IT hath ben alwayes the man­ner of such as do departe from the trueth and faith which is in Christ Iesus onely, 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 vpon their errour, be­cause they woulde by a shewe of that which is [Page 10] good, 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 vnder that most holy name they did hyde all their poyson. They did speake some good thinges, and cited also some senten­ces of holy Scripture, vnder these good co­uers to conueye their errours into the mindes of men. Likewise do the Papists now. They haue 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 vnder these faire titles to drawe simple soules into their filth. They haue 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 vs, blessed be his name for it, by the most mercyfull and milde gouernement of our gratious soueraine Queene Elizabeth, whose life amōg vs & reigne ouer vs, 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 haue also had their practises to recouer againe [Page 11] into their hands that gouernment which once they had, and now they haue loste. In which desire they haue 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 vs: they shall florishe, we shall smoake, or else their ka­lender fayleth them, yea they do note the men almost by name whom they haue 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 vs, for by this we know, that we do deserue that he shoulde once againe scourge vs with the whippes of these Popish Philistines. But we do pray him, that he will [Page 12] haue mercy on vs, 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 giue vs 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 vs. Whilest they fume & freatte at vs, 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 haue sinned against thee: Doe not abhorre vs for thy names sake: cast not downe the throne of thy glory: remember, and breake not thy couenaunt with vs. And to this also we trust, that he will haue 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 vs. [...]sai 2. He doth bid vs not to feare man whose breath is in his nostrells. [Page 13] For wherein is he to be esteemed? Matth. 10. He biddeth vs 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. 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 vs. 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 vs) [Page 14] is 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 haue 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 haue brought foorth this bull, haue learned more [Page 15] wisedome 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 vs, but in vaine (thankes be to God) beginne to allure vs to like of them by tea­ching vs to praye. But we haue already lear­ned to praye of the best schoolemaister that euer was, is, or shalbe, euen of our Lord Ie­sus Christ. And therefore we haue no eare to hearken to these Popish bunglers and corrup­ters of holy thinges. They haue 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 vs: ‘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 haue ben more liberall to [Page 16] vs as shall forthwith appeare. The Psalter of Dauid conteyning 150. Psalmes we do ac­knowledge to be deliuered to vs by the spirite of God for our comforte and instruction. For Christ Iesus himselfe teacheth vs, Marc. 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 vs as other bookes of the holy Scripture are, euen by God him selfe. We do not receaue it as a Psalter giuen to vs 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 vs? Who hath blowen them foorth into the world? Let them tell vs also why they do not adde to this nom­ber of Psalters, those which their forefathers haue 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 giue vs an other Psalter which they do there call, The Psalter of Sainct Hierome, and they do in their Ru­bricke there tell vs, for how many purposes [Page 17] good (if we will beleeue them) the same Psal­ter was printed. In the same booke also Fol. 125 they tell vs 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 haue 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 vnto vs more Psalters then three. [Page 18] They 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, vnto 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 vs of them? Sure­ly I thinke he is as much bounde to tell vs 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 haue sent foorth this [Page 19] new 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 haue 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 vs 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 vs that a psalter is an in­strument of tenne stringes, and these men do now tell vs 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 vs, that the psalter, that is the instrument, which hath tenne stringes, doth signifie the tenne commaundements. And will M. Fowler tell vs on his credite, that this his new psalter doth signifie the ten commaunde­ments? If he do so tell vs, we shalbe able I hope to proue that this his psalter, is but a counterfaite and false signe. More their mai­sters do teache vs, 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 [Page 20] vpon an instrument. Now sithence it is their pleasure to giue vs 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 vpon their Tenne fingers. A proper instrument and soundeth as sweetly, as when an Ape layeth his fore hands crosse one vpon 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 vnto 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: [Page 21] This 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 haue told him y ^e same thing which the Angel did tell Ioseph: Thou shalt cal his name Iesus: Matt for 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 haue tolde vs 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 [Page 22] if all these had misliked him, he mighte haue tolde vs 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 vnto me a Iesus, that is, O Sauiour, be vnto me a sauiour, or O sauiour saue me. All these thinges M. Fowler doth passe ouer, and giueth vs as he sayth a psalter of Iesus, in which he doth teach vs 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 haue 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 [Page 23] vero ipsius ignoras: that is, thou hast onely 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 giue, 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 onely 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 haue by him: It teacheth vs 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 haue 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 [Page 24] the 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 haue 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. 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 [Page 25] straight 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 vs, beleeue them not sayth Christ. Suche a company of counterfeits are in Poperie. For in it they haue 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 haue 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, vnder 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 [Page 26] from 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. Haue 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 vs 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 [Page 27] giue 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 vs if any of his Apo­stles or disciples did make this psalter, or did deliuer this psalter to vs, and did tell vs 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 vs, from whom then did it come? who did make it? who can assure vs 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 haue ben some olde deceauers which haue published their owne forgeries in the name of Iesus, as there haue bene also manye double dealers which haue foysted out their falshoodes vnder the name of good men which haue bene of greate creadite in the Church of God. Surely our Papistes coulde not haue picked out a more glorious name then is this name of Iesu, vn­der which they mighte haue 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 [Page 28] that they haue 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 euery name, that at the name of Iesu euery knee shoulde bowe of thinges in heauen and thinges in earth, and thinges vnder the earth, and that euery tonge shoulde confes that Iesus Christ is the Lorde vnto 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 vnto 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 [Page 29] our 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? vnder 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 vnto vs 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 haue 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 [Page 30] vnto vs this psalter as the Psalter of Iesu? If any, shewe vs: 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 haue spente their stoare, and do not occupie him so freashely as they haue 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 vs when did this common callinge beginne? I saye when did it beginne? and among whom? It must haue 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. [Page 31] Neither is this psalter so commonly called, nor their religion Catholique, but onely 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 one­ly as is reported vnto vs by historie. But there are among the images made by M. Fowler some, whereof we haue 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 vpon his heade? It was wont to be among [Page 32] popish 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 vpon 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 vs 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 vnto him. And againe, to whom wil yee liken me? that I should be like vnto him, sayth the holy one? Aunswere M. Fowler, aunswere to these questions, and lette vs 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 vs 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 [Page 33] banner 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 vs what historie it is that reporteth vnto vs 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 vs 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 vs know what these two mē were? what be their names? & when the solemnitie of this coronation was kept? And let him also tell vs by what catho­lique sence this coronation is proued by that [Page 34] place 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 haue 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 haue 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 vs 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 [Page 35] y ^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 vpon, so that this [Page 36] Psalter 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 vs what a Psalter is, and what it doth signifie as I haue 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 haue 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 onely 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 haue hearde by the worde preached, if there be no worde of God hearde, [Page 37] there 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 vn­to vs this his Psalter, neither doth he in it teach vs 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 vs thus of prayer, Math. 21 whatsoeuer ye shall aske in prayer, if ye beleue, ye shall re­ceiue it. And againe, whatsoeuer ye desire when ye pray, Marke. 1 beleue that ye shall haue it and it shall be done to you. Thus doth our heauen­ly maister teach vs to ioyne faith to our pray­er, and prayer to our faith. And his Apostle Iames instructing vs 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 [Page 38] thing of the Lord. As for this kinde of inuoca­cion which M. Fovvler teacheth in his Psalter is to trayne his Reader onely to name Iesus, but that is a thinge which manye haue done without faith, and a thinge vnprofitable as ye haue hearde. A most certeine and comfortable rule is giuen vs 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 vnto vs as holy Iohn sayth 1. lo. 1. Now how God would haue vs to pray: Iesus him selfe hath taught vs, not onely in that prayer which he did teach vs, and is therefore of him called the Lordes prayer, but also in those precepts in which he doth commaund vs to aske of the father in his name, & without doubting as you haue 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 vs, that Iesus Christ doth couple our praying together bothe w ^t faith as you haue heard, and also with our abiding in him & the abyding of his worde in vs. Ioan. 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 [Page 39] abide in Christ, and his word in vs. But Mai­ster Fovvler giueth vs 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 onely true & cō ­fortable rules of praier (once again I say) are those which are giuē vnto vs by Iesus Christ, his Apostles & disciples in the worde of God: he that shall giue vs 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 haue farced their olde Prymers, and called them prayers receiued by reuelatiō, though they be bomba­sted with popish pardons in plenty. Nowe let vs try & examine this Psalter, which M. Fow­ler calleth Iesus Psalter, by those true rules of prayer which Iesus Christ hath giuē vs. The name of Iesu is holy, sweete, & comfortable: but M. Fowler hath ioyned vnto it a Psalter very vnsauery and hurtefull. True Christians which haue 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. [Page 40] Let vs 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 vs that there be three manner of Psal­ters, he might haue told vs of more Psalters as I haue 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 vs 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, [Page 41] and doe tell vs 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 vs 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 vpon the credite of M. Fowler, if any like vpon 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 [Page 42] call 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 vs, 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 vs 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 vs, 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, [Page 43] either 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 vs that in his Psalter and Inuocation, the glorious name of Iesu, is called vppon foure hundred and fifty tymes. Tell vs not how often, but how wel you doe call vpon 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 vs to call vpon him in faith and sure confidence, knowing that he and he only, yea he, and none other vnder 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 onely one thing for all giuen, whereby men must be saued, & that one thing, as Peter doth there tell vs, is the Lord Iesus. Other name, power, or thing, there is [Page 44] none in which men must be saued, but that one onely 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 vnder 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 vs to be saued. What preaty thing it is that M. Fowler would cōuey vnder this terme behoueth I know not, and therfore I leaue it. But the minde of S. Peter is to teache vs, that Iesus is that person by whom only and alone, the good pleasure of God is to saue men, and by whom onely they must be saued, that shall be saued. To perceaue this, is not onely to name Iesus, but to haue 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 [Page 45] their lippes. And therefore M. Fowler your as­suring of your reader to find such commoditie by your Inuocation, which with you cōsisteth onely almost in the often and bare pronoun­cing of the name Iesus, is not so sure, as you woulde seeme to make it. You tell vs also that our sauiour hath taught vs 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 giue it you: and againe, Ioan. 16. Verely verely I say vnto you, whatsoeuer ye shall aske the father in my name, he will giue 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 vs, 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 [Page 46] Iesus is the onely 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 vs. 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 vs. 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. S. Paule likewise speaking of the most happy state, in which y ^e faithful doe stand before God by the redēption which they [Page 47] haue 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 vs he continueth saying: who is also at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. Here y ^e holy Apostle teacheth vs so to looke to Iesus Christ, y ^t we may knowe that as it is he which died for vs, 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 vs. 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 vnto 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 vs. Again that blessed Apostle Iohn in his epistle teacheth vs 1. Ioh. 2. If any man do sin we haue an aduo­cate with the father, Iesus Christ the righteus & he is the recōciliation for our sins. The A­postle teacheth vs 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 [Page 48] alone. August. in Epi. Ioan. tract. 1. And here M. Fowler his frendes could haue tolde him that Augustine intreatinge v­pon 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 v­pon 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 vs, that we must goe to God by him, who liueth to make intercession for vs, 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 haue Iesus the euerliuing, al­mightie, and most mercifull aduocate and in­tercessor with the father, let vs giue vnto him the honor due to him with faithfull confession [Page 49] thereof, and thankes giuing therefore, and al­so do our selues as the Apostle doth exhort vs, Hebr. 4. Let vs therefore goe boldely (sayth he) vnto 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 vs. 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 [Page 50] of 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 giue vs 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 vpon 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 euery thryse naminge of Iesu, this [Page 51] worde Mercie. If he meaneth to teache his Reader to praye the Lorde Iesus to haue mercie 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 vs, 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 onely? 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 haue 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: Haue mercye (sayth he) on the soules in Pur­gatorye for thy bytter passion I beseech thee; and [Page 52] for 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 euery petition of his Psalter. Such is his charitie to their soules which are in purgatory, forsooth. But let vs see somewhat of this purgatorie, and partely euen as some of the maisters of Rome haue 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 onely, for because M. Fowler prayeth in his Psalter for soules in purgato­ry only, as though that they onely 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 [Page 53] tearmes, the Suffrages of the church be auail­able only for soules in purgatory. They haue 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 vs 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 vs 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 [Page 54] purgatory 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 vs of the true being of thinges. So that vnles God in his word did teach vs that there were a purgatory, we are not to beleue that there is any. And againe vp­on that which God doth promise vs 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 haue 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 haue 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 haue 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 vs admitte it as a trueth, which is as you [Page 55] haue hearde confessed, that there is no holie Scripture, no word of God to warrant vs this purgatory, then haue we by the worde of God no assurance to assertaine vs that there be any soules in purgatory, nor commaundement of God giuen to vs to praye for soules in purga­torie, nor promise to beleue that our prayers made for them can do them good. If we haue 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 haue 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 haue 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 giue this admonition to them of their seete, Concil. Tri­dent. [Page 56] that 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 haue had among them such Proctors for their pur­gatory, as haue 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 [Page 57] these 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 haue 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 vnto vs 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 vs that they haue 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 [Page 58] that 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 haue 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. [Page 59] The opinions of Pagans touchinge purgato­ry, some auncient wryters sithence the ascen­sion of Iesus Christ and the time of the Apo­stles haue repeated, as Eusebius doth: some haue giuen their addition to them, as Origen and some other, and yet that purgatory was not like vnto 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 haue 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 [Page 60] and 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 haue bene driuen to make other shiftes for y ^e same. And therefore where truth and antiquitie doe not serue their purpose, they haue 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 haue added [Page 61] straunge visions, voyces, and sightes of such as were by their conceites reuealed in purga­tory and deliuered out of it (say they:) yea they haue added some such straunge sightes as li­uing men haue seene in traunses: and they do not stick also to father some of their owne new false forgeries for purgatory, vpon some wri­ters of antiquitie which neuer taught any such thinge. And thus for their purgatory, for proofe whereof they haue 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. Vpon 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 [Page 62] be 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 haue it so de­cay, that it shoulde serue their turne no more. Some tyme they tell vs of the kinde of those sinnes which are to be purged in purgatory: some time they tell vs of the greatnes of the paines which soules suffer there: some time of the releefe which soules doe feele there: some time they tell vs 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 haue found this purgatory (as they saye) in Irelande, and this they call the Purgatory of Patricke, vnto which also they say that once they had a keye. I knowe not whether they haue 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 [Page 63] busy 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, haue 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 haue snow on their toppes and burning fyer at their foote, and he telleth vs 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 haue blowen and sette on fyer to roast their meate. Thus much of y ^e beginning [Page 64] and growing of this purgatory haue 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 haue 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 haue sayd, is sufficient to vnfolde the forgerie of this po­pishe poppet. M. Fowler teacheth him which [Page 65] will 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 mercie of God in Iesus Christ. For life euerlasting is the gifte of God by Iesus Christ, Rom. 6. as thApostle teacheth. Iesus Christ is the onely 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 haue mispent to the di­spleasure of thee in euill thoughtes, delectations, &c. Also in breaking thy cōmaundements wher­by I haue deserued damnation & thine enimitie. To pray for amendement of life is necessary. [Page 66] But in that which followeth, M. Fowler doth fowly abuse the holy name of Iesus. For to pray to Iesus to haue a firme purpose to make recompense for those sinnes whereby we haue deserued damnation, is to pray for purpose to deny and forsake the saluation which we haue in Iesus. For Iesus is he which doth saue his people from their sinnes. And therefore he is called Iesus. M. Fowler hath giuen vs (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 haue learned that in that redemptiō which Iesus hath wrought for his elect, he onely 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 giue him selfe for vs, when we could giue nothing in recom­pense for our selues, he did giue 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 vs for our sinnes, and as the Prophet sayth Isai 53. he hath borne our infirmities & carried our [Page 67] sorrowes, 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 vs, 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 vs, but as­keth an other, let him tell me wherein that re­compense which Iesus Christ hath made for vs 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 giue to God to make a recompense for his and their sinns? What Iesus hath giuē we know. Now let vs know what Fowler hath to giue? Fow­ler can giue nothing verely but that which is corrupt, but such thinges are not auaileable, they are no recompense at all for sinnes. And [Page 68] therefore God of his great mercy prouidinge better for vs, then we coulde do for our selues, hath giuen vnto vs Christ Iesus, to make, and to be the recompense for vs. 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 vs, & thereby hath he so fully redeemed vs, that therfore he is become the author & prince of our saluation, our redeemer, our Sauiour, to him only do we giue the glory and praise of & for this worke of our saluation wrought by him selfe for vs. 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 giue his life a ransome for ma­ny. [...]ath. 20. Our [...], is his life, which Iesus did giue for the price, raunsome, and recompence of our deliuerie. For Christ onely is he, in whom as the Apostle saith we haue 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 vs from that dampnation which through our sinnes we doe deserue, euē by that [Page 69] recompence, which he hath already made for vs 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 vs to require to haue a firme purpose in vs to make our selues a recompence for this which Iesus only both coulde doe, and also did fully, & sufficiently for vs? 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 haue 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 vs 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 [Page 70] the 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 haue 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 vn­to thee, neither hide I mine iniquitie, for I thought I will confesse against my selfe my wickednes vnto 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 euery one that is godly make his prayer vnto thee &c. What accompt then shall we make of Fowler who prayeth not for this, but cleane contrarie to this? for he will haue a firme purpose to make him selfe a recompence for his owne sinnes. [Page 71] Surely neither is this prayer of Fowlers like to that of the godly, nor him self godly in this praying. For if euery 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 vs 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. Onely 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 [Page 72] shalbe saued, as y ^e Apostle sayth Heb. 9. which truely he could not haue 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 vs, 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 haue his Reader to pray to Iesu, to haue not onely 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 [Page 73] containing 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 haue 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 giue 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 vs 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 [Page 74] not him therfore be thus abridged of his bles­sednes by Maister Fowler, if he doe loue san­ctification and blessednes. M. Fowler seemeth also to haue some smattering of Philosophy in telling vs of foure cardinal vertues. But some of his Maisters in teaching vertues haue spo­ken of the three diuine or Theologicall ver­tues, & this he might haue learned in his pops Primer lately printed, and haue 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 haue found more vertues then foure. He might also haue 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 [Page 75] fidler, not cleane, not full, but striketh very shorte, and doth but fumble & dally with them, whom he would haue 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 haue 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 [Page 76] verily 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 vs 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 giue 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 [Page 77] either 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 haue offended thee. You haue 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 haue heard how I haue 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 onely Mediatour did not content him, findeth vs out a newe Mediatour the Virgine Marie, whome he will haue to be a [Page 78] mediatrice for him, and a purchaser for him. But we christians do knowe, no other Media­tor nor purchaser for vs, 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 vs 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 vs any other Mediator, not the virgin Mary, not any Sainct, nor Angell. We dare not take this office from the sonne, and giue 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 vnto 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 vs. 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 vs, yet hathe he giuen vs [Page 79] no 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 vs. 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 vs, 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 haue 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 [Page 80] shew 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 haue earnestly desired the puttinge of, Vit. patr. of death, and the prolonging of life. But yet other of them haue 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 giue vs 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 [Page 81] many 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 haue 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 giue to thee, and to dispose me that my soule may be acceptable to thee & to thy glorious mother the [Page 82] blessed 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 [Page 83] we 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 vnder the feete of the faith­full. 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 e­uery manne hath his two Angells, that is his good Angell, & his bad Angell, as al y ^e worlde knoweth. 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 [Page 84] sent 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 vs to pray. But neither Iesus nor his Apostles, did euer teache vs 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 vs 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, [Page 85] who 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 vs, howe and where he hath found vs out this new purgatory, that is such a one as he doth praye to haue 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 euery one of the petitions in his Psalter so bitterly to haue 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 haue hearde before, neither is this fire that fire of purgatory. It is needefull therefore that M. Fowler doe tell vs what fierles purgatory this is which he so bu­siely prayeth to haue in this life. We must [Page 86] know what it is, before we doe pray for it. If it shall please him to tell vs, what that purga­tory is which he calleth my purgatory, and desi­reth to haue 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 vnto God himselfe for helpe, by this doubtles (say they) thou art our father, though Abraham be ig­norant of vs, and Israell knoweth vs 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 vs this, and also let him tell vs by what warrant of the word of God, he doth teach his [Page 87] Reader 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 haue 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 haue 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 [Page 88] my 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 haue learned to trust to the merits of Iesus Christ alone, and to pray him to make intercession for vs. We haue not lear­ned to pray Sainctes to make intercession for vs, for this is to depart from Christ. We haue learned to pray the Lord Iesus both in our li­uing & in our passing to protect vs. We haue 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 vs 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 [Page 89] Sainctes 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 [Page 90] and 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 haue 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 vn­to 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 vs to do y ^e same. Act. 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 onely protector, he doth commende him selfe, and by his example he hath taught vs to cōmend our selues to this protector as he did, and therfore in Iesus alone let vs rest & abide, [Page 91] so 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 vs to an other protection then Dauid doth in his Psalter, whereby the reader may perceaue that these Psalters doe not agree. We haue 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 vs, 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 onely merite of Iesus Christ alone. The me­rites of Iesus Christ alone haue fully merited & deserued for vs which do trust in him only, & seeke at his hande only all our safety & full sal­uation. [Page 92] He doth not send vs 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 haue 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 haue some good sauor and sound of truth, but he woulde neuer haue 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 vpon y ^e merites of the Lord Iesus alone, for he shoulde haue founde him selfe so safe in the me­rites of Christ, y ^t he woulde neuer haue sought others as euen now he did. And here you may once againe marke a iarre, that Fowler in his Psalter maketh not onely 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 vnto 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 [Page 93] Christ 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 haue 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 loue 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 loue 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 loue to you your selfe, that is worth the remembring? We know that the Lorde Iesus did tenderly loue his mother and she him againe, but that loue which he doth beare to mankinde is no lesse, and is also of his owne free goodnes. Ioan. 15. Of loue he did giue his life for his sheepe, & greater loue then this hath no man, when any man bestoweth his life for his freindes. This is that great loue which Iesus hath borne to vs, the Christians [Page 94] which doe beleue in him & harken to his voice. And the holy Ghost teacheth vs to learne, to vnderstande and to taste howe sweete this loue is, wherewith the Lord God our heauenly fa­ther and our good Lord Iesus haue loued vs, for that loue is our life. Of this loue the Lord Iesus doth teach vs saying Ioan. 3. So God loued the worlde that he hath giuen his onely sonne, that whosoeuer beleueth in him shoulde not perish but haue life euerlasting. The same our louing Lorde Iesus sayth of this his loue towards vs Ioan. 13. As the father hath loued me, so haue I loued you. And in his prayer Io­an. 17. he asketh thus. That the loue where­with thou hast loued me, may be in them, and I in them. Thus are we taught in the holy Scriptures to vnderstande the loue of the fa­ther and the loue of the sonne towards vs. No­thing is there sayd to teache vs to looke to the loue 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 loue me, because I lay downe my life. And S. Iohn teacheth vs. Beholde what loue the fa­ther hath shewed on vs, that we should be cal­led the sonnes of God. 1. Ioan. 5. And againe he sayth, In this appeared the loue of God to­wards [Page 95] vs, because he sent his onely begotten sonne into the world, that we might liue tho­rough him. Herein is loue, not that we loued God, but that he loued vs, and sent his sonne to be a reconciliation for our sinnes. 1. Ioan. 4. Thus doth the spirite of God lay forth that loue before vs in which lyeth our life. Of this loue 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 loue which Christ Iesus beareth to vs, is the very life of y ^e faithfull, and therfore to it they must & they do looke. As we reade Apoca. 1. vnto him that lo­ued vs and washed vs from our sinnes in his blood, & made vs kinges & priestes vnto God his father, vnto him be glory & dominion for e­uermore. Thus are we taught to taste the loue wherewith Iesus Christ hath loued vs 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 [Page 96] the disobedience of his hart? Of this his con­ceipte of recompencing God for sinne, I haue 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 vs, 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 [Page 97] petition, & 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 vnto it, as he doth. And lette the reader marke how M. Fowler him selfe, as it were doubting of the value, vertue, or force [Page 98] of this his Psalter, ioyneth to it, as a poore help to helpe it forwarde, the mediation of the blessed virgin Mary. For he woulde haue 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 haue 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. that 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 vs, 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, [Page 99] and 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 vs. That onely maketh vs 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 onely coulde, so he hath most gratiously made vs 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 haue learned and doe beleue that life euer­lasting is (as I sayd before) the gifte of God [Page 100] thorough 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 giue vnto 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 vnto vs. 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 haue annexed it to his Psalter. Such a Bull woulde haue gotten easie sale of his Psalter amonge the Romishe Calues, and so haue made well for the payment of Ma­ster Fovvlers debtes. And we may thinke [Page 101] that Maister Fovvler might haue 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 haue but one of the beade stones which he hath blessed. What would not this Pope then haue graunted vpon small entrea­tie, to him that should haue 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 vpon a poore beadstone, surely it is ynough to marre M. Fowlers markett. For then euery 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 [Page 102] some 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 haue done so much for this Psalter of Maister Fowler as Pope Pius did for his own primer, it might haue 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 haue 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 [Page 103] to 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 haue not touched all his whole Psalter, but haue left much not spoken of, which is contai­ned in it. It is true, I haue 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 haue not touched all but left some vntouched, supposinge that this which I haue wryttē may giue the godly rea­der sufficient warning of all the rest. This li­tle leauen which I haue 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. [Page 104] What 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. We are forewarned by an old writer, that falshood doth imitate truth alwayes, and that vnles it haue 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 vnder that we must take heede that he creepe not into such creditte with vs, 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 vnto 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 vs learne to pray to God him selfe, sithence he doth vouchsafe to become our Scholemaister herein, and doth teach vs how [Page 105] to 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 vpon him our owne deuises, we doe shew our selues to be stubborne and proud rebells, he will not ac­cept vs, but reiect vs, the losse and paine shall be ours. It had bene the part of M. Fovvler to haue learned of Iesus our Lord and most gra­tious Sauiour how to pray, and then woulde he not haue presumed thus to packe vp this peeuish Psalter, and to set it on vent vnder 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 [Page 106] taught of him, yea and to harken to that which is sayd, and by the spirit of God taught vs.