I Need not make an Apologie to the ensuing Discourse, it is well knowne to all honest and discreet Protestants, how basely our Service-Book is termed (by the name of Porrage, a name very frequent in uncivill mouths) and trampled un­der foot by unreasonable men, that have neither Faith nor Charitie; and although they bee now well fed to the full, and may goe from one Church to another to please their pallat, and taste of what pleaseth them best yet there may a time come (which I pray God there doe not) that they may be glad of the crums which fall from their Masters Table: but let them alone a while, the thing that I say is this, That our Common Prayer is so abhorred, depraved, detested, and despised by many, as if it were the most vilest thing in the world; nay, if the Devill himselfe had composed it, it could not be more vilified than it is: It is a shame to speak, and I blush to heare it, that men that think themselves such rare Di­vines, that people that think they have such knowledge and zeale, to terme such a good thing, and such holy matter as there is, to be Porrage: oh fie! where is your judgement? where is your moderation? what, quite lost? is this your zeale turned to hate? you are surely of an hot and fierie spirit, contrary to the name of warme and wholesome Porrage; if you knew but the right vertue of Pottage, you would not have termed the Common Prayer so, but your owne Prayers: For doe yee not know, That they were godly men that made them, they were not made ex tempore, but with deliberation, not hand over head, as many doe in these dayes, but seriously considered of, and premeditated: and doe you not know, That these good men laid down [Page] their lives for this and the Truth? and doe yee not know, That they were established and maintained by Acts of Parliament? in the raigne of three Kings and one Queene, and is it now made a laughing stock; surely you should have more manners than so.

Indeed, it is Parliament time, and men speake and do what they list now, and so do yee: for yee speak evill of Kings, of authoritie and dignitie, and despise government, contrary to the Apostles rule. Oh the great malice that is one against another! against Peere and Peasant, against Priest and Peo­ple; oh envie, thou limb of the Devill! how rulest thou in the hearts of people, especially against Bishops; oh how odious is that name to many! but I counsell you to speake moderately, and judge charitably; if they bee stained, let them be pained: they have faults as well as wee, yet they are Gods Embassadours, his Stewards, his Angels, Disposers of Gods secrets, Disbursers of his treasuries, then revile them not, for it is written, Thou shalt not speake evill of the Ruler of the people.

But as for that which you call Porrage, who hatcht the name I know not, neither is it worth the enquiring after, nor the worse for that name, nor none the worse that useth it; for I hold Porrage good food, it is better to a sick man than meat; for a sick man will sooner eat Pottage than meat: Pot­tage will digest with him, when meat will not: Pottage will nourish the bloud, fils the veines, runs into every part of man, and make him war­mer; so will these prayers do, and work more effectually, set the body and soule in a heat, warme our devotion, works fervencie in us, lifts up our soule to God. And many things more it worketh in us; if we had but appetite to them, and it is well stored with herbs out of Gods garden, here a little, and there a little, as appears in the beginning of the Common Prayer, and so for­ward to the end of it. For there is the herbs of Gods owne planting (in our Pottage, as you call it) the ten Commandements, daintie herbs to season any Pottage in the world; then there is our Saviours forme of Prayer, and that is a most sweet pot-herb, cannot be denied; then there is also Davids herb, his Prayers and Psalmes, help to make our Pottage rellish well; then S. Pauls precepts; also the Creed, a very faithfull pot-herb; and the Song of the blessed Virgin, a good pot-herb; so that this Porrage hath abundance of choyce herbs to season it, and those that will eat no such Porrage as these, so well drest, it is pitie but they should fast, and as the proverb is, Those that will eat no porrage must eat no meat. Though they be (as some terme them) Cock-crowed Pottag, yet they are as sweet, as good, as daintie, and as fresh as they were at first: The Sun hath not made them sowre with his heat, nei­ther hath the cold winter taken away their vigour and strength, but they are as wholesome and as well rellished as at the first, and unlesse you be sick for novelties, you cannot eat better than these. Compare them with the Scrip­tures, and see if they be not as well seasoned and crummed: if you find any [Page] thing in them, that is either too salt, or too fresh; too bitter, or too sower, too little, or too great; that herb shall be taken out, and a better put in if it can be got, or none at all: And as in Kitchin porrage there is many good herbes in it: so there is likewise in this Church Porrage, (as you call it.)

For first in Kitching porrage, is good water to make them so; on the contrary, in the other porrage is the water of life. 2. There is salt to season them: In the o­ther is a prayer for grace to season our hearts. 3. There is Oatmeale to nourish the body: in the other, is the words of him that is the bread of life, which nouri­sheth our soules and bodies to eternall life. 4. There is Thyme in them to re­lish them, and it is very wholsome: In the other is a wholsome exhortation, not to harden our hearts whilest it is called today: this relisheth well. 5: There is a small Onion to give a taste: In the other is a good herbe called Lord have mer­cie upon us, which gives a sweet taste to the soule. 6. There is Rosemary to comfort and refresh the body: In the other is comfortable words of Christ: Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden, and I will refresh your soules. 7. There is Marie-gold leaves, to revive the spirits: And so in the other, there is the soules magnifying the Lord, and the spirits rejoycing in God our Saviour. These and many wholsome herbes are contained in it, and all these boyling in the heart of man, will make as good porrage as the world can afford, especially if you use the herbes following for digestion, viz. The herbe repentance, the herbe grace, the herbe faith, the herbe hope, the herbe love, the herbe good workes, the herbe piety, the herbe zeale, the herbe fervency, the herbe ardency, the herbe vigilancy, and the herbe constancy; with many more of this nature, which are most excel­lent for digestion. And those that despise this porrage of ours have no appetite to the Lords Prayer the ten Commandements, the Psalmes of David, and other good matter that is in them, this being contained in the Common Prayer, must be despised also: but me thinks I heare some say, they despise not those. What is it then I pray that you dislike in this porrage? O sir I know your meaning by your gaping, this sticks in your teeth, and spoyles your stomack. 1 There is, (you say) too much of the Surplice, which smelleth of the garment of the whore. 2. There is too much crossing in Baptisme, and that smells (you say) of the marke of the Beast, (but of what beast I wot not.) 3. There is too much bow­ing and that tastes of Idolatry. 4. There is too much ring in Matrimony, and this smells of superstition. 5. Too much kneeling at the Sacrament this tasts of Antichrist. 6. Too much standing up this smells of vaine glory. 7. Too much Glory be to the Father, and this is superstitious. 8. There is too much Lord have mercy on us, and this is needlesse. 9. Too much Lords Prayer, and this is odious in every ones mouth. 10. There bee too many prayers, and they savour not of the spirit. And what of all these, doe they savour so strong in your nose, that you dare not peep into the Church? Then I may say, you savour of an ill smell, and are very absurd, and you have got a great cold in your feet, and it is fumed up into your head, and so stuffes your braine, that you cannot smell any [Page] thing at all, and carrion is as good to your scent, as good & wholsom porrage is. That which you hold to be the worst, (as namely crossing, bowing, surplice, kneeling, &c. is not worth the speaking and he is a mad man that believes there is salva­tion in them, and so of necessity we must use them: no, they may be left at any time, when authority shall command: they are ordered but for decency sake, and as neare to the Primitive times as could be gathered; and if we have no order in our Churches, we shall be a reproach to all people. If wee should bee of that minde as the fashion is, or many people are, we then must have a new forme of prayer every yeare, so that you would have something, but know not what: so that you are not content full nor fasting, neither with porrage, nor without.

If Pottage had not beene good food, Iacob would have made none, neither would the Angel of the Lord have carryed Abbacuc by the haire of the head, to Daniel in the Lyons Den, that hee might eate the Pottage which Abbacuc had prepared for the Reapers. Ile warrant you Daniel was glad of them, he went not behinde the doore to eate them, as many in our dayes to stand at the Church doore till the Service is done, and then come and eate the bread out of others mouthes: but believe it theres no death in this pottage, in this Common-prayer, though many have preached, and said there is, and that it is meere popery. If this be the opinion of Round-heads, then it is no marvaile we are so subject to change: for marke it alwayes, that that which is round is soonest moved, and ne­ver constant, neither in manner, fashion, or place: their wit is like quick-silver in a foot-ball, alwayes running, so nothing can stay their humour. Therefore I counsell you to doe as Esau Iacobs brother did, who sold his Birth-right for a Messe of pottage, so would I have you to doe, to sell your selfe-opinions for this Pottage; I do not meane that you should your chiefest Birth-right, The Word of God, that unto which you are borne, and must dye for; not to sell this for Ce­remonie, not to sell the substance for a shadow, but despise the bare conceite of it: and I dare warrant you that the using of this which you call Porrage, will never prove your bane, neither shal you commit any sinne in the least degree, provided, that you use them to no other end, then they were ordered unto, and that is as St. Paul speaks concerning the World, to use it, as not abusing it; for the fashion of the World passeth away, to such end we may use them and not abuse them know­ing that it is in the power of the King and Parliament, to alter and change them when they please, if in case they be corrupted.