The second and last part of Reasons for refusall of subscription to the Booke of common prayer vnder the hands of certaine ministers of Deuon. and Cornwall, as they were exhibited by them to the right Reuerend Father in God William Cotton Doctor of Diuinitie, and Lord Bishop of Exceter. As also an appendix, or compendious briefe of all other exceptions taken by others against the bookes of communion, homilies, and ordination, word for word, as it came to the hands of an honorable personage. VVith an ansvvere to both at seuerall times returned them in publike conference, and in diuerse sermons vpon occasion preached in the cathedrall church of Exceter by Thomas Hutton Bachiler of Diuinitie, and fellow of S. Iohns Colledge in Oxon.

These words are contrary to another Collect read on the 23. Sunday after Trinitie. God our refuge and strength, which art the Author of all godlinesse, be ready to heare the deuou•• prayers of the Church, and graunt that those thinges, which we aske faithfully, we may obtaine effectually. To aske faithfully, & to aske doubtfully, are contrarie one to the other.

These two are no such extremities but for a time one in••u∣reth the other, as heat and cold, when either of them is indiffe∣rently found in the same person, but with this difference that they are imputed to a seuerall beginning, the one of nature the other of grace, the one of flesh the other of the spirit. The flesh begetteth wauering, doubting, perplexed thoughts, and all from a law in the members rebelling against the law of the

minde, where the ••••••fe is like the ••ight twixt the house of Saul and the house of Dauid, no day no houre but giuing or taking a soile. His expectation goeth away in a dreame, and perisheth like an abortiue that thinks he can haue abundance of the one, and no touch of the other. For our Faith being vnperfit as it is, the very best bele••u•• not so fully as they ought: But though we feele some spice of distrust in our selues, yet must we not be quite out of hart, as if we had no confi∣dence at all. To begin this point somewhat higher and speake more throughly to it, and of it. First, they that contrarie our Cōmunion Booke must know, that the Collects are certaine dartings & quicke elaculations, such as the earnestest deuotion is well acquainted with, fittest to expresse the spéedie thoughts of our Soule, when she is winged as a Doue in hir flight toward heauen. The motions are diuersly raised & they diuersly fall, some∣times as in a full sea our thoughts beare aloft, sometimes they are at a low ebbe, all a-mort, dead and aliue in the twinckling of an eye: sometimes as the Crow out of the Arke houering twixt heauen and earth, and as in a sicknesse a good day and a bad day interchangeably haue their entercourse, euer and anone so these haue some swawin or other. Such are the spirituall apoplexies and traunces, whereinto the faithfull are cast, and yet like Eu∣tychus they draw life though inwardly, for a holy substance is in them, as in an Elme or an Oke, when they haue shed their leaues and (vnlikely clusters as they seeme) Wine is found in them Destroy them not for their is a blessing. Subiect they may be, and are vnto doubtings, mammerings, and the like, but ouercome they are not. They stagger but sticke not. They may be, and are humbled in the sight of their owne sinne, but not destitute of all confidence in Gods mercies. Wherefore the cur∣rant of their prayer in such a perpiexed stile speaketh better things, then it pleaseth some to thinke. And as Ierom of Moses for loue vnto Christ would not haue Christ, so our Church in a childlike boldnesse, while it presumeth not to aske, maketh bold to aske. Secondly, they that knit these knots, and cast a mist before the Sunne, should consider what is the course of these s••uerall Collects, how (commonly) they are a summary abridgement of some speciall matter handled in Epistle, or Go∣spell,

or both, as they know that busie themselues in a diligent obseruation of the particular contents in the Epistle appointed to be reade that day: Saint Paul speaking of their dignitie that labour in the word sheweth the insufficiencie of man, yea of the chiefest euen the Apostles, that they, though they haue trust to godward through Christ, and so both themselues & their pray∣ers dare much, yet are not sufficient of themselues to pray, be∣cause no prayer is without imployment of our thoughts wherein such weakenes they acknowledge, that whereas a man would take it for the easiest matter of a thousand to lend a spare thought vpon occasion, they renounce all possibilitie: How then should their prayer dare presume to aske? For if they be able to any thing the same commeth of God: all this the Epistle compriseth: no sufficiencie how then may they dare? not da∣ring how can they presume? neither daring, nor presuming a truth it is their prayers dare not presume. In the Gospell read the same day, the like may be marked out vnto vs. For the historie taken out of the Euangelist, sheweth, how cercame of Decapolis brought vnto Christ a man that was deafe and stammered in his speech, and they all prayed our Sauiour, that he would lay his hands on him, not mentioning, what they would haue cured, nor how, nor in what manner: As for the partie himselfe he was so farre from speaking (for the string of his tounge was not vntied) and so farre from hearing for he was deafe, that if Christ had not beene more ready to heare, then he to speake, and to graunt more, then his or their prayers did presume to aske, he might haue liued and died in his infir∣mitie. Whereupon our Church gathering briefe notes out of the Gospell (and the collection is warranted by the text) ob∣serueth of Gods part it is meete to acknowledge, he is more ready to heare, then we to pray, and is wont to giue more then either wee desire or deserue, yea so gratious our God is, that he forgiueth vs, what our consciences may well be afraid of, namelie sinne, and giueth vs, what our prayers dare not to presume to aske (namely in temporall blessings) such, and such, in this or that manner, at this, or that time, which our praiers dare not presume to aske in such speciall sort: 3. they should [ 3] thinke as the candlelight is noe fit helpe to finde out the day, but

it owne selfe must shew it selfe, el•••• we see it not: so a spirit, and that a holy one, and that in like measure may best giue iudgement of prayers thus in••ited Wherefore this considered; we returne them what our Sauiour said of his Disciples, They know not of what spirit they are. Had they such brused, humblest, wounded consciences, as that seruant of God (who∣soeuer in his meditation penned these Collects) they would soone skill, how the pulse of such a prayer beateth and keepeth tune very pleasingly in the eares of the Lord. For as a discord in Musicke giueth a grace, and commendation to the song, so these discords and iars in our petitions desirous to pray, and yet not daring to pray, comming, returning, and making a broken note, much pleaseth our Father, which is in heauen, though they seeme to displease vs: Why art thou cast downe O my Soule, why art thou disquieted within me, Hope in the Lord, for I will yet giue him thankes for the helpe of his presence. The like dis∣pute of and on Saint Ierom writeth Hilarion had. Goe foorth my Soule what fearest thou? goe foorth why tremblest thou? Almost 70. yeares hast thou serued Christ, and dost thou feare death 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Such wauering affections like Pauls ship caught be∣tweene two seas, when the forepart stucke, and the hinder part was broken, and yet the Pa••••ingers ••afe. These streights they fall into, that fall to prayer, and (what Saint Paul said of life and death) they are difficulties the faithfull are streightned with. The presence of his Maiestie to whom they pray, the guiltienesse of their sinne, the rigour of the law, the multitude of their wants, some bid thē pray for mercy, aboundance of mer∣cie, as if a little would not serue but abundance must be pow∣red downe, some againe (to their thinking) forbid them to pray, and demaund how they dare presume, and so both waies their speech sauoureth of confidence, and infirmitie. Such mixture is alwaies in our petitions, because such mixture is in our selues, flesh and not all spirite, some distrust, and not all fulnes of faith, sometime a feeling that we beleeue, sometime complaineing that we doe not beleeue the tongue of our ballance bearing so doubtfull, doubtfull it is, which scale will preuaile, & yet the bet∣ter in the end preuaileth. For thorough stitch it goeth, commeth, ouercometh, and ouercomeing triumpheth, triumphing conclud∣deth

and the conclusion is through our Lord Iesus Christ, so as in the same sentence the fall of the leafe, and a spring againe, fire in the ashes and stirred vp againe: A little faith appeareth not with the soonest, but like scuit in the bud, whence his na∣ture and substance is, so coucheth, and so is preserued. Thus it flu••t••reth twirt daring and not daring praying and not praying because it would haue aboundance of mercie, and yet findeth wants in the petition. This striuing in the womb of the same collect argueth the life of faith rather quickened then dying, springing then falling, so faultlesse it is, if all be well considered. For as Rebecca when she felt the twins in her womb (though it pained bit yet) thereby knew, she had conceiued, and that the childrē were aliue, so they who are brought vpon their knées, find∣ing the maiestie of God infinite, his iustice strict, his knoweledge searching the reines, his holinesse such, as Angels are not pure in his sight, and what themselues are on the other side, their basenesse odious, their ignorance blockish, their sinnes abhomi∣nable, their wants lamentable, (at what time notwithstanding they conceiue comfort, for els could they not pray) are fouly abasht and ••eicted, as professing they dare not aske somethinges at the hand of the almightie. Which to like effect we finde: as if an honest good heart laying open his estate in more wordes would be thus vnderstood. Whereas our prayers, by which we craue that thou power downe the aboundance of thy mercies are thorough the want of a most holie faith ouerlaide with vn∣speakable imperfections, such as tire them out in the way to hea∣uen, therefore we pray thée O Lord with al other transgressions forgiue vs euen our prayers, whereof our conscience guiltie as it is (y^t they are so stained as they are) presumeth not nor dareth presum: to aske, what otherwise it would, and at other times doth, when more comforted then now it is, thou well knowest O almighty God the petitions of them that aske in thy sons name, we beseech the mercifully to incline thine eares to vs, that haue made now our praiers and supplications vnto thee, and graunt that these things which we haue faithfully asked according to thy will, may effectually be obtained to the reliefe of our necessity & to the setting forth of thy glo∣ry &c. Thus a faithfule soule in praier sōtime raised & anon

deiected wrestling w^t God as did Iacob in his conflict with y^• An∣gel, diuersly tuneth the phrase of his troubled spirite & notwith¦standing a supposed discord kéepeth measure & concord with faith and with the holy scripture. But when men set their wits vpon the tenter to reach out their obiections, and to deale as if they had to deale with Beuis of Southhampton, thinking noe more reuerently of the humble, duetifull, bashfull, modest, low and lowly speethes proceding from a broken heart, thence it is, they make a doubt where no doubting is if the same minde were in them, as becometh censurers of the praiers of the church, those irreprouable collects would haue greater commendation, then be thought a stumbling block of offence, as they are. Take we example from Iob, Abraham, and Salomon. Holie Iob, of whome scripture giueth testimony, that he was an vpright iust man, one that feared God, and eschewed euill confesseth of him∣selfe though he were iust he could not answer, but would make supplicatiōs to his iudge, holding it more fit to leaue wrangling, disputing, boasting, for these wil obtaine naught, but pray∣ing zealously, behauing himselfe submisly he may find fauour at y^e Lords hand, yea were he iust, his own mouth would condemne him, were he perfit the Lord could iudge him wicked, because none is innocēt, whē God iudgeth, & he it is, that knoweth vs better thē we our selues, & seeth such sins, as we neuer think for. Accordingly whereunto S. Bernard speaketh I doe not wholy belieue my selfe, nor my own conscience, for it cā∣not comprehend me all, neither can he iudge of the whole that heareth not the whole. Anon after, God heareth in the hart of him, that he thinketh, which a mans own selfe hear∣eth not. yea were Iob righteous, yet should he be ashamed with y^e brightnes of God his maiestie, that he should not know himselfe. We see how the look of a Prince dasheth his subiect out of coūte∣nance & therefor much rather may the presence of y^e Lord (who is a dreadful God clothed with vnspeakable maiesty, as with a gar∣mēt, whose glory surpasseth y^e brightnes of al the lights in heauē) astonish y^• brused conscience of Iob who knew, if he should wash himselfe with snow water & purge his hands most cleane, yet should God dip him in y^e pit, & his owne cloths would make him vncleane. For God is not a man, y^t he should answer him, if they

should strine in iudgement. All which sentences debasing him dis∣couer the true estate of an humble soule, who vpon due examina∣tion made, saieth in effect as a troubled conscience in this collect, that dareth not presume to aske, & yet would gladly haue what it standeth in néede of. The like may be obserued in Abraham the father of all the faithfull, who in his cōmunication with God & prayer to him for Sodome, ministreth to our edification these ex∣cellent notes. First he confesseth he was dust and ashes, not for∣getting he had a liuing soule, but chusing the most contēp∣tible things, & emptying himselfe of al other things whēce he might Glory: so y^t faithful saying in their praiers they dare not presume, proueth not they want al confidence in God his fa¦therly loue, but choose rather to lay open their abiect and distressed conditiō. Secondly it is to be obserued in Abraham The nearer a man draweth vnto God, the more feeling he hath how miserable & wretched mans estate is. For the onely bright∣nes of the Lord his glory it is, that putteth to shame & truly hūbleth men, so as they are stript of al foolish confidence in themselues, wherewith comonly they are besotted & starke drūk. Thirdly in these words: let not my Lord be angry y^t I speak &c. And 32. Let not my Lord now be angry, & I wil speake but this once: He praieth to turne away y^e Lord his wrath, & so mak∣eth his pelitiō acceptable by his humble sute, teaching vs withal, how we must not be saucy nor impudēt to aske any thing at al aduēturs, but to preserue shamefastnes & bashful modesty when we pray to God. And what els doth y^• collect in these words forgiuing vs those things whereof our conscience is afraid, & gi∣uing vnto vs, y^t which our praiers dare not presume to ask, which forme of praier is very agreable to y^t place. Pro. 28. Blessed is y^e man y^t feareth alway, meaning is wary, and of a tender cōscience loth to do or say, yea euen in praier y^e least thing that may offend God, as y^e other branch of y^e verse, & the 16. of the 14. Chap. suf∣ficiently proueth. This is certaine he y^t neuer doubted of his sal∣uatiō after he was called to y^• knowledge of God in christ, y^t man neuer rightly beleued, for he which beleueth in y^t truth (of a truth) féeleth many wants & doubts like a sound man after a recouery frō an ague féeleth many grudgings of that disease, which if he had no health, nor life he could not féele at al. Let men please them

selues, y^• are disposed to thwart this truth, what Tully spake of Metrodorus fitteth thē wel. They say so to others, but not to thēselues. Fourthly we are to mark in whose name these praiers are offred not for the minister himselfe onely, or some few, y^t haue profited in the waies of godlines, & may be thoght to haue a grea¦ter measure of grace, but for the most, who cōmonly are the weak¦est, & but lately yeand in y^• sould of christ, tender lambs they must néeds tremble hearing, as they do the Lions, such as Abraham, & Iob behauing thēseluss in fearefull & bashful manner. Onely he that knoweth not what belongeth thereto, wil thinke all this a great deale more thē néeds. But if we will obserue what is giuen euery one, it wil easily appeare the fewest haue an excellēt faith a very few an indifferēt faith, & the most are they, that haue the least measure of faith. Should a nurse be lisping to the babe on hir knée, another that stands by knoweth not the reason. It is sufficient that she doth. Our brethrē think we do in repeating this straine what beséemeth vs not, we answer. Let alone now. For it wel beséemeth vs to fulfil al humility, & if any be vile in his own eies vpon true repentance for sin, he will thinke of himselfe more vildely thē all this commeth to, resoluing the more a man is a∣shamed of himselfe, & hartily sorrowful, y^e more he profiteth in y^e course of repentance. Did we not know more sin of presumtion thē are guilty of faultles humility, & come to the Lord like hail fellow wel met, rather thē smitten with a holy feare, such clauses as these might otherwhiles be spared. But most of vs in our hearts know the contrarie. And were we (as some thinke) they may be bold and confident, it is for vs to haue a liuely touch for sin. No man but the lesse he prizeth himselfe in his own eies, the more he pleaseth the Lord, who giueth grace to the lowly. And though it may séem the speech of a dastardly conscience, yet vnto whō wil the Lord looke, but vnto him that is poore and of a contrite spirite, and trimbleth at his wordes? Say a sonne may bée bold, and wee wil not say otherwise, yet a father liketh his son neuer a whit the worse, if he make not alway so bould as the father would haue him. That made Saint Paul vse this course. Sanctified he was from his mothers wombe, yet hee held himselfe chiefe of all sinners, in regarde what hee once was, though it were forgiuen him. And hee

that praied for Corinth, Ephesus, & the like, beggeth praters at their hands like Lazarus, y^• begged crums at y^• rich mans table. Pray for all saints & for mee, As if he were no saint, or as if y^• stil ran in his mynd, how hee had beene a perse quutor of y^e chruch of God. Wich kinde of thoughts hauing their course, & recourse in prayer are a damp, & if not (as they cannot quite) put out the light of our hope, yet they dim, & calm the heat of our cōfidence, that it be not more hardie then is expedient.

Notes

• Quamuis vide autur hac du•• pugnare nemb tamen est qui non idem in se experiatur. Marso in Marc, 9, 24. Quum ••••squō extet fides per∣fect a sequitur ex parte nos esse incredulos. Ibid. Etiamsi in n••∣bis aliquam diffidentia (pe∣ciom sentiamus non tamē propt•• rea daspōdend••̄•• esse animum quasi nullae fidu∣ci•••• donat•• su∣mus a domino. Zanch. de relig. lib. 1, de diffiden. Orationes brea∣uissimas & rap tim quodāmodo ci••culatas. Au, gust. ad Probā epist. 121. Act. 20, 10. Isay. 6, 13. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. 2 Cor 4.8. Pro charitate Christi nolis habere Christīs Hieron. ad Al∣gas. 9.9.
• Luk. 9.15.
• Palm 42 5.
• ••gredere ani∣ma mea quid ti¦mes, egredere quid trepidas, 70. prope annis serui••sts Christ•• & mortem ti∣mes? Hieron. d•• Hilari. Act. 27.41.
• 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Philip. 1.23.
• Collet. 23 sun. after Trinitie and after the Communion at dismissing of the Con∣gregation.
• Genes. 32.24.
• Iob. 1.1. c 9.15 Altercando, dis∣ceptando, glori∣ando, nihilcorā de•• obti••e ••imu•• La••ater. Ibid. Deo indicante▪ nemo i••sons est ipse melius qua•• nos ipsinoust quales simus, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vsde•• pectatum vbi nos nullu•• animaduerti∣mus. Ibid. 20. Nō ex toto ere∣do me, velipsi cō scienti•• mea, quippe cum 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ipsa quidem queat me com∣prehendere tot•••• neque iudicare potest de toto, qui totum non audit. Bernard. epist. 42. Audit deus in corde cog••tantis quod non audit velipse, qui co∣gitat. Ibid. Licet integerri∣mus essem tamā adeo sulgoro maiestatis eius consternarer, vt de me-ipso ni hi•• scirem. La∣uater an Iob. 9.21.
• Iob. 9.30.31.
• Now oblituse∣••as Abraham se se anima imor∣tali praditum esse sedquod maximè contēp tibile est eligit qui scomni dig∣••itate exina∣••iat. Luth. in G••nes. 18.27. Quo propius ad deum acces∣sit co melins sen tit, quam mise ••••s••t & abiect•• hominum con¦ditio. Solus est ••nim deisulgor qui homines stulta & ebria sui fiducia exu∣tos pudore con∣fundit, & peni tus humiliat. Ibs Non debemus ••̄pudentes esse ad petendum quid∣libet sed pudorē soruare ac vere cundiam. Muse. Ibid. Pro. 28.14. c. 14.16.
• Affermant tibi, non sibi Cicer••. de d••inations
• Pancissimos esse qui excellenti fi∣de polleant, pa•• cisesse mediocr••̄ plurimos auiem mensura exigu•• esse praditos. Marc. 9.24.
• Tristitia & pudor sunt con∣iuncta semper, vbi est vera pe••¦cati agnitie. Quod sicognos∣cere velumus a•• in penitenti•• profecerimus, videamus an praoculis istos duos affectus habeamu; C••ls Luc. 18 13.
• Isay. 66.1.
• Galat. 1.15.
• 1. Tim. 1.15.
• Eph. 6, 18.19.