An exposicion vpon the songe of the blessed virgine Mary, called Magnificat Where vnto are added the songes of Salue regina, Benedictus and Nu[n]c dimittis. Translated out of latine into Englysh by Ihon Hollybush.

¶A confutaciō of the songe called Salue Regina, prouyng by scriptures layed therto, that it is rather Idolatry, than lawfull to be songe of true Christen men.

¶Grace, mercy and strength of sprete that commeth of God the father and our LORD Iesu Christ do I wysh vnto the gentle reader.

SEynge welbeloued brethren and systers that nowe by the boūteous goodnesse & mercy of God, the moost clere and shyninge lyght of the Gospel is declared vnto vs agayne in thys presēt world, therfore may we ryght well thanke & prayse God that he hath wyt∣safe vs to come vnto the ryghte vnderstan∣dynge & knowlege by y^e power of hys lyuyng worde: Namely, that we knowe perfectlye now how and after what fashiō we ought to prayse and to thanke God, & how to vtter &

declare thankfully our fayth, (whych nother can, nor ought be sloggysh) not only inward¦ly, but also outwardly, (as Dauid y^e prophete dyd) thankynge and praysynge the LORDE Iesus wyth songes and melody: as Paul ex∣horteth hys Coll. iii. to do. For yf a man be∣leue from the harte, he shalbe made ryghte∣ous: and yf a mā knowlege wyth the mouth, he shalbe saued. Rom. x.

By thys is it lykely that the songes whiche are nowe vsed in churches euery where were fyrst institute of the fathers for thys intēt: namely, so to declare & boldlye to exercyse openly the inwarde fayth. For it is manifest that we haue no commaundemēt concernynge thys in all the new testament. And for thys cause ought we Christians to haue such songes and ballades now also, wherewyth the name of God be auaunced and magnifyed, and not dishonoured nor blasphemed.

But alas thys costume is not only come to such mysuse, that Christes honoure is not vttered therin, but also that Lucifer y^e prince of thys worlde hath thereby confirmed and fortifyed hys kyngdome: so y^t ther is noughte vsed therin now saue only the byshop of Ro¦mes fayres: and the thynge wherein the ser∣uice

and honoure of God was supposed to haue consysted, haue ben occupyed wyth no∣thynge saue byenge and sellynge, choppynge and chaungynge, yee playne vsury. Euen as Esay doth featly prophecy of them, speakyng in the persone of almyghtye God on thys wyse: It is ye that haue burnte vp my vyne∣yard, the robbery of y^e poore is in your house &c. vpon whom Christ also geueth a fearfull sentēce ful of dredful curses, sayenge: Wo vnto you scrybes & pharises, ye hypocrites, that deuoure wedowes houses, and that vn∣der the coloure of prayenge longe prayers: therfore shall ye receaue the greater damna¦cyon. As though he wolde saye: wyth youre great howlynge do ye deceaue the poore in∣nocentes, of whose sweate and bloude ye fyll your paunches, so ful that one wolde thynke ye had eaten euen the poore innocentes hou¦ses also. But seynge they study nothynge so earnestly as to serue theyr God y^e belly, ther¦fore do not they care for y^e worde of God, but do ruffle it vpon an heape: yee & sell Christe and hys worde, as it may be wel perceaued of them that take diligent hede vnto it. But what nede more wordes hereof, seyng we se dayly one bayte▪ after the other put at the an¦gle to catch and to seduce the symple people

the more, whyche now is partely delyuered from the Babilonicall captiuite. For the pardōs (where by they were wonte to scrape a good summe of pens) that once were refu∣sed begynne now to preasse in agayne in an other hue & vysoure, namely that they shall be had frely. Neuerthelesse the ende wyll declare to what intente thys be insti∣tute.

I counsell therfore euery Christen bro∣ther and syster, that desyreth to be a membre of Christe, to abyde by theyr heade Iesus Christe lokynge for the true pardons of his merites, suckynge the pardonynge and for∣geuynge of theyr synnes out of hys passion & woūdes only. I wyll passe ouer to speake of thys matter at thys tyme, for it is not now myne ••ntent so to do, lest I go to farre fro my purpose: that is, y^e I wolde haue eue∣ry man to geue diligent hede vnto the son∣ges that be vsually songe in our churches or temples, and specially of one, the whyche by the inspiracyon of the deuel is so ryfe and so corrupped, y^e God is therby depryued of his honoure, (contrary to the fyrst commaunde¦ment) and it is geuen vnto a creature. This maye be proued in the songe of prayse that is songe to the blessed virgine Mary the mo¦ther

of Christ, wherin we imagine to do her hygh seruice and worship, whyche notwyth∣standynge is pytefully dishonoured & moc∣ked therewyth: for therin is great ydolatry, so that no greater spyte can be done to her, than to synge such songes of prayse vnto her, wherin hyr sonne Iesus Christe, by whome she receaued all mercy▪ grace, vertue, good∣nesse and holynesse, accordyng to hyr owne confession Luke in the fyrst chapter, sayeng▪

My soule magnifyeth the LORDE. And my sprete reioyceth in God my Sa¦ueoure. For he hath loked vpon the lovve de∣gre of hys handmayden. Beholde, from hence forth shal al gene¦racions call me blessed. For he that is myghty hath done great thynges vnto me, and Holy is hys name.&c.

In the whych wordes she confesseth God to be hyr Saueoure, whych must saue vs all also, or els we shall be damned for euer. We ought therfore to go to hym askynge mercy and grace of hym, for he is our hope, aduo∣cate and saluacion.

Wyll ye therfore worshippe Mary a∣ryght, worship her in Iesu Christ hir sonne, thankynge and praysynge him for workynge

so wonderfull power (whyche he tofore had promysed vnto the fathers) in that vessell. Now yf thy contemplacion or inwarde de∣uocion doth chaūce vpon the maydē, (which thorowe hyr constaunte fayth dyd brynge forth our Saueoure the sonne of God, with out ony spot of nature, only by the ouersha∣dowynge of the holy goost, remaynyng pure virgyn & mother as the scripture doth playn¦ly beare wytnesse) than may ye salute her with the same salutacion, that the angel Ga¦briel saluted her: but ye shall worshyp God only in the trine of persons, namely y^e father y^e sōne and holy goost. Thys doynge, ye shal do the hyghest worshippe vnto Mary y^t can be done, accordynge to the iudgement of the scripture.

And that we maye be the more assured and certifyed of thys, we wyll conferre this songe of Salue regina wyth the scripture, & se how they accorde. But yf it doth not agre wyth Gods worde, I requyre you for the ho¦noure of God to leaue it, and cleue vnto the worde of God: & so doynge ye shalbe the bre¦thren and systers of Christe, accordynge to hys owne wytnesse. Luke .viii. And what so euer is not hys, that is agaynst hym, and ve¦nyme of the soule, for the whyche we oughte

earnestly to beware, lest after thys transito¦ry lyfe we be robbed of the eternal glory, the which God omnipotent raygnynge for euer graunt vs all. Amen.

¶A refutacion of the songe called Salue regina.

BLessed be God and the father of our LORDE, Iesus Christ, which accordynge to hys greate mercye hath begotten vs agayne vnto a lyuely hope, by the rysynge agayne of Iesus Christ from the dead vnto an vncorruptible and vndefyled enheritaunce, whyche neuer shall fayde awaye. &c. Thus wryteth Peter in hys fyrst canonicall epistle the fyrst chap¦ter, wyllynge vs to thanke, prayse and blesse God alwaye, for delyuerynge vs from death euerlastynge thorowe hys only sonne Iesus Christe. Thys hygh and moost laudable be∣nefyte as no tunge can expresse it, so can no tunge also prayse it ynough. And therfore doth Paule exhorte & warne vs of the abuse of thys benefite, sayenge .i. Corin. vii. Ye are dearly bought (namely, wyth the bloude of Iesus Christ) be not ye seruaūtes of mē. &c. Now to synge, cense, praye and to do lyke re¦uerence

vnto a creature, or an ymage of wood or stone, and vnto that ymage to attri¦bute such prayse, thanke and worship as be∣lōgeth vnto God only, what is that els saue a seruice of men, whereby God & his worde are blasphemed, denyed and set at nought? as it shalbe brefely declared hereafter.

¶Fyrst we synge Salue regina misericor∣diae, that is to saye: Hayle quene of mercy.

Here is fyrst denyed the sayeng of Esay recyted of S. Paule Rom. xiiii. As truly as I lyue (sayeth the LORDE) all knees shall bowe vnto me, and al tunges shal knowlege vnto God. And agayne the sayenge of Mo∣ses Deuteronomy the .vi. Chapter. Heare O Israell, the LORDE our God is one LOR∣DE only. And thou shalte loue the LORDE thy God wyth all thyne harte, wyth all thy soule, wyth all thy myght. The sayenge also of the prophete Esaye in the .xlii. Chapter is here denyed, where God sayeth: I my selfe, whose name is the LORDE, whych geue my power to none other, nother myne ho∣noure to the goddes. &c.

Marke now earnestly how featly & wel

these sayenges agre w^t thys salutaciō or gre¦tyng of Mary: verely as wel as day & nyght Marke how our carnall deuocion and good meanyng accordeth with God & hys worde: euen so wel, that God sayeth by the prophet Esay in the .lv. chapter: My thoughtes are not youre thoughtes, and youre wayes are not my wayes: But as farre as the heauēs are hygher than the earth, so farre do my wayes excede youres, & my thoughtes, you∣res. Hereby maye it be sene what thys salua¦cion is, namely that God doth not geue hys honoure to none of the goddes. Now consy∣steth hys honoure in nothynge so greatly, as in thankefulnesse and praysynge hym for hys infinite mercy & goodnesse shewed vnto vs in suffrynge for vs that were in thraldom and the deuels daunger, and so delyuered vs therout: whyche nother the blessed virgine Mary, Peter, nor Paule, nor none of al the sayntes hath done. It followeth than that she is not the quene of mercy.

¶Secondarely we synge: Vita, dulcedo et spes nostra salue▪ that is: Hay••e our lyfe, our swetnesse and our hope.

The cōtrary to thys wytnesseth Christ hymselfe Ioh. xiiii. sayeng: I am y^e waye, the

truth and the lyfe. &c. And Esaye sayeth lyke wyse in the .xlv. Chapter in the persone of God: Turne you vnto me all ye endes of y^e worlde, and ye shalbe saued: for I am God, and ther is els none. To thys agreeth also Paule .i. Cor. iii. sayenge: Other foundamēt can no man laye, than that whyche is layed already, whych is Christ Iesu. These confor¦table wordes do we nother kepe nor beleue, seynge we confesse wyth our mouthes, and wyth the dede seke another lyfe or saluacion thā the true and only lyfe and saluacion, na∣mely Iesus Christe. Yee thus doynge we make not God true in hys promyse, that he ether can not or wyll not do for vs as he say¦eth euery where in the scripture: or els do not we beleue y^e sayenge of y^e boke of wyse∣dome the .xv. Chapter, where it is thus writ¦ten: Thou (our God) arte swete, longe suffe¦rynge, & true, & in mercy ordrest thou al thin¦ges, & so forth. And Christ speakynge of hym selfe Ioh. vi. sayeth: Who so cōmeth vnto me, hym wyll not I cast out. And agayne in the x. chapter he sayeth: My shepe heare my voyce, and I knowe them, and they followe me, and I geue them euerlastyng lyfe, & they shal neuer perysh. Where is ony such worde of comforte, lyfe, hope or swetnesse spoken of

in the scriptures of God of the blessed vir∣gine Mary or ony creature? and yf ther be not, what madnesse is it of vs ether to cal or to take them for our hope and refuge, which do so lowly alway submitte themselues both to God and hys creatures? Yf we wolde a lytle ponder these wordes of the salutation of Mary, conferrynge them with the sayeng of Dauid Psalm. C.ii. where he sayeth: Lyke as a father pytyeth hys owne chylderen, euē so is the LORDE mercyfull vnto them that feare hym: we shulde easyly se howe farre & abtrunnynge we be both from God and his true worde. We se than welbeloued brethrē and systers, that yf we beleued these foresayd wordes aryghte, we shulde nede none other saluacion, hope nor lyue saue only Christe, which is geuen vs of the father to be a me∣diatour betwene him & vs, as ye shal heare hereafter. But alas it is come to y^e poynte wyth vs, that we aske lyfe of them, that do not lyue themselues, as Salomon sayeth in hys boke called the boke of Wysedome, the .xiii. Chap∣ter.

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God sayeth in the .li. chapter of Esay: I ame he that in al thynges geueth you consolatiō. What arte thou than that feareste a mortall man, the chylde of man, which goeth awaye as doth the flore? and forgettest the LORD that made the? In the boke of wysedome the xvi. chapter it is thus written: It is thou O LORDE that haste the power of lyfe and death, thou leadeste vnto deathes dore, and bryngest vp agayne. This is he in whome only ye ought to hope, & to haue confidence, hym only shall ye feare, to hym only muste ye sygh & sobbe: for ther is but one only that is mooste hyghest creatoure of all thynges, moost puyssaūt and myghty, that is greatly to be feared and dradde, as Iesus Sirak ex∣horteth vs to do, in the fyrst chapter of Ec∣clesiasticus, sayenge: Ther is one, euen the Hyghest, the maker of all thynges, the Al∣myghty, the kynge of power (of whome men ought to stande greatly in awe,) whiche syt∣teth vpon hys trone, beynge a God of domi∣nion, and so forth. Thanke therfore & prayse hym only, feare and drede hym, and thā shall not ye be deceaued. For yf ye trust in men, or ony creature, callynge vpon them, than veryly shal ye be deceaued, vnhappy & accur¦sed as testifye both Ieremy in the .xvii. chap.

and Dauid in the .C.xiii. Psalme sayenge: Cursed be the man, that putteth hys trust in man. Let therfore thē that feare the LORD, put theyr truste in hym: for he is theyr suc∣coure and defence, and thynke, yee be assu∣red, thys kynde of worshyp to be nought but a deuyce and imaginacion of men only, the which are ydle and vayne as sayeth Ieremy in the .x. chapter. And Christe also sayeth Mathe. xv. that he is worshypped in vayne, whyle they teach suche doctrines as are no∣thynge but the commaundementes of men. Though they approche neare vnto me with the Pater noster, callynge me father, LOR∣DE and God: yet do they runne to other fa∣thers, gods and saueoures in thys vale of teares. Drawe therfore backegood brethren and systers your strayenge steppes & wende them in the wayes of the LORDE, yeldyng you rather to hym and hys worde: for ye haue more assuraunce to be herde when ye call to hym, yf ye so do, than ye haue of fol∣lowynge mans voyce. Dauid sayeth Psalm. xlix. in the persone of God: Call vpon me in the tyme of trouble, so wyll I heare the, that thou shalt thanke me. Where is ther ony such promyse or comfortable worde in all y^e scripture of the blessed virgine, or ony other 〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉

name, he shall geue it you. Yf ye therfore be∣leue these wordes stedfastlye, than nede ye none other meane. Or thynk ye that he wyl lye ether for you, or for youre synnes, whych only is the truth hymselfe, and hath taken a waye the synnes of the worlde, as Esaye doth expressely wryte of hym in the .liii. chap¦ter, and Ihon baptiste doth by mouth?

¶Syxtly it followeth in the songe Et Iesum benedictum fructum uentris tui no∣bis post hoc exilium ostende. that is: And shewe vs Iesu y^e blessed frute of thy wombe after thys exilyng & ban¦nyshynge.

Yf you wyll haue her to shewe you Ie∣sus, than must ye fyrste let hym shewe you her in thys mysery and heare what she sayd Luke in the fyrst chapter, where it is wryttē: He remembreth mercy, and helpeth vp hys seruaunte Israel. Euen as he promysed vnto oure fathers, Abraham and to hys sede for euer. Here sayeth Mary that vnto Abraham and hys sede was promysed salua∣cion thorowe Christe Iesu, which thynge is

playnly declared in Genesis the .xxii. Chap. where God sayd to Abraham: In thy sede shall all nacions be blessed: and Abraham be¦leuynge thys was saued thereby. And Gene¦sis. xvii. was Isaac promysed vnto Abraham and Abraham beleuynge the same lykewyse was saued thereby. Vnto Dauid was lyke promyse made .ii. Regum the .vii. chapter on thys wyse: Whan the tyme is fulfylled that thou shalte slepe w^t thy fathers, I wyll rayse thy sede after the. I wyll be hys father, and he shalbe my sonne, and wyll stablysh y^e seate of hys kyngdome for euer. This dyd Dauid beleue, and was also saued. Beholde, thus hath now Abraham receaued hys chylde say¦eth Mary, as it was promysed vnto Abrahā and hys posterite. Wyll ye now therfore be also saued, then must ye let Iesus be shewed vnto you, as Mary doth shewe hym here in the Magnificat: namely that he is the bles∣synge of all nacyons, and so to beleue & fayth¦fully to trust in Iesu Christ only: for by thys fayth only shall ye be saued. Yee must haue thys fayth only in hym in thys vayle of tea∣res, and so se hym here: and not let hym be shewed vnto you by other meanes after this myserable exilynge, as it is sunge in thys songe of prayse. Thus must we haue hym

shewed vnto vs in thys vayle of teares, as he was shewed vnto y^e patriarkes, and prophe∣tes, that we maye knowe hym in thys mor∣tall lyfe & beleue in hym, as they haue done: and than surely shall he shewe hymselfe wel ynough after thys exilynge and banyshmēt. Yf els hys wordes be true that he hath spo∣ken. Ioh. xi. I am the resurreccion and y^e lyfe. He that beleueth on me, shall lyue, thoughe he were dead already. And Ioh. iii. He that beleueth on me shal not be condēned. Thus must thou than knowe Iesu Christe as one that taketh awaye thy synnes, dyenge y^e byt∣ter death for them. But yf ye know hym not here, than maye he not be shewed you after thys partynge of bodye and soule, nother of Mary, nor of ony body els.

¶Seuenthly we synge in thys songe, O cle¦mens, O pia, O dulcis uirgo Maria, that is: O bounteous, O good, O swete vir∣gine Mary.

These wordes were wonte to be cryed out loude, but Baals prestes cryed out lou∣der, whereof it is wrytten in the thyrd boke of the kynges the .xviii. Chapter of thys ma∣ner: And they cryed loude and prouoked thē

selues wyth knyues and ••otkens (as theyr maner was) tyll the bloude followed, but no answere was herde. Wherfore the prophete Elias mockyng them sayd: Crye loude. For he is a God, peraduēture he is musynge, or hath sōwhat to do, or is gone some iourney, or happly he slepeth, so that he wolde be wa∣ked vp. &c. They cryed farther yet: yee that euen theyr throte semed to haue brasten asū¦der, but what they optayned thereby, that maye ye reade there. And much lesse shal ye optayne wyth your loude blaryng. For God geueth no eare to loude cryenge, but to loue and mercy. Besydes thys ascrybest thou swe¦tenesse, goodnesse, and ryghteousnesse vn∣to a creature whyche is to be referred vnto none but vnto God onely. Of thys swe∣tenesse sayeth scripture in the boke of wyse∣dome the .xii. Chap. on thys wyse: O LOR∣DE how gracious and swete is thy sprete in all thynges. And Ioel in the .ii. Chapter: Turne you vnto the LORDE youre God, for he is gracious and mercyfull longe suffe¦rynge and of great compassion, and ready to pardon wyckednesse and to forgeue syn∣nes. &c. Dauid doth lykewyse exhorte vs in the .xxxiii. Psalme, sayeng: Tayste and se howe frendely the LORDE is, happye is

the man that trusteth in hym. Marke well now that ye must seke and loke for all good∣nesse, swetenesse, mercy and vertue at hym only, yf ye shall optayne ought, and that ye can do nought wythout hym. Thys con∣firmeth the prayer of Anna the wyfe of Hel¦cana in the fyrste doke of the kynges, the se∣conde chapter, where she sayeth: Ther is no man holy as the LORDE, for wythout the is nothyng and ther is no comforte lyke vnto oure God. And euen so noman can, nor maye be holy or come to the father, but thorowe the sonne Christ Iesu as he wytnes¦seth hymselfe.

To conclude good brethren and systers I beseke you for the vnspeakeable mercy of God to remembre and to thynke that God is wyser than ye: and so doynge geue youre wytte and wysedom captiue vnto the worde of God, and than shal happen vnto you both health and saluacion. But alas it is happe¦ned vnto vs (God amende it) that is spoken of in the .xiiii. Chapter of the boke of wyse∣dome, namely that thorowe the bewty of the worke, the commune people was deceaued, insomuche, that they toke hym now for God whyche a lytle afore was but honoured as man. Lyke vnto thys maye ye reade Deute∣ronomy

the .vi. Baruch the laste, and in the boke of wysedom the .xiii. and .xiiii. chapters besides other places innumerable mo in the bible. Yf ye loke vpon these places, ye shall easely se what Idolatrye is vsed daylye in Christendome before the paynted blockes & stockes. Whych I truste shall once be redres¦sed by the power of the word of God, though to some it seme to be vnpossible by the reasō of the depe rootynge of it in some superstici∣ous hartes. But let suche call to mynde the power of God specifyed in these wordes of God by hys prophete Esaye in the .l. chapter Why wolde no man receaue me whan I came? and whan I called, no man gaue an∣swere. Was my hande clene smytten of, that it myght not helpe? Or had I not power to delyuer? Sende therfore the pure & playne vnderstādynge of thy Godly worde into oure hartes, that the lyght of the clere vnderstandynge of thy worde maye dryue out the darkenesse of Idolatry and so thyne honoure be restored vnto the agayne. AMEN.

¶The true Salue Regina, groun∣ded vpon the scripture.

HAyle Iesu Christ kynge of mercy, oure lyfe, our swetenesse and oure hope, hayle. Vnto the do we call the wretched chyldren of Eua: vn¦to the do we call and syghe, wepynge & way¦lynge in thys valley of teares. Turne ther∣fore thy mercyfull eyen to vs warde thou spechman and aduocate of oures, and shewe vs the visage of thy blessed father in the e∣uerlastynge glory, as thou hast promy∣sed vs, O gracious, O swete Christe and sonne of the virgine Mary.