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A04780
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A suruey of the new religion detecting manie grosse absurdities which it implieth. Set forth by Matthevv Kellison doctor and Professour of Diuinitie. Diuided into eight bookes.
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Kellison, Matthew.
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1603
(1603)
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STC 14912; ESTC S107995
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369,507
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806
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ovvne hearbes and planted and pruned also his trees vvith his ovvne hands if the Romaine dictatours taken from tillage and husbandry retourned againe to the same exercise after the tyme of beariÌ„g office vvas expired much more might Adame in the state of innocencie and the garden of pleasure haue laboured Perier l. 4. in Gin. and vvorked for his recreation and pleasure thâ—â— God delte vvith Adam to signifie by this corporall exercise vvhich hee appointed him the taske and labour vvhich is necessarie for the soule in the exercise of morall and supernaturall vertue vvhose operations are called vvorkes And truly vvho soe considereth the end of man and his felicity Th. c. 2. q. 3 a. 2. 4. vvhich consisteth in the perpetuall vision and contemplation of God vvhich is the most noble operatioÌ„ vvhich man hath vvil not meruail that the meanes to attaine to this ende should be good vvorkes and operations Vvherfore scripture all most in euery place exhorteth vs to the obseruation of the coÌ„maundementes to vvorkes of charitie iustice mercie temperaunce fortitude patience and such other vvorkes of vertue And for this cause our life is some tymes compared to a vvarfare in vvhich vve must allvvayes be fighting or arming or fortifying our selues or obseruing the enemie as souldiours doe somety mes vve are compared to labourers in the vinyard vvhoe vvorke for vvages some tymes to runners vvrastlers vvho ronne and striue for a gole crovvne or revvard So that our persection also consisteth in action labour and operation And truly vvhoe considereth hovve vnvvorthy a man idlenes is vvill neuer dreame that in it should consiste a Christians perfection For idlenes is the mother of all vice the very bane of vertue and no lesse pernicious to mans soule and body also then it is to the grounde of the gardener or husband man For as the earth not tilled nor laboured bringes forthe nothing but vveedes as the tree not pruned beares nought but leaues and at the length not so much as leaues so if by continuall exercise of vertue and good vvorkes the seed-plotte of our soule bee not continually manured and tilled the seede of Gods inspirations inclinations to vertue vvhich are neuer vvanting in our soule bring for the noe frute of good vvorkes and vertuouse actions but only the breres brambles and vveedes of vices do ouergrovv the soule And as the poole that standeth and moueth vvith noe streame stinketh and engendrethe nothing else but frogges snakes serpents so the soule of man vvhich is allvvayes idle and vnoccupied and neuer moued vvith the exercise of vertue putrifieth in her ovvn corruption and bringeth forthe nothing but monstrouse vices Truly vvhen man is idle he is vnarmed and exposed to all danger Then the deuil takers his tyme the fleshe aslaultes him the vvorld molestes him and he becomes slaue captiue to them all bicause by operatioÌ„ he makes no resistaunce And vvhereas much hurte hath proceeded from idlenesse neuer yet any exploit or entreprise vvorthy a man Hence proceed fornications adulteries robberies for vvhen the mynde is not occupied in good cogitations it is occupied in euil bicause it can not be altogether idle but ether it is vvell or ill occupied Vvherfore the Poet demaundethe vvhy Aegistus became an adulterer he ansvvereth thus In promptu causa est desidiosus erat The cause is easily to bee tolde hee vvas an idle person Vvhen a man is idle and not exercised in vertuouse actions vvhich produce good habits by vvhich our sensualitie is boidled and our passions are moderated then the flesh vvaxeth vvanton sensualitie becomes effeminate the passions are vnruly and the man impotent to all vertue Vvherfore Scipio in one thing vvas vviser theÌ„ Cato bicause Cato vvould haue had Carthage destroyed that Rome might enioy a freer peace and libertie but Scipio counted it more profitable for Rome to haue Cathage stand that Rome might haue an enemie to exercise her vvhich opinion of Scipio tyme proued truest for vvheÌ„ Carthage vvas aftervvards ruined Rome thinking her selfe secure became careles and idle and the Romaines by idlenes lost their former force provves and became altogether effeminate and impotent slaues to sensualitie vvho before hand beene Lords of the vvorld And yet according to our nevv reformers doctrine idlenes is the accomplishment and perfection of morall and Christian life For they first of all vvill make vs to beleeue that a naked farthe by vvhich vvee appreheÌ„d Christes iustice to bee ours is that vvhich iustifieth and vvhich is sufficient to saluation vvithout good vvorkes or obseruatioÌ„ of the lavve Vvhich if it be true Christian perfection shall consiste in an abstracted and idle apprehension of Christes iustice but in no practise nor exercise of vertue in noe labour or good vvorke at all and so vvheras all other creaturs attain to their end by action motion and labour man only by idlenes that is by apprehending only and doing nothing shall purchase his felicitie The artificer shall come to perfection in his arte by labour exercise and operation not of one or tvvoe but many dayes yea of his vvholle life bicause by coÌ„tinuall practise he augmenteth his skill but the arte of a Christian shall require no practice at all no labour no vvorking bicause according to this opinion on only acte of faith before a man dyeth is sufficient to iustifie him from all his former sinnes and to make him as iuste as holy as Christe him selfe vvho is the holy of holyes and so eternal felicitie vvhich is an operation by vvhich vvee see God face to face enioie our summum bonum shall be gotten vvithout operation and vvee shall vvinne our gole vvithout running atcheue our victorie vvithout fighting and gaine our vvages vvithout vvorking that is by an idle faythe vvhich apprehendeth only but doeth nothing They teach vs also that since Adames fall our nature is so corrupte that all our actions euen those that go for best are mortall and daÌ„nable sinnes in so much that you may as vvell and as soone get oyle out of a marble stone as vvring one good vvorke froÌ„ the nature of man vvhich if it be true then certes sleeping and idlenesse is our greatest perfection For if in euery acte vvee sinne mortally better vvere it to sleepe then to vvatche and praye better to sitte idle to do nothing then something bicause in doing nothing vve doe no harme in doing some thing vvhatsoeuer it bee bee it prayer and almes deeds vvee sinne mortally so idlenesse is our perfectioÌ„ bicause better it is to be idle theÌ„ ill occupied Vvhence follovveth my intended coÌ„clusion to vvit that according to the reformers doctrine idlenesse is the perfection of a Christian mans life and the best and surest meanes to attaine vnto his felicitie and to purchasse his SaluatioÌ„ The fourtenth Chapter shevveth vvhat an enemie the reformers doctrine is to Chastitic euen that vvhich is required betvvixt man and vvife CHastitie is a vertue
demonstrated See the third booke They assure their Schollers also that the iustifying faith is a full assuraâ—nce of iustice saluation and election as may appear by their ovvn vvords vvhich I haue in this seuenth booke allready set dovvn vvhich also giues great occasion of an insolent pride For if vvhen vve persuade our selues as Catholikes doe that vvee are nether sure vvhat novv vve are before God nor vvhat shall become of vs hereafter vve haue occasion to humiliate our selues Phil. 2. and to vvorke our saluation in feare then certes he that persuadethe him selfe that hee is cocke-sure of his saluation hathe great occasion to become carelesse arrogaunte hautie and high-mynded Greg l. 6. Reg c. 186. Vve haue an example of a noble vvoeman called Gregoria mayd of honour to the Emperess vvâ—oe hauing conceiued highly of saint Gregories sanctitie vvrote vnto him to imparte vnto her a secret to vvit vvhether her sinnes vvere forgiuen or noe but sainct Gregorie ansvvered her that she demaunded of him a harde and vnprofitable questioÌ„ harde bicause his sanct tie vvas not such as to deserue a reuelation from God of so secret a matter vnprofitable bicause sayeth he such a reuelation vnto you vvere not expedient better it is that you should be ignoraunte of that till the laste daye vvhich must allvvayes be feared suspected that in the meane tyme you may vvash avvay your sinnes by teares of contrition See the first booke â—hap â— They affirme also that euery man hath a priuate spirite by vvhich hee is sure vvhich is true scripture and vvhat is the true meaning therof vvho therfore bee hee man or vvoman clarke or cobler is supreme Iudge of religion and is to rely nether on Pope nor Churche nor Councell for faithe and religion Vvhich doctrine hovve highe it is able to enhaunce the spirites of men that are so persuaded a blinde man may see and this is the very cause vvhy Luther vvill iudge both of Churches and Councells and preferre his ovvn iudgemeÌ„t before them all See the first booke chap. 3. For althoughe hee sayeth only that by scripture hee vvill iudge Fathers Churches Apostles Angelles also yet seing that the controuersie is not vvhether fathers or scriptures are to beleeued bicause they vvere neuer contrarie but rather vvhether Luther or they better vnderstood the scriptures hee maketh him selfe in effecte Iudge of Churche Pope Councelles Fathers and Angells vvherin hovv brauely he playeth the parte of Lucifer it is as euident as that Luther and Lucifer begin vvith a letter The thirteenth Chapter shevveth hovv theyr doctrine induceth men to idlenes yea hovv idlenes according their doctrine is the perfection of a Christian life ALl creaturs are created to vvorke labour and so they must attaine vnto their ende and perfection bicause God and nature hathe so ordained it The angelicall spirits like byrds in the spring-tyme for heauen is a continuall spring-tyde sing prayses vnto their Creatour and attend continually vppon the diuine maiestie on highe yet so that they haue also an eye vnto our affayres and necessities in this lovver vvorld For the suprem Angells receue illuminations from God vvhich they imparte vnto the inferiour vvhich are allvvayes occupied in garding and defending vs and menaging our affaires and so ether mediately or immediately they are administratorij Spiritus Heb. â— administring spirits The heauens moue continually for the better and more equal bestovving of their light and influences vppon this inferiour vvorld The Sonne leaues our hemisphere at night not to sleep or to rest him selfe but to ronne another course in the other Hemisphere for the illuminating of those that are Antipodes vnto vs vvhich course being ronne he retournes to vs in the morning so is neuer idle The moone euery monethe endes her course euery starre and planet hathe his taske appointed him vvhich in a certain tyme he must accomplish The earthe vvheÌ„ he is out of his place moueth dovvn vvard to the Center and vvhen by force hee is deteined hee shevveth by his vvaite vvhat an inclination hee hathe vnto his proper motion The fier mounteth aboue all tovvardes the Concauitie of the Moone vvhich is his naturall place the vvater and ayre take vp the middle roomes vvhere and vvhether they moue continually Trees plantes and hearbes seeme in vvinter to take their rest after theyr former labours and in the spring tyme they fall to vvorke again and first they bringe forthe leaues then bloomes and blossomes and lastly the svveete frutes of their labours Brute beastes besides the labours to vvhich by man they are appointed haue their ovvn proper exercises in vvhich they occupie them selues The bee is not soe bigge in body as busie in operation in so much that vvhen vve vvill describe a laborious maÌ„ vvee say that he is as busie as a bee These litle creaturs vvhat paynes take they in gathering their hony in making their combes in disposing and vvorking their hony and vvhilest some are vvorking abroad to bringe home the matter of hony some staye at home to order it some vvatche for the securitie of them that labour and all are incensed against the idle drones and do not only expelle them out of theyr company but punishe them also seuerly euen vnto death it selfe Prou 6. The Ante also of vvhome the scripture biddeth the idle parson to learne his lesson laboureth in the sommer to make prouision for that on vvhich he is to liue in vvinter So laborious are these litle creaturs that many tymes they cary burdens bigger then them selues Plin l. â—â— c. 1. Horat. l. 1. Satyr 1. and that vvith such diligence that vvith passing often times one vvay their litle feete doe make a pathe to appeare euen in the flinte And vvhen amongest other prouision they haue brought home their corne to their barnes they are not idle after haruest is doone but sometymes they are occupied in nibling vppon the endes of the corne and graines least they should grovve a freshe and least that the moysture of the earthe corrupte their corne they bring it forthe in a sonnie daye to drying and aftervvardes they cary it againe into their granaries Byrdes builde their ovvne nestes and flye farre and often for the tymber and morter vvhich is belonging vnto the making of such a pallace Conyes vvorke their burrovves out of the grouÌ„d and there is noe creature vvhich is not deputed to vvorke in one kind or other And shall vve thinke that mans felicitie consisteth in idlenes Noe noe as the birde is bread to flye so man is borne to vvorke and labour Iob. â— in so much that God appointed Adam his taske in Paradise vvhich vvas to labour till the grounde vvhich labour notvvithstanding should haue been noe paine but rather a pleasure and recreatioÌ„ vnto him For if Cirus king of the Persians tooke such delight in gardening in so much that he caste the beddes and knottes of his ovvne gardeÌ„s sette his