The Psalter of David with titles and collects according to the matter of each psalm.

The Preface.

IT is Naturall for all men when they are straitned with feares, or actuall infeli∣cities, to run for succour, to what their fancy or the next opportunity presents, as an instrument of their ease and remedy. But that which di∣stinguishes men in these cases, is the choyce of their Sanctuary: for to rely upon the Reeds of Egypt, or to snatch at the Bulrushes of Nilus, may well be∣come a drowning man, whose reason is so wholly in∣vaded and surprized by feare▪ as to be uselesse to him in that confusion: But he whose condition (al∣though it be sad) is still under the Mastery of rea∣son, and hath time to deliberate, unlesse he places his hopes upon something that is likely to cure his misery, or at least to ease it, by making his afflicti∣on lesse, or his patience more, does deserve that mi∣sery

he groanes under: stripes and remedilesse mise∣ries are the lot of Fooles, but afflictions that hap∣pen to wise men or good men, represent indeed the sadnesses of mortality, but they become Monuments and advantages of their Piety and Wisdome.

In this most unnaturall Warre commenced a∣gainst the greatest solennities of Christianity, and all that is called, God, I have been put to it to run somewhether to Sanctuary; but whether, was so great a question, that had not Religion been my guide, I had not known where to have found rest or safety, when the King and the Lawes, who by God and Man respectively are appointed the protectors of Innocence and truth, had themselves the greatest need of a Protector. And when in the beginning of these troubles I hastened to His Majesty, the case of the King and His good Subjects, was something like that of I saack, ready to be sacrificed, the wood was prepared, the fire kindled, the knife was lift up, and the hand was striking, that if we had not been something like Abraham too, and against hope have believed in hope, we had been as much without comfort, as we were in outward appearance with∣out remedy.

It was my custome long since to secure my selfe against the violences of Discontents abroad, as Gerson did against temptatiōs, in angulis & libel∣lis, in my bookes and my retirements: But now I

was deprived of both them, and driven to a publike view and participation of those dangers and mise∣ries which threatned the Kingdom, and disturb'd the evennesse of my former life. I was therefore constrained to amasse together all those arguments of hope and comfort, by which Men in the like con∣dition were supported; & amongst all the great ex∣amples of trouble and confidence, I reckon'd King David one of the biggest, and of greatest considera∣tion. For considering that he was a King, vexed with a Civill-Warre, his case had so much of ours in it, that it was likely the devotions he used might fit our turne, and his comforts sustaine us. And in∣deed when I came to look upon the Psalter with a neerer observation, and an eye diligent to espy my advantages and remedies there deposited, I found very many Prayers against the enemies of the King and Church, and the miseries of Warre. I found so many admirable promises, so rare variety of ex∣pressions of the mercies of God, so many consolatory hymnes, the commemoration of so many deliveran∣ces from dangers, and deaths, and Enemies, so ma∣ny miracles of mercy and salvation, that I began to be so confident as to believe there could come no af∣fliction great enough, to spend so great a stock of comfort as was laid up in the treasure of the Psal∣ter: the saying of S. Paul was here verified, if sinne [and misery] did abound, then did grace supera∣bound,

and as we believe of the Passion of Christ, it was so great as to be able to satisfy for a thousand Worlds; so it is of the comforts of Davids Psalmes, they are more then sufficient to repaire all the brea∣ches of Mankind. But for the particular occasion of creating confidences in us that God will defend his Church, and his Annoynted, and all that trust in him, against all their Enemies, (which was our case, and contained in it all our needs for the pre∣sent) I found so abundant supply, that of 150. Psalmes, some whereof are Historicall, many En∣charisticall, many Propheticall, and the rest Pray∣ers for severall occasions. 34 of them are expresly made against Gods and our Enemies; Eleven ex∣presly for the Church, foure for the King; that is, a third part of the Psalmes relate particularly to the present occasion, besides many clauses of respersion in the other which if collected into one, would of themselves be great arguments of hope to prevaile in so good a cause.

This which experience taught me now, I was promised before by a frequent testimony of the Do∣ctors of the Church, who give the Psalter such a Character as is due to the best and most usefull book in the whole World. viz. The most profitable of books: the treasure of Holy instructions, consum∣mationem totius paginae Theologicae, the perfe∣ction of the whole Scripture; so the ordinary Glosse

calls it; arma juvenum, parva Biblia, tribulatorum solatia, the young mans armory, the little Bible, the comfort of the distressed, so others; to be said by all men upon all occasions, is the counsell of the most devout amongst them. But concerning the Psalter there are good words enough, and reall observation of advantages in the severall prefaces before the Commentaries upon the Psalmes, set forth by the Fathers and Writers of the first and middle ages. I leave the particular enumeration of them, to the Learned Divines of our Church, to whom it is more proper; the summe of them is this which Tertullian alone hath expressed in his Apology against the Gentiles, Omnes Bibliothecas, & omnia monu∣menta unius Prophetae serinium vincit, in quo, vi∣detur thesaurus collocatus esle to totius Iudaici Sa∣cramenti. & inde etiam nostri, this book alone of the Prophet David, hath in it some excellencies be∣yond all the monuments of Learning in any Library whatsoever, and is the store house both of the Iew∣ish and Christian Religion. But that which plea∣ses me most is the fancy of S. Hilary, expounding the Psalter to be meant by the Key of David, spo∣ken of by S. Iohn in his Revelation: And properly enough; for if we consider how many mysteries of Religion are open'd to us in the Psalter, how many things concerning Christ, what cleare vaticinati∣ons concerning his Birth, his Priesthood, his King∣dom,

his Death the very circumstances of his Passi∣on, his Resurrection, and all the degrees of his Ex∣altation more cleerly and explicitely recorded in the Psalter, then in all the old Prophets besides, we may easily believe that Christ with a Key of David in his hand, is nothing else but Christ fully open'd and manifested to us in the Psalmes in the whole myste∣ry of our Redemption. Omnes penè psalmi Chri∣sti personam sustinent, saith Tertullian. Almost all the Psalmes represent the person of Christ. Now this Key of David, opens not only the Kingdom of Grace, by Revelation of the mysteries of our Religi∣on, but the Kingdom of Heaven too, it being such a Collection of Prayers, Eucharist, acts of hope, of love, of patience, and all other Christian virtues, that as the everlasting Kingdome is given to the Heire of the House of David, so the Honour of o∣pening that Kingdom is given to the first Prince of that family; the Psalmes of his Father David are one of the best inlets into the Kingdom of the sonne. Something to this purpose is that saying of one of the old Doctors, vox psalmodiae si recto corde di∣rigatur, in tantum omnipotenti Deo aditum ad a∣nimum aperit, ut intentae animae vel Prophetiae mysteria, vel compunctionis spiritum infundat. The saying or singing of Psalmes opens a way so wide for God to enter into the heart, that a devout soule does usually from such an imployment receive

the grace of compunction and contrition, or of un∣derstanding Prophecies.

Vpon such premises as these, or better, the Church of God in all ages hath made Davids Psalter the greatest part of her publike and private devotions; sometimes dividing the Psalter into seven parts, that every weeks devotion might spend it all.

Sometimes decreeing that it should be said day and night. Otherwhile injoyned the recitation of the whole Psalter before the celebration of the bles∣sed Sacrament; and after some time it was made the publique office of the Church.

It was the generall use of Christendome, to say the Psalmes Antiphonatim, by way of verse and an∣swer, saith Suidas; and so Ancient, that the Religi∣ous of S. Marke in Alexandria used it▪ saith Philo the lew; and S. Ignatius, or else Flavianus and Dio∣dorus brought it first into the Church of Antioch. And for the private Devotions, that they chiefly consisted of the Psalmes we have great probability from the strict requiring it of the Clergy, and par∣ticularly from them who came to be ordayned, great readinesse of saying the Psalter by heart. It was S. Hieroms counsell to Rusticus, and when S. Grego∣ry was to ordaine the Bishop of Ancona, his inquiry concerning his Canonicall sufficiency was, if he could say Davids Psalmes without book; and for a disabi∣lity of doing it, Iohn the Priest was rejected from

the Bishopricke of Ravenna. But this I conceive more relates to their private, then to their publike devotions, for I cannot thinke but that in respect of the publike Liturgy, it was enough for Bishops and Priests to read the Psalmes; the requiring abi∣lity remember them was to ingage them to a fre∣quent use of so admirable devotions in their private offices.

But the Psalmes were not only of use to the Church, as they lay in their owne position and forme, but the devout men of severall ages drew them into Collects, Antiphonaries, Responsories, and all other parts of their devotions. They made their Prayers out of the Psalmes, their confessions, their doxologies, their ejaculations for the most part were clauses or peri∣ods of the Psalter. S^t Hierome made a collection of choice versicles, and put them together into their se∣verall classes, and that was much of his devotion▪ the Collection is still extant under the Name of S^t Hie∣rom's Psalter. S^•^ Athanasius made an Index of the severall occasions and matters of prayer and Eucha∣rist, and fitted Psalmes to each particular, that was his devotion, the Psalmes intire as they lay, only he made titles of his owne. I have seen of latter time a short hymne of some eight verses, which are indeed very choice sentences out of severall Psalmes set to∣gether to make up a compendium of Liturgy or Bre∣viary of our necessities and devotions, collected by S^t

Bernardine, it is a very good Copy to be followed. But if we look into the old Liturgies of the Eastern and Western Churches▪ and where we will almost in∣to the private devotions of the old writers, we may say of them in the expression of the Prophet, Hau••i∣eeant aquas è fontibus Salvatoris, they drew their waters from the fountaines of our Blessed Saviour, but through the limbecks of David.

But the practice of this devotion I derived from a higher precedent, even of Christ and his Apostles: for before the passion immediatly, they sung a Psalm, saith the Scripture, Hymno dicto, saith the vulgar Latine, having recited or said a Psalme. But how∣ever, it was part of Davids Psalter that was sung, it was the great Allelujah, as the Jewes called it, be∣ginning at the 113 psalme, to the 119 exclusively, part of that was sung. But this devotion continued with our Blessed Saviour as long as breath was in him, for when he was upon the Crosse he recited the 22^th Psalme ad verbum, saith the tradition of the Church, and that he began it, saith the Scripture, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? The whole psalme is rather a history ▪ then a prediction of the passion; and what Tertullian saith of the whole Psalter is particularly verified of this, filium ad Patrem, id est, Christum ad Deum verba facien∣tem representat, it represents the Sonnes addresse to his Father, that is, Christ speaking to God, Against

the example of Christ if we confront the practice of Antichrist, nothing can be said greater in commen∣dation of this manner of devotiō: for B. Hippolytus, in his oration of the end of the world, saith, that in the dayes of Antichrist, Psalmorum decantatio ces∣sabit, they shall then no more use the singing or saying of the Psalmes; which when I had observed. with∣out any further deliberation I fix'd, upon the Psal∣ter, as the best weapon against him, whose comming we have great reason to believe is not farre off, so great preparation is making for him.

From the example of Christ this grew to be a Practice Apostolicall, and their devotion came ex∣actly home to the likenesse of the designe of this very Booke: they turn'd the Psalmes into prayers.

Thus it was said of Paul and Silas. Act. 16. They prayed a Psalme, so it is in the Greeke; and we have a Copy left us of one of the prayers or col∣lects which they made out of the bowells of the se∣cond psalme, it is in the fourth Chapter of the Acts, beginning at the 24 verse, and ends at the 31. And now I have showne the reasons of my choice, and the precedents that I haue followed. This last coms home to every circumstance of my Book. I only adde this, that since according to the instruction of our blessed Saviour, God is to be worshipped in Spirit and in truth, no worshipping can be more true, or more spi∣rituall then the Psalter said with a pure mind and a

hearty devotion. For David was Gods instrument to the Church, teaching and admonishing us (as our duty is to each other) in Psalmes and Hymnes, and spirituall Songs, and the spirit of truth was the Grand Dictator of what David wrote; so that we may confidently use this devotion as the Church of God ever did, making her addresses to God most fre∣quently by the Psalmes: so Prudentius reports the guise of Christendome.

Te mente purâ, simplici, Te voce, te cantu pio, Rogare curvato genu, Flendo & canendo discimus. hymn. 2. Cathemer,

The Prayers which I have collected out of the Psalmes are nothing else, but the matter of the Psalmes put into another mood, and fitted to the ne∣cessities of Christendome, and of our selves in parti∣cular, according to the first designation or secondary intention of the blessed Spirit: for the use of them could not expire in the person of David, though first occasioned (many of them) by his personall necessi∣ties: for all Scripture was written for our learning upon whō the ends of the world are come, (saith the Apostle) & Christ, & his Apostles, and the Church of all ages, hath taught us by their example and pre∣cepts, that the purposes of the holy Ghost were of great extent, and the profits universall both for times and occasions: so also were the prayers which

the Church made out of the Psalmes and sung them in her publike offices. S. Austin found great advan∣tages by such devotions, as himselfe witnesses; Cùm reminiscor lacrymas meas quas Fud•• ad cantus Ec∣clesiae in primordijs recuperatae fidei meae, mag∣nam instituti hujus utilitatem agnosco. When I call to mind the many teares I shed when I heard the Hymnes and Psalmes of the Church, I cannot but acknowledge the great benefit of this institution.

And yet besides the spirituall sense of an actuall devotion, which is sooner had in this use of the Psalmes then of other prayers, I have had a medi∣tation that this manner of devotion might be a good Symbol and instrument of Communion betweene Christians of a different perswasion: For if we all would communicate in the same private devotions, it were a great degree of Peace and Charity. The Nicene Fathers in their zeale against Heresie, for∣bad their People to be present at the prayers of He∣retickes; and they had great reason so long as they derived their Heresie into their Liturgy, into their very formes of baptisme: But I am much scandali∣zed, when I see a man refuse to communicate with me in my prayers even such as are in his owne brevi∣ary or Manuall. For me thinkes it is strange that the Lords Prayer it selfe should be unhallowed in the mouth of a Protestant, and yet the whole office from the mouth of one of their Priests, though never so

wicked, though a Necromaneer, a secret Jew, or any thing, so of their Communion, shall loose no tittle of its sanctity and value. So long as nothing of contro∣versie is brought into our prayers (and certainly we may very well pray to God without disputing) and devotion is not made a party, he that refuses to joyne with me in what himselfe confesses true and holy upon pretence I am a hereticke, will certainly prove himselfe a Schismaticke. For true it is, a Heretick is to be avoyded, that is in his temptation and in his heresie, just as a notorious Fornicator, an Adulte∣rer, a sentenc'd drunkard, and no more, the Apostles rule excommunicates all alike, with such men no not to eate, and this rule cannot with so much ease and certainty be put to practise in the case of heresie, as in the case of drunkennesse, because heresie is as much harder to be judg'd, as the soule is more invisible then the body, especially if we make heresie to be an error, not in the great articles of faith only, but to consist in minutes also, as all they doe who refuse to commu∣nicate with Persons disagreeing even in the smallest article.

But he that is ready to joyne with all the societies of Christians in the world, in those things which are certainly true, just and pious, gives great probation that he hath at least, animum Catholicum, no Schis∣maticall soule, because he would actually communi∣cate with all Christendome, if bona sides in falso ar∣ticulo,

a sincere per swasion (be it true or false) did not disoblige him, since he clearly distinguishes per∣sons from things, and in all good things communi∣cates with persons bad enough in others. This is the Communion of charity, and when the Communion of beleefe is interrupted by misperswasion on one side, and too much confidence and want of charity on the other, the erring party hath humane infirmity to ex∣cuse him, but the uncharitable nothing at all. This therefore is the best and surest way, because we are all apt to be deceived, to be sincere in our disquisiti∣ons, modest in our determinations, charitable in our censures, and apt to communicate in things of evi∣dent truth and confessed holinesse. And such is this devotion; the whole matter whereof is the Psalmes of David, and the prayers Symbolicall, and alike in substance, and of the same expression throughout where it is not altered by circumstances.

So that I thought I might not imprudently intend this Booke as an instrument of publike charity to Christians of different confessions. For I see that all sorts of people sing or say Davids Psalmes, and by that use, if they understand the consequences of their owne Religion, accept set formes of prayer for their Liturgy, and this forme in speciall is one of their owne choices for devotion; so that if all Christians, that thinke Davids Psalmes lawfull devotion, and shall observe the Collects from them to be just of the

same Religion, would joyn in this or the like form, I am something confident the product would be ch••∣rity, besides other spirituall advantages. For my owne particular since all Christendome is so much divided, and subdivided into innumerable Sects, I knew not how to give a better evidence of my owne beliefe, and love of the Communion of Saints, and detestation of Schisme, then by an act of Religion, whose consequence might be (if men please) the ad∣vancement of an vniversall Communion. For in that which is most concerning and is the best preser∣ver of charity, I meane practicall devotion and active piety, the differences of Christendome are not so great and many, to make an eternall disunion and fracture; and if we instance in prayer, there is none at all abroad (some indeed we have commens'd at home, but) in the great divisions of Christendome, none at all but concerning the object of our prayers and adorations. For the Socinian shuts the Holy Ghost from his Letanies, and places the Sonne of God in a lower forme of addresse. But concerning him I must say, as S. Paul said of the Unbeleevers, what have I to doe with them that are without?

For this very thing that they disbelieve the ar∣ticle of the holy Trinity, they make themselves un∣capable of the communion of other Christian people of the Nicene Faith, and we cannot so much at joyne with them in good prayers, because we are not

agreed concerning the persons to whom our devoti∣ons must be addressed; and Christendome never did so lightly esteem the article of the holy Trinitie, as not to glorie in it, and confesse it publiquely, and expresse it in all our offices. The holy Ghost toge∣ther with the Father and the Son must be worship∣ped and glorified.

But since all Christians of any publike confession and government, that is, all particular and nationall Churches agree in the matter of prayers, and the great object, God in the mysterie of the Trinitie, if the Church of Rome would make her addresses to God onely, through Jesus Christ our Lord, and leave the Saints in the Calendar, without drawing them into her offices (which they might do without any preiudice to the suits they aske, unlesse Christs intercession without their coniuncture were imper∣fect.) that we might all once pray together, we might hope for the blessings of peace and charitie to be up∣on us all. I am sure they that have commenced this war against the King and the Church, first fell out with our Liturgie and refused to ioyne with us in our prayers: I have therefore a strong perswasion, that if we were ioyned in our prayers, we should quickly be united in affections: and to this purpose I have some reason to believe this Psalter may do good service.

For I have seen an Essay of this designe made by

that prudent and pious moderator of controversies, George Cassander, who did much for the peace of Christendom, when disagreeing interests and opini∣ons made the great Schisme in the Westerne Chur∣ches, he put forth devotions, and with them Collects for each Psalme. But I said, it was a meere Essay, they are short of what he could have done: but when I saw his name at them, I guessed what every man else would have guessed concerning him, it was a pursuance of his great designe for peace and cha∣ritie. I have seen three more, the first by an old Sa∣xon Priest or Bishop▪ in which there is nothing of offence, nothing but pious and primitive for the matter, but the Collects so short, that the Psalme did scarce passe through the Prayer, so little of the relish is left, that the percolation is scarce discerua∣ble. A second was printed at Lyons, 1545. without the Authours name, with a complying designe of avoiding all offence, and a not engaging God in our scholasticall wranglings, but quite contrary to the Saxon; the prayers are so full of paraphrase, that I resolved to go further, and see if I could speed bet∣ter, and at last met with a Psalter printed lately at Antwerp by command, very fairly indeed, with a Title and a Collect to every Psalme, all free from dispute, and partaking in the questions of Christen∣dome, not so much as a gust or relish of his owne partie till the Psalter be done, the prayers all good,

and here I had fixed, but that I had found them very often to be impertinent. But that which I ob∣served in all these is, that the designe seemes alike, and they are a forme of devotion made for no pri∣vate Sect, but for the benefit of all Christian people, which the Authour of the Antwerp Psalter de∣clines in his additionall Devotions, where he brings in Letanies to Saints as grossely as he had before avoided it with discretion.

If any mans pietie receives advantage by this intendment, it is what I wish; but I desire that his charitie might increase too, and that he would say a hearty prayer, when his devotion growes high and pregnant, for me and my family; for I am more desi∣rous my posteritie should be pious than honourable. I have no ends of my own to serve, but to purchase an interest of prayers; for I would fain have these Devotions go out into a blessing to all them that shall use them, and yet returne into my own bosome too: and if I may but receive the blessings of the Psalter, even the sure mercies of David, it will be like the reward of five Cities for the improvement of a few talents; I shall venture again in a greater negotiation, and traffique for ten talents; for there is no honour so great as to serve God in a great ca∣pacitie; and though I wait not at the Altar, yet I will pay there such oblations of my time and indu∣stris, as I can redeem from the services of his Ma∣iestie, and the impertinencies of my own life.