Kings Sermo disciâ—â— stella Cleri happier or more blessed then Angels and a creator of his creator Insomuch that he that made him without him is made by the meanes of him Are not here excellent vnder Priests in their authority aboue Kings For he that setteth the King before a Priest setteth the creature before the creator saith Stamslâ—â—s Orichouius In their consecration they are aboue the mother of Christ more blessed then the Angels yea aboue the supreme maiesty For God made the world and they make him that made the world euen the God-head of Christ For otherwise they cannot be the creator of their creator without giuing a beginning to him that hath no beginning As the vnder Priest is before God in the consecration so hee is in the place of God in the offering For the offering vp of the humanity of Christ is proper to the God-head of Christ Ioh. 6.51 As the vnder Priest is in the place of God in the offering so he is before Christ in the offering For God looketh not to the sacrifice but to the worthinesse of the offerer which was the cause he reiected Cains when he accepted Abels As the vnder Priest is excellent in his consecration and offering so he is in his mediatorship Not intreating onely in the Masse for the quicke and the dead but for Christ himselfe Praying the Father to accept the body and bloud of his Sonne as he accepted the sacrifices of Abel Abraham and Melchisedec Is not here an excellent vnder Priest that desireth that God would so accept the bloud of his Sonne the Redeemer of the world as hee did the bloud of beasts As the vnder Priest is a mediator to intreate God to accept the sacrifice of his Sonne So likewise he desireth God to command his holy Angels to conuay the body and bloud of his Sonne to his high Alter Bonauentur cited by Doctor Buckly saith That the Priest doth lift vp the body vpon the Altar As though he should say Behold he whom the world is not able to containe is our prisoner therefore let vs not let him go vnlesse we do first obtaine of him that which we doe desire Must he not needes be their prisoner that cannot depart of himselfe vnlesse he be carried Nay must he not needes be their prisoner whose belly is his sepulcher The Priest is Iesus Christ his sepulcher saith that treatise intituled Stella Clericorum Because he swalloweth downe his body and bloud into his belly Briefly as the vnder Priest hath power to make his Creator so he hath to giue remission of sinnes before his Creator nay as well as his Creator Priests haue obtained saith the Annoation vpon the Rhems the wonderfull grace Luk. 5. annot Mark 2. annot to remit sinnes Againe their is one court of consciencce in earth and another in heauen and the iudgement in heauen followeth and approueth this on earth And Cardinall Cusanus saith This power of binding and loosing is no lesse in the Church then it is in Christ For the holy Church of Rome Caâ—d â—usa ad Bohamos saith Pope Iulius hath power granted vnto her by a singular priuiledge to open and to shut the gates of the kingdome of heauen to whom she listed So the vnder Priest with the king of pride in the remission of sinnes would communicate to a creature that which is proper to the Diuinity For no man can remit sinnes but God onely Therefore he which remitteth sinnes is God because no man forgiueth sinnes but God And thus the vnder Priest in the Masse taketh vpon him to be as a God when he saith Et ego authoritate mihi concessa c. And I by my authority do first absolue thee from the sentence of the lesse excommunication if thou haue need thereof And besides I absolue thee from all thy sinnes Thus much concerning the excellency of the vnder Priest who is the maker the offerer and the mediatour of this excellent sacrifice that is offered to vphold religion and the worship of God which Christs sacrifice cannot do Secondly it is necessary to know who it is that can make a round cake a God by consecration able to performe this The Maister of the Sentences saith That an hereticke cannot consecrate Moreouer whosoeuer bewrayeth himselfe to be of the latter standing is an heretique by Kellisons censure which all popish Priestes do in offering vp bread vnconsecrate for the remission of sinnes In the first part of the Canon which beginneth with Te igitur the bread vnconsecrated yet called a holy sacrifice and without spot is offered vp for the Catholicke Church In the second part of the Canon beginning with Memento Domini It is offered not consecrate for the redemption of soules That it is not consecrate it is manifest for in the fift part of the Canon beginning with Quam oblationem The vnder Priest desireth that it may be made the body and bloud of Christ Neither are the words of consecration as they terme them namely Hoc est enim corpus meum reade vntill the sixt part of the Canon Thus they bewraying themselues to be of the latter standing by offering bread vnconsecrate for the remission of sinnes are heretiques by Kel censure And cannot consecrate as the Maister of the Sentencâ—s saith Thirdly we are to consider what other things hinder the consecration which we can no better do then by taking a view of their own Canon Wherein the Priest is commanded To frame his whole mind and intent to the crosses and words He is commanded also to make choise of one Host and let it lye amongst the rest alwaies prouided and that his minde be vpon them all at once He is moreouer commanded with one breath to speake these words Hoc est enim corpus meum without thinking any other thing For if the Priest do not speake these words cum intentione consecrandi that is with an intent and minde to consecrate they be not made the body and bloud of Christ but remaine still nude nude and bare creatures of bread and wine Hâ—lcot Tho. de Aqui. in rationale diuino â—um â—ffiâ—io Therefore Holcot saith vpon the Maister of the Sentences The lay people worship a wafer that is not consecrate Therefore to auoide the errour of such idolatry The Maister of Sentences aduiseth them to worship with a condition saying Lord if thou be there I worship thee If thou be not there I worship not Whose counsell an Inquisitor of Spaine following As Maister Cyprian Valera writeth said to auoide idolatry I adore thee Lord If thou be there In which matter of ambiguity likewise the Priest in the cantels of the Masse is commanded to take vp his owne Host before any other because he beleeueth and is assured of his owne howbeit he beleeueth of the rest but is not assured Moreouer there must be great heed taken by the Priest that a little water be put into the wine For if there should so much
body or soule of Adam was the image of God but that it had it residence in both In the body there was maiesty representing a diuine maiesty immortality and innocency which as spirituall rich robes decked the same with an vnspeakeable beauty In the firmament of the soule the image of God in knowledge and the same in righteousnesse and holinesse Col. â— 10 Ephâ—s â— 24 as glistering lights did shine â—orth to the garnishing thereof In the vnderstanding as a bright shining sunne soundnesse of reason ouerspread his glorious rayes In the will vprightnesse and holinesse The libertie of the will shewing forth some very diuine matter in the soule like a precious stone set in gold as Saint Bernard speaketh was â—â—ch that by it owne and proper motion it chose and refused that which sound reason said was to be chosen and refused that is the choise of good and euill was free Briefly to take along with vs one of our aduersaries â—â—rney of the new râ—ligion pag. 253. that his owne mouth may condemne him Adam saith Kellison was enriched with a soule filled with grace and spirituall treasures which was prone to vâ—rtue not inclined to vice neither molested with concupiscence nor ouer-ruled by passion but ruled reason which was ruled by grace His superiour part was obedient to God his inferiour part to the superiour sensualitie to reason the flesh to the spirit and all creatures to him were obedient Now God hauing created Adam in this surpassing glory placed him in Eden where he was inuironed about with varietie of pleasures And because it was necessary that maÌ„ adorned with such height of dignity should yet owe homage vnto his creator as to the supreme Maiesty he made a couenant with him founding it in that pure and holy nature of mans part in which he was made On Gods part in Gods owne law ingrauen in mans heart by his diuine finger in the first creation And not in Christ nor the grace of God in Christ For then God hauing a delight to be with man and man with God there was no breach nor variance that there needed a mediator as after Adams fall there did when a new couenant was to be made namely the couenant of grace in Christ in which legall or natural couenant the Lord promised vnder condition of holy and good workes in obedience and faith to be performed a coÌ„tinuance of immortality through a perpetuall life free from sorrow sicknesse age and death it selfe or otherwise if by disobedience he transgressed death In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye the death saith God to Adam in his fatherly warning or admonition to the end he should not fall Iehouah who had thus made the Angels witnessing spectators of the purity of Adams creation yee for a further testimony likewise to all succeeding ages concerning the goodnes of the Angels of man and all creatures it is said God saw all that he had made and it was very good In the heauens when this celestiall Oracle was published the Angels stood in their beauty surpassing excelling in Wisedome Power Holinesse and Happinesse In paradise Adam was in most admirable glory meditating in the height of his vnderstanding in the mirrour of the diuine Deity neither was there in heauen or earth any enemy to be seene or found to vnrobe Adam by breach of the couenant of the illustrious image of God But as it commonly falleth out in best gouerned states though the Prince do shew neuer such loue to the subiect by the gift of honour and rich possessions yet some are so vngratefull that by conspiracy and in hatred of all piety they seeke to murther their Prince and Soueraigne that they might while streames of bloud inuironne the mournefull throne set the crowne vpon their owne tyranicall heads so in some sort it fell out in heauen the beâ—utiful citie of perfection For some of the Angels not contented with the blessed permanent state in which they were created hauing Lucifer for their General became aduersaries to God by conspiring in the height of their ambition to plucke the royall and euer-shining Diademe off their creators head Insomuch that in Gods iustice they were throwne downe like lightening from heauen That they might at the time appoynted be chiefe as a terrour to all traytors in hellish torments that would haue bene aboue God in heauenly pleasure and felicity Lucifer and his associates thus banished the coelestiall Hierusalem like a wandring Archtraytor that desireth euery one to be like himselfe by infusing into others his poysoÌ„ through hellish perswasion set vpon Adam vsing his wife as an instrument to effect what he intended And like as an Aspe doth first send poyson with a tickling delight into one veine and so from veine to veine vntill the vitals be seized vpon and the body wrapped in the armes of Death So did Satan first by sugered temptation eclipse the cleare shining light of Adams vnderstanding when he caused him to call in question the Lords commandement And afterward wounded him with the sting of concupiscence inwardly hauing procured him to reach his hand towards the apple But once eating and by eating transgressing he was wounded to death And by transgression likewise of the law which is a priuation and want of conformity with the law of God the glorious eye of the vnderstanding became presently obscured like a dead mans eye 1. Ioh. 3. with thicke and palpable darknesse of ignorance And the shining beauty of the will turning away from righteousnesse and holinesse was ouerwhelmed with the darksome cloudes of impurity and iniustice and became through the hardnesse of heart deceiptfull lusts corrupt froward and more poisoned then the minde it selfe Briefly Adam like an euil maÌ„ that hateth the light being become the companion of of death hating his Creator â—uruey of â—he new â—eligion â—ag 353. thought forthwith to hide himselfe vnder shade trees from his presence from whom darknesse it selfe cannot be hidden Thus when by sin as Kellison saith man would not be subiect to God he became a slaue to his owne flesh passions and sensuality hell and damnation And of all this seruile subiection sinne was the cause For when Adam sinned and we in him transgressed we were by and by guilty of death which is the reward of sinne and by sinne we became slaues to sinne and concupiscence For as Christ saith Whosoeuer sinneth is a slaue to sinne And being slaues to sin we were slaues to the Diuell who hath no authority or power ouer vs but by sinne and being slaues to the Diuell we were the captiues of hell Though this be the state of all the sons of men whose birth-right Adam sold in the height of his pleasure for an apple Rom. 5.18 Heb. 12.16 Suruey pag. 580. and not onely his owne as Esau did for a portion of meate in his hunger Yet God who is good and iust and must be iust as Kellison saith else were he
giue remissioâ— of sinnes to those that come on pilgrimage to Rome or send their Angels to mediate their cause he doth not egge forward with Killison to vice Or if a Pope giue remission of sinnes with Vrâ—aâ— the sixth or Clement the seuenth to fight in hiâ— priuate scisme he doth not giue liberty to iniquity Or if a Pope with Inocent the third giue remission oâ— sinnes to murther a King he openeth no gate to licentious libertie But onely Christ must be taxed with that by Kellison who in no case by the Romanâ— law may take away sinne Iesâ—it caâ—ech lib. 2. page 83. But the society of Iesuites may Our society of Iesus saith a Iesuite is an acquitall of all sins One daies deuotion in their house may as you may finde it thus written in their Catech. first booke Ibid. li. an Page 8. 8. page He that shall come euery yeare to performe his deuotions one whole day in our house shall haue plenary indulgence of all his sins though he said but one Pater noster or an Aue Mary The Masse Priest by his owne authority may Luke 5. an Who hauing obtained the wonderfull grace to remit sin saith in the preparation to the Masse Thy mine owne authority do first absolue thee from the sentence of the lesse excommunication if thou haue need thereof And besides I absolue thee from all thy sinnes Almes deeds of themselues may Luke 11.16 annot Almes deedes extinguish sinne redeeme sinne deliuer from death and gaine heauen But Christ without the prayers of the Church and parties merite may not Therefore the Priest before Masse in the absolution saith Let thy sinnes be forgiuen thee through the merits of our Lord Iesus Christ the prayers of our mother holy Church the good deeds that thou hast done and which thou shalt hereafter by the grace of God do The merits of Saints without the helpe of Christ may Therefore as a thing of great secret the Masse Priest secretly saith in the Masse We beseech thee ô Lord through the merits of the Saints whose reliques we here haue through the merits of the rest of the Saints to forgiue me all my sins Briefly Masses wherein a round cake is offered and not Christ Indulgences to the which the Pope subscribes not God mens merit which is a menstruous cloth and not as sweet incense reliques purchased of Masse Priests may take away sinnes and giue life but Christ may not for so to beleeue is high treason to the Romish and Canniball army who hauing inuented many heresies propter gulam ventrem for gluttony and belly cheare as Saint Hierome speaketh feed themselues fat vpon the soules of men But miserable is that spouse as Saint Bernard saith that is committed to such leaders they are not the friends they are the enemies of the Bridegroome Thus much shall suffice concerning the difference of doctrine in this position wherein you may be hold the Angels of light leading the way to Christ the hope of glory and the Angels of darknesse to hopelesse glory lying hid in indulgences merit satisfaction worshipping of Saints images and reliques which Kel in his Epistle to the reader in his Suruey hath promised to make as plaine and as plausible as may be to those that will take his impolished worke in good part that is to deny Christs passion to be sufficient and to looke for saluation in them OPPOS 4. Christ deserued for vs at Gods hands grace by which together with our co-operation we may be saued and redeemed Suruey pag. 26. pag 256. 1. Pet. 1. pag. 257. KEllison a little before this place cited treating of the price of our redemption acknowledgeeth the same to bee so great that as S. Peter saith We were redeemed not by gold and siluer but by the pretious bloud of Christ So rich a price was this bloud that it was sufficient to haue satisfied for the sinne that shed it as Saint Bernard saith Whereupon Kellison concludeth That Christ is our redeemer who hath deliuered vs out of the power of darknesse Pag. 262. Pag. 191. freed vs from the slauery of sinne and bondage of the diuell Yet contrary to all this in another place he teacheth that Christ hath satisfied for our sinnes not because his passion without any co-operation on our part doth suffice and therefore Christ thought it good as he elsewhere saith as we fell by our willes into captiuity so by our owne wils together with grace we should rise againe and winde our selues out of the seruitude of sinne and tyranny of the diuell Saint Paul to the confutation of this doctrine teacheth That Christ himselfe when he ascended on high led captiuity captiue and gaue gifts vnto men not that he led captiuity into heauen where there is no place for sin and death but that to the redeeming and reducing of mankinde to his old liberty and dignity ouercoming the diuell sinne and death he led them in open shew in an vnspeakable triumph according to that saying of the Apostle Col. 2.15 Spoyling the principalities and powers thou hast made a shew of them openly and hast triumphed ouer them Whereupon that ioyfull voyce was heard out of heauen when Christ ascended vp thither not where God the word was not before but where the word become flesh sate not before Now is saluation in heauen and strength and the kingdome of our God and the power of his Christ For the accuser of our brethren is cast downe which accused them before God day and night King Dauid prophesied of this vnspeakable triumph saying They haue seene ô God thy goings the goings of my God and my King which art in the sanctuary The singers went before Reu 12.10 Psa 68.24 the players of instruments after in the middest were the maâ— is plâ—ying with â—â—â—brels In which sweet reioicing it doth most liuely appeare that saluation power is made perfect by the Lords death resurrection by the which sin death is abolished life is restored the diuell cast down ouerthrown so that he can no more accuse mankind before the iudgment seate of God Now we are freed from sin saith the Apostle who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods choseÌ„ Rom. 8. There is our freedome from the punishment It is God that iustifieth who shall coÌ„demne It is Christ which is dead yea rather which is risen againe which is also at the right hand of God and maketh request also for vs So that no accusation may be brought against Gods chosen Seeing then that Christ hath wrought so excellent and perfect redemption as the whole hoast of heauen doth beare witnesse it appeareth that it is not left to the co-operation of our owne wils to rise againe and winde our selues out of the seruitude of sinne and tyranny of the Diuell If it had bene left vnto the will of man how could the will of man haue performed it Ioh. 15. Without me saith
not sinne but if any man sinne he hath me a mediator with the Father and I do by my prayer obtaine pardon for your sinnes as Permenius in a certaine place placed the Bishop a mediator betweene God and the people what good and faithfull Christian could abide him who would behold him as an Apostle of Christ and not as an Apostle of Antichrist Who can then behold the Pope but as Antichrist who haue canonized Saints to this end and praieth to his owne Saints or the Popish Priests as the members of Antichrist who incite men to prâ—y vnto them and giue them that honor which is â—ne vnto God Moreouer do they not likewise giue that worship proper vnto God to images They testifie no lesse in their behauiour to them they goe a pilgrimage to them they make vowes to them they make curtesie to them they giue kisses to them they offer to them they giue gifts and call they not that sacrifice besides veneration which Pope Gregory the 3. commanded to be giuen them and the Councell at Nicene assembled by Hieren at the request of Pope Adrian and of Therasius Anno. 710. Anno. 789. Apol. Bish Iewel pag. 683. Arch-bishop of Constantinople Iacobus Nauclatus cited by Bishop Iewel saith We must grant that the faithfull people in the Church doe not onely worship before the image but also worship the image it selfe and without any scruple of conscience whatsoeuer And further they worship the image with the selfe same honor wherewith they worship the thing it selfe that is represeÌ„ted by the image As if the the thing it selfe bee worshipped with godly honour then must the image be worshipped with godly honour The Bishops assembled at the second Nicene Councell not only agreed that images in Churches are to be allowed but also deuoutly and reuerently to be honored and that with the same honor which is due to God himselfe One of them saith I receiue and worship the reuerend images and this will I teach while I liue Another saith I doe perfectly adore the holy images and I accurse all them that hold the contrary Another saith There be not two kinds of addoration but one onely is due to the Image and the patterne of the Image Seeing then that the Image of God the Father or of Christ is to be honoured with that honour that belongeth either to God or vnto Christ how can they auoyde idolatry Pag. 353. Apol. B. Iewel pag. 683. Robertus Holcot saith This kinde of worship is plaine idolatry Kellison hath set it downe to bee idolatry to giue supreme honour due vnto God to his creatures Gregory the Bishop of Nissa cited by Bishop Iewel saith Hee that worshippeth a creature notwithstaÌ„ding he doth it in the name of Christ yet is hee a worshipper of images as giuing the name of Christ vnto an image Both Epiphanius S. Augustine numbred among heretickes a certaine woman called Marcella which worshipped the images of Iesus and of Paul and offered incense vnto them And shall not they bee numbred among heretickes that worship images according to the commandement of of Pope Gregory the 3. by kneeling vnto them by scensing them By the decree of Pope Stephen the 3. by garnishing them with costly vestures by setting vp candle before them Is this due to stockes and stone Pope Gregory the first saith no The Councell of Toletane the 12. holden in Spaine made constitution both against images and the worship of images The Councell of Elibertine likewise holden in Spaine decreed that all pictures should bee had out of Churches and that nothing which is honored and worshipped should be painted on the Church walles Heere were godly decrees to remoue Images whereas they haue remoued the second Commandement out of the first table to maintaine images and diuided the last Commandement into two to make vp ten though not able to say which is the ninth or tenth For that which is first in Exodus Exod. 20.17 Deut. 5.21 Thou shalt not couet thy neighbours house is last in Deutronomy and that which is first in Deutronomy is last in Exodus Thus it appeareth that they that would seeme to adore Christ as a Redeemer rob and dispoyle him of his honourable title in stilling others their Sauiours in canonizing Saints for intercessors in his stead by calling images after his name and by worshipping them with the same honour Now it remaineth to cleare the Protestants of that false imputation which is that they should rob and dispoyle Christ of that honourable title of Redeemer But wherein In denying Saints to be mediators In that we acknowledge Christ and not the Saints to bee the supreme and onely aduocate we maintaine a truth to the prouing that we are not Christians of a latter brood And to begin withall wee know and hold it for granted that in the beginning no Saint could be prayed vnto For what Saint was there for Adam or Abel to pray vnto or by whose helpe or power entred the first Saint into heauen say not by intercession of Saints for then there was none in heauen nor by their owne power for then Christ dyed in vaine And is not Christ now as powerful as before that we need the helpe of Saints no doubt he is What Saint did Ambraham Isaac Iacob Moses Dauid Ezechiel Daniel and Paul pray to we haue examples in Scripture that all prayed to God And hath the Church of Rome found out a better way then the Prophets and Apostles knew of or Christ himselfe hath euer reuealed That hath taught vs to pray to his Father But since they haue found out a safer way let them in their wisdome shew vs likewise first the time when we must pray to the Saints the Annotations vpon the Rhems saith That we cannot pray to our blessed Lady nor any Saint in heauen Rom. 10. annot vntill we beleeue and know their persons dignity and grace and trust that they can helpe vs. It is necessary then by their doctrine to attaine to the notice of them in this sort which no created vnderstanding can do And withall before they pray vnto them by beleeuing to relye vpon them contrary to Christ precept Beleeue in me and you shall be saued not in the merits of Saint Francis S. Clare and such like Eusebius Emissenus cited by D. Fulke saith We ought of right to beleeue both Paul Peter Rhem 471. but to beleeue in Peter Paul that is to bestow vpon the seruants the honour of the Lord which we ought not Ruffinus vpon the Creed hath obserued that the proposition In is not added where the speech is not of the God-head but of creatures and mysteries As for example We beleeue in God the Father in Iesus Christ in the holy Ghost The holy Catholicke Church not in the holy Catholicke Church The forgiuenesse of sinnes not in the forgiuenesse of sinnes Resurrection of the flesh not in the resurrection of the flesh Therefore to beleeue in