Warning to Take Heed of Fowlers Psalter, Title page – Epigraph
A WARNING TO TAKE HEEDE OF FOVVLERS PSALTER, giuen by Th. Sampſon.
ANCHORA SPEI
Imprinted at London by Thomas Vautrollier, for George Bishoppe. 1578.
TO MY VERY GODLY LOVING FREND, AND BROTHER, M. ROBERT ASKE GOLDSMITH, AND ONE of the Bridgemaiſters, of the Citie of London.
YOV did ſende of late vntounto me, at one time (as you knovve) tvvo bookes, vvhichwhich the Louaniſtes had ſent into England: the one vvas a Primer, the other a Pſalter. The Primer is in latin, and is as I thinke, but a nevve burnishing of their old popish pelfe. I did not peruſe it, neither do I entende to beſtovv any labour thereabout. For manye yeares are paſſed, ſithence I did leaue my Primer, neither hauehave I any pleaſure novve to looke vppon thoſe pudles of poperie, in vvhichwhich I vvas plunged in the dayes of my youth, and ignorance,…ſal. 25. I do rather vvith the Pſalmiſt humbly praye the Lorde not to remember the faultes and ignoraunces of my youth, but according to his ovvne kindnes and for his goodnes ſake to forgiue me. It is beſides all this novv become a tickle peice of vvorke (M. Robert) to medle vvith Primers: vvill you knovv vvhy? The olde Primers are of late greatly diſgraced by pope Pius. …nſt. Pij v.For he ſayeth, that they vvere filled vvith ſuperſtitious errours, and ſayth: that many forged prayers vvere thruſt into them vnderunder falſe and feyned names of Sainctes. He calleth alſo all the pardons graunted in thē, and printed in their rubrikes into doubte. Thus doth this Pope dashe the deuotion of papiſtes. Therefore lette olde papiſtes looke vvell vvhat Primers they vſe, and take heede vvhichwhich of them they doe truſt, leaſt they do not onelyonly loſe their labour, but fall into the diſpleaſure of the Pope. And by the doinges of late Popes they maye ſee hovv vnſauery and vnſafe the doings of former Popes are, for that vvhichwhich one allovveth, an other diſallovveth, one promiſeth, an other denyeth. Therefore I thought good novv to leaue both them, & their Primer. And becauſe the Pſalter ſeemed to be ſome ſtraunge noueltie, vvith vvhichwhich the authours thought to make ſome freashe melodie, I did take this their Pſalter into my hande: I did but touch the ſtringes thereof, to taſte vvhat ſounde it did giuegive: but I did not finde that in it, vvhichwhich the name ſeemeth to promiſe, rather I finde in it vnſauery diſcorde, ſtringes falſe, and out of tune, & other ſuch iarres, as by peruſing this litle pamphlet you may perceaue. VVhichWhich I doe not ſend to you (my good brother) as though I thought that you either delighted in ſuch inſtruments as is that popishe Pſalter, or that you needed my helpe to dravv you from the delighte or daūger of ſuch trumpery, in vvhichwhich Papiſts do take their pleaſure. God hath by his grace ſeparated you farre from that ſecte, and brought you into his ovvne ſchoole, vvhere you may, & do, vvith ioye, heare, learne, and taſte of the ſvveetnes of the Lorde, and hauehave the ſonges of life, and ſaluation, praiſe the Lorde for it. And pray him to holde you euer in this vvaye of life, that you may alvvayes hauehave your harte, and eare open, and vvholly ſette to heare the voice of Ieſus: and alſo cloſed, shutte and fully turned from thoſe falſe flatteringe, and entiſing, Syrene, popishe voices: vntounto vvhichwhich vvho ſo hearckneth pearisheth remediles. Novve though you neede not my labour herein taken, yet in recompence of your freindly and kinde remembring of me vvith ſuch nevves as do come to your hāds, I hauehave thought good to ſend you this vvritten paper, to remaine vvith you as a token of my good vvill tovvardes you. And if your ſonne Iohn Aske, of vvhoſe vvell doinge in God, I hauehave ſome care vvith you, may be admonished by it to learne euen in his youth to bevvare of ſuch Popishe paſtime, as is made in that Popishe Pſalter, & to giuegive heede to the truth of Ieſus Chriſt, the only true doctrine of our life and ſaluation: I shalbe gladde, and reioyce to ſee him enryched vvith that fayth vvhichwhich dvvelled in Gillian his naturall mother, doth dvvel in you his natural father novv, and ſo I hope shall vntounto the ende. That increaſe of true vnderſtanding vvhichwhich doth giuegive life in God, I vvishe to you and all yours, vvishe you the ſame to me and mine. Leceſter the 10. of October. 1577.
LAME Tho. Sampſon.
Epheſ. 5.
Be fulfilled with the ſpirite, ſpeakinge vntounto your ſelues in Pſalmes, and hymnes, & ſpirituall ſonges, ſinging and making melodie to the Lorde in your hartes, giuing thankes alwayes for all thinges vntounto God, euen the Father, in the name of our Lord Ieſus Chriſt.