A Short View of the Prelatical Church of England 2, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV. Of the Matter.
NOw we come to the third particular, namely, the Subject matter of the Liturgie; the graine is like the ground it grows upon, the fruit muſt be like the Tree; it is not poſſible that any wholſome ſap of life ſhould come out of a noyſome and poyſonous root. To give a delineation of the matter in general,Troubles of Frankford, p. 36 we can uſe no better expreſſion than that of Calvin, in his pithy Letter to the Church of Frankford, much troubled with this Service-book, where he calls it the Reliques or leavings of the Popiſh dregs; this may be made to appear without contradiction, by ſcanning ſome particulars; for to go through them all would fill up a great volumn: then to give a touch as briefly as we can, the matter is partly falſe, partly rediculouſly frivolous; yea, and ſome part of it is not without a tincture of Blaſphemy. To this effect, a worthy and zealous Paſtor to that people of Frankford, regrating fore the troubles brought upon them by that Service-book, after that he had told them that nothing muſt be thruſt upon any Congregation, without the Warrant of the Word: and foraſmuch as that in the Engliſh Book there were things both ſuperſtitious, impure, and unperfect, P. 38. ib.which he offered to prove before all men; he would not conſent that of that Church it ſhould be received.
To come then to the firſt particular of the charge; Sect. concerning the falſhood of the Matter, which we will firſt diſcover in the generals, and then come to ſome particulars: For the generals we lay down theſe three inſtances, In falſe or corrupt tranſledons of the Word; additions to the Word, and ſubſtractions; all which the Service-book not only allows, but injoyns ſubſcription to them, being ſo rendered in the old Latine Bible, which tranſlation the Service-book injoyns to be uſed, and no other; yea, to which the Miniſters were to ſubſcribe, it being the moſt corrupt piece of all the Latine Tranſlation, none of them being found; witneſs the current of the learned Fathers and others; yea, the very pleaders for the Book, and that Bible:Ad Damaſ, i… praeſat. ad. 4. Evang. Si in Latinis exemplaribus fides eſt adhibenda reſponderit quibus, &c. If we muſt believe Latine tranſlations you muſt first tell us which of them, ſaith Jerome? Which argues the Latine one, fathered upon him, not to be his, but of all other Latine tranſlations he damneth this moſt, which we are forced to follow, as Eraſmus teſtifieth of him; Damnat ſuperiorem tranſlationem, quae nos tamen maxime utimur, he condemneth (ſaith he) that tranſlation, meaning the vulgar tranſlation; condemned alſo, by the grand Pillars of Popery, Burgenſis, Lyra, Janſenius, and others; yea, and by two Popes, Sixtus the fifth, and Clement the eighth. Laſtly, we have the dict of the defendants themſelves, Doctor Sparke diebus illis, complaining of the corruptions of the Service-book, inſtanced in theſe two particulars: Firſt, for omitting much Canenical Scripture, and putting Apocrypha in the place of it: Secondly, for appointing a corrupt tranſlation to be read. To ſome particular inſtances we come, and amongſt many places we muſt give but a touch; we will begin with that palpable falſhood, Pſalm 105.28. which the Book hath thus, They were not obedient to his Word; but the Scripture ſaith, They were not diſobedient to his Word; what directer contradiction can there be than this? The Scripture given by inſpiration of the Spirit, admitteth no contradiction. Doctor Spark told the Arch-biſhop of Canterbury, that it was apparent by the Hiſtory of their dealing in Egypt; that to read, They were not obedient to his word, were to charge Moſes and Aaron with falſhood.
Another place abuſed, Sect. Luke 10.1. being their Goſpel for that Evangeliſts day; After theſe things …he Lord appointed other ſeventy alſo, and ſent them, two and two before them; but the common Book read ſeventy two: which, though it be not in matters of Faith, as the defendants anſwer, yet it is a corrupting of the Scripture. May we tear a mans skin from his fleſh, becauſe we cut not the ſinews, nor beak not the bones? In a word, this is the anſwer of the Papiſts upon the place which our Writers take off.
But now we will evidence in a place as matter of Faith, Sect. as we take it,Epiſtles the Sunday after the Nativity. Eph. 2.3. Gal. 4.5. the Service. book readeth, that we through election might receive the adoption that belongeth to natural ſons; where the Church-Bible, according to the original, hath it thus: That we might receive the adoption of the ſons. For, natural ſons of God we cannot be ſaid to be, Nam non neſcimur, ſed reneſcimur Chriſtiani; for we are not born Chriſtians, but born again; yea, by nature we are the children of wrath: is there not matter here of flat contradiction, & that in a high point of Faith?
We will trouble you but with one other place, Sect. and that upon matter of Faith too; namely, Luke 1.28. and 48. the Text hath it, Hayle freely beloved, or having found favour; but the Service-book will none of that, but read it; Hayle full of grace, juſt with the Rhemists; and the defenders of it go upon the ſame grounds that they do, croſſing the true ſignification of the words; all ſound and learned Expoſitors, antient and modern, as Pagninus, Vatabalus, Chryſoſtome, Beza, Doctor Fulke, Doctor Whitakers, and others, ſorting full with Gregory Martin, Reynolds, and the reſt; and gives incouragement to Stafford in his Female Glory, to tell the Puritains railingly, that till they be good Marians (in his ſenſe) they ſhall never be good Chariſtians. There are fifteen places more in the Service-book of this cut, but theſe are enough, and too many to be ſo abuſed.
Now we come to a touch of Additions, Sect. as the Book adds three whole verſes to the 14. Pſalm, where a great difference is to be thought on, between a Paraphraſter and a Tranſlator: The former may amplifie, but yet in different letter from the Text; but the Tranſlator may not adde, no not from other Texts of Scripture. The grand Papiſts, the juſtifiers of this, and other ſuch ſtuff, dare not avouch theſe Verſes to be in the Hebrew or Greek Copies, no not in the Greek Bible ſet forth at the command of Sextus Quintus, 1587. for the juſtifiing of the Vulgar Latine, as appears by his own Copy, written by Cardinal Carraffe, and another Cardinal, namely, Cajetan, Pag. 154.avoucheth, that Paul in the third to the Romans had taken them from divers places of ſcripture, Sed ignorans neſcio quis adjunxit haec Pſalmo 14. But ſome ignorant party, I know not who, hath added them to Pſal. 14. So there is a whole Verſe added to Pſal. 13. and an addition added to Pſa. 24. corrupting the text, and applying that to Jacob, which is ſpoken of God; and divers additions more, which we will not reckon.
Now a taſte of Omiſſions, or leavings out, Sect. as all the titles of the Pſalms, being, as other holy ſcripture, given by Holy Inſpiration, and very uſeful; yea, and Mr.In his Preface to the Pſalmes. Bucer learnedly and divinely affirmeth, are as ſo many keys to unlock and open the door that letteth into the underſtanding of the Pſalms; Hallelujah is left out of the 72 Pſalm, the Book omitteth, Praiſe ye the Lord, ſeventeen times, and putteth in Gloria Patri.
Laſtly, amongſt divers other Omiſſions, on which we cannot inſiſt, the comfortable Concluſion of the Lords Prayer is left out. They have drowned in this Book 160 Chapters, according to their own account, of Canonical ſcripture; amongſt which are whole books, as the Chronicles, Canticles, and the moſt part of the Apocalyps is left out, in place whereof the Apocrypha is placed, and that (as they ſay) tending more to Edifying: yea, and ſome Chapters alſo, wherein are palpable untruths, as Eccleſiaſticus 49. Judith 9. Tobit 5. the laſt two of theſe Books being Fabulous: A Preſident of theſe foul Abuſes of ſcripture, are found no where in the world, but in the Popiſh Maſs-book. To this we may ſubjoyn that Prophaning groſſe abuſe of Epiſtles und Goſpels, in which there are three ſtrange and remarkable Occurrences, for which there is no Ground or Reaſon, but from the Maſſe-book, and Maſſe-mongers.
Firſt, what reaſon is there, that in the Maſſe-Book, and in our Liturgie, the Acts of the Apoſtles and Prophets, yea, any book of the old Teſtament, the books of Geneſis excepted by them, ſhould be called Epiſtles, as Acts 7. on Stephens day, Rev. 14. on Innocents day, Joel 1. Eſay 50.
Secondly, Sect. there is never a full paſſage or whole place, but ſcraps and ſhreads, as the beginning of one Chapter, and ending of another; and in this they deal with the Word, as Mezentius dealt with his beds, he cut them, and lengthened them to ſerve his own cruel humours, and not for the good of his gueſts. If Kings will not have their Writs by confuſion of names wronged, much leſs the King of Kings, who is the God of Order.
Thirdly and laſtly, Sect. at the Epiſtles there is ſilence, ſitting, and what every one will; but at the Goſpels there is ſtanding, ſcraping,Ruper l. 4. fol. 49, bowing, and a reſponſe before and after; as every one of theſe were to ſerve ſome piece of Superſtition or other: ſo the reaſons given by Papiſts are as ridiculous as the things are Superſtitious: it is enough to name them in general, that the maintainers of the Liturgy may be aſhamed to alledge them, and better of their own they have not. We therefore deſire your Honours, to caſt a regardful eye upon the wronged and much abuſed Word,Ier. 1.12. and not as paſſers by (as Jeremy ſpeaks) in a caſe much like, but as ſupream judges here on earth, to vindicate Gods diſhonour done to him in his Ordinances.Chryſoſt. 2 Theſ. 2 Gods Word, as the Fathers ſpeak, in his Epiſtle, not in that ſenſe they call Propheſies Epiſtle, wherein he commends many lovely favours to us; yea, his Teſtament, wherein he leaves and bequeaths many rich legacies to us; If Kings & Monarchs ſhould deal ſo with us, would we ſuffer them to be abuſed, corrupted, altered, cut in pieces? No, we would count them our deadly enemies that ſhould do ſo, & alſo traytors to the King. What an eye of indignation then ſhould your Honours caſt upon ſuch groſſe abuſing of the Word, of the Epiſtle and Will of the Omniſcient and Omnipotent God; If clipping, corrupting, or counterfeit coyning be Treaſon by the Law, how much more and in a higher degree is it to deal thus wiih the Word? Yea, and more than that, to maintain this, and cauſe Miniſters to ſubſcribe to it, being no leſs than Treaſon againſt the high and mighty God. Culpam deprehenſam pertinaciter tueri, culpa altera eſt; Pertinaciouſly to maintain a fault openly diſcovered, is a greater fault than the former, on whom whether Nation or Perſon will the Lord reſt upon (ſaith the Lord by the Prophet Eſay) but upon him that trembleth at my word, that is a humble ſoul, not onelyonly moved to obedience to it in it ſelf, but further, out of that reverence that it beareth to the Word, it will not as much as in it lyeth, ſuffer the word to be abuſed by others, as one ſpeaks of the Papiſts, that corrupting the Fathers, they rather make them their ſons, to ſpeak what they will have them, then Fathers indeed: Juſt ſo doth that book, and the Champions for it,Diſcovery of corrupt tranſlations. make the word thus dealt with none of Gods, but their own; If a Miniſter adde or take away from the Service-book, it is made matter of inditement; but they, it ſeems, may adde, take away, alter, and corrupt what they will without controlement: Preface. this courſe gives a ſhrewd randcounter to our learned and Orthodox Writers againſt the Papiſts, witnes Doctor Fulk his Anſwer to Campian, diſcovering the evils of the Apocripha. Gregory Martin recoils thus upon the learned worthy, that by thoſe words he condemned their own Service-book, which appointed thoſe Books to be read.
Having thus proceeded againſt the Servick-book, Sect. for its falſe tranſlations, additions, omiſſions, miſnominations; we come now to ſome more particular untrurhs in the Book, and that partly by falſe or miſapplication of Scripture, partly by coyning things that have no ſhew or ground for them, partly by eſtabliſhing ſome Popiſh expoſitions. Laſtly, by confirming and preſſing upon Miniſters and people, a heap of Popiſh and Idolatrous Ceremonies, a touch of every one will ſuffice.
For the firſt, Sect. be pleaſed to look upon that egregiouſly abuſed place, or Chriſt abuſed and diſhonoured by their dealings with the place, namely, Rev. 12.7. Michael and his Angels fought againſt the Dragon, &c. which words the Book appoints for the Collect for Michaels day; where they make Chriſt by miſapplying the place, a created Angel: for the place is meant of Chriſt, neither can it agree to any other: for which we have a cloud of witneſſes, not only from the univerſal concourſe of the learned and Orthodox Writers, as Fathers and modern Authors, as Auſtin, Ambroſe, Muſculus, Calvin, Beza, Doctor Fulk, Doctor Willet, and many others, but alſo from the very name Michael, proper only to Chriſt, who, verſ. 10. is called Chriſt: And further, from the ſcope of the place, to ſet out Chriſt and his Angels, encountering Satan and his Angels: And laſtly, other places of Scripture parralleling the truth of this ſenſe, Dan. 10.13. & 12.1. 1 Theſ. 4.16. Judg. 9. Angels here under their General Chriſt, are ſaid to be on Earth in the Church Militant, for that is meant by Heaven, and here they are ſaid to die, which ſuteth not with Heavenly Spirits: the Rhemiſts indeed hold cloſe to the ſenſe of the Service-book, becauſe it is from their own Maſs-book, and gives this as a reaſon, why Michael is painted fighting with a Dragon, both Opinion and Reaſon are of the like weight: Now from things without colour of Ground; what colour or ground is there for that ſpeech in the end of the Magnificat; O Ananias, Azarias and Mizael; Praiſe the Lord? If this was the Prayer of theſe men when they were alive, what ſenſe or reaſon that we ſhould ſpeak to them being dead, more than to others?
For Popiſh Tenents, Sect. look that Prayer at the Burial of the Dead, That we with this our Brother, and all other our Brethren departed in the true Faith of thy holy Name, may have our perfect Conſummation and Bliſs, both in Body and Soul: Firſt, here every one Buried is a faithful Brother, which cannot be ſaid of every one, no, not in the Judgement of Charity: It is true indeed, That the Prieſt of Newgate bid the poor Condemned Thieves provide Money for their Burial, and they needed not doubt of their Salvation: Again, the words are an expreſs Prayer, and tyed to be ſaid by the Miniſter.
Now, for the Ceremonies having place in Gods Worſhip, and being mans device, muſt needs be Idols, or Idolatrous Actions, Quicquid praeter mandatum, eſt Idolum; Whatſoever is placed in Gods Worſhip, without the Commandement of God, is an Idol; for none hath power to Ordain or Place a Ceremony in Chriſt his Church, but himſelf, who is King of it. For inſtance whereof, there is a remarkable place amongſt many, Numb. 15.39. And it ſhall be unto you for a Fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the Commandements of the Lord; and do them; and that ye ſeek not after your own heart, and your own eyes, after which you uſe to go a Whoring: where Obſerve both the Ceremony and Signification to be from Gods own Appointment: And further, every device of man in Gods Worſhip, is to be avoided; but againſt thoſe there are divers Treatiſes never Anſwered, nor like to be; yet it ſhall not be amiſs by one indiſſolvable Argument to put all the Defenders of the Ceremonies to it; which is this:
That which is mans Device, and hath been an Idol in Gods Worſhip, muſt of neceſſity be an Idol ſtill in the Worſhip of God: But the Ceremonies mentioned in the Service-book have been Idols in Gods Worſhip, as Croſs, Surplice, &c. Ergo, they muſt be Idols ſtill in the Worſhip of God.
The Proof of the former Propoſition, is from inſtance of Abrahams Grove, Gen. 21.33. but being abuſed to Idolatry, as 2 King. 17.10. Jerem. 51.2. Iſa. 57.5. then God forbiddeth his People the uſage of it, becauſe it was an Idol; yea, commanded to deſtroy it, Deut. 12.13. The latter Propoſition none can deny. Here we may add the foul Abuſes of the Sacraments, as Baptiſm, and the Lords Supper, and that Jewiſh Popiſh Inſtrtution of Churching of Women, called Puriſication; & that baſtardly piece of Confirmation, the particular Eno…mities whereof we need not ſtand upon, they are ſo well known, eſpecially to your Honours, which is a part of our happineſs: Again, the Treatiſe would be too large; yet we would not have the Lent Faſt forgotten, which the Patrons of our Liturgie make a Religious Faſt, 2 Part of Homil. of Faſt. Anno quinto Elizab. C. quint.abuſing places of Scripture by miſ-application of Scriptures, as Joel 2.12. Mat. 6.16. 2 Cor. 6.2. Mat. 4.10. clear contrary to the Law, and indiſputable Prerogative of God; the Homilies appointed by the Law of the Land, the moſt and beſt Reformed Churches, & the harmony of Confeſſions, none ſiding with them in it, but Papiſts and Popiſhly affected.
Now we come to Touch, Sect. and but to touch upon the foppiſh and fooliſh things in the Book, beſides the fooliſh and ſenſleſs Tranſlations of ſome Pſalms preſſed by the Service-book, as Pſal. 58.9. Pſal. 68.30. which would be too large to ſet down and canvafs. What can be ſaid for thoſe Tautologies, and Battoligies, uſed in the Service-book, as Lord have Mercy upon us, Chriſt have mercy upon us; the very Popiſh Kyreileiſon, Chriſtaleiſon condemned, Matth. 6.7. the word Battology here condemned, cometh, as the learned obſerve, from one Bactus, a ridiculous Poet, repeating the ſame words or verſes often, and ſo Chriſt forbideth a vain repetition of words or phraſes, and the better the words are, the more grievous is the ſin, ſo the vain repetition in Prayer is moſt odious of all, both the heatheniſh and Popiſh Battologies are ſtruck dead at one blow (ſaith Maſter Cartwright) for mumbling up the ſame prayers again and again; and can theſe repetitions of ours, being the very ſame in Engliſh, go ſcot-free? One foppery more, for we cannot name them all, namely, that mutual ſalutation between Prieſt and People; in theſe words, The Lord be with you, and with thy ſpirit: which Doctor Boyce girding at the Novelliſts, takes upon him to defend from Ruth 24. with many invictive ſtrains, with other matter to little purpoſe: is it a good Argument from ſalutation in civil converſment, to fall a ſaluting one another in the worſhip of God?Luke 10.4. 2 King. 4.29. if our Lord and Saviour forbad his Diſciples to ſalute any in the way, ſo far as it might be any impediment to his ſervice; like unto that of Eliſha the Prophet; how much leſs will Chriſt admit ſalutations in the middeſt of his Service? It ſeems their devotion is very hot, that falleth to toſſe a ſalutation whileſt they are upon Gods Worſhip. Hence is that apiſh trick in the Northern parts, that all the Women, eſpecially in coming into the Church, make a courteſie to the Prieſt. Dr. Boyce, for further confirmation, citeth the Liturgy of James, Chryſoſtome and Baſil, but all know (as hath been ſaid) that they who are acquainted with this ſubject, know theſe Liturgies to be as Apocryphal, as the ſubject; the Dr.Lib. 2. de Miſſa c. 16. Lib. de Scrip. Eccleſ. fol. 51. confeſſeth upon the report of Bellarmine, that Tritenhemius writ a whole book upon Dominus Vobiſcum, in which are many fruitleſs queſtions, and ſo we are ſure the thing it ſelf is fruitleſs.