuinge or departed. There were a kinde of olde heretickes which did make offeringes and ſacrifices to the Virgin Mary as Epiphanius doth write.Epiph. li. 3. tom. 2. This offring of which M. Fowler ſpeaketh, ſauoreth ſtrongly of that old hereſie, and therefore I leaue it as a ſtincking ſacrifice to M. Fowler him ſelfe. We hauehave likewiſe learned in the booke of God to truſt to be ſaued by the merits of Chriſt alone, and belike M. Fowler hath heard of ſuch a thing. For he doth immediatly in the ſame petition ſay. My Lorde Ieſus crucified for me, by the merites of thy glorious paſſion, I beſeech thee graunt me theſe petitions. And him ſelfe doth ſaye in an other place of his Pſalter: Thy mercy and thy merits p. 88my Sauiour, euer be betwene them, (Gods wrathe and iudgement he meaneth) and me. Why doth M. Fowler like an Infidell in the tenth petition ſhewe him ſelfe to miſtruſt the merites of Ieſus, and doth therein offer him ſelfe to the merits of Gods mother and other Sainctes, and nowe doth commit him ſelfe to the merits of Ieſus. Is not this a fowle iarre and diſcord in this Pſalter of his? I ſay again that we Chriſtians hauehave learned to truſt to the merits of Ieſus Chriſt alone, and to pray him to make interceſſion for vsus. We hauehave not learned to pray Sainctes to make interceſſion for vsus, for this is to depart from Chriſt. We hauehave learned to pray the Lord Ieſus both in our liuing & in our paſſing to protect vsus. We hauehave not learned in any teacher of truth to aske this protection of the mother of God, or other Sainctes. The Prophet Dauid hauing him ſelfe good hope in Gods might & mercy, doth both commende him ſelfe, and teacheth vsus to commend our ſelues into the handes of God the Lorde our Redeemer Pſal. 31. Into thy handes (ſayth he) I doe commend my ſpirit, for thou haſt redeemed me O Lorde God of truth. Thus Dauid doth acknowledge God to be his protector and ſafe keeper, he doth not praye the mother of God, he doth not praye p. 89Sainctes to protect him. The ſame Dauid Pſal. 121. ſayth. The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy ſhadow at thy right hand. And againe, the Lord ſhall preſerue thee from all euill, he ſhall keepe thy ſoule. The Lorde ſhall preſerue thy going out and comming in from hence forth and for euer. He ſayeth likewiſe Pſal. 97. The Lorde preſerueth the ſoules of his Sainctes, he will deliuer them from the hand of the wicked. The ſame Prophet Dauid Pſal. 18. doth with thankefull hart to God and full mouth confeſſe this. Thou haſt giuen me (ſayth he) the ſhielde of thy ſaluation, and thy right hande hath ſtaide me. But what did M. Fowler neuer reade, neither theſe, nor thoſe ſweete ſayings of the Lord our God in which he promiſeth to be the protector of his elect, & to graunt them his ſauing helpe. Iſai 41. God ſaith, feare thou not, for I am with thee, be not afrayd, for I am thy God, I will ſtrengthen thee and help thee, and will ſuſtayne thee with the right hand of my iuſtice. The faithful man doth learne of Dauid to ſaye Pſal. 28. The Lorde is my ſtrength and my ſhielde, my hart truſted in him & I was helped, therfore myne hart ſhal reioyce, & with my ſong wil I praiſe him. The faithfull doe ſaye as Pſal. 32. Our foule waiteth for the Lord, for he is our helpe p. 90and our ſhielde. And of the Prophet he learneth, Pſal. 37. That the ſaluation of the righteous men ſhalbe of the Lord: he ſhalbe their ſtrength in the time of trouble. For the Lorde ſhal helpe them, and deliuer them, he ſhall deliuer them from the wicked, & ſhall ſaue them becauſe they truſt in him. And they hauehave ſuch a corage & faith in God his goodnes, might, and mercy, that they ſay Pſal. 23. Though I do walke through the valley of the ſhadowe of death, I will feare no euill, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy ſtaffe, they comforte me. And they ſaye alſo, Pſal. 48. This God is our God for euer and euer, he ſhalbe our guide vntounto the death. Thus doth the Lorde allure his people to looke for ſaluation and protection at his hande, and for his ſauing helpe in all their perills. And we reade that Chriſt our Sauior at his death cried out with a loude voyce, Father into thy handes I commende my ſpirite Luc. 23. and by his example doth teache vsus to do y^e ſame.Act. 7.Acts 7 For God is our protector & defender. Stephen alſo ſtoned to death cried, Lorde Ieſu receaue my ſpirite: to the Lord Ieſus as to his onelyonly protector, he doth commende him ſelfe, and by his example he hath taught vsus to cōmend our ſelues to this protector as he did, and therfore in Ieſus alone let vsus reſt & abide, p. 91ſo ſhall we be moſt ſafely kept and protected, as the Pſalmiſt ſayth, Pſal. 91. Who ſo dwelleth in the ſecret of the moſt high, ſhal abide in the ſhadow of the Almighty. For truly he that maketh God his defence & truſt ſhall perceaue his protection to be a moſt ſure ſafegard, as it is at large ſet foorth in that Pſalme, which I wiſhe the godly reader diligently to reade and marke, and he ſhall learne of Dauid in his holy Pſalter that God is his protector. But M. Fowler in this his Pſalter, or rather in this his fiddle, aſſigneth vsus to an other protection then Dauid doth in his Pſalter, whereby the reader may perceaue that theſe Pſalters doe not agree. We hauehave not learned to pray the Lord Ieſus by y^e merites of his glorious paſſion to graunt ſuch petitiōs as M. Fowler maketh here: as that we ſhoulde offer our ſelues to the merits of Gods mother, and other holy Sainctes, and aſke their protection. The merites of Ieſus Chriſt crucified for vsus, are of ſuch a merite, that for our ſafety, protection, & ſaluation, we neede no other merite either of the mother of God, or of any Sainct, but the onelyonly merite of Ieſus Chriſt alone. The merites of Ieſus Chriſt alone hauehave fully merited & deſerued for vsus which do truſt in him only, & ſeeke at his hande only all our ſafety & full ſaluation. p. 92He doth not ſend vsus to ſeeke y^e merites of his mother or of any other ſaincts. And this value and force of Chriſtes power & merites M. Fowler him ſelfe ſemeth to hauehave found out once againe. For in his eleuenth petition, he prayeth y^e Lord Ieſus thus: Thy power protect me, & againe, thy paſſiō preſerue me from euerlaſting damnation, and terror of mine enemy. In deede theſe wordes hauehave ſome good ſauor and ſound of truth, but he woulde neuer hauehave mingled y^e merites & protection of Sainctes with the merites and protection of Chriſt, if he had hartily reaſted on the protection of Ieſus, and vponupon y^e merites of the Lord Ieſus alone, for he ſhoulde hauehave founde him ſelfe ſo ſafe in the merites of Chriſt, y^t he woulde neuer hauehave ſought others as euen now he did. And here you may once againe marke a iarre, that Fowler in his Pſalter maketh not onelyonly w^t Dauid his Pſalter, but euen with him ſelfe alſo. We knowe that Ieſus Chriſt alone, is the ſufficient protector of his elect, they are all giuen vntounto him of his father, none can take them out of his hand, he hath not ioyned with him in this protectinge power any other perſon, neither his mother nor Sainct. And therfore the ſheepe of y^e Lord Ieſus doe greatly reioyce in this, that they may reſt protected & conducted by Ieſus p. 93Chriſt alone, wherof the Pſalmiſt doth ſweetly ſinge Pſal. 23. In the ſame eleauenth petition Fowler prayeth: That God woulde keepe his mouth from ſlaunderous speaking, lying, falſe witnes bearing, &c. If this requeſt had bene graunted, Maiſter Fowler had made no ſuch Pſalter as he hath at this time, in which is much lying, falſe witnes bearing, and ſclaunderous ſpeaking, as in part you hauehave hearde and yet more ſhall heare by Gods grace. In the twelf petition he hath this: In my temptations Lord I beſeech thee to helpe me, for the tē der louelove that thou diddeſt ſhew to thy mother & she to thee. It is well that he prayeth the Lord Ieſus to helpe him in his temptations, but to require him to doe it for the louelove that he did beare to his mother and ſhe to him, is a thinge farre featched. Why M. Fowler hath not the Lord Ieſus borne any louelove to you your ſelfe, that is worth the remembring? We know that the Lorde Ieſus did tenderly louelove his mother and ſhe him againe, but that louelove which he doth beare to mankinde is no leſſe, and is alſo of his owne free goodnes.Ioan. 15.John 15 Of louelove he did giuegive his life for his ſheepe, & greater louelove then this hath no man, when any man beſtoweth his life for his freindes. This is that great louelove which Ieſus hath borne to vsus, the Chriſtians p. 94which doe beleue in him & harken to his voice. And the holy Ghoſt teacheth vsus to learne, to vnderſtande and to taſte howe ſweete this louelove is, wherewith the Lord God our heauenly father and our good Lord Ieſus hauehave loued vsus, for that louelove is our life. Of this louelove the Lord Ieſus doth teach vsus ſaying Ioan. 3. So God loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onelyonly ſonne, that whoſoeuer beleueth in him ſhoulde not periſh but hauehave life euerlaſting. The ſame our louing Lorde Ieſus ſayth of this his louelove towards vsus Ioan. 13. As the father hath loued me, ſo hauehave I loued you. And in his prayer Ioan. 17. he asketh thus. That the louelove wherewith thou haſt loued me, may be in them, and I in them. Thus are we taught in the holy Scriptures to vnderſtande the louelove of the father and the louelove of the ſonne towards vsus. Nothing is there ſayd to teache vsus to looke to the louelove which his mother did beare to him. Yea he ſayth Ioan. 10. I am the good ſhepheard, the good ſhephearde giueth his life for his ſheepe. And againe, therefore doth my father louelove me, becauſe I lay downe my life. And S. Iohn teacheth vsus. Beholde what louelove the father hath ſhewed on vsus, that we ſhould be called the ſonnes of God. 1. Ioan. 5. And againe he ſayth, In this appeared the louelove of God towards p. 95vsus, becauſe he ſent his onelyonly begotten ſonne into the world, that we might liue thorough him. Herein is louelove, not that we loued God, but that he loued vsus, and ſent his ſonne to be a reconciliation for our ſinnes. 1. Ioan. 4. Thus doth the ſpirite of God lay forth that louelove before vsus in which lyeth our life. Of this louelove S. Paule hauing a right good taſte wryteth Gal. 2. I liue (ſayth he) by the faith of the ſonne of God, who loued me and hath giuen him ſelfe for me. In this louelove which Chriſt Ieſus beareth to vsus, is the very life of y^e faithfull, and therfore to it they muſt & they do looke. As we reade Apoca. 1. vntounto him that loued vsus and waſhed vsus from our ſinnes in his blood, & made vsus kinges & prieſtes vntounto God his father, vntounto him be glory & dominion for euermore. Thus are we taught to taſte the louelove wherewith Ieſus Chriſt hath loued vsus our ſelues, howſoeuer either he loued his mother or ſhe loued him. In the thirteenth petition he hath put in this patche: Make me patiently to ſuffer iniuries and rebukes in recompenſe of my diſobedient hart to thee. To ſuffer iniuries and rebukes for Chriſtes ſake patiently, and for well doinge is a bleſſednes. And can not this ſuffice Maiſter Fowler? but he muſt alſo make his patience a recompenſe to God for p. 96the diſobedience of his hart? Of this his conceipte of recompencing God for ſinne, I hauehave ſpoken before, and the leſſe ſhall I neede to ſpeake of it now, becauſe M. Fowler him ſelfe alſo, euen in this ſame petition, belike miſdouting his owne recompencinge of God for his own ſinnes, doth flee to the recompence which the Lorde Ieſus hath made for vsus, and ſayeth: Let thine obedience recompence for my obſtinacy, thine abſtinence for my ſuperfluity, thy meekenes and thy patience for my pride, irefull hart & enmity, thy charity for my malice, thy deuotion for my dulnes, thy louinge hart for my vnkindnes, thy holy death for my wretched life & for all my miſery. Theſe are the words of M. Fowler in this ſame thirteenth petition, in which he doth require the Lord Ieſus to make the recompence for all his ſinnes and miſery. And what is it then wherefore he woulde him ſelfe make recompence by his patience? He ſayeth for his diſobedient hart. But for this he prayeth the Lord Ieſus to make recompence. He ſeemeth in theſe wordes not to truſt to the value of recompencing by his owne patience, but prayeth that the pacience of the Lord Ieſus may be a recompence for his owne pride, irefull hart, and enmity. You ſee nowe once againe how contrary M. Fowler is to himſelfe in this p. 97petition, & what a iarre this contrariety doth make in this his Pſalter. In deede the recompence which he woulde him ſelfe make by his patience for the diſobedience of his own hart, is farre out of tune, and ſoundeth vnſauerily in the vnderſtandinge of any true chriſtian. But this recompence which he findeth that Ieſus hathe made for his elect, is a ſweete ſauour of life to the ſoules of true chriſtians, & agreeth with the ſaying of the Prophet Iſai. 53. He ſet or made his life for a ſacrifice of ſinne. This recompence which Ieſus Chriſt hathe made, & that which M. Fowler would himſelf make, can not be coupled together. For Ieſus alone and only made the iuſt and full recompence for the ſinnes of all them whiche are to be ſaued. In the laſt, that is, in the fifteenth petition M. Fowler addeth: This inuocation and Pſalter of thee by the mediation of thy moſt entirely beloued mother purchaſe to me gratious life, & bleſſed ending, free from debte, and deadly ſinne I beſeech thee, and after my bodily death euerlaſting life, with endleſſe bliſſe and felicity. M. Fowler muſt firſt proue, y^t this is the Pſalter of Ieſus before he can thus call and commend it, or attribute ſuch force vntounto it, as he doth. And lette the reader marke how M. Fowler him ſelfe, as it were doubting of the value, vertue, or force p. 98of this his Pſalter, ioyneth to it, as a poore help to helpe it forwarde, the mediation of the bleſſed virgin Mary. For he woulde hauehave his Pſalter to be of valure to purchaſe for him, by the mediation of the bleſſed virgin Mary. Of her mediation we knowe nothinge as I hauehave ſaid before: we do truſt only to the mediatiō of her moſt gracious ſonne our good Lorde Ieſus, who is the one, & ſo the only Mediator betwene God and man. For we are taught by S. Paul, 1. Tim. 2.1 Tim 2that there is one God and one Mediator betwene God & man, euen the man Chriſt Ieſus. But M Fowler like a ſlouēlike apoticary mingleth this his Pſalter & the mediation of the virgin Mary both together, to the ende belike, that if the one failed y^e other might ſerue the turne. And he prayeth that this his medly may purchaſe firſt gracious life. This tearme gracious which he vſeth, teacheth vsus, whatſoeuer he meaneth by gracious life, that it is the worke of Gods free grace, and therefore commeth not by purchaſe either of this Pſalter, or of the mediation of the virgin Mary. He addeth that by this mingle he would purchaſe bleſſed endinge free from debte, and deadely ſinne. Touchinge the payment of his debtes, it may be that M. Fowler thinketh to prouide ſome poore helpe, by printing of this Pſalter, p. 99and that the good vent thereof may be a great helpe to him, if he be in debte. But it is harde dealing to get the money of true men for falſe ware. It is more hard to lay ſuch ſnares of deceit to intrappe the ſimple ſoules of Chriſtians, as M. Fowler doth, for getting of money to paye his debtes. Whatſoeuer M. Fowler dreameth of payment of his debtes, we knowe the payment and ſatisfaction for al our ſinnes is the price which Ieſus Chriſt payed in his moſt pretious bitter and bloody death ſuffred on y^e croſſe for vsus. That onelyonly maketh vsus free, other freedom purchaſed either by this Pſalter, or by the mediation of the Virgin Mary, or any other way which M. Fowler and his fellowes can deuiſe, we know none, we wil none. We doe by Gods grace knowe that freedome into which we are called by Ieſus Chriſt, who as he onelyonly coulde, ſo he hath moſt gratiouſly made vsus free. In that fredom by his grace we doe and ſhall ſtand. By this mingle M. Fowler would purchaſe alſo life euerlaſting. He thinketh but ſimply and baſely of life euerlaſting, which doth thinke that it may be purchaſed by ſuch a filthy fiddle as is this Pſalter, or by ſuch a mingle mangle as Fowler maketh. But we hauehave learned and doe beleue that life euerlaſting is (as I ſayd before) the gifte of God p. 100thorough Ieſus Chriſt our Lorde. It is his gifte, it is not by this Pſalter, nor by the mediation of the Virgin Mary to be purchaſed. We doe giuegive vntounto God the glorie and prayſe due, of, and for the gifte of life euerlaſtinge by Ieſus Chriſt. We will not ſeeke it by any other meanes, nor goe about to purchaſe that our ſelues, which is thus gratiouſly and freely giuen vntounto vsus. Thus endeth this Pſalter (ſayth Maiſter Fowler) and yet he addeth an admonition, a poynt of holſom doctrine be ye ſure, and a Narration of nothing verely in effect, yet be they ſolemnly added to furniſhe vppe the trayne of this his Pſalter. But Maiſter Fowler wanteth one thinge vſuall in ſuch preatty popiſhe deuiſes. That is ſome Bull to be graunted by his moſt holy father Pope Gregory that nowe is, of pardon for ſuch as ſhal deuoutly ſay this Pſalter. Popes were wont to be liberall to beawtifie ſuch conceiptes with large pardons for thowſandes of yeares. Maiſter Fovvler was much ouerſeene that he did not ſue to Rome for ſuche a pardon to hauehave annexed it to his Pſalter. Such a Bull woulde hauehave gotten eaſie ſale of his Pſalter amonge the Romiſhe Calues, and ſo hauehave made well for the payment of Maſter Fovvlers debtes. And we may thinke p. 101that Maiſter Fovvler might hauehave come in a very ſeaſonable tyme to his father Pope Gregory on this meſſage. For it doth appeare that this Pope was ſo full of his popiſh grace about the tyme of the publiſhing of this Pſalter, that at an eaſie entreatie of Maiſter Inglefeilde, and one Maiſter Allen he did liberally graunt pardon and pardon againe to ſuch as ſhall hauehave but one of the beade ſtones which he hath bleſſed. What would not this Pope then hauehave graunted vponupon ſmall entreatie, to him that ſhould hauehave had, and ſayd this Pſalter of Fowler? But if it were ſo that this Pſalter was offred to the Pope to be bleſſed & dubbed with a pardon, & he refuſed ſo to doe, & yet he hath ſo plentifully beſtowed his bleſſing vponupon a poore beadſtone, ſurely it is ynough to marre M. Fowlers markett. For then eueryevery man will thinke that Pope Gregory did not eſteeme ſo much of Maiſter Fowlers Pſalter as he did of a ſimple beadeſtone. A thinge of ſmall price and value ſurely, not vnlike to the value of the Popes bleſſing beſtowed on it, that is of no valure at all. But if a bleſſed beadeſtone may bringe by the popes Bull full remiſſion of all ſinnes, as his blaſphemous Bull importeth: Then lette Maiſter Fovvler goe hange vppe his pſalter vppon p. 102ſome pynne on the wall, for it can profitte no other man, nor yet him ſelfe any waye that I knowe. If Pope Gregory that nowe is woulde hauehave done ſo much for this Pſalter of Maiſter Fowler as Pope Pius did for his own primer, it might hauehave ſerued much better M. Fovvlers turne then nowe it can, For Pope Pius doth ſolemnly reuoke and put out of vſe all other primers, to make place for his owne Primer nowe printed by Plantine at Andwarpe, and alſo giueth preattie pardons to them which ſhall vſe it. If Pope Gregory had bene ſo good a fellow to prouide for Fowlers pſalter, that is, if he had adnihilated and put out of vſe all other pſalters, and then dubbed this pſalter of Fowlers w^t a pardon, what had M. Fowler I pray you then wanted? Nothing verely but truth. It may be that Maiſter Fowler thought that the romiſh popes had already dealt forth their bleſſed graces in their pardons ſo plentifully for many thowſandes of yeares yet to come, that nowe they had no more ſtoare of ſuche graces lefte them to beſtow by pardons. So might it alſo hauehave bene thought that the Romiſhe ſeduced ſect had already gotten ſuch ſtoare of pardoned yeares for ages to come, and by pardons ſuch full remiſſiō of all their ſinnes, y^t they neded not now p. 103to care for any more newpardōs. But in error there is no ſtay. I wil leaue therfore M. Fowler, to ſue at Rome, if he be ſo fooliſh, for a pardon to furniſh this his fiddle which he calleth a Pſalter. But I do wiſh rather to M. Fowler with all my hart that true chriſtian vnderſtanding, which may ſhew him his error, & grace to forſake it, & to embrace the trueth of Chriſt Ieſus our Sauiour, as it is taught and ſette forth in the word of truth, the moſt holy word of God, I meane. Here I woulde ende as he endeth his Pſalter, ſauing that I thinke good in concludinge to anſwere an obiection which may be made to me. It may be ſayed, that I hauehave not touched all his whole Pſalter, but hauehave left much not ſpoken of, which is contained in it. It is true, I hauehave only touched ſome ſuch ſtringes as doe make a fowle iarre from the ſoundnes of our chriſtian faith & of the holy Scriptures. And yet I hauehave not touched all but left ſome vntouched, ſuppoſinge that this which I hauehave wryttē may giuegive the godly reader ſufficient warning of all the reſt. This litle leauen which I hauehave touched, ſowreth his whole pſalter, and maketh it vnſauery to him that taſteth how ſweete y^e Lord is in his truth and mercy. But he will ſay that Fowler printeth alſo ſome good wordes in his Pſalter. p. 104What thereof? The deuil him ſelfe ſometime ſpeaketh truth, but he is to be put to ſilence. For his purpoſe is by vttering ſome truth to get credit to be beleued in his falſhoode.Hieron. in Ierem. 23.Jer 23 We are forewarned by an old writer, that falſhood doth imitate truth alwayes, and that vnles it hauehave ſome likelihoode of trueth it can not deceaue. So it may be that M. Fowler ſpeaketh of purpoſe in ſome pointes of his pſalter a truth, but vnderunder that we muſt take heede that he creepe not into ſuch creditte with vsus, that therefore we ſhoulde receaue as truth all that he printeth, for then you ſee what ſtincking filth we ſhall receaue. It is a manner of foyſters to ſette forth their falſhoodes with ſome ſhew of truth, elſe ſhould they lay them ſelues to open, and marre their owne market. It is the duetie of all them which will praye well, and acceptably vntounto God, to make thoſe prayers which are ſound and wholy agreeing with Gods moſte holy will witneſſed in his holy word. Let men take heede of offering ſtraung fier to God, I meane that they doe not make ſtraunge prayers to God, for if they do, they ſhall feele the paines thereof and ſuffer bitter reiection. Let vsus learne to pray to God him ſelfe, ſithence he doth vouchſafe to become our Scholemaiſter herein, and doth teach vsus how p. 105to pray in his ſight acceptably, & to our ſelues moſt profitably. If we do deſpiſe ſuch a ſcholemaiſter, if we will refuſe his teaching, and wil be teachers to our ſelues, and thruſt vponupon him our owne deuiſes, we doe ſhew our ſelues to be ſtubborne and proud rebells, he will not accept vsus, but reiect vsus, the loſſe and paine ſhall be ours. It had bene the part of M. Fovvler to hauehave learned of Ieſus our Lord and moſt gratious Sauiour how to pray, and then woulde he not hauehave preſumed thus to packe vp this peeuish Pſalter, and to ſet it on vent vnderunder the bleſſed name of Ieſus. This is a boldnes intollerable.To. 2. concil. cap. Grec. Synod. I reade that there were ſome pſalmes or himnes deuiſed by men which were forbidden to be vſed of Chriſtians in the congregation, and that by the conſent of ſome Elders gathered together in councell. Mention is made alſo in Euſebius how ſome hereticks had their new pſalmes of their owne. Such a pſalter is this, and ſuche pſalmes here hath M. Fovvler made, if not worſe then they were, as worthy to be forbidden as they, and to be auoyded of al true Chriſtians, who are as I ſaid to learne of the Lord him ſelf how to offer this ſacrifice of prayer to him: and it is our duetie both to thanke him that it hath pleaſed him to become our teacher, and alſo to ſuffer our ſelues to be p. 106taught of him, yea and to harken to that which is ſayd, and by the ſpirit of God taught vsus.