I Need not make an Apology to the ensuing Discourse; Tis well known to all honest and discreet Protestants, how basely our Service-Book is tearmed (by the name of Por­rage, a name very frequent in uncivil mouthes) 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 palate, 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 crums which fall from their Masters. 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 Devill himself had composed it, it could not be more villified then 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 knowledg & zeal, to tearm such a good thing and such holy matter as there is, to be Porrage: oh fie! where is your judgment? 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 Porrage; if you knew but the right virtue of Pottage, you would not have tearmed 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 extempore, but with delibe­ration, [Page 2]not hand over head, as many do in these dayes, 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 Raigne of three Kings and one Queen, and is it now made a laughing stock; surely you should have more manners then so.

Indeed, tis Parliament time, and men speak and do what they list now, and so do ye; for ye speak evill 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 limbe of the Devill! how rulest thou in the hearts of people, especially against Bishops; oh how odious is that name to many! but I counsell 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 Gods Embassadors, his Stewards, his Angels, disposers of Gods secrets, disbursers of his treasuries; then revile them not, For tis written, Thou shalt not speak evill of the Ruler of the People.

But as for that which you call Porrage, who hatcht 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 porrage good food; it is better to a sick man than meat; for a sick man will sooner eat porrage than meat: Pottage will digest with him, when meat will not: Pottage will nourish the blood, fill the veins, run into every part of a man, and make him warmer, so will these prayers do, and work more effectu­ally; set the body and soul in a heat; warm our devotion, work fervency in us, lift 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 Gods 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 [Page 3]hearbs 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 Saviours form of prayer, and that is a most sweet pot-herb, cannot be denied, then there is also Davids herbs, his Prayers & Psalms, helps, to make our pottage rellish well then, S. Pauls precepts; also the Creed a very faith­full pot-herb; and the Song of the blessed Virgin, a good pot-herb, so that this porrage hath abundance of choice herbs to season it, and those that will eat no such porrage as these so well drest, it is pity but they should fast, and as the proverb is, those that will eat no Porrage must eat no meat. Though they be (as some tearm them) Cockcrowed porrage, yet they are as sweet, as good, as dainty, and as fresh, as they were at the first: The Sun hath not made them sowre with its heat; neither hath the cold winter taken away their vigour and strength, but they are as wholsome and as well rellished as at the first, and unlesse you be sick for novelties, you cannot eat better then these. Compare them with the Scriptures and see if they be not as well seasoned and crumb'd: if you find any thing in them, that is either too salt or too fresh, too bitter, or too sowre, 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 Kitchin porrage, there is many good herbs in it: so there is likewise in this Church-porrage, (as you call it.) For first in Kitchin porrage, is good water to make them, so on the con­trary, in the other porrage, 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 rellish them, & it is very wholsome: in the other is a wholsom exhortation, not to harden our hearts, whilest it is called to day: this rellisheth well. 5. There is a smal Onion to give a taste. In the other is a good herb, called, Lord have [Page 4]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 yee that are heavy laden, and I will refresh your souls. 7. There is Mary gold leaves, to revive the spirits. And so in the other, there is the souls magnifying the Lord, and the spirits rejoycing in God our Saviour. These and many wholesome herbs are contained in it, and all these boyling in the heart of mans will, make as good porrage as the world can afford; especially, if you use these herbs following for digestion, v.z. 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 porrage of ours, have no appetite to the Lords prayer, the ten Commandements, 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 Porrage? Oh Sir, I know your meaning by your gaping, this sticks in your teeth and spoils your stomack. 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 smels (you say) of the mark of the Beast, (but of what beast, I wot not) 3. There is too much bowing, and that tasts of Idolatry. 4. There is too much ring in Ma­trimony, and this smels of Superstition. 5. Too much kneel­ling at Sacrament, this tasts of Antichrist. 6. Too much stand­ing up, this smels 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 needlesse. 9. Too much Lords Prayer, and this is odious in every ones mouth. 10. There be too many prayers, and they savour not of the spirit. And [Page 5]what of all these, do they savour so strong in your nose, that you dare not peep into the Ch [...]ch. 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 fumed up into your head, & so stuffs your brain, that you cannot smel at all, and carrion is as good to your scent, as good, and wholsome porrage is. That which you hold to be the worst (as namely) crossing, bowing, surplice, kneeling, &c. 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 neer 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 Porrage nor without.

If Pottage had not been good food, Jacob would have made none, neither would the Angel of the Lord, have car­ried Abbacue by the hair of the head, to Daniel in the Lyons Den, that he might eat the Pottage which Abbacue had pre­pared for the reapers. I'le warrant you Daniel was glad of them, he went not behinde the doore to eat them, as many in our dayes do stay at the Church doore till the service is done, and then come and eat the bread out of others mouths: but believe it, theres no death in this Pottage, in this Common Prayer: though many have preached and said there is, and that tis meer Popery. If this be the opinion of Roundheads, then tis no marvel we are so subject to change; for mark it alwayes, that that which is round is soonest moved and ne­ver constant, neither in manner, fashion, or place; their wit is like quick-silver, in a foot-ball, alwayes running, so no­thing will stay their humour. Therefore I counsell you to doe as Esau, Jacobs brother did, who sold his Birth-right for [Page 6]a Messe of Pottage; so would I have you to doe, to sell your self-opinions for this Porrage; I do not mean, that you should sell your chiefest Birth-right, 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 shaddow, but de­spise the bare conceits of it; and I dare warrant you, that the using of this which you call Porrage, will never prove your bane, neither shall you commit any sin in the least degree, provided, that you use them to no other end, then they were ordered unto, and that is as St. Paul speaks concerning the World, to use it, and 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 King and Par­liament, to alter and change them when they please, if in case they be corrupted.