A Mess of POTTAGE, Very well Seasoned and Crumbd. With BREAD of LIFE, and easy to be digested. Against the contumelious slanderers of the Divine Service, terming it Porridge.  Brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, if there be any praise, think on these things. 4. Philippians, 8. 
Set forth by Gyles Calfine.  
LONDON, Printed in the year, 1642. Being a Year of disciding.   

A Mess of Porridge very well seasoned and Crumbed, with Bread of Life, and easy to be digested.  
I Need not make an Appology to the ensuing Discourse; 'tis well known to all honest and discreet Protestants, how basely our Service-Book is termed (by the name of Porridge, a name very frequent in uncivil mouths) and trampled under foot by unreasonable men, that have neither Faith nor Charity; and although they be now well fed to the full, and may go from one Church to another to please their , and taste of what pleaseth them best; yet there may a time come, (which I pray God there do not) that they may be glad of the crumbs which fall from their Master's Table: but let them alone awhile, the thing that I say is this, That our Common Prayer is so abhorred, depraved, detested, and despised of by many, as if it were the most vilest thing in the World; nay, if the Devil himself had composed it, it could not be more vilified than it is: 'tis a shame to speak, and I blush to hear it, that Men that think themselves such rare Divines, that people that think they have such knowledge and zeal, to term such a good thing and such holy matter as there is, to be Porridge: oh fie! where is your judgement? where is your moderation; what, quite lost? is this your zeal turned to hate? you are surely of a hot and fiery Spirit, contrary to the nature of warm and wholesome Porridge; if you knew but the right virtue of Pottage, you would not have termed the Common Prayer so, but your own Prayers: For do ye 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 do in these days, but seriously considered of, and premeditated and do you not know, That these good men laid down their lives for this and the Truth? and do ye not know, That they were established and maintained by Acts of Parliament? in the Reign of three Kings and one Queen, and is it now made a laughing stock; surely you should have more manners than so.  
Indeed, is Parliament time, and men speak and do what they list now, and so do ye; for ye speak evil of Kings, of authority and dignity, and despise government, contrary to the Apostles rule. Oh the great malice that is one against another! against Peer and Peasant, against Priest and People oh envy, thou limb of the Devil! how rulest thou in the hearts of people, especially against Bishops; oh how odious is that name to many! but I counsel you to speak moderately, and judge charitably; if they be stained, let them be pained: they have faults as well as we; yet they are God's Ambassador, his Stewards, his Angels, disposers of God's secrets, disbursers of his treasuries; then revile them not, For 'tis written, Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of the People.  
But as for that which you call Porridge, who hatched 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 Porridge good food; it is better to a sick man then meat; for a sick man will sooner eat Porridge then meat: Pottage will digest with him, when meat will not: Pottage will nourish the blood, fills the veins, runs into every part of a man, and makes him warmer, so will these prayers do, and work more effectually; set the body and soul in a heat; warm our devotion, works fervency in us, lifts up our souls to God. And many things more it worketh in us, if we had but appetite to them, and 'tis well stored with herbs out of God's 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 own planting (in our Pottage, as you call it) the ten Commandments, dainty herbs to season any Pottage in the world then there is our Saviour's form of prayer, & that is a most sweet pot-hearbe, cannot be denied, then there is also David's herb, his Prayers and Psalms, help, to make our Pottage relish well; then, S. Paul's precepts; also the Creed, a very faithful pot-hearbe; and the Song of the blessed Virgin, a good pot-hearb, so that this porridge hath abundance of choice herbs to season it and those that will eat no such porridge as these so well dressed it is pity but they should fast, & as the proverb is, those that will eat no porridge must eat no meat. Though they be as (some term them) Cockcrowed porridge, yet they are as sweet, as good, as dainty and as fresh, as they were at the first: The Sun hath not made them sour with its heat: neither hath the cold winter taken away their vigour, and strength, but they are as wholesome and as well relished as at the first, and unless 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 crumbd: if you find any thing in them, that is either too salt or too fresh, too bitter, or too sour, 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 Kitchen porridge there is many good herbs in it so there is likewise in this Church porridge, (as you call it) For first in Kitchen porridge, is good water to make them so, on the contrary, in the other porridge, 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 Oatmeal, to nourish the body: in the other is the words of him, that is the bread of life, which nourisheth our souls and bodies to eternal Life. 4. There is Thyme in them to relish them, and it is very wholesome: in the other is a wholesome exhortation, not to harden our hearts, whilst it is called to day; this relisheth well. 5. There is a small Onion to give a taste. In the other is a good herb, called, Lord have mercy upon us, which gives a sweet taste to the soul. 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 souls. 7. There is Marygold leaves, to revive the spirits. And so in the other, there is the souls magnifying the Lord, and the spirits rejoicing in God our Saviour. These and many wholesome herbs are contained in it, and all these boiling in the heart of man's will, make as good porridge as the world can afford, especially if you use these herbs following for digestion. viz. The herb repentance, the herb grace, the herb faith, the herb hope, the herb love, the herb good works, the herb piety, the herb zeal the herb fervency. the herb ardency, the herb vigilancy, and the herb constancy; with many more of this nature, which are most excellent for digestion. And those that despise this porridge of ours, have no appetite to the Lords prayer, the ten commandments, the Psalms 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 hear some say, they despise not those What is it then I pray that you dislike in this porridge? Oh Sir, I know your meaning by your gaping, this slicks in your teeth and spoils your stomach. 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 Baptism, and that smells (you say) of the mark of the Beast, (but of what beast, I wots 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 tastes of Antechrist. 6. Too much standing up, this smells of vain glory. 7. Too much glory be to the Father, and this is superfluous. 8. There is too much Lord have mercy on us, and this is needless. 9 Too much Lord's Prayer and this is odious in every one's mouth. 10. There be too many prayers and they savour not of the spirit. And what of all these, do 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 sumed up into your head, and so stuffs your brain, that you cannot smell at all, and carrion is as good to your scent, as good and wholesome porridge is. That which you hold to be the worst, (as namely) trossing, bowing, surplice, kneeling, etc. 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 near 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 we should be of that mind, as the fashion is or many people are, we then must have a new form of prayer every year, so you would have something, but you know not what: so that you are never content full nor fasting, neither with porridge nor without.  
If Pottage had not been good food, Jacob would have made none neither would the Angel of the Lord, have carried Abbacuc by the hair of the head, to Daniel in the Lion's Den, that he might eat the Pottage which Abbacuc had prepared for the reapers. I'll warrant you Daniel was glad of them, he went not behind the door to eat them, as many in our days do stay at the Church door till the service is done, and then come and eat the bread out of others mouths: but believe it, there's no death in this Pottage, in this Common Prayer: though many have preached and said there is, and that 'tis mere Popery. If this be the opinion of Roundheads, then 'tis no marvel we are so subject to change; for mark it always, that that which is round is soon moved and never constant, neither in manner, fashion, or place; their wit is like quicksilver in a football, always running, so nothing will stay their humour. Therefore I counsel you to do as Esou; jacob's brother did, who sold his Birthright for a Mess of Pottage; so would I have you to do, to sell yourself opinions for this Porridge; I do not mean that you should sell your chiefest Birthright, The Word of God, that unto which you are born, and must die for; not to sell this for Ceremonies, not to sell the substance for a shadow, but despise the bare conceits of it; and I dare warrant you, that the using of this which you call Porridge, will never prove your bane neither shall you commit any sin in the least degree, provided, that you use them to no other end, than they were ordered unto, and that is as S. 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.  
You that unto the Flesh are so inclined,  
And love all meats but Porridge (that's your mind)  
Hark in thine ear, what I say, look well to it,  
For too much Flesh, perchance, will make thee rue it.  
Set not thy mind upon the Flesh too much,  
Lest that it prove too hot for thee to touch;  
This kind of diet meat and Porridge filleth,  
But too much Flesh alone, the body spilleth.   

Postscript.  
Fear God, Honour the King.  
Let every Soul he subject to the Higher Powers.  
Submit yourselves to every Ordinance of Man, for the Lords sake, for God is a God of Order, and not of Confusion.  
FINIS.