An Answer to lame Giles Calfines Mess of Pottage, which he terms in his halting speech to be well crumbed and seasoned, etc.  
Proving that the Service-Booke is no better than Pottage, in comparison of divers weeds which are chopped into it, to poison the taste of the Children of Grace, by the advice of the Whore of Babylon's Instruments and Cooks.  
In which small Tract you shall find such reasons given against it, as are unanswerable by any man whatsoever.  
For pure Prayer is God's Temple, and where it is not so used, it is but Idolatry and will worship.  
By M. T. S. T. R. A. I. S. P. H.  
Printed in the year 1642.  
Being in the same year of confiding.   

An Answer to lame Giles Calfines Mess of Pottage, which he terms in his halting speech to be well crumbed and seasoned, etc.  
WHereas it seems to some lame in reason and blind in judgement, a great indignity to call the Service-Book Porridge, by a metaphor and similitude, which will very well hold, considering the fat Cooks that first composed it out of the Pope's Kitchen, and have put thereinto weeds of Idolatry, thickened with many tautologies and repetitions; yet because Similitudo currit quatuor pedibus, Similitudes are more clear to illustrated than strong to prove, it shall be here demonstrated that the Service-Booke is corrupted and unlawful, and first from the name, then from the nature: for that which is called the Liturgy is the same with the Mass, and so promiscuously called by the Papist jesuits'; and is only but an English Mass, as theirs is in Latin. Now it is known, that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, names are the very images of things; so that this Liturgy is either a Lethargy of worship, or a Mass of Idolatry: it is therefore the Pope's porridge, and his Idol of Ignorance, and we are not to offer to an Idol: 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 thereof, and whereof it is made, and you shall find therein no purity, but all papistry; the common prayers taken out of the popish breviary, out of the Papists Ritual is deduced the Administration of the Sacraments, Burial, Matrimony; and Visitation of the sick; and then the Consecration of the Lords Supper, Collects, Epistles and Gospels are taken out of the Mass-book; and besides, in all the essential and integral parts thereof it is omoregenous with the Mass; and therefore being taken and translated word for word out of the popish Mass, it is not a book 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 godliness, nor composed of pure wholesome herbs, as some ignorant Cooks would pretend, but the old profane potherbs of papistry. Now you shall next discern the matter of this porridge, which is false and erroneous in the corrupt translations of the Word; as first, Psal. 105.28. the book 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 seventy also, and sent them, two and two before them: but the Service-booke reads, seventy two. Besides, there are many omissions, as of Hallelujah in the 72 psalm: and for, Praise the Lord, seventeenetimes omitted, the Book putteth in, Gloria Patri, drowning also 160 Chapters, and in stead thereof 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 book committed by mis-application of Scriptures, by coining things, and by popish expositions, and by pressing upon Ministers and people an heap of popish Ceremonies and Tenants, as the prayer at the Burial of the dead, Crosses and Surplices, and bowing and cringing to the Altar, and Christening Fout, all which being man's invention, must needs be idolatrous: for, Quicquid praeter mandatum est Idolum, Whatsoever is placed in God's worship without the commandment of God, is an Idol: besides, there are foppish foolish things in the book, as tautologies and battologies, vain repetitions of words, and that mutual salutation between priest and people, in these words, The Lord be with you, and with your spirit; and women at the coming into the Church making a courtesy to the Priest: besides all this there is a Litany, which is not a stump or limb of Dagon, but the head of the Masse-book, in which there is nothing but vain repetition, and a multitude of words, as, Lord deliver us, Hear us we beseech thee, and ridiculous Invocations like Magic spells, and no better than conjuring. And therefore if the matter of the Service-book be partly false, foolish, ridiculous, and frivolous, therefore the worship therein contained should not be presented unto God.  
Now as for form, 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 voice, 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, original matter and manner of the Service-book, hath been showed to be naught, and corrupt, and there not to be suffered, but abolished, which hath been proved by nominal and real Arguments, and now it shall be also clearly evinced from the proper and necessary bad effects thereof, and the evil cause is worse than the effect. Nam propter quod aliquid tale. etc. is a position in Logic and Philosophy: and these evil effects are four, first it maketh a number of Sir john's, mere Surplice and Service-book men: also many non-resident and plurallists, who take choice 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 kerbing bit to stop, to wind and turn them at their pleasure; and some about this Service-book were committed to Egyptian bondage.  
In the second place, this Service book brooked up all preaching, Doctor Houson affirming that preaching was not part of Divine worship; and thus Christ's Word gave place to a farthel of men's devices: besides the Service Book 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 spiritual, and then good people suffered in this Furnace, in spoiling their goods, loss of liberty, and forsaking their own Country, Genio patriae plangente, as Lipsius saith, the Genius of their Country lamenting after them, or else laid in prison till their bones rotten, as Doctor Abbot said Master Baits should be, who was afterwards starved in the Gatehouse. And thus the Furnace (for not adoring the Service Book, as Nabuchadnezzar for not adoring his Idol) 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 be the mother of destruction, than much guilt lieth in many places of the Service-Book, having in some parishes not had a Sermon in many years: and in other places Sermons that were only 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.  
The last evil effect of this Service-book is directly and immediately against God. Calvin in his Letter to Frankford calleth it, the leave of the popish dregs: and the Frankford book calleth them burdens, yokes, and clogs to God's people and his Service: this derogation from God's service is their festival days to Saints, and their kneeling at the Communion, for none but God can appoint an holiday, and for kneeling at the Sacrament, it is a popish, modern posture of but 400. years standing, and is mere will-worship; for denying of which some have extremely suffered: and in regard this kneeling is a respect and adoration by or before a creature, it is Idolatry, and likewise there may be many strong arguments urged against the Cr●sse, to prove it the mark of the Beast. Lastly, the intercession of the Saints must be according to the will of God, otherwise he heareth them not: but the prayers of the Service Book are not such, but delinquent and peccant, both in name, original, matter, form, 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 gross papistry, may be called the Pope's pottage, made of divers weeds in stead of Herbs, preposterously served up by the Priest, unwholesome for the soul, and displeasing to God, as being man's Cookery, full of absurdity, contrary to God's glory.  
Thus lame Giles Calfine, I hope I have satisfied you in your halting and Laodicean opinion: for whereas you say it is the true bread of Life, I do think 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, unless you had put some flesh into your pot, or at leastwise the four first letters of your name; which if you had done, they would have been somewhat better crumbed and seasoned. So in fine, good Giles Calfine, hopping to an end, I'll leave you in the midst of your pottage; and for my part I will 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-affairs. And so much for this time.  
FINIS.