should any deny them to be truly the Apostles successors Finally the defection of ordinary Priestes in the Romish Church being extraordinary we may not imagine that all ordinary rites and formes were to be obserued in the vocation of such as by the instinct of Gods holy spirit were stirred vp extraordinarily to restore the decayed partes and ruines of Gods Temple But sayth Kellison pag. 9. If their Preachers be sent by an ordinary mission let them shewe their succession And heere hee alleageth Tertullians wordes lib. de praescript aduers haeret concerning the orders of Bishops and succession from the Apostles And two places out of S. Augustine in Psal contr part Donati And contr epist fund where he speaketh of the succession of Bishops Againe he vrgeth vs if any thing were extraordinary in those which first reformed the Church to prooue their mission by miracles and runneth into a long discourse of the visibilitie of the Church of miracles and prophesies To which wee answere first that if the succession of Bishops were the onelye proofe of an ordinarie mission the Papists themselues were in bad tearmes hauing no proofes of their succession of popes so much bragged of but the testimony of Anastasius Platina Naucler Sabellicus Onuphrius Genebrard Baronius such like hungrie parasites of the Pope iarring and contending one against another like mastye Curres about a bone Secondly the Greekes Antiochians and Aegiptians pretend to this day succession of Bishops and yet are grossely fallen froÌ„ the faith want true Bishops Thirdly Tertullian S. Augustine speak of successioÌ„ of Bishops but neither of theÌ„ denyeth theÌ„ to bee Bishops or pastors that are not ordeined by a Bishop who was not ordered with al soleÌ„nities Fourthly we shew such a succession of Bishops as the Papists theÌ„selues cannot controle deriuing theÌ„ coÌ„cerning order externall formes from Bishops allowed by our aduersaries and concerning succession of Doctrine from the Apostles Fathers and auncient Bishops of the primitiue Church Fiftly the question concerning the visibilitie of the Church is diuers from that which concerneth succession For I hope K. will not say that hee euer saw the succession of Romish Bishops or that any Apostle saw his successors Lastly wee alleage that the old Prophets were sent extraordinarily and yet wrought no miracles Diuers apostolicall men likewise haue beene raysed vp by God at diuers times and yet wee reade not that eyther all of them prophecied or wrought miracles This being our answere of which Kellison could not be ignorant but that hee is eyther ignorant of matters in question or else voide of honesty and good dealing what is it I pray you that hee is able to alleadge against the vocation and mission of Gods ministers in our Churches First saith he Page 11. They say that the Apostles which were the first Bishops and Pastors had for a time their lawfull successors but that at the length the church fayled and the Pastors with it But while he talketh of mission he lyeth shamefully and without all commission For first wee distinguish both Bishops and ordinarie pastors from Apostles So doth the Apostle also Ephe. 4. Secondly we deny that Christs Church euer hath fayled Thirdly wee teach that the Apostles haue alwaies had some successors albeit neither in one place nor without all interruption If then he haue not fayled in true dealing let him set downe the authors names that haue affirmed this which hee reporteth and relate their words sincerely age 13. he addeth that Luther disobeyed the Pope and the Church and deuised a new Religion to cloake his villany But first the Pope and the Church are euill yoaked together For Christs sheepe heare not the voice of strangers Secondly these words of villany come out of his shop of mallice Lastly neuer shall this K. prooue that Luther deuised any new Religion For he onely impugned late errors and sought to bring Christians backe to the auncient Catholike faith Thirdly he shapeth an other answere for vs Page 14. maketh vs to say that wee had predecessors but they were inuisible But this abuse with he offereth vs is too grosse palpable for neither doe we make our predecessors inuisible Nor doe we denie that the ancient fathers holy Bishops of old time as they taught the Catholicke and apostolike faith and no more were out predecessors Fourthly hee telleth vs that such as pretend extraordinarie sending runne vnsent But he taketh vppon him too too arrogantlye to limit Gods power and seemeth plainely to contradict Gods word S. Paul Ephes 4 mencioneth Euangelists without limitation either of times or places and Saint Iohn Apocaly 11 foresheweth that God will giue power to his two witnesses preaching against the Kingdome of Antichrist and the abuses of their times Neither doth either Optatus or CypriaÌ„ or the Apostle speake any word against vs herein Optatus Lâ—b 2. contra parmen speaketh of some intruding donatists Cyprian of certaine presuÌ„ptuous Nouatians which as the Arch-priests Iesuites and Masse-priests doe in EnglaÌ„d thrust theÌ„selues into the ministerie in Africk without warrant The Apostle Eph. 4. leaueth out the Pope therefore ouerthroweth our aduersaries cause But hee saith not one word why Pastors and teachers may not sometime either hee sent extraordinarily or furnished with extraordinarie power Finally albeit the Church be built vpon a Rocke yet particular Churches Citties may fall into errors and hardly can bee reformed without some extraordinarie helpes Fiftly he affirmeth Page 19. that extraordinarie mission is alwaies to be prooued by extraordinarie signes and tokens of Prophecies or miracles And to this purpose hee feyneth that both Luther and Caluin endeuoured to prophecy and to worke miracles But the first is disprooued by the examples of the prophets and Apostles For neither doe we reade that all the prophets wrought miracles nor that all the Apostles prophesied Furthermore the Godly Martyrs of old time and the auncient Bishops were often indued with extraordinarie graces yet did they not all worke wonders and prophecy The second is disprooued both by our Doctrine and practise For neither doe wee now practise miracles or stand vpon prophecies nor doe wée teach that the Doctrine of truth is to be confirmed with miracles or prophecies To conuince vs this K. produceth the testimonye of Cochleus Surius Staphylus Genebrard Fontanus Bolsec and such like fellowes But their testimonies are not worth a Nut-shell being hired to speake shame of the popes aduersaries Hee is verie light of beleefe that giueth credit to the wordes eyther of enemies or hired parasites Finally he concludeth Page 28. that we haue no assurance of our Religion by the authoritie of our Preachers being able to say no more then false Apostles for proofe of their authoritie Hee doubteth not also to affirme that both Brownists and those of the family of Loue may as well alleadge Scriptures and pretend to bee sent of God as Caluin and Luther But first he sheweth himselfe a simple Doctor of Diuinitie
For what motiue can any man haue to beleeue that an vnlearned bougerly blinde and wicked Pope is supreme iudge of Religion that an obscure and infamous Italian hath power to depose the King of England that Christians are not to beleeue the articles of our christian faith nor Scriptures vnlesse they receiue them from the Popes chayre that Ecclesiasticall traditions of which the authours and defenders are not yet resolued are equall to holy Scriptures that the olde lattin vulgar translation of the Bible is authenticall and the originall text not or that Dogges do somtime eate Christes body or that Christes body and blood is sacrificed in the Masse although the same at the same instant be in heauen and is not consumed as is the manner of sacrifices and infinite such absurdities In the end of the first Chapter hee citeth diuers slaundrous reports of Luther and Caluin and talketh Idely of the good life of Papists or rather excuseth their lewd life notorious to the world He doth also alleage the number antiquity miracles and other qualityes of such as taught his religion Afterward he runneth backe to talke of the succession of Popes Finally by a tale out of Iosephus of the Iewes and Samaritans Temple he douteth not but he should winne the victory if he were to plead against vs. But if he plead no more wisely then he doth in this place his auditorye should haue good reason to hisse him from the barre For first his slanderous reportes against Luther and Caluin are matters deuised by Cochleus Staphilus Bolsecus and other popish parasites hired of purpose to deuise slanders against thē of which Bolsecus in publike synode reuoked his malicious libell But the matters we obiect to the Popes and their adherents are matters recorded in publik actes authētical histories the authors wherof were men fauouring popery Secondly this Lobster-faced fellow would blush to talk of the liues of the Italians and other the popes adherents but that he knoweth their lewde actes are concealed from the people of England by the remotenesse and distance of their Country And yet all that know Italy and the nations subiect to the Pope will say he hath no reason to stand much vpon their pietye or honestye Thirdly neuer shall he shewe eyther that the moderne Popes are the successors of the first Bishops of Rome or that the Popish Bishops that are now the marked slaues of Antichrist are the true successors of Austen the Monke and his fellowes Nay the Doctrine that wee professe being taught by them and the decretaline doctrine that we refuse being vnknowne to them it must needes followe that not the popish Wolues but our Bishops are their successors Finally the tale out of Iosephus doth little fit this K. purpose For neither hath the moderne Church of Rome any affinitie with the temple of the Iewes nor can this K. doe any such feates as he imagineth Was not then this surueyor both idle and vnaduised that runneth through so many impertinent matters to his particular purpose and so aduerse to his generall cause The last Chapter of his first book is yet more extrauagāt then al the rest For therin he speaketh not one word of the groūds of our Religion which are the things which he propoūded for the subiect of his discourse but of the Pope whome wee take to bee the head of Antichristes Kingdome and to bee so rightlye called although hee would gladlye prooue him to bee the supreme iudge in matters of Religion And his reason is for that euery Kingdome hath his King euerie Dukedome a Duke euerie Cittie a Major or Bayliffe euery Army a general euerie village almost hath a Constable c. hee prooueth the same also by Gods order both before the Law and after and by the example of Saint Peter and of the Bishops of Rome who as he saith were euer called the Vicars of Christ and successors of S. Peter And in the end hauing runne himselfe out of breath he concludeth that we haue no iudge in matters of Religion and so open a gap to all Heresies But if he come into his Countrie and reason no better the Constable of the parrish where he landeth if hee bee a man of any vnderstanding may doe well to set him by the heeles For First hee reasoneth absurdly from politick bodies to Christes mystical body Secondly if any argument might bee drawne from thence yet would this similitude ouerthrowe the Popes monarchy For albeit euerie Kingdome Armie Cittie and Village hath his gouernour yet it were absurd to make one King ouer all the world one commander ouer all armies one grand Maior or Constable ouer all the Maiors and Constables of the world Thirdly neyther was there one supreme iudge of matters of Religion before the lawe vnder the lawe or in the time of the Gospell as I haue at large prooued against Bellarmine in my Bookes De pōtifice Rom. which are to hot for such a tender fingred Surueyor to handle nor are we now to conforme our selues to the law but to Christes institution Fourthly for one thousand yeares after Christ shall not this ranging fellow prooue that the Bishops of Rome were called Christs Vicars The title of Peters successors is common to all true teachers succeeding Peter and importeth no generall commaund ouer the whole Church Fiftlye Theophilus Bishop of Antioche Lib. 2. Autolicum is grossely belyed So like wise is Chrysostome homil 34. in epist 1. ad Corinth Finally he wrongeth vs where he saith we haue no judge of matters of Religion For the onely supreme iudge that determineth infallibly is God speaking in Scriptures If any varietie bee about his determination the supreme iudge of all the church vpon earth is a lawfull generall councell proceeding according to Gods word In the meane while euerie nation is to stand to the definition of a nationall councel And to this iudge doe we submit our selues As for the Papists they submitte themselues to a blinde Pope that sometime beleeueth not and seldome vnderstandeth the Articles of the Christian faith Kellison therefore that dreameth of such a fellowes infallible iudgement hath little reason to talke against the proceeding vsed in the Church of England for deciding of matters of Religion Further hee hath neede to beware that the Constable of one parrish or other take him not within the sphere of his actiuitie least he place him in the supreme hole of the Stocks for his supreme idiotisme in matters of iudgement concerning religion Chap. 2. The foundations of Popish religion discouered to be most weake and foolish THus we haue séene how much this K. hath mistaken the grounds of our religion and how litle he hath to say against them Let vs therefore nowe consider his supposed groundes and the common foundations of the popish religion and what Christians are to thinke of them Kellison where he talketh of the grounds of our religion discourseth first of the mission of our Preachers and Lib. 1. cap. 1. concludeth
saying of Masse or offering their wafer Cakes in honour of our Lady from the Marcionistes the baptisme of Christians by women and their limbus patrum from the Valentinians Manicheies their opinion of the being of Christs body in the Sacrament without soliditie from the Pelagians the denyall of originall sinne in the blessed virgin the perfection of iustice and impeccabilitie of Christians Finally they haue deriued diuers other branches of old condemned Heresies from other Heretickes as at large I haue shewed in my late challenge His fift marke of an Hereticke is want of succession A simple marke if wee doe well consider it For neither in the beginning of the world nor in the time of Aaron was there anye succession of knowne priestes in the world Likewise neither our Sauiour Christ nor Peter did succeede the priestes of the Lawe For Christ was a priest after the order of Melchisedech and Peter was by Christ designed an Apostle hauing none to goe before him But to confesse succession to bee a marke of the Church and want of succession a marke of an Hereticke yet would this one property of Heretickes much blemish the Romish See For neither are the Popes Bishops or Peters successors nor can the Papists deriue their Doctrine of the popes vniuersall power of his two swords of his espousals with the church of his indulgences of the carnal eating champing Christs flesh with the téeth of TraÌ„substantiation of the CoÌ„munion vnder one kinde of adoring the Sacrament and the Crosse with diuine worship of making vowes confessions and prayers to Saintes and such like pointes of decretaline Doctrine from the Apostles or any Apostolike men which as Tertullian sheweth is a necessarie point in succession Ego saith he sum Heres Apostolorum sicut cauerunt testamento suo sicut fidei commiseruÌ„t sicut adiuraueruÌ„t ita teneo As if he shold say none can be the Apostles heires but such as kéepe the doctrine coÌ„tained in their testameÌ„t The same father in the same place excludeth heretikes as strangers enemies holding a contrary doctrine to the Apostles Furthermore the pole-shorne Masse-priests sacrificing Christes body and blood really in the Masse for quicke and dead and diuers purposes caÌ„not deriue their pedegree eyther from the Apostles or from the Priestes and ancient Doctors of the church Finally this forme of gouernment and Doctrine which is now in the Church of Rome cannot bee confirmed by any succession of Bishops and Priests Nay that rotten succession of Popes whervpon the cause of Papists doth hang as vpon a thrid of a Spider-web hath no other ground and certainty then the testimonie of Anastasius the Popes blinde bibliothecary Martin Polonus Platina Sanders Genebrard Illesca and such like base fellows which no Christian I trow wil admit for the Basis and foundation of his faith His sixt marke of heretikes is dissension in Doctrine and this he prooueth in a long and tedious discourse But with this mark he brandeth his owne consortes for Heretikes For they dissent not onely from the auncient Fathers But one from another most manifestly That is aparent by diuers treatises written of controuersies This is prooued by the differences of Thomistes and Scotistes and of all Schoolemen one from an other Neither doe they differ in small matters but in the highest pointes of Religion as namely whether the holy Ghost proceede more principally from the Father then the Son about the diuine notions about the atributes of God about Meritum Congrui about the cause of predestination about the thing designed by the word hoc in these wordes hoc est corpus meum about the conception of the blessed Virgin and all matters of diuinitie as the treatises of Schoolemen doe plainely shew Bellarmine also doth in moste controuersies no lesse earnestly dispute against his owne consortes then against vs. Neither is it materiall that all of them professe themselues willing to abide the Popes determination For vntill he determine somewhat their contentions are endlesse And albeit they then cease to contend yet their differences in opinions appeare neuerthelesse The seauenth chapter of his second Booke discouâ—seth of a seauenth marke of Heretikes and therein he endeuoreth to prooue al to be Heretikes that follow a particular sect Nowe who seeth not that this toucheth the Papists in generall that restreining themselues within the Romish Church followe the Popes sect And are bound by their Doctrine to follow him although he leade them with him to the pit of hell The Monkes also and Fryars follow the heades and rules of their seueral sectes without looking whither they leade them The eight marke of an Heretike saith he is to be condemned by the church or else as he saith afterward by generall Councels which doth no lesse touch his holy Father then the rest For coÌ„trary to the forme of the Nicene councel c. 4 He giueth libertie to Abbots to consecrate Bishops and contrarie to the 5. Cannon absolueth those that are excommunicated by other Bishops Contrary to the 6. Canon hee inuadeth the dioceses of other Patriarkes contrarye to another order hee separateth Priestes from their wiues With Eutyches condemned in the councell of Chalcedon hee beleeueth the Christ hath a bodie neither solide nor palpable nor like to ours For such is that body which he supposeth to be in the Sacrament Likewise all the old Heresies which hee holdeth are condemned by the whole Church Lastly all true Christians doe inwardly abhorre Popish impieties idolatries and Heresies Finally the Papists generally in the Chapt. ad abolendam de haeret condemne them for Heretikes that teach contrarie to the Doctrine of Christes Church concerning the Sacraments But this doth notoriouslye touch themselues For where the Scriptures mention onely baptisme and the Lordes supper as seales of Gods grace they increase the number of Sacraments and make seauen Where Christ said take and eate they say offer heaue hang vp and carry about Where Christ ordeined that all communicating one kinde should also receiue the other they sacrilegiously depriue the people of the cuppe Finallye they teach that Christians are iustified by confirmation and extreame vnction and that all their Sacraments haue like effectes Thus we see hee hath marked his owne consortes with the markes of Heretikes But hee shall neuer bee able to fasten his markes vppon vs. In the beginning of his second Booke hee talketh after his declamatorie manner of the diuels disguising himselfe in the habit of a young gallant like percase to the young Iebusites and Masse-priestes that going about to seduce simple soules attire themselues like gallants or of a Fryar Hee assureth also his disciples that he is discryed eyther by his staring eyes or stinking sauor or horned head or forked feete or base voice But first we would gladly knowe of him why the deuill should rather speake in a base then in a meane voice and next how hee commeth so well acquainted with him that hee knoweth his whole description from his hornes
Rebellion of al discontented Persons and Papists Further they teach that oathes are not to be performed to Hereticks easily doth the Pope dispence with them Who then is so patient as to endure this simple fellowes foolish prating these cut-throate Priestes will murder honest men their soules shal sue them for periury is not this trow you a goodly deuice Whether he speake for his owne cause or against vs his idle talke is not much to be regarded that either affirmeth matters nakedly vpon his owne bare word or bringeth no better witnesse then Nicol Borne Genebrard Baronius Thomas Aquinas such like or alleadgeth Scriptures impertinently and falselye or else belyeth his aduersaries shamefully Against Caluin hee bringeth a place out of his Institutions as if he taught that by religion men might disobey Princes lawes a matter neither taught nor euer thought vpon by him To what end then bringeth he allegations out of Scriptures and Fathers to disprooue this rebellious position would hee haue all the world to see that Papists disobeying Princes vpon the Popes warrant repugne both to Scriptures and Fathers His skill in Diuinitie we may easily conjecture not to be singular For first he preferreth the will of man in his conuersion before Gods grace Religion sayth he is not transfused with flesh and blood but infused by God with consent of our will and operation of grace Secondly he maketh mans blood an oblation for sinne and a mediation of others conuersion Thirdly he assigneth Aureolam martyrum that is a degree aboue the coÌ„mon glory of Gods Saints as a rewarde due to Martyrs for their passion Fourthly he sayth Many Virgins haue liued in the flesh like Angels But to say that man can liue without sinne is Pâ—â—gianisme Lastly his groundes are out of Tho. Aquinas and the School-men Is it then like that his Babylonian building wil long stand His notable simplicitie is euery where apparant For seeking king the Kings fauour he rayleth on Religion professed by the King Pleading for the Pope he ouerthroweth the authoritie of the Pope For if the authoritie of Kings be from God then cannot Popes discharge subjectes from their dutie and obedience to Princes Shewing him-selfe vnable to write or to dispute yet most simply he chalengeth vs all into the field offring to dispute with vs. Lastly wanting other meanes he maketh the King a petitioner vnto him-selfe His honesty cannot be great that rayleth against the dead flattereth such as are able to fauour him belyeth both the liuing and dead By Popes sayth he alwayes Countryes haue beene conuerted Yet for many yeares haue they giueÌ„ ouer preaching and lately haue suffered the Turkish religioÌ„ to eniambe get ground vpon Christians He saith further That our Church began but yesterday that our teachers want authoritie that our doctrine hath the markes of heresie that we pull at Christs diuinitie make him no redeemer spirituall Phisitian law-giuer Priest nor Iudge but make him ignorant desperate and damned He chargeth vs further that we haue neither Priest Sacrifice Sacrament nor Prayer matters impudently and without all colour of truth auowched as shall plainly appeare by our answer If when he commeth to dispute he bring no more truth Children will â—isse him out of Schooles for an impudent and lying compagnion These being the principall poyntes and whole somme of this rude Orators pleading before his Majestie wherein no dout he hath made the fairest shew he could of such base wares We may easily imagine that his speech to the common reader is more rude harsh and disioynted In the beginning of his epistle he ruÌ„neth out like a wilde discourser into a long sencelesse and vnreasonable speach concerning inanimate vnreasonable creatures But it must needes be a dull dead and vnreasonable cause that hath such dead vnreasonable aduocates to plead for it He turneth the Sunne into a Cocke a Candle and birds into Carpenters brute beastes into hearbists But whereto tendeth this brutish discourse voyde both of the light of the Sunne and of the light of reason doth he place his consortes among feathered fooles or else among brute beasts from sencelesse creatures in which ranke we may place a good parte of this Surueyer and his consortes he leapeth to brute beastes and froÌ„ brute beastes to man And yet nothing he writeth that may beseeme a sensible creature much lesse a reasonable and discreete man The end and marke of all his wilde vagary is this to shewe that because God hath giuen vs a will wholy bent to good and an vnderstanding naturally enclined to truth auerted from all vntruthes he hath therfore made an exact Suruey of the new ReligioÌ„ as he saith But first these things hang no better together then if he should say he would to Rome because Totnam is foure miles from London and Doway is turned Spanish For man may haue an vnderstanding and will and yet frame no such false surueyes Nay if this surueyor had either had any vnderstanding or good purpose he would neuer haue imployed his labour in such a lewde peece of seruice Further neither dooth mans wil desire any good thing tending to eternall life or vnderstand any such thing so long as he is vnregenerate by Gods grace The wordes of the Apostle are cleare There dwelleth no goâ—d thing in my flesh And againe the naturall man vnderstandeth not the things that are of God Thirdly if mans will vnderstanding had beene so inclined as he pretendeth then would Kellison neuer haue liued vnder the yoke of Poperie nor beleeued the absurdities of popish Religion of which we shall speake God willing particularly heereafter Fourthly so farre is his suruey from exactnesse as a surfet of foolery from sound vnderstanding and reason Finally nothing shall this K. bee able to alleadge in our Religion that abhorreth eyther from reason or rule of good vnderstanding The mission and calling of our Bishops and Ministers shal be iustified against all the barking of Masse-Priestes and Iesuites The markes of Hereticks shall be wiped from our selues deeply imprinted vpon our aduersaries Our Doctrine shal be cleared from the vniust imputations of our aduersaries and euerie indifferent man satisfied that we neither empayre Christes honor nor deny his Preesthood But contrariwise the Papists communicate Christs honor to creatures his preest-hood to Masse-Priestes We shall also proue by plaine euidence that we vpholde the authoritie of Princes and their lawes which the Papists ouerthowe and despise Wee doubt not further to demonstrate that none of vs euer taught that God is author of sinne or cruell or tyrannicall in his proceedings Finally we should bee much ashamed if vices and all impieties were not better censured and punished in England then in Italy Spaine and other popish Countries These matters which Kellison vanteth that hee will make good against vs haue been not onely formerly obiected vnto vs by William Raynoldes and D. Gifford in their rayling volume intituled Caluino-turcismus but also
be saued redeemed But if Christ be not our formal justice thē his iustice was not made our iustice which contradicteth the Apostle 1. Cor. 1. If he did not formally satisfie for vs then he dyed almost in vaine and we are to satisfie for our selues If he be only the meritorious cause of our redemption and saluation then hath not Christ saued or redeemed vs but we are to saue and redeeme our selues as well as we can If by grace together with our cooperation we are saued and redeemed as this K. saith then we are formally saued and redeemed without Christ which only commeth in as a meritorious cause Beside that if grace here be nothing but charity or a habit not distinct from Charity as Schoole-men teach then our owne workes properly saue vs and not Christes Passion Finally if Christes redemption of vs from sinne be nothing else but a deseruing of grace by which we dispose our selues to justification if he hath freed vs from the tyrāny of the Diuill and captiuity of Hell because he hath procured vs grace by which we may resist maugre all the force of Hell and hath satisfied for our sinnes to obtaine vs grace that we may satisfie for all our sinnes as this wicked blasphemer teacheth pag. 262. Then is man the principall cause of his owne iustification and good workes should goe before iustification and Christ should not deserue to be called our redeemer or sauiour but a grace giuer that men might free and redeeme them selues And lastly not Christ should satisfie for vs but wee should satisfie for our selues All which poyntes are not only contrarie to Scriptures and absurd but vtterly ouerthrow the worke of Christes satisfaction and ransome payd for vs. In the third Chapter of his third Booke hee goeth on rayling against vs cryeth out with open mouth that we make Christ no redeemer at all and his reason is for that we teach that euen righteous men are sinners and that our sinnes are couered by the imputation of Christ his satisfaction and righteousnesse But his Collection is so foolish that if there were a whole couent of Fooles in place he might well prooue Abbot For Saint Iohn sayth that if we say we haue no sinne we deceiue our selues and the truth is not in vs. And the Apostle Rom. 4. out of the Prophet sayth blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered And yet Kellison will not say but that these holy Apostles acknowledged Christ to bee their redeemer Our Sauiour also taught the Apostles to pray for the forgiuenesse of their trespasses Finally to say that a Christian can liue without sin is playne Pelagianisme Hierome dialog 1. aduers Pelagianos setteth downe these two propositiōs for the ground of Pelagianisme that a man may be without sinne if he will and that Gods commaundements are easie Saint Augustine likewise Lib. de haeres c. 88. reckoneth this assertion among the heades of Pelagius his heresie that the life of just-men in this world hath no sinne at all Neither is Kellisons exception of any moment For it followeth not if Christ make not men cleare without sinne that Adam is more potent then Christ because all his posteritie were made sinners For by the same reason it may be sayd that as all men were made sinners by Adam so all should be made righteous by Christ Furthermore the power of Christs grace exceedeth Adams transgression in this that Christ deliuered man of his meere grace But Adams posteritie by his transgression incurred the penalty therof deseruedly The Apostle sheweth that Christes grace exceeded Adams transgression For Christ pardoned many offences but death came by one mans offence He doth also charge vs that we affirme that notwith-standing Christes grace we cānot resist any temptation of the flesh or the Deuill that we cannot fulfill the Law in any sort that we cannot doe any good worke but must needs sinne in all our actions But if hee cannot prooue that we doe so teach then I thinke he cannot deny but that he hath sinned in this action Let him therfore name them that so teach and prooue it out of their wordes if he canne Or else it will appeare that we teach nothing but that which standeth with truth and with the honor of Christ in atcheuing our redemption But our aduersaries will not so easily acquit themselues of teaching lewdly concerning the article of our redemptiō through Christ For first Kellison teacheth pag. 261. as before is noted that Christ is only the meritorious cause of our redemption which is as much as if hee should ascribe the principall and formall cause to our selues Secondly he sayth that Christ gaue vs grace by which together with our cooperation we may bee saued and redeemed Which being graunted it followeth that Christ redeemed vs not but only procured vs grace wherby wee might redeeme our selues Thirdly both hee and his consortes teach that euerye man ought to satisfye for his sinnes cōmitted after Baptisme But if a man do satisfye for his sinnes then is hee his owne redeemer Fourthly the Papistes hope by the merits of Saintes to be saued and redeemed But as he that serueth many Gods serueth no God truelye so hee that hath many redeemers hath no true redeemer Fiftlye they beleeue that the Pope by his indulgences can redeeme soules out of purgatorie Which sheweth that Christes redemption is vnsufficient Finallye in the canon of the Masse they professe that they offer pro redemptione animarum suarum as if the Priest with the sacrifice of the Masse could redeeme soules By the verie same argument also Lib. 3. c. 4. he endeuoureth to prooue that wee make Christ no spirituall Phisition As if Christ did not cure our diseases when he couereth them and imputeth his iustice vnto vs and sanctifieth vs by the holy Ghost But if his argument were concludent then must hee himselfe also affirme that Christ is no spirituall Phisition For he will not denie I trow that Christ dooth couer our sinnes and that no man in this life is so perfectly cured but that hee committeth diuers sinnes To say otherwise is flat pelagianisme Furthermore he is a good Phisition that taketh away the paine of the disease albeit hée cannot for the weakenesse of the patient cure the reliques thereof altogether And Isay c. 53. saith we are healed by the woundes of Christ Yet no man will say that in this frailty wee are so cured that we sinne not Finally there is a great disproportion and dissimilitude betwixt the diseases of the bodye and the soule The paines of the soule diseases follow after this life the paines of bodilye sicknesses come together with the disease For the soule diseases God punisheth for bodilye diseases the Phisition pitieth the patient The soule diseases consist in disobedience and actions which being once done cannot bée vndoone But diseases of the bodie consist in distemper or other euill qualitie which may be remooued Although then the
was not our formal iustification nor satisfaction but onely the meritorious cause of our redemption saluation which deserued for vs at Gods hands grace by which together with our cooperation wee may bee saued and redeemed He might in more cleere wordes haue said that Christ did not satisfye for vs nor saue vs or redeeme vs but onely merited for vs that we might satisfye for our selues saue redeeme our selues Which doctrine is most blasphemous moste desperate and derogatorie to the glorious worke of that great redemption which Christ wrought for vs vpon the crosse P. 265. Hee defendeth the mediation and intercession of our Lady of the Saintes for such as worship them call vpon them But as they that worship more Gods then one are indeed without God so this defender of many mediators hath not nor indeede acknowledgeth any true mediator P. 271. Hee saith that the seauen Sacraments doe all giue grace to heale our spirituall woundes which being added to that which hee said before of Christes meriting grace by which together with our owne cooperation wee may bee saued It appeareth that hee neither maketh Christ our redeemer nor the Physicion by whose wounds wee are healed For you see he ascribeth it to secondary causes nay to extreme vnction and ceremonies neuer instituted by Christ Nay hee supposeth that our diseases may bee cured by the Priestes of Baal by the flames of purgatorie and the oyle of indulgences But let him not deceiue himselfe The scalding fire of purgatorie wil not agree with his greasie shauen crowne P. 283. Hee speaketh eagrely against those that deny Christ to bee a law maker But his secret purpose hee dare not vtter for hée knoweth that the Romish Church maketh the Popes lawes to binde in conscience and from Christ to him trāslateth the power to make lawes But this would haue appeared verye grosse and would haue shewed that for Christes tribunall seate he ment to erect the Popes consistorie P. 285. Hee telleth vs that Christ hath many vicegerents in his Preest-hood But this doth quite ouerthrow Christes préest-hood that is without succession and vicegerency being according to the order of Melchisedech that had neither successor nor vicegerent This K. himselfe will not deny I thinke albeit hee be a dull fellowe that Princes that are present neede no vicegerents How then commeth it to passe Christ beeing present with his church as the Papists say really on the alter as we say by his holy spirit and grace that this fellow will needes appoint him vicegerents bring in a race of Baals Preestes and bald Sacrificers without lawful institution or commission Lib. 3. cap. 7. he talketh of Christes iudgment And in the 8. Chapter of the same Booke of wrong offerd to Christ by making others equall to Christ And in the 9. Chapter of those that make Christ ignorant of his office But hee had little reason to talke of these matters seeing the Papistes will haue Christ and the Pope to haue but one consistory hold that the Popes iudgment is infallible when he determineth matters of faith They do also make the Pope head of the Church and vse other mediators as well as Christ The glosse also vpon the extrauagant vnam sanctam de maiorit et obed doth blasphemously in a certaine case charge Christ with indiscretion Non videtur dominus discretus fuisse saith he vt cum reuerentia eius loquar nisi vnicum post se talem vicarium reliquisset Pag. 338. he commeth in with this prouerbe loue me loue my Dogge And there-vpon gathereth that we loue not Christ because wee worship not our Lady and the Saynts comparing them to Dogges What then remaineth but that the Pope cause this madde Dogges teeth to be knocked out that biteth he careth not whome blasphemeth Christ and dishonoreth his Saintes whom he would seeme to honor Chap. 7. An answer to Kellisons calumniations charging vs eyther to haue no Religion at all or a gracelesse Religion IF Our aduersarie were a man of grauitie and did dispute like a Diuine or a man of learning it were not amisse to bestow some more labour vpon him But now seeing he doth nothing but lye like a Sycophant and rayle like a scurrilous and gracelesse companion deuoyd of reason and honesty in that which followeth I will trusse vp his great fardle of foolery within the compasse of a few leaues If any thing leaue it shall not fayle to haue answer God-willing in my next if he can and will note the dedefault His first bolt against our Religion is this you haue no true Priestes ergo no true Religion as we may reade Lib. 4. c. 1. But his antecedent is false For if by Priestes hee meane true Bishops and Pastors that truely preach the word and sincerelie administer the holy Sacraments according to Christ his institution then haue wee such Neyther is it materiall that they haue no ordination from the Pope nor offer sacrifice for quicke and dead For neither are the Popish sacrificing shauelinges true Priestes nor haue they any good ordination being authorized eyther by the Pope that is a lay man or by Abbots that haue no right to ordeine Ministers or by such as haue their ordination from the Pope who is a mere vsurper of Episcopall authoritye That they are not true Priests it appeareth both by their defect of ordination and also by the false title of their office being appointed to sacrifice for quick and dead The scriptures speake often of Priestes or Elders So likewise do the Fathers But they vnderstand such as preach the word and administer the sacraments and not sacrificing shauelinges offring for quicke and dead Further we may answer that for sometime and in some places Religion may consist without ordinary pastors verie well without Popish-priestes This discourse therefore is all for vs and against Kellisons shauen crowne and idolatrous Priest-hood His second bolt is leuelled at our religion very lewdly For it toucheth not vs that haue not only the sacrifices of praise thanks-giuing all other spirituall sacrifices vsed among Christians but also the commemoration of Christes onely sacrifice once offered vpon the Crosse dayly celebrated in the holy Eucharist But it striketh the Massing Religion deadly For if there be no Religion where there is no reall and externall sacrifice then haue the Papistes no Religion And that is prooued first by Bellarmines wordes Lib. 1. de missa cap. 2. Where he sayth that in a true sacrifice offered to God it is required that the thing offered be destroyed If then they offer vp Christes body and blood in their Masse then do they consume and destroy the same and afterward leaue themselues nothing to offer Secondly that sacrifice of Christes body and blood within the accidents of bread wine which the Masse-priestes offer for quicke and dead as they surmise is a mere fancy and imagination of theirs contradicting Christ his institution of the Eucharist and diuers
matter of conscience ciuill lawes doe sufficiently keepe themselues from contempt by diuers sortes of ciuill punishments His frappling out-courses therefore touch vs nothing But admitte once the wicked and damnable doctrine of Poperye and giue the Pope leaue to excommunicate Princes then subiects are assoyled from their fealtie and obedience oathes are broken lawes are trodden vnder feet Kings are murthered and impoysoned rebellions are raysed lawfull contracts are broken the Father betrayeth his Children and setteth fire to them as hath been seene by practise where Popery beareth sway and the like doe the Children to their Parents Finally all lawfull contracts are dissolued and al iustice is banished And this we can prooue by diuers practises of the Pope and his adherents in England Franc◠Flanders Germany and other countries But that wee reserue the full declaration hereof to another place Chap. 10. That our Doctrine leadeth men to vertue deterreth them from all vices AS the Pagans cryed out in old times against Christians as if they were Atheistes the lewdest men that euer liued so do Papists crye out against Christians of our time Kellison dooth redouble his cries of Atheisme and blasphemy and in the seauenth booke of his Suruey accuseth vs of loose caryage and vicious liuing And thus it is come to passe as saith Nazianzen epist 31. ijdem iniuria afficiuntur accusantur Honest men are both wronged accused But our Doctrine wil alwaies stand firme against their accusations and we doubt not but the professors of our Religion will alwaies passe for right honest men whensoeuer they shall bee paralleled eyther with popes cardinals Monkes Fryars Nonnes or the Canaillery rablement of Masse-priests their followers Many reasons wee haue to perswade vs to obedience of gods Lawes and holinesse of life whereof these are principall First Gods commaundement which wee are to obey Secondly his honor which wee are to seeke Thirdly Christes example which we are to follow Fourthly the election and vocation of Christians which requireth a life answerable to our profession Fiftly the reward promised to those that keepe Gods lawes Sixtly the scandale that insueth of lewd actions and lastly the curse and eternall miserye and punishment that is denounced against the transgressors of the lawes of God Heerein wee haue also great aduantage of the Papistes Wee follow Gods eternall word that is a lanterne to our feete and a light to our pathes they followe obscure and vnwritten traditions Wee ground our doctrine vpon the Apostles and Prophets that were moste holy men they follow the decretales of moste wicked and impure Popes Wee propose to our selues the example of Christ and his holy Apostles they followe Antichrist and the founders of diuers orders of Monkes and Fryars and Nōnes who were rather superstitious thē zealous ceremonious then holy and Religious Wee punish adulterie in moste places with death and fornication with shame reproach neither doe we admitte publike bordels they count fornication and adulterie small faultes and maintaine in all great cities of Italy and moste Countries subiect to the Pope common bordel houses whereby greate occasion of corruption of manners is offered to youth and great offence to Infidels and weake Christians Wee force none to forsweare marriage the Papists suffer neither Monkes Fryars Nonnes nor Masse-priestes to marrie whereof many horrible sinnes and abhominations follow We dispense neither with oathes nor promises nor dissolue contracts the Pope taketh on him to doe all this whereby great occasions are offered of periurie and peruerse dealing Wée set vp no bankes of vsurie they commonly set vp bankes of vsurie and call them sometime banks of pittie because men borrow vpon lesse interest then of common-bankers Wee fuffer neither Iewes nor Marans among vs they admitte both and take tribute of them to the great scandale of Religion We count it a thing abhominable for men professing Christianitie to empoyson and murder those that are opposite to them in Religion the Pope and his adherents count such murders and empoysonments meritorious and honor the assassiners as Saints as appeareth by the example of Iames Clement William Parry Ghineard Castel and such like Such as rebell or conspire against Princes wee detest as Traytors they honor as Martyrs as appeareth by the example of Plomptree the two Nortons Campian Ballard Watson and Clerke and such like And shortly we doubt not to heare but that Pearcy and Catesbie and the gun-powder Traytors shall be put into the Popes callender Wee giue no power to Preestes to absolue impenitent sinners the popish Masse-preestes absolue all that confesse and bid them doe pēnance afterward Nay they absolue murderers assassinors and Traytors We allow no indulgences of Popes that remit as they say temporall punishments they beeing confident vpon the Popes indulgences commit grosse offences Wee doe not beleeue that sinnes are doone away by masses they hope to be iustified by gazing vpon a Masse-preest Finally we leaue no hope for sinners after this life they promise sinners that they shall passe to eternall life through Purgatorie Kellisons discourse therefore concerning vertues which are so rare among the Papistes and of vices that so swarme amongst them was vnreasonably inserted in his Suruey Against our Doctrine certes iustly he can take no exception In the title of the first Chapter of his 7. Booke he chargeth vs with taking away the hope of Heauen and feare of Hell But when hee should bring his proofes hee alledgeth only a broken sentence or two out of Luther and Caluin which notwithstanding being truly set downe do make nothing for him For neither doth Caluin deny that men ought to doe well for hope of reward but only condemneth the humor of those that respect only reward as if nothing els were to moue men to doe good nor doth Luther mislike that man should feare Hell but that Christians should not bee mooued for other causes to refraine from euill then for feare of Hell But what is this to vs if aduantage might be taken of some wordes of Luther or Caluin Further he runneth backe to talke of Lawes positiue not binding in conscience most falsly and without all colour charging vs with taking away all feare of Lawes The rest of his first Chapter of his 7. Book is nothing but a ranging discourse of diuers sortes of feare and of the effects of the hope of reward and feare of punishment which in Doway might passe for a peece of a Schoole-boyes declamation but here comming out of place and being not gaynsaid shall passe as do the rest of his idle declamations for a peece of pedanticall foolery In the second Chapter of the same Booke hee maketh a great matter of faith only justifying and sayth that therby a gappe is opened to all vice But his discourse is such as rather may beseeme a stage vice then a Diuine speaking against vice First hee telleth vs that Sathan beateth his doctrine into mens heads and that the same was maintained first