WHereas it seemes to some lame in reason and blind in judgement, a great indignitie to call the Service-Book Porrage, by a meta­phore and similitude, which will verie well hold, considering the fat Cooks that first composed it out of the Popes Kitchin, and have put thereinto weeds of Idolatrie, thickened with many tautologies and repetitions; yet because Similitudo currit quatuor pedibus, Similitudes are more cleare to illustrated than strong to prove, it shall be here demonstrated that the Service-Booke is corrupted and unlawfull, and first from the name, then from the nature: for that which is called the Liturgie is the same with the Masse, and so promiscuously called by the Papist Iesuites; and is only but an English Masse, as theirs is in Latine. Now it is knowne, that [...], names are the verie images of things; so that this Liturgie is ei­ther [Page 3] a Lethargie of worship, or a Masse of Idolatrie: it is therefore the Popes porrage, and his Idoll of Ig­norance, and wee are not to offer to an Idoll: Ergo, We are not to offer it to God as a worship.

But that you may take a view of this Crambe reco­cta, this twice-sod pottage, mark the ingredients ther­of, and whereof it is made, and you shall find therein no puritie, but all papistrie; the common prayers ta­ken out of the popish Breviarie, out of the Papists Ri­tuall is deduced the Administration of the Sacra­ments, Buriall, Matrimony; and Visitation of the sick; and then the Consecration of the Lords Supper, Col­lects, Epistles and Gospels are taken out of the Masse-booke; and besides, in all the essentiall and integrall parts thereof it is omoregenous with the Masse; and therefore being taken and translated word for word out of the popish Masse, it is not a booke of Divine Service and worship, but an abomination to God, and therefore to be abolished; which may be proved out of these places of Scripture, Deut. 7.25. 2 King. 23.13. Ezra 9.1. and Esa. 44.19. Thus you see it is not taken out of the garden of godlinesse, nor composed of pure wholesome herbs, as some ignorant Cooks would pre­tend, but the old profane pot-herbs of papistrie. Now you shall next discerne the matter of this porrage, which is false and erroneous in the corrupt translati­ons of the Word; as first, Psal. 105.28. the booke hath it thus, They were not obedient to his word; but the Scripture saith, They were not disobedient to his word. Another place is, Luke 10.1. After these things the Lord appointed other seventie also, and sent them, two and two before them: but the Service-booke reads, se­ventie [Page 4] two. Besides, there are many omissions, as of Hallelujah in the 72 psalme: and for, Praise the Lord, seventeenetimes omitted, the Book putteth in, Gloria Patri, drowning also 160 Chapters, and in stead ther­of have placed the Apocrypha. Besides, in reading the Scriptures they take but scraps and shreds. And thirdly, much superstitious action in reading the Epi­stles and Gospels. Having thus proceeded against the Service-booke in these accusations, of false translati­ons, additions, omissions, and mis-nominations, there are other faults in this booke committed by mis-ap­plication of Scriptures, by coyning things, and by po­pish expositions, and by pressing upon Ministers and people an heap of popish Ceremonies and Tenents, as the prayer at the Buriall of the dead, Crosses and Sur­plices, and bowing and cringing to the Altar, and Christening Fout, all which being mans invention, must needs be idolatrous: for, Quicquid praeter man­datum est Idolum, Whatsoever is placed in Gods wor­ship without the commandement of God, is an Idoll: besides, there are foppish foolish things in the book, as tautologies and battologies, vaine repetitions of words, and that mutuall salutation between priest and people, in these words, The Lord be with you, and with your spirit; and women at the comming into the Church making a curtesie to the Priest: besides all this there is a Letany, which is not a stump or limb of Dagon, but the head of the Masse-book, in which there is nothing but vaine repetition, and a multitude of words, as, Lord deliver us, Heare us wee beseech thee, and ridiculous Invocations like Magick spels, and no better than conjuring. And therefore if the matter of [Page 5] the Service-book be partly false, foolish, ridiculous, and frivolous, therefore the worship therein contai­ned should not be presented unto God.

Now as for forme, which is the essence of a thing, it is nothing but an unformed heap of disorder, and will-worship, the Minister using a strange and ridicu­lous change of voyce, posture and place; and then ma­ny short Collects, of short shreds patched-up together, to make a wearisome Service upon the long last, and much tossing or driving the Service between the Priest and the people, praying with the Priest, or re­peating his prayer, and adding some responses and an­swers: Thus the name, originall matter and manner of the Service-book, hath been shewed to be naught, and corrupt, and there not to be suffered, but abolish­ed, which hath beene proved by nominall and reall Arguments, and now it shall be also clearely evinced from the proper and necessary bad effects thereof, and the evil cause is worse than the effect. Nam propter quod aliquid tale. &c. is a position in Logick and Philoso­phy: and these evill effects are foure, first it maketh a number of Sir Iohns, meere Surplice and Service-book men: also many non-residents and plurallists, who take choyse of Curates to serve their cures at a cheap rate; besides, it was a great affliction to Confor­mists, and non-Conformists, so that the Service book was in some sort like the Metheg Amath, the bridle of the Belly tract, or strength of the Philistims; so this Service-book was the strength of the Philistim Prelacy; and a bridle with a curbing bit to stop, to winde and turne them at their pleasure; and some a­bout [Page 6] this Service-book were committed to Aegypti­an bondage.

In the second place, this Service book brooked up all preaching, Doctor Houson affirming that preach­ing was no part of Divine worship; and thus Christs Word gave place to a fardell of mens devices: besides the Service Booke entrenched upon [...], the people, Religion, and Law, and especially upon the Law by imprisoning and exercising jurisdiction in rebus non spiritualibus, in matters that were not spiri­tuall, and then good people suffered in this Furnace, in spoyling their goods, losse of liberty, and forsaking their owne Countrey, Genio patriae plangente, as Lipsi­us saith, the Genius of their Countrey lamenting after them, or else laid in prison till their bones rotted, as Doctor Abbot said Master Baits should be, who was af­terwards starved in the Gate-house. And thus the Furnace (for not adoring the Service Booke, as Nebu­chadnezzar for not adoring his Idoll) was ordinarily heated, and devowred many that were cast into it, and all opposition in that kind was punished with cutting, branding, slitting, whipping, pilloring, and fining. Then for bad people, if ignorance bee the mother of destruction, then much guilt lyeth in many places of the Service-Book, having in some parishes not had a Sermon in many yeers: and in other places Sermons that were onely Husks, and no bread to feed upon, and all this proceeding from divers places of the Li­turgy and Service-booke, wherewith the Common people and Priests of Ignorance were enforced to be content.

[Page 7] The last evill effect of this Service-book is directly and immediately against God. Calvin in his Letter to Frankford calleth it, the leavings of the popish dregs: and the Frankford book calleth them burthens, yoaks, and clogs to Gods people and his Service: this derogation from Gods service is their festivall dayes to Saints, and their kneeling at the Communion, for none but God can appoynt an holy-day, and for knee­ling at the Sacrament, it is a popish, moderne posture of but 400. yeeres standing, and is meere will-wor­ship; for denying of which some have extreamly suf­fered: and in regard this kneeling is a respect and ado­ration by or before a creature, it is Idolatry, and like­wise there may bee many strong arguments urged a­gainst the Cr [...]sse, to prove it the marke of the Beast. Lastly, the intercession of the Saints must bee accor­ding to the will of God, otherwise hee heareth them not: but the prayers of the Service Book are not such, but delinquent and peccant, both in name, originall, matter, forme, effects properly proceeding therefrom, therefore they have no acceptance before God, they shall not by him be heard: and therefore are profanely and superstitiously used, and being grosse papistry, may bee called the Popes pottage, made of divers weeds in stead of Herbes, preposterously served up by the Priest, unwholesome for the soule, and displeasing to God, as being mans Cookery, full of absurdity, con­trary to Gods glory.

Thus lame Giles Calfine, I hope I have satisfied you in your halting and Laodicean opinion: for whereas [Page 8] you say it is the true bread of Life, I doe thinke you are mistaken, and that you were an hungry, and wan­ted your Breakfast at that time: and whereas you say, they are well seasoned, you are mistaken also, unlesse you had put some flesh into your pot, or at leastwise the foure first letters of your name; which if you had done, they would have beene somewhat better crum­med and seasoned. So in fine, good Giles Calfine, hopping to an end, Ile leave you in the middest of your pottage; and for my part I wil put off my Doub­let, and will swim to the meat, which is fitting for men, and not for such Children as you are who are ignorantly brought up, and still are as innocent in mat­ters of Exposition, as all your generation was in mat­ters of state-affaires. And so much for this time.