Let them try their ancient portus of Sarum, York's use, Bangor, or the great diversity of friars, monks, canons, nuns, which for every order of them had their divers sorts of matins and evensong; and if they be proved three hundred year old, they have much to rejoice in, and yet far short of three thousand.

antiquity.

But of all other blasphemies the psalter of Brigit, where every word and prayer that David names God in, is turned to our Lady, is most horrible, to pervert the scripture to man's The portus' fantasy. Pope Paul the third, but twenty year ago, was so ashamed of his portus, that he printed a new one, putting out many of the blasphemous lies that were in the old; yet this popish pricker thinks all in it to be so good, that it cannot nor should not be amended. The English priests' portus and order of service, that he cracks so much of for ancienty, is full of memories' daily, and service of Thomas Becket twice in the year: and yet it is not long since he was bishop of Canterbury; he lived under king Henry the Second, four hundred year since. The feast of Corpus Christi, and the service of that day, was invented by pope Urban the fourth, scarce three hundred year since. The feast of the visitation of our Lady, commonly called the new found Lady-day, and the service for that day, is not two hundred year old, and decreed by pope Urban the sixth. What ancienty then is their portus and mass-book of, which received these solemn feasts and their service of so late years? And yet he would make men believe that it has been from the beginning, and that old records make mention of them.

Many such other may be found in their popish service, whereby it may easily be seen how falsely he brags of their ancienty. The ancientest beginning of their portus of Sarum was under William Conqueror, not five hundred year since, by Osmundus, the second bishop of Sarum, as Polychronicon writes, Lib. vii. chap. 3; but it has been increased

[Memories: commemorations, memorial services-a sense preserved in our communion service: "He did institute, and in his holy gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of that his precious death." ED.]

.

[ After him the king's chancellor, Osmundus, was bishop twentyfour years. He builded there a new church. Also, he made the ordinal of the service of holy church, and named it the Consuetudinary. Now well nigh all England, Wales, and Ireland used that ordinal. ED.]

since with many a loud lie, as though they should strive who should tell the greatest for the best game. Our service has nothing in it but it is written in God's book, the holy Bible (where no lie can be found), saving Te Deum and a few collects or prayers, which although they be not contained in the scripture, yet differing in words, they agree in sense and meaning with the articles of the faith and the whole body of the scripture. Their portus and missal has many untrue fables and feigned miracles for their lessons, written neither in the scripture, old history, nor ancient record of authority ; many invocations of such as be no saints, and wickedly calling on saints of their own making, instead of the living God, as Thomas Becket, and many popes; some charms, as St Agatha's letters' for burning of houses; some witchcrafts, as holy water for casting out devils, holy bread instead of the communion, ringing the hallowed bell in great tempests or lightnings, and all in an unknown tongue, contrary to God's commandment, yet craftily devised to deceive the people, lest in hearing them in their own tongue, and proving them false, they would laugh them to scorn. Ansegisus, Lib. 1. cap. 20 and 76, writes that Charles the great emperor decreed, that nothing should be read in the churches, but only the scriptures, nor any thing taught, but out of the scriptures; but none is so ignorant, but he sees the popish service and doctrine to agree little with the scriptures, and ours to contain nothing else but the scriptures. Now compare these together, and judge whether that be the elder and more to be allowed, that has nothing in it but the scripture itself, and that which is drawn out of it, or that which is devised of man's

[See p. 177. The story is, that when the emperor, Frederic II. was about, to destroy Agatha's native city, Catana, while engaged in prayer to the virgin Mary, the book he had opened exhibited these words in golden letters: Noli offendere patriam Agathæ, quia ultrix injuriarum est. This was done three times; and what result followed such a miracle, need not be told. ED.]

[ Capit. xx. Item in eodem concilio, ut canonici libri tantum legantur in ecclesia. LXXVI. Ut presbyteri quos mittitis per parochias vestras ad regendum et prædicandum per ecclesias populum Deo servientem ut recte et honeste prædicent, et non sinatis nova vel non canonica aliquos ex suo sensu et non secundum scripturas sacras fingere et prædicare populo. Baluzii Capitularia Regum Francorum. T. 1. pp. 707, 716. Paris. 1677. ED.]

brains alone, beside and contrary to God's word. Is that newfangled and schismatical, that contains nothing but the doctrine of the prophets and apostles; and is that ancient, that cannot be proved good at all?

This text of Jeremiah, that bids them "search out the old way, and walk in it," does not mean all old ways; but he says, "Search of the old ways which of them is good, and walk in it," as though he should say, all old ways are not good. If all old ways were good, he would not bid try which were good: therefore it is not enough to have it old, but to have it good also, and then to cleave to it. If bare words would serve, there is manifest sayings for the contrary. Ezechiel says, ch. xx. “ Walk not in the commandments of your fathers, nor keep not their judgments." I might as well beat in this text as he the other, and of like strength: therefore it is not sufficient to say it is old, or to follow fathers; but to try that it be good, and that godly fathers used it, and then be bold to follow it. Evil has been from the beginning as well as good, and there have been in all ages evil fathers as well as good. Cyprian notes well therefore and goodly, saying that "Christ said not that he was ancient custom, but he was the truth itself3." To follow Christ then, and his doctrine, is to follow the true old way. For he is both the truth itself, and was from the beginning: and those fathers that follow not his steps, are not our mark to follow, though the world do never so much reverence them. St Paul says to the Corinthians, "Be ye followers of me, even as I follow Christ:" this is then the right way of following fathers, as they followed Christ our Lord, and no other way; for Christ is the way and truth itself. And because he charges us with schismatical doctrine and service, because we either differ from the pope's synagogue, or else we have not all one order in all points of our church service; to them that be offended with such divers orders of ceremonies of prayers or ministering the sacraments in the church, Anselm shall an

[3 Nam consuetudo sine veritate vetustas erroris est: propter quod relicto errore sequamur veritatem. *** Quam veritatem nobis Christus ostendens in evangelio suo dicit, "Ego sum veritas." Propter quod si in Christo sumus, et Christum in nobis habemus; si manemus in veritate, et veritas in nobis manet; ca quæ sunt vera teneamus. Epist. LXXIV. ad Pompeium. p. 317. Ed. Fell. Oxon. 1700. ED.]

swer now, as he has done afore, in his Epistle 1. ch. 27, to the same case:

"To the lord and his friend Waleram, by the grace of God the worshipful bishop of Nicenburge, Anselm the servant of Canterbury church, greeting, &c.

"Your worship complains of the sacraments of the church, that they are not ministered every where after one sort, but are handled in divers places after divers sorts. Truly, if they were ministered after one sort, and agreeingly through the whole church, it were good and laudable: notwithstanding, because there be many diversities which differ not in the sum of the sacrament, nor in the strength of it, or in the faith, nor all can be gathered into one custom, I think that they are rather to be borne with agreement in peace, than to be condemned with offence. For we have this from the holy fathers, that if the unity of charity be kept in the catholic faith, the diverse custom hurts nothing. If it be demanded, whereof these diversities of customs do spring, I perceive nothing else than the diversities of wits; which although they differ not in the strength and truth of the thing, yet they agree not in the fitness and comeliness of the ministering. For that which one judges to be meeter oftentimes other think it less meet. And not to agree in such diversities, I think it not to swerve from the truth of the thing'."

[1Queritur vestra reverentia de sacramentis ecclesiæ, quoniam non uno modo fiunt ubique, sed diversis modis in diversis locis tractantur. Ubique si per universam ecclesiam uno modo et concorditer celebrarentur, bonum esset et laudabile: quoniam tamen multæ sunt diversitates, quæ non in summa sacramenti neque in virtute ejus aut fide discordant, neque omnes in unam consuetudinem colligi possunt; æstimo eas potius in pace concorditer tolerandas, quam discorditer cum scandalo damnandas. Habemus enim a sanctis patribus, quia si unitas servatur caritatis in fide catholica, nihil officit consuetudo diversa. Si autem quæritur, unde istæ natæ sunt consuetudinum varietates; nihil aliud intelligo, quam humanorum sensuum diversitates: qui quamvis in rei virtute et unitate non dissentiant, in aptitudine tamen et decentia administrationis non concordant. Quia [quod] enim unus aptius esse judicat, alius sæpe minus aptum; neque in hujusmodi varietatibus non consonare puto ab ipsius rei veritate exorbitare. Anselm. Epist. cxxxvI. Waleranno Numburg. Episc. Tom. IV. p. 157. Colon. 1612. ED.]

VII. Also, where the said preacher does recite certain abuses of the said church, as talking, buying and selling, fighting and brawling, (although these be very evil and worthy much rebuke,) yet there be worse abuses, as blaspheming God in lying sermons, polluting the temple with schismatical service, destroying and pulling down holy altars, that were set up by good blessed men, and there the sacrifice of the blessed mass ministered according to the order of Christ's catholic church. Yea, where the altar of the Holy Ghost stood, the new bishops have set their tails upon, and there sit in judgment of such as be catholic and live in the fear of God. Some they deprive from their livings, some they commit to prison, except they will forsake the catholic faith, and embrace a faith and religion that has no foundation laid by general council, nor blessed fathers in times past, but invented by heretics, that do not agree one with another nor themselves.

We both do agree the church of Paul's to be abused, and therefore justly plagued. God grant that henceforth it may be amended, that worse do not follow! When Josue had con- Josh. vi. quered Jericho so marvellously with carrying the ark of God about it, the priests blowing their trumpets and the people shouting, by the might of God rather than strength of man, he said, "Cursed be the man afore the Lord that builds up Jericho again in his first-born son let him lay the foundation, and in his last child let him set up the gates of it." Which thing was 1 Kings xvi. truly verified many years after by Hiel of Bethel, as it is written. So God grant that the citizens of London may more warily build, and provision be made, that Paul's be not so misused again, as it has been, lest the like plague follow as did on Jericho, or worse.

66

Surely, if vain glory be the cause to build a more stately house than it was, and not to foresee that God's house be better used for a house of prayer, than aforetime it has been, a greater scourge must needs follow. Costly solemn buildings are not to be condemned altogether in commonwealths; but if the merchants of London say, as Nimrod said to his fellows, Come, let us build ourselves a city and tower, whose top may Gen. xi. reach to the heaven, and let us get ourselves a name afore we be scattered abroad," surely they will be overthrown in their own device, as Babel was. God, and not man, will be glorified in God's house: God's house must be a house of prayer, and Paul's. not the proud tower of Babylon, nor the pope's market place, nor a stews for bawds and ruffians, nor a horse fair for brokers,