think that these men entend the edification of Gods Church who â—rre in the maine principles and foundations of fayth and cannot stand vnlesse the Pope who hath manifestly declared himselfe an enemy of religion may sit iudge in his owne cause Chap. 3. Kellisons Motiues to Popish religion compared with the Motiues that may enduce men to embrace true Christian religion Therein also the true motiues to Popery are touched KEllison in his first Booke and fift Chapter talketh of Motiues to Christian religion but so coldely and barely as if his cause wanted life and motion First he telleth vs pag. 106. that our Sauiour Christ proued his Mission by prophecyes and miracles Among other miracles hee talketh of the strange coÌ„quest which the Apostles made of Idolatry Secondly he sayth we want reason and authoritye to perswade men to our religion being not comparable eyther to auncient Fathers or to Bellarmine Suarez and such fellowes in wit or learning or good life or antiquity or number or dignity Thirdly he talketh of consent succession But First the example of our Sauiour Christ the conquest made by Christs Apostles ouer Idolatrye maketh against the idolatrous papists For neither can the Pope prooue his vniuersall Monarchy by Prophets or by miracles nor hath any Christian man reason to adhere to papistes that want confirmation of their Popes and Masse-priestes Mission and yet bring into their Churches heathenish idolatry and much false and erronious doctrine and namely concerning the 7. Sacramentes the sacrifice of Christs body and blood in the Masse for quicke dead Popish purgatory and teaching that man by power of free will is able to worke his owne saluation that we are to make vowes and confessions to Saints to offer sacrifice in honor of them that we are to satisfie for sinnes whose guilt is remitted in Purgatory that the Pope hath power to deliuer soules out of Purgatory by his Indulgences that his Chaire is the foundatioÌ„ of the church and such like doctrines of deuils Secondly the ancient Fathers are wholy against the papistes in these poynts As for the Popes of Rome and their parasites Bellarmine Suarez and the rest they are not such as are to be bragged vpon eyther for learning wit good life or any vertue Thirdly neither are the papistes comparable in number to the Turkes Paâ—aÌ„s nor haue they eyther true succession or consent or antiquity that maketh for them Nay if the papistes would stand to these motiues they were cleerly gone For neither haue they prophesies or miracles for them Nor can the Pope or the Masse-priests prooue their mission by miracles nor doth antiquity make for them As for good life this K. may be much ashamed to speake of it the filthynes of Popes Cardinals Masse-priestes Monkes Nonnes and Friars being so notorious to the worlde and recorded in so many storyes and actes of Councels What then is the reason that so many adhere to papistes and what are the motiues that enduce so many to like their religion Forsooth first Fire and Sword For they kill all that will not receiue the Popes marke or that once mutter against their idolatrous religion Secondly secret and trecherous practises against all that shall once dare to professe the truth Masse-priestes brewe treason and rebellion Iesuites set on assassinors The Pope hath his Agents with all Princes Neither doth he or his Agents omit any occasion to stirre vp Princes to make warre against them that professe the truth and to persecute them to death Thirdly excoÌ„municating and killing and poysoning of Kings opposite to the Popes tyranny By the Popes practice K. Henry the 8. and Quéene Elizabeth were often in danger here in England By the trechery of the Leaguers King Henry the 3. was slayne and Henry the 4. wounded and brought to great extremity in France Henry of Lucemburgh was poysoned by a Dominican Fryar Frederic the 2. was empoysoned and in the end murdered as Matthew Paris doth signifie and this no dout by the Popes practise The 5. of Nouember anno 1605. a trayne of gunpowder was layd by certaine Papistes vnder the vpper house of Parliament purposing to destroy the King the Quéene the Prince the nobles and commons there assembled and by their destruction to replant popery in England The treason discouered they broke forth into open rebellion Fourthly slaundrous Libels as the inuectiues of Alan and Parsons against Quéene Elizabeth and the State of Saunders against Her and her Parents and Counsaile of the Leaguers and Iesuites against King Henry the 3. and 4. of France and the rayling discourses written against Luther Zuinglius Caluin Beza Knox and all godly men declare Fiftly their impudent lies and fables in setting foorth their owne Religion and discommending the truth and such as eyther now or in time past professed it as the fabulous tales of Iacobus de voragine Surius Baronius and diuers writers of popish Histories will testifie Sixtly their publishing of counterfet bookes vnder the names of Fathers and the corrupting of Fathers by their expurgatorie indexes 7. Their impudent falsification of ancient Fathers and other writers as may bee prooued out of the allegations of Bellarmine Stapleton and other popish Proctors 8. Their false imputations laide vpon others and their impudent denials of thinges done by themselues 9. The diligent suppressing of the Books of holy Scripture and all Bookes written in vulgar tongues concerning matters of religion 10. The prohibiting of Christians to dispute reason or question of matters of faith 11. The ignorance blindnes of christians that know nothing but onely such matters as the false Fryars and Masse-priestes tel them 12 The impudent clamors raylings of this generation in Pulpits lying and slaundring all that professe the Gospell sincerely 13. The rigor of auriculer confession by meanes whereof the Popish faction vnderstandeth all mens secrets 14. The bloody crueltie of the popes agentes executioners and inquisitors Finally the rewardes and prayses that are giuen to those that trauaile eyther by writing or practise to maintaine the Popes cause Without these motiues all the motiues mentioned by Kellison were to no purpose As for vs wee haue two principall motiues to hold vs in the truth which would also mooue others to draw vnto vs if they knew them The first is the truth and iustice of our cause The next is the impieties blasphemies abhominations fooleries absurdities iniustice of Popery For the truth of our Religion weâ— offer to bring Scriptures councels Fathers antiquitie consent true succession law reason and all other proofes required in the iustification of Religion The reasons to deterre men from Popery we shal God willing deduce at large in a particular discourse Thus much may serue to requite Kellisons discourse of motiues to Religion for the present Chap. 4. Of the markes and properties of Heretickes THe name and nature of Heresie beeing so odious it is not to be maruelled if the Patrons thereof disguise themselues in their tearmes names
promised as much as he Yet sought he the destruction of the King State being perswaded thereto by Iesuites and led into treason by the rules of Popish Religion As for the Masse and Doctrines of Poperie which he bringeth with him they leade to destruction and not to saluation they teach idolatrye and not Gods true worship error and Heresie and not true Faith The Popes obedience is a yoke in supportable His lawes are snares of mens consciences His Priests and Fryars are the Locustes come out of the bothomlesse pit of Hell His Religion is neyther Catholike nor auncient but rather a mixture of new and olde Heresies Neither can the King looke eyther for safety or peace so long as he suffereth a generation of viperous Priests and Friars depending on an Arch-Priest to liue within the bowels of the State and a packe of Papists to vphold the authority of his opposites vnder colour of Religion Take away the Gun powder Papists such as had rather serue Antichrist then Christ to bow their knees to Baalim then to worship God and then you remoue the hopes of our enemies that seek to disturbe our peace the firebrāds of troubles that are the likeliest meanes to set all on a flame To such as demaund why hee dedicated this great bale of blotting paper to the King he giueth this answere that hee cannot want an answere because he cannot want a reason And no doubt but he imagined that therein he did pindarize and speake very eloquently Yet many want answeres that haue farre more reason and honestie then he diuers want no ready answeres that proceede without reason Whatsoeuer hee pretendeth little reason had he to offer this bundl e of papers to the King For albeit learned men present their Bookes to Kings supposing nothing to bee well begunne vnlesse after God the King fauour it as Vegetius affirmeth yet this is nothing to this rude peece of worke that is so fraught with calumniations and idle discourses that neither God nor man can well seeme to fauour it Further although the King delite in Bookes and hath set foorth diuers rare monuments of his rare wit and learning yet doth hee not take pleasure in such scurrilous surueyes Nor may we thinke that a man of such iudgement and learning can like or allowe such base stuffe Thirdly we confesse that the King is indeede the protector of Religion the Champion of the Church and defender of the Faith But little doth this auaile Kellisons cause who pleadeth rather for jdolatrie and superstition then Religion for the sinagogue of Antychrist rather then for Christs Church for the errors and abuses of Poperie rather then for the faith of Christ Fourthly it is not to be doubted but that all the Kings true friendes did tryumph and make Bonfires at the Kings happie entrance into the Kingdome and at his Coronation But that sheweth that the Iesuites Masse-priestes and their adherents are not the Kings true Friends For they tryumph but a little at the Kings prosperitie and many of them of late haue sought insteede of Bonfires which this K. calleth Feux de Ioy to set the Cittie vppon a fire to blow vp the Parliament house and places adioyning with Gunne-powder Other their consorts are more desirous to burne the bones bodies of Gods saints then to make bonfires when they vnderstand of the Kinges prosperous successe Fiftly wee acknowledge that God by his prouidence hath reserued the King for the Crowne of England quietly possessed him of his Crowne But we know also that the Papists haue of late sought to depriue him of his liberty life and Crowne And Parsons and the Iesuites of long time haue oppugned the Kings Title both of them resisting not onely the Kings right but also Gods prouidence Finally if for all these fauours God expect at his Maiesties handes that hee imploye himselfe in some honorable seruice for the Catholike Church and Christes true faith and for the deliuerance of his Realmes from Aegiptiā captiuitie and the restoring of his subjects to the Catholike faith as Kellison desireth then is hee to take a resolute course for the remouing of al idolatrous Masse-priestes which seduce his Subiectes and turne them from the Catholike faith their alleageance to imbrace humane traditions and the decretaline Doctrine of the Pope and to prefer the Pope before their King Then is he further to ouerthrow the groues of the jdolatrous Priestes and to prouide that his Realmes be not againe entangled with a yoake of bondage ouer-whelmed with ignorance Aegiptian darkenesse Lastly he is to see that Heresies and false Doctrines bee not receiued vnder the colour of Romish Religion Most grossely therefore hath this Romish Legat fayled in the proofes of his presumptuous attempt in presenting his worthlesse and trifling discourses to the King But hauing once passed the limits of modestie he passeth himself in impudency afterward aduenturing to preferre a sute to the King for libertie to Papists and for tolleration of Popish Religion A matter that with modestie cannot be mencioned to so pious a King and by rules of Religion and state may not be granted For it is impious Idolatrous and heretical And therfore may not be admitted of christiās It is factious rebellious derogatory both to the prerogatiue of Princes liberty of Subiects And therfore not to be endured in any wel gouerned state Finally themselues admit no Religion contrarie to their owne false groundes if they can doe withall Why doe they then require that of others that they yeeld not to others thēselues if he deny any point of these he shall finde them iustified in diuers answers framed to the importune supplycations of Papistes and wee shall alwaies be readye to prooue the same againe as oft as the matter shall come in question But had he reason to come to the King yet he hath no reason to rayle on the Kings predecessor Queene Elizabeth of famous memorie as hee dooth charging hir first with raysing a storme of persecution and next with the ruine of the Catholtke faith Nay most falsely he chargeth a most clement and mercifull Queene with persecution and a Christian Prince of singular pyetie with hatred of Catholike Religion Moste falsely I say for al her actes and lawes doe argue an excellent moderation in her proceedings against such as moste violentlye prosecuted her and so farre was she vrged to doe that shee did that the secular Priestes not onely excuse her for proceeding against Papists but also to their vttermost defend her Furthermore no christian Prince in our time shewed more zeale in the defence of true Catholike Religion then she True it is that shee fauoured not Popish errors But nothing is more different then Popery and Catholike Religion Neither shall this K. euer prooue the contrarie Hauing ended his idle discourse concerning the dedication of his book he maketh bolde to begin his sute for a tolleration of Popery But his proceding is
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
⧠The Examination and Confutation OF A certaine scurrilous treatise entituled The Suruey of the newe Religion Published by Matthew Kellison in disgrace of true religion professed in the Church of England Matth. 5. Blessed are yee when men shall reuile you and persecute you and speake all euill of you falsely for my names sake Psal 59. In the euening they shall goe to and fro barke like dogges and goe about the Citie They shall runne heere and there for meat and surely they shall not be satisfyed though they tarry all night LONDON Printed by E. Allde for Richard Serger and Edmund Weauer are to be solde at the great north dore of S. Paules Church 1606. TO THE HONORABLE Sir Thomas Fleming Knight Lord chiefe Baron of his Majesties Court of the Exchequer I Do heere preseÌ„t your Lordship with a smal Treatise Small I say in respect of my labours for what should I need to labour in answering so friuolous triuial matters and not great in respect of the volume for that fewe wordes might serue to cleare all doubtes that stand vpon our aduersaries bare wordes Yet I hope it shall not bee esteemed either vntimely or vnprofitable if we regard the argument For it conteineth a necessary defence of our Christian faith and of the professors thereof against the wicked calumniations of a rayling Masse-priest called Kellison and a sober answere to his virulent and per case vinolent inuectiues by him entitled a Suruey of the new Religion The reasons that mooued mee to direct this discourse to your Lordship are diuers First your deepe iudgement and skill in matters of this nature Next your piety and zeale for the cause of Religion Thirdly your place in this Christian Common-wealth And lastly those honorable fauors which it hath pleased your lordship to shew to me in particuler and to Gods Ministers in generall For if the same were approoued by a man of such authority and iudgement I doubted not but it would receiue grace the rather in the common estimation of others And being published in defence of piety and ReligioÌ„ I presumed it would receiue good intertainment at the handes of euery man studious of truth and piety Furthermore if any false companion should take vppon him either to giue out false particulers of his Maiesties landes or to make a suruey of them without warrant or iudgemeÌ„t it belongeth to your place in this state to reuew and controll his indiscretion and to punish his presumption Much more therefore behooueth it you considering your functioÌ„ eminent place in this Christian state to concurre with vs in censuring this madde Surueyor of Religion controlling his indiscreete ranging discourse hauing in so many particulers wronged the King of Kinges and his eternall truth What the end was of this his Suruey we may easily coniecture As the Priestes Scribes and Pharisyes by rayling against Christ and his Apostles sought to drawe the peoples affection from them and to allure them to like their errors so this Priest of Baal by his slaundrous imputations laid vpon Christian Religion and the professors thereof seeketh to disturne meÌ„ from the loue of truth and to draw them to Popish errors It may be also that seeking to defame others he thought to qualify the enormities of his owne coÌ„sortes and their wicked Heresyes The Donatistes as Optatus in lib. 1. aduers Parmen testifieth went about to defame other mens liues that they might cause their owne faultes to be passed in silence Vt crimina in silentium mitterent sua vitam infamare conati sunt alienam What substance is in this worthlesse worke it appeareth plainely by his tedious preambles idle discourses false collections weake conclusions forged allegations his other fooleryes too common in euery Chapter The whole volume of his sycophanticall Suruey is nothing else but a composition of diuers old endes of childish declamations mingled with a decoction of stale calumniations against particuler men many times and in diuers Bookes reiected by vs and now againe brought forth by him therby to empoyson his credulous folowers if they happen to taste so vnpleasant a potion This Booke he had little reason to call a Suruey of ReligioÌ„ For therein he neither obserueth rules of Religion nor of commoÌ„ ciuility It might rather haue beene titled a surfet of a madde Masse-priestes malice degorged out of a corrupt stomacke fraught with vndigested humors of Popish calumniations Heresies Quod descriptionis dedecus saith Hierome Lib. 1. contr Iouinian That is what a shamefull Suruey is this But better may we apply these wordes to this Suruey For it is both shamefull and harmefull and seemeth to sauor rather of a mad-mans malice then of a Doctors learning and sobriety As Epiphanius saith of Photinus haeres 71. Verba maledicentiae neutiquam consistere valentia euomuit Hee hath degorged against vs many rayling termes but they haue neither grouÌ„d nor coherence I need not insist long to tell your Lordship what manner of man this Kellison is Let his Booke and our answer speake He calleth himselfe a Doctor But as Hierome epist 61. speaking of a certaine Bishop doubteth whether ludio an episcopus loquitur so I may doubt of this Doctor whether hee was an Italian mountebancke or a Doctor of Doway Some say it is not long since this great Doctor was my Lord Vauxes Butler And the rather I beleeue it for that he hath set vs a broach a Butte of his owne errors lyes and fooleryes His friendes suppose that as his heart is become Spanish so hee hath better grace in drawing of Spanish wine then in talking of Religion Little did either the man or his matter deserue answere But yet for the instruction of the simple and confirmatioÌ„ of the weake I haue bestowed some labour in examining the particulers of this Suruey Weake men and such as haue no strength often are ouerthrowne by weake aduersaries In pugna pugâ—lum et gladiatorum saith Tertullian lib. de praescrip aduers haeret plerunque non quia fortis est vincit quis aut quia non potest vinci sed quoniam ille qui victus est nullis viribus fuit If by our labours either the weake be confirmed or the strong emboldened and stirred vp to contend more resolutely for the truth they are in part to ascribe the same to your Lordship by whose protection I haue the more firmely withstood the malice of such as went about to stoppe the course of my studyes to whose Patronage I consecrate this my briefe censure of a malicious aduersaries suruey It should haue come foorth long since if eyther my troubles had giuen me leasure or my meanes ability to publish it But I thanke God that the same encumbrances do not hinder it still Vouchsafe therfore my good Lord to accept of this small discourse as a memoriall of my dutiful affection towards your Lordship and a testimoniall of my gratefull acceptance of your loue and fauor towards me And
as you haue alwayes professed the true Christian and Apostolike faith and detested all errors and abhominations of Popery so still endeuour zealously to maintaine the same truth against all the calumniations treacherous practises of all such as audaciously and impudently oppugne the fayth and seeke to draw men into errors God will honor those that seeke his honor vnfeynedly and such as cary themselues as lukewarme shall be cast out of his mouth and deemed vnworthy to rest in his holy Mountaine Thus relying vpon your fauor I commend this Treatise to your Lordship and your Lordship to the Almightyes protection beseeching him to blesse you and yours in this life and in the life to come to giue you a crowne of glory promised to all those that shall perseuer to the end and manfully and seriously contend for the maintenance of truth and the setting foorth of Gods Glory Your Lordships in all dutifull affection Matthew Sutcliffe The Contents of the Booke THe Preface to the Reader wherein Kellisons two Epistles or preambles are censured and diuers poyntes noted in the title and front of his Booke Chapter 1. Kellisons fond conceit error concerning the foundations of our religion is noted and diuers errors of his first booke refuted Chap. 2. The foundations of Popish religion discouered to be most weake and foolish Chap. 3. The motiues to Popish religion mentioned by Kellison compared with the motiues of true religion Therein also the true motiues to Popery are expressed Chap. 4. Of the markes and propertyes of heretikes Chap. 5. An answere to Kellisons calumniations against the doctrine professed in the Church of England concerning Christ his person and his two natures Chap. 6. A collection of certaine absurd blasphemous assertions of the Papists concerning Christ his incarnation person natures and offices Chap. 7. An answere to Kellisons calumniations charging vs either to haue no religion at all or a gracelesse religion Chap 8. The Surueyors calumniations against our doctrine concerning God refuted Chap. 9. That our doctrine giueth due obedience and respect both to Princes and to their lawes Chap. 10. That our doctrine leadeth men to vertue deterreth them from vices Chap. 11 A rejection of Kellisons slanderous accusations imputing in his 8. booke Atheisme contempt of religion to the professors of true religion in the Church of England THE PREFACE TO THE READER Conteyning a briefe Censure vpon the Title and the front of Kellisons Suruey and his two liminare Epistles and Praeambles THe Deuill as we read Iob 1. is said To compasse the Worlde and to walke through it and experience teacheth vs that he is a very busie curious Surueyer We are not therefore to thinke it strange if his children do immitate their father and proue great compassers of the world and contriuers of plots and surueyes to bring men within the circle of their owne errors Among the rest one Kellison a copper kettle Masse-preist hath shewed him-selfe a great compasser of sea and land to winne proselytes to the Synagogue of Antichrist and a busie and captious surueyer to espye motes in our Christian faith for this end hath set out a large volume called The Suruey of the new Religion But first we say to him as Christ said to a man of his qualitie Hypocrita primū eijce trabem c. Hipocrite first cast the beame out of thine owne eye and then thou shalt more easily see to take a mote out thy brothers eye So we pray him to discharge his Romish religion of the just imputation of noueltie then he may with more reason taxe others for maintayning newe religion As for our Religion it is vniustly and absurdly termed newe For as Ignatius said in his Epistle to the Philippians Christ is our antiquitie And in religion that is most ancient that is from the Apostles as Tertullian doth signifie If then our Religion be from Christ and is grounded vpon the holy Scriptures and not vpon late Decretales and the opinions of Popes School-men and Canonists how is the same reputed newe doth not Kellison remember that the somme of our whole desire is that Popish nouelties and the late Tridentine doctrine being abolished we may returne to the ancient Catholike and Apostolike faith Absurdly also he his consorts repute the Romish moderne religion to be ancient seeing the same as it differeth from the religion professed in the Church of England is nothing but an hochpot of heresies and erroneous corrupt doctrine either deriued from late School-men or first established by the late Conuenticles of Trent Florence Constance and Lateran or by little and little confirmed by corrupt custome The Popish Masse as it now standeth is but a late patcherie In the olde ordinall of Rome it appeareth that neither priuate Masses nor halfe Communions nor Transubstantiation nor the sacrifice of Christs body and blood contayned vnder the accidents of bread and wine for quicke and dead nor the adoration of the Sacrament with latria nor prayers to Saints and for the dead were in vse in ancient time The Fathers doe no where teach that brute beasts receiuing a consecrated hoast eate Christs flesh or that Christs flesh is receiued downe into mens bellyes nay they teach quite contrary The Bishops of Rome for many yeares vsed not the temporall sworde Neither was the Pope Lord of Rome vntill the time of Boniface the 9. Gregory the first condemned both the vniuersall authoritie of one Bishop ouer the rest and the adoration of Images Neuer was it imagined before the time of the Conuenticle of Trent that euery pield Masse-priest as ofte as he said Masse wrought three miracles The necessitie of auricular confession was first decreed by Innocent the third The number of 7. Sacraments albeit before talked of idly by School-men was not by any publike authoritie receiued before the Conuenticle of Florence Finally it is easie to shew that the Popes doctrine concerning Indulgences Purgatorie the worship of Saints and Images extreame vnction and other poynts of religion in controuersie betwixt the Papists and vs is lately brought in and more newe then that religion which we professe which by Kellison is lewdly and falsely called newe Many wonder also why he should call his Treatise A Suruey of the newe Religion seeing the poyntes which he handleth are neither matters of religion nor professed by vs nor proued against them vpon whome they are fathered by Cochleus Staphylus Genebrard Bolsec Stapleton Sanders and such like lying parasites He professeth him-selfe a Doctor but his Discourse declareth him to be in the number of those of whome the Apostle speaketh 1. Tim. 1. Which would be Doctors of the Law and yet vnderstand not whereof they speake nor whereof they affirme If he haue no more knowledge then he hath shewed in this Suruey he is a Doctor and professor of Diuinitie of a lowe price Little certes doth he vnderstand what that profession meaneth that could not distinguish his owne
his fellowes calumniations from the grounds and articles of our religion And euill doth he deserue the title of a Doctor professor of diuinitie which so often speaketh against Scriptures and lib. 1. cap. 2. calleth the proofes grounded vpon them bare and rather deriueth his diuinitie out of the sinkes of School-men and corrupt puddles of Philosophers then out of holy Scriptures Lib. 1. cap. 3. he calleth the working of Gods spirit a fancy Lib. 7. cap. 7. he blusheth not to write that justification by fayth in Christ without workes is a doctrine opening a gappe to all sinnes Against Christs Priesthood this priest of Baal talketh prophanely as if the same were imperfect without the addition of Romish Masse-priestes And with Christs Sacrifice he compareth nay he equalleth the sacrifice of the Masse Of Christian libertie he discourseth freely but very fondly and falsely denying that the same consisteth any whit in the deliuerance of mens consciences from the cursse of the law from the yoke of Iewish ceremonyes and humane traditions Against the assurance that Christians haue of Gods fauour and of their owne saluation he runneth out and reuelleth as if it were a dangerous poynt of doctrine and a cause of diuers inconueniences all which doe argue that he is but a kettle-doctor of diuinitie and a professor like to those of whome the Apostle speaking Rom. 1. sayth When they professed them-selues wise they became fooles In matters in Religion and Diuinitie he tumbleth him-selfe as the olde Prouerb sayth Tanquam Asinus in vnguento that is as an Asse smeared with a costly oyntment For although the profession of diuinitie be honorable yet it fitteth this Beeredrawer or Tapster that calleth him-selfe a Doctor and professor of Diuinitie no better then it fitteth an Asse to be perfumed with Muske and Ciuet. For his deuise he chuseth these two Sētences Doe men gather Grapes of thornes or Figs of thistles They shal prosper no further For their folly shal be made manifest to all The first being takē out of Mat. 7. the secōd out of 2. Tim. 3. both seruing vs to cōclude against him his consortes whose discourses are rather like bundles of thornes thistles then like Grapes Figges It seemeth when he framed them he shooke his lippes like an Asse cropping of thistles From a man of such a distemperd humour we are not to looke for better frutes And certes no maruel if such lying and rayling courses prosper not Mendacia non diu fallunt sayth Cyprian lib. 1. epist 3. That is Lyes doe not long deceiue neyther doth darknesse continue when the day beginneth to appeare Now their lying and cogging all their fooleryes are daily more and more made manifest Euripides in Andromacha speaking of the Spartans calleth them Kings of lyes and sowers of mischiefe And Athanasius ad Constantium speaking of the Arians Miror sayth he eos sine vlla abominatione aut horrore mendacij ita falsa c. potuisse dicere I wonder how without horror and abhomination of the fact they could deuise thinges so false But with far better reason we may say this of Kellison other our aduersaryes who in lying and aequiuocating passe both Spartans and Africans and lay plots of mischiefe neuer heard of in anye age before They make no Conscience what they sweare We may not therefore thinke it strange if he speake any thing sounding to our disgrace most falsely As Tertullian lib. contra Hermog sayth of that heretike so we may say of Kellison Loquacitatem faecundiam existimat c. He thinketh babling to be eloquence and impudencye to be constancye And these are the frutes and effectes of Kellisons labours It resteth thē hauing spokē of the Tytle front of his worke that wee doe our endeauour to make this mans folly appeare most manifestly in the rest of his Suruey that wee prescribe some Triacle to such as otherwise might percase taste of his poysoned discourses But before we passe any further wee are first to examine his two praeambular Epistles wherof the first is directed to the King the second to euery other Reader Vnto Kings men of discretion vse not to present trifles or else matters not pleasing their humours or not sorting with their royall Majesties excellencie endeuouring as much as in them lyeth to make their giftes correspond with their greatnesse But Kellison respected all this nothing For albeit this Suruey be a most idle deuise and most vnworthy to be presented to so wise learned pious and famous a King as conteining nothing else but a fardle of lyes calumniations and fooleryes and certaine odde fragments of olde declamations euaporated with age Yet no inferiour person could satisfie him then our King such was his arrogancye and impudencie Nay albeit he plainly perceiued incongruitie yet could he not forbeare to prease into the Kings presence and there to offer vp a sacrifice of his Suruey a fitter offring for Vulcan then for any man of note or dignitye He supposeth that therein he hath committed only three inciuilities But if he would haue spoken plainly hee should haue named them three grosse absurdities as indeed they are For first what is or can be deuised more absurd then for a bald idolatrous Masse-priest to presume to present himselfe before a religious and Christian King enimie to all Idolaters and Priests of Ball for a sworne slaue of King-killing Popes and a teacher and a maintainer of their wicked disloyall doctrine to presume to appeare before a King whose life he his consorts haue sougnt to take away and whose Royall authoritie and Honour all Papists doe empaire and whose Crowne all Masse-priestes seeke to deliuer into the Popes hands For a fugitiue and an enimie to his Prince Country boldly to speak to so mightie a King and so kinde a Father to his Country and subjects Secondly might such an idolatrous Saltpeter-priest and a fugitiue Traytor be pardoned for his arrogant and presumptuous boldnesse daring to come into a Princes presence that is so hardly pressed with the great weight multitude of the affayres of state as himselfe confesseth yet modestie might haue taught him if any sparke of modesty had been in him we may not forbeare to tell him that it is too great rudenesse for fugitiues to thrust in among the Peeres of the Realme and for base cōpanions to appeare without cōmission among the Ambassadours of great Princes as he hath done Thirdlie if needs he would presse into the Kings presence and like a Kettle-maker stand among great men with his present then hee should haue thought vpon some thing that might be more gratefull then this scurrilous Libel containing nothing but calumniations inuectiues and declamations against that Religion which both the King and his people professeth shall alwayes be justified to be most true and Apostolike against him and all his partakers At the least if he had nothing to offer that might please so great a
sottish intollerable He cōmeth to the King as he saith armed with hope constrayned by necessitie in the name of the Kings Catholike subiects in the name of the Catholike Church in the name of all Catholike Princes and of all the Christian worlde nay in the name of the great King of heauen and earth But as the common Prouerbe is The hilles trauaile and out commeth a ridiculous Mouse For first what hope can this armed fellowe pretend to obtaine fauourable audience either of the King or State that not onely rayleth on true religion and the Kings true subjectes but also pleadeth for such as of late sought to destroye both the King and State Againe how can he and his consortes talke of comming armed with hope when Catesbie and his followers came armed with yron to cut the Kings throte and to take away our liues and when his armes are not hope nor arguments but bitter Inuectiues dartes of slaunder and malicious fictions Thirdly no man is compelled by necessitie to play the Vice and that without all colour or vizor of modestie For what is more Vice-like then for such a pild compagnion to pretend the name of all the Christian worlde and all Catholike Princes being not able to shewe commission either from any Prince or any part of the Christian worlde Fourthlye not onely all the Catholike Church but also all Catholike Princes doe disauow this presumptuous fellowes pretended Commission renouncing his impious doctrine concerning the faith and Sacraments his trecherous opinions concerning the Popes vsurped authority in deposing and killing Christian King's his wicked defence of the worship of Saints and Angels and all his idle declamations lewd lyes heathenish impostures false doctrines heresies Fiftly the Papists of England for the most part doe euill deserue the name of subjectes But were they ranked among subjectes yet are they not to be ranked among Catholikes seeing they receiue the errors of the modern Synagogue of Rome erre in the faith How-soeuer they think of themselues they haue no reason to allowe their pild Proctors pleading for others who putteth them among theeues and murderers and concludeth that Papists are to haue a tolleration of their opinions because Theeues and murderers are now pardoned We say his conclusion is weake and simple For faultes once committed are more easily pardoned then a lycence graunted to commit faultes euer heer-after Further offences against our brethern are more easilye remitted then offences that are directly committed against God Sixtly if Princes that liue vnder the Pope and are his vassals would prefer any sute to the King they would cōmend it to wiser Agents and not to such a balde compagnion Seuenthly it is a grosse conceit of a raw diuine to thinke that the Christiā world euer beleeued in the Popes triple Crowne or guard of Switzers or embraced the doctrine of the Conuenticle of Trent and Schoolmen concerning Traditions Sacraments Purgatory Indulgēces worship of Saints and Angels and such like poyntes of Popish sayth Finally if this counterfet Legat doe not shew his Commission vnder Seale and plainly proue the Popes Decretales the doctrine of the Conuenticle of Trent School-men the Popes two swordes and all the trash of Poperie he is to be rejected as a frantike forger of newe Commissions and disauowed by his clyents as a foolish and simple pleader His reasons for tolleration of Popery are either grounded vpon false positions or else want forme of good conclusions That which he sayth of the Kinges Predecessors that with Crowne Scepter and Sword they mainteyned the moderne doctrine of the Romish Church is vtterly false For they neuer beleeued that the Pope had power to take away their Crownes or that Christians like Canibals did eate Christs flesh with their teeth and swallowe it downe into their bellyes or other moderne Romish errors heresies and impieties But did any ancient Princes maintaine errors that bindeth not their posteritie to continue therein We are not to folowe the steppes of our parents where them-selues tread awrye Constantine left the Paganisme of his auncestors The auncient Kinges of Spayne were Arians yet doe the later Kinges of Spayne detest Arianisme False it is also that the people of Scotland in time past were of the same faith which this Kellison teacheth at Doway It may bee they built Abbeyes worshipped Saints vsed some popish ceremonies more then christian religiō required But K. must prooue that they beleeued the doctrine of the Cōuenticle of Trent al the Popes decretales offended in jdolatrie as grossely and obstinately as the Papists doe now or else hee trifleth out time in vaine Thirdly hee speaketh not onely falsely but also absurdly where he promiseth honour to such Princes as imbrace Poperie For what can be more dishonorable then for Kings to become vassals to lose halfe their Subjects halfe their authoritye halfe their reuenues doth Kellison suppose it honorable for Kings to be controlled deposed killed or can any free English man endure to be subiect to Italians and strangers Fourthly vainely doth this declaimer promise felicitie to the Realme declyning to popery There can be no greater bondage nor miserie for mens soules then to be entangled with popish lawes traditions and censures Base it is to endure the Masse-priestes extortions and pillages greeuous to see the land deuoured by Caterpillers Fiftly we confesse it is honorable to conquer Heresie but this honor belongeth not to Princes blinded with poperie which is nothing else but a masse or compendium of diuers heresies Contrarywise if Masse-priests were rooted out and Gods true Religion in euerie quarter sincerely receiued then should we neither feare the wrath of God threatned against jdolaters and contemners of Religion nor the enmitie opposition of men hauing no meanes to hurt vs but by the practises mutinies of Papists Sixtly neither is the Religion professed in England new nor is popery old And therein I wil ioyne issue with this Surueyor if hee dare maintaine the contrarye Hee braggeth much but the surfet of popery hath distempered his wits Seauenthly it was honorable we confesse for Constantine to restore Christian Religion But what maketh this for poperie which was not in the world in the daies of Constantine nor many ages after Furthermore when Kellison shall be at any leysure and not troubled with his Gunpowder plots of high treason then we will shew and prooue to his teeth that poperie is a corruptiō of faith a declination frō Christian Religion to errors heresies Finally to secure the Kings life and the peace of the State this wise Orator offereth oathes But Christian people are too well acquainted with the practises of Papists to trust them eyther vpon oathes bands or pledges Of late while they were moste forward to offer oathes and all securitie that could be deuised then Pearcy and his mates were sitting powder vnder the Parliament house and laying a plot for a general massacre of all true Christians and for a
vnlesse he will haue both a building without a foundation and a foundation beside the building Fourthly it is an absurd course to separate the power of the Church and the persons in whome the same consisteth from the Church Fiftly what more ridiculous then to call a forme of proceeding a principle of Christian Doctrine Sixtly all Articles of the faith may be called heads but it is meere foppery to thinke that Christian Religion hath as many foundations as seuerall Articles Finally it is moste absurde to beleeue that eyther the Pope or the Church of Rome doth interpret scriptures infallibly or hath the power to adde Articles not contained in Scriptures to the Christian faith If then Stapletons meaning be that all traditions not written and all interpretations of the Pope and his adherents and all the Popes determinations and decretales and the sayings of the fathers and Councels allowed by the Pope are the foundations of faith then doth he endeuor to build Babylon not Hierusalem fantasticall deuises and monstrous chimeraes and not the true faith the kingdome of Antichrist and not Christes church Nay if these were foundations of faith then would it follow First that the foundation of the Romish faith is not yet fully laide For as yet all their decretales and determinations are not fully published Secondly we should not know where to finde this faith these traditions and interpretations and opinions of Fathers all of them being not yet resolued Thirdly the Romish faith should be a meere humane deuise standing vpon humane fancies Finally it should be contrary to it selfe and to scriptures for such are the Romish traditions and interpretations and allegations of fathers Canus in his Booke de Locis Theologicis layeth downe ten groundes from whence all arguments in controuersies of Diuinitie in his opinion are deriued The first is holy Scripture The 2. traditiō The 3. is the authoritie of the Catholik church The 4. is the authority of general councels The 5. is the authoritie of the Church of Rome The 6. is the authoritie of the holy Fathers The 7. is the authoritie of Schoolemen Canonists The 8. is naturall reason The 9. is the authoritie of Philosophers and ciuill lawyers The last is the authoritie of humane histories But first it is no smal wrong to ioyne with holy scriptures not onely the writing of Fathers but also the writings of Schoolemen canonists and profane writers Secondly it is the ouerthrowe of faith to found the same vppon vncertaine and vnknowne traditions Thirdly it appeareth heereby that the faith of Papists for the moste part is an humane opinion being grounded vpon men nay vpon humane reason Finally his groundes are not onely changeable for the moste part but also contrarie one to another That is prooued not onely by the mutability of the decrees of councels Doctrine of councels Schoole-diuines Canonists and prophane authors but also by traditions themselues of which diuers are abrogated and ceased This may be demonstrated by traditions by testimonies of Fathers actes of Councels the doctrine of Thomistes and Scotistes Canonists ciuill Lawyers and profane writers For not onely profane writers haue shewed themselues ignorant of matters of faith but both Schoolemen and fathers haue held contrarie opinions as shall be prooued when neede is by diuers particulars Bellarmine in his Preface in lib. de pont Rom. is not ashamed to apply these words of the Prophet Isay Behold I will put a Stone in the foundation of Sion vnto the pope There also hee auoucheth the Sea of Rome to bee the foundation of the Faith Likewise in the end of his preface de verbo dei he seemeth to holde that the sence of Scriptures is to be fetched from the Popes See and sencelesse decretales Lastly the same man doth as confidently alleadge the Pope decretales as Saint Paules Epistles Gelasius in the Chapter Sancta dist 15. ordeineth that the Histories of Martyrs and their sufferings are to bee receiued And commonly the Romish Church doth prooue her traditions partly out of such legends and partly out of their missals porteses and other rituall Bookes Kellison therefore when he looketh vpon the ruinous foundations of the Romish faith hath little reason to talke against the foundations of our Christian faith For First we all agree that the writings of the Prophets and Apostles are the principles and foundations of our faith and thus both Scriptures and Fathers doe teach vs. But the Papists as may appeare by that which I haue alleadged doe one differ from another Canus doth not once mention the Pope among his theologicall places which to Stapleton and Bellarmine is the principall foūdation of the worke Contrarywise Stapleton leaueth Scriptures out of his reckoning of principles of faith which Canus confesseth to be a moste solide foundation of faith Canus againe numbreth diuers foundations and places theologicall which others doe not once mention Secondly albeit we doe not build our faith principallye eyther vpon the actes of councels or testimonies of Fathers further then they build their Doctrine vpon holy Scriptures yet in the interpretatiō of Scriptures wee doe not neglect the authoritie of councels and Fathers But the Papists albeit they seeme to found their faith vpon the authoritie of councels and Fathers yet regard them not one straw if it be the popes pleasure to determine contrarie vnto them Thirdly our faith is built vpon the rocke Christ Iesus but the faith of the Romanists is built vppon the straw and stubble of popish traditions determinations and as they say vpon the Pope who to them is the supreme iudge and pole-starre of faith shining out of his papall Chaire Fourthly our faith is the Christian faith being built onely vpon the word of God Theirs is a decretaline an humane faith being built vpon the Popes decretales and humane inuentions Fiftly our groundes are immoouable and agree well one with an other But their groundes are mutable and contrary one to another Sixtly they cannot deny our groundes vnlesse they will blaspheme against holy Scriptures But vpon their owne groundes they are not yet well agreed We doe generally refuse them and antiquity was ignorant of them Seuenthly our groundes are safe and sure But he that foloweth the Pope or beleeueth all that is written in the Breuiaryes and Missals cannot assure him felfe that he is in the right Finally it is a thing most ridiculous to beleeue that whatsoeuer an vnlearned Pope or a man voyd of religion determineth in matters of fayth is to be holden as a matter and firme Article of fayth For as well may a blind man iudge of colours as a blind and irreligious Pope of matters of religion But we are assured that the Prophets and Apostles haue truly declared vnto vs the whole counsaile of God Open your eyes therfore deere Christians and suffer not your selues to be abused by the impostures of Masse-priestes You see they are not resolued in the foundations of fayth And doe you
and titles The Valentinians as Tertullian in his Book against them testifieth did colour their most vaine and filthie deuises with holy names titles and arguments of true religioÌ„ Sanctis nominibus titulis argumentis verae religionis vanissimà atque turpissima figmenta configurantes So likewise doe Papistes vnder colour of Catholike religion present to their followers their hereticall Dâ—â—trine concerning the being of Christes bodie in many places transubstantiatioÌ„ the carnall eating of Christes flesh with the mouth the deuouring of Christes body by brute beastes and the merits of congruitie Vnder the title of Gods true worship they commend the seruice of the blessed Virgin the adoration of Angels of Saints and of their images vnder the name of the sacrifice of praise and thankes-giuing they shadow the abhominable idolâ— of the Masse and vnder the name of succession the greeuous yoake of the Popes Tyrannye But as Wolues muffled in sheepes cloathing are discerned by their Woluish qualities so Hereticks are discouered by certaine markes and hereticall properties The which if Kellison would or durst haue set downe truely then would it haue appeared that Papists and not we are Heretikes For first Heretikes are they that teach new Doctrine in the Church Haerest deputatur saith Tertullian Lib. de praescript quod postea inducitur But such is the decretaline and Trent doctrine of traditions iustification Sacraments purgatorie indulgences worship of images Angels and Saints Secondly they flye the light of Scriptures and speake euill of them Therefore Tertullian calleth them lucifugas scripturarum and Ierenaeus Lib. 3. aduers haeres c. 2. saith when they are conuinced by Scriptures they fall to accuse Scriptures as if they stood not well or wanted authoritie or were to bee wrested to diuers sences or else as if truth could not bee sound by those that are ignorant of tradition Cum ex scripturis arguuntur in accusationem conuertuntur ipsarum scripturarum quasi non recte habeant neque sint ex authoritate quia variè sint dictae quia non possit ex his inueniri veritas ab hâ—â— qui nesciant traditionem And doe not the Papists flye the light of Scriptures forbidding them to bee read publikelie in vulgar tongues and punishing such as haue Scriptures translated into their mother tongue without licence doe they not also say that Scriptures are like a nose of waxe or as Kellison saith waxy and that they depend vpon the Church and that the truth cannot sufficiently be knowne without tradition Thirdly Heretickes teach otherwise then the Apostles did Therefore the Apostle 1. Tim. 1. gaue order to Timothy that hee should charge some that they should not teach otherwise Vnde extranei inimici apostolis haeretici saith Tertullian de praescript adu haeret nisi ex diuersitate doctrinae quaÌ„ vnusquisque de suo arbitrio aduersus Apostolos aut protulit aut recepit Whence are Heretickes strangers and enemies to the Apostles but by reason of the diuersitie of Doctrine which euerie one of his owne head either deuised or receiued contrarie to the Apostles This qualitie is also incident to the Papistes that not onely teach otherwise then did the Apostles but haue also added to the Apostles doctrine all that trash which wee desire to be scoured away as being contrarie to the apostolike forme of doctrine Fourthly Heretickes stand much vpon false miracles and prophesies as the examples both of Montanistes and Seuerians doe shew There were also certaine Heretickes called mirabiliarij confirming all their Doctrines with miracles Tertullian de praescrip aduers haeret Sheweth that Heretickes shall commend the authoritie of their teachers in raysing the dead curing the weake and fore-prophecying things to come adijcient multa de authoritate cuiusque doctoris haeretici illos maxima doctrinae suae confirmasse mortuos suscitasse debiles reformasse futura significasse In which pointes the Papists doe followe them at the heeles bragging of the miracles of Dominic Francis Ignatius Xauerius and other their Romish Saints and making miracles prophecies markes of their Church and motiues to enduce men to like of their Religion Fiftly Hereticks commonly stand vpon traditions as wee may reade in Irenaeus Lib. 3. c. 2. And because Christ said he had many things to say to the Apostles which they could not theÌ„ beare imagine that their deuises were conteined in these concealed Doctrines Omnes etiam insipientissimi haeretici qui se Christianos vocari volunt audacias figmentorum suorum quas maxime exhorret sensus humanus saith Augustin tract 97. in Ioan. bac occasione euangelicae sententiae colorare conantur vbi dominus ait adhuc multa habeo vobis dicere sed non potestis portare modò The same humor is likewise in the Papists and diuers of them vse these words of our Sauiour to that purpose albeit S. Augustine calleth them therefore most foolish Heretickes Sixtly our Sauiour Christ sheweth that false Prophets shall come vnto vs in the habit and cloathes of Sheepe but are inwardly rauening Wolues The same we finde partly verified in the Arians and Donatistes but moste expressely in the Papistes For albeit they will bee called Catholikes and Christes sheepe yet they deuoure true Catholikes like Wolues and massacre all that once dare open their mouthes against their idolatries and hereticall imaginations Their inquisitors tribunals are full of blood of innocents and their garments are red with blood and carrie euident markes of their crueltie In France they haue massacred old and young men and women and spared none that came in their way farre passing in crueltie both the Donatistes and Arians 7. To defend their peruerse erroneous Doctrine Hereticks are wont to detruncate and by false expositions to peruert holy scriptures Tertullian de praescript saith of marcion that to fit his purpose he cut the Scriptures at his pleasure ad materiam suam caedem scripturarum confecit Hierome in epist ad Galat. c. 5. saith hee may bee called an Heretike that vnderstandeth the Scriptures otherwise then the sence of the holy Ghost requireth albeit he be not yet departed out of the Church So likewise the Papists abuse the holy Scriptures moste shamefully in their allegations cutting them and forcing them contrarie to the meaning of the holy Ghost The old Latin translation of the Bible cutteth off and addeth to the originall text and yet will they needes haue it authenticall These words of Isay ecce ponam in fundamentis Sion lapidem c. in praefat in lib. de pontif Rom. Bellarmine most impudently detorteth to the Pope Likewise doe the Papists abuse these wordes Hierem. 1. ecce constitui te hodie super gentes to prooue that the Pope is made head of nations These words bibite ex hoc omnes they conster as if none of the communicants but the preest were to drinke of the chalice 8. Hereticks conceale diuers of their false lewd Doctrines Iraeneus lib. 1. c. 23. saith that they holde that they are not
to his clouen feete And lastly how it hapned that speaking of the Deuill in the first part of the period he forgot himselfe in the second speaketh of some member of the Deuill and of an Hereticke what are Heretikes discerned by their staring eyes and forked feete and such like partes he telleth vs also of the pecking of Birdes and the counterfeting of alchymistes grauers and Heretickes putting grauers of idolatrous images nere to Heretikes as they doe well deserue But what is that to vs if heretikes be such as counterfet religion and yet are gone out of the Church then concerneth it vs nothing For with our mouth we professe and with our hart we beleeue all the Christian and Apostolike faith and dissent not from the Apostolike church in any one article of faith professed publikelye for a thousand yeares after Christ Nay wee doe onely relinquish the Papists as Christians in old time left the Arians and Donatists and as some now leaue the Mahometans wherein they haue forsaken Christ and his truth Either then must this K. shew that as former heretikes haue done we broach some doctrine contrarye to the ancient faith or else hee talketh idelye of going out of the Church Maister Luther he left the Papists hauing once folowed their opinions but not in any point of faith but rather where they taught contrary to the faith Secondly neuer shall he prooue either that the professors of our Religion are of a later standing then the moderne Papistes or that our religion embraceth nouelties For Luther is not our founder nor any of late time but the Apostles of Christ Iesus whose doctrine left in deposte to the church we embrace detesting all prophane nouelties of Papistes Neither doe we bring in any new faith but reiect the popish later Heresies and corruptions though to some they seeme olde But saith Kellison the faith hath neuer increased in substāce but onely in explicatiō as if their Doctrine of traditions of Romish interpretations of the latin vulgar translation of the 7. sacramēts of iustificatiō by orders and extreme vnction of transubstantiation of the carnall eating chāping with the teeth of Christes flesh of the sacrifice of Christes body blood in the Masse vnder the accidentes of breade wine for quicke and dead and the Popes vniuersall Monarchie were matters of no substance or else as if the substance of these Articles had beene euer beleeued in the Church This he would insinuate but the noueltie of them is so apparent that his consorts are much puzled when they come to search them in auncient writers Thirdly we neither call our selues Lutherians Caluinistes Zuinglians nor any such particular names Neither is it materiall that the Papistes doe call vs in scorne by these names For who doth credite the malicious tearmes of enemies nay in this point we are more cléere then the papistes that call themselues some Franciscans some Dominicans some by other names which we doe not Fourthly wee renounce all old Heresies condemned by auncient Councels and pronounce Florinus that held God to bee the author of sinne Anathema The like we say of Eunomius Pelagius and their consortes Neither was Caluin of other opinion but that his malicious enemies doe falsely impute vnto him that he should teach that God is the author of sinne Wee doe not say with Iouinian that all sins are equall nor denie to the bodies of Christians decent buriall Nor did Hierome writing against Vigilantius allowe prayers to Saints departed or the merits of Monkery or teach as the Papistes doe of vigils or lightes set vp in churches at noone time But suppose he shold holde opinions cōtrary to the truth yet are not his wordes a rule of Heresie The second synod at Nice allowed a certaine reuerence doone to images but nothing so much as the Papistes now giue to them But whatsoeuer that synode decreed in that point the same was reprooued in a synod at Frank-ford and neuer generallye receiued eyther in the East or West Churches Aerius was reputed an Hereticke for Arianisme and not for finding fault with superstitious oblations for the dead Whatsoeuer his opinion was it toucheth vs nothing that doe allow the orders of the Church established among vs. Finally we anathematize the Heresies of the Simonians Menandrians and others whome he ridiculously surmiseth to haue bene condemned for denying the real presence of the Messalians and Caians whome he imagineth to haue beene accounted Heretikes for denying the sacramentes to conteine grace as the Papistes hold it of the Nouatians that denyed repentance to publike sinners of the Gnostikes Manichees and Encratites whome hee ignorantlye surmiseth to haue beene condemned for denying marryage to bee a Sacrament of Heluidius Rhetorius and all other auncient condemned Heretikes If then this Hereticke will obiect Heresies to vs hee must both set downe the wordes of the Heresie condemned by the Catholike Church and prooue that wee holde such an Heresie Fiftly wee want no proofe of our Religion which may be drawne from true succession For we do not only communicate in matters of faith with the Apostles but also with the auncient Bishops of Hierusalem Antioche Alexandria and Rome almost for a thousand yeares Wee succeede also to the Bishops of England before Bishop Cranmer in al things which they taught well and according to the Catholike fayth But could we shew no line of succession yet if we agree in doctrine with the Apostles and first Bishops of the Christian Church it is sufficient Ad hanc formam prouocabuntur ab illis ecclesiis saith Tertullian de praescript aduers haeret quae licet nullum ex apostolis vel apostolicis authorem suum proferant vt multo posteriores quae denique quotidie instituuntur tamen in eadem fide conspirantes non minus apostolicae deputantur pro consanguinitate doctrinae He telleth vs playnly that they are Apostolike Churches that teach the same Doctrine albeit they were not founded by the Apostles or Apostolike men nor had any succession of Bishops Likewise hee sheweth that they are the Apostles heires that hold that fayth which is conteined in their Testament Seeing then we do only publish Apostolicall Doctrine and purge away Popish errors our Churches are most truly Apostolicall But sayth K. pag. 196. This is to make bare Scripture judge of our Doctrine and as much as if we should say that the Church of God fayled and that the Synagogue of the Diuell possessed the world many yeares Hee telleth also how Luther in his preface before the disputation of Lipsia vanted that he had first published Christ But first this is a common abuse of Heretikes to call Scriptures bare Secondly false do clearely disperse this cloud of slaunder But his foolish attempt may giue cause to vs to touch both him and his consortes for their manifold and blasphemous impietyes In the beginning of his third Booke he sayth that as the Stoickes commend Zeno the Platonickes Plato the Peripatetickes Aristotle the
Epicureans Epicure the Atheistes Diagoras so Christians should speake honorably of Christ But if he had not beene of the sect of Diagoras and a prophane Atheist he would haue blushed to haue compared Christ to Diagoras and Epicurus two prophane and impious men and Christians to Atheistes and Epicureans and prophane followers of Philosophers He would also haue forborne to haue concluded that christians are to honor Christ as Atheistes honor Diagoras But to referre the examination of the impious Doctrine of this Atheist and his consorts to his proper place what hath he to obiect against vs and our Doctrine of Christes person or nature First he telleth vs how Michael Seruetus was a brother of our Religion and denyed that God the Sonne was true God or coaequall to his Father But whatsoeuer his blasphemyes were he learned them among the Papistes where he was brought vp and not among vs where he was punished for his blasphemyes Secondly he seemeth to be rather a brother of the Papistes amōg whome hee learned his impieties and with whome hee defended the adoration of Angels then of kinred to vs. Thirdly this ignorant Surueyor attributeth the heresie of the Arians vnto Seruetus where he did wholy deny the Trinity calling all that beleeue the holy Trinity atheistes as may appeare in the proceedings against him Next he saith that Luther in his book against Latomus affirmed that he could not abide this word homoousion A matter most false and slaunderous His words are conditional Quod si odit anima mea vocem homoousion saith he et nolim ea vti non ero haereticus quis enim me coget vti modo rem teneā quae in concilio per scripturas definita est so it appeareth hee held the thing and that not wordes but matters in his conceite made Heretickes Thirdly hee telleth how Luther in commentar in C. 1. Genes called the Sonne of God the instrument of God by which hee created the world But like an honest Surueyor hee confesseth that he hath not seene those cōmentaries and perhaps he wold not see them For if he had he might haue seene himselfe conuinced to be a lying companion Now he sheweth himselfe onely to be a light fellow that beleeueth fables vppon heare say In his comentaries vpon that booke now no such matter is to be found Fourthly he chargeth Luther with leauing out these words in the Litany sancta trinitas vnus deus miserere nobis the word deus out of this sentence deus fortis and out of the first of Iohn the fift Chapter this sentence there are three which giue witnesse in heauen the father the word the holy Ghost these three are one But first the reason why he left out the wordes mentioned in the Litany was not for mislik of the word Trinitie but for that the dutch word dreifaltigheit did signifie rather triplicitie then Trinitie Secondlye it is not like that Luther did omit eyther the word Deus or the sentence in S. Iohns epistle concerning the Trinitie because we finde not that obiected vnto him by his moste curious aduersaries But what if by negligence or fault of the Coppie these wordes had beene omitted what is that to vs that doe not omitte them hath the surueyor forgot that hee promiseth a suruey of our Religion Fiftly he chargeth Luther with saying that as Eutyches said so it may well be said that the diuinitie of Christ suffred But this slaunder is refuted not onely by Luthers booke de concilijs but also by Bellarmines preface in his dispute de Christo He onely saith that he disputed with Nestorians which contended that the diuinitie of Christ could not suffer But hee doth not say that Christes diuine nature could suffer as Eutyches did and as this K. would haue vs to surmise Page 247. He imputeth vnto Melancthon that hee should say both in hs booke of common places and in his book against Stankarus that the Sonne of God according to his diuinitie prayed to his Father for his kingdome glory and inheritance and that the diuine nature of the Sonne was obedient to his Father in his passion And the like saying saith K. hath Beza yea and Caluin also But if eyther of them had said any thing wherupon this accuser might ground his slaunder he would not haue spared to haue set downe their words at full Melancthon hath not these words according to his diuinitie But what if he should speake improperly shold he not haue leaue to interpret himselfe Againe suppose there were an error in his words must we satisfie for his fault Lastly who knoweth not that the Fathers sometime by the diuinitie and humanitie of Christ singlye vnderstand his person Afterward Page 248. he inueigheth against the Vbiquetaries who affirme as hee saith that the diuine attributes are reallye communicated vnto Christes humane nature But heerein hee sheweth great simplicitie For this toucheth the Papists that wil haue Christes body to bee both in heauen and earth and vppon euerie alter at one time which being graunted the Vbiquetaries omnipresence doth followe necessarily seeing a body cannot bee in two remote places but it must be in the midst Secondly they wil haue this communication to be per communicationem idiomatum so that it appeareth their meaning is that after a manner of speech these diuine attributes are communicated to Christes humane nature Finallye of the opinion of the reall presence of Christes bodye in the Sacrament taught by Papists this error of the Vbiquetaries whether in speech or Doctrine proceeded and therefore it toucheth our aduersaries verie neere and vs nothing at all In the same place hee chargeth Caluin for teaching that the name of God is attributed to the Father 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that hee denyeth Christ to be God of God Hee saith also that Whitaker heerein subscribeth vnto him and lastlye that Caluin and Iewell and diuers other affirme that Christ according to his Diuinitie was Preest and mediator But first both Bellarmine and this brabler doth calumniouslye reporte Caluins wordes For writing against Valentinus Gentilis hee saith not that the father as God hath any preheminence but as hee is the first person in the Trinitie and as the Sonne is begotten of the Father Secondly hee denyeth not that Christ is God of God but onely saith that the phrase is hard and meaneth that wee are to vnderstand the wordes personally thus Christ which is God is of the Father which is God not as if there were two Gods the one proceeding from the other Thirdly Maister Whitakers wordes being set downe would cleare him For his meaning is that the diuine essence doth neither engender nor is ingendered those being properties of the persons Finally both Maister Caluin and the reuerend Father Bishop Iewell and other our Diuines doe teach aright that the office of Christes mediation and Préest-hood belongeth not to eyther nature singly considered in it selfe but to the person that is God and man But
heauen to be deserued by such as loue God 18. They doe holde for the moste parte that Christ from the first instant of his conception was vir perfectus and had the perfect vse of reason and did merit But this being graunted there is no difference betwixt a man and an Embryo or Childe newly conceiued and Christ must needes haue a soule and body of an other nature then other men 19. Although Christ bee the vniuersall mediator of all mankinde yet Petrus de Tarentasia and Richard de media villa teach that praelates and Saintes are called particular mediators praelati viri sancti say they dicuntur particulares mediatores personarum quarundam 20. They deny that Christ was a man during the time that he lay in the graue In that time also Antisiodorensis dooth denie him to be our redeemer as this word redeemer signifyeth the worker of the mysterie of our redemption But if he were then no mā then was our Sauiour sometimes no man so the mystery of the vnion of the two natures is dissolued if then he was no redeemer then he lost the honor of the redemption of mankinde neither of which can be affirmed without grosse inconueniences 21. Albertus and others say that Diuels carrie their hell about with them Which if it bee granted then the hell of Papistes is no determinate place neither is it in the bowels of the earth but also aboue the earth and in the ayre and in the Popes chamber when the deuill is there 22. Bellarmine lib. 1. de missa C. 2. saith that in a true sacrifice that is offered to God it is required that it bee destroyed His wordes are ad verum sacrificium requiritur vt id quod offertur deo in sacrificium planè destruatur If then the Papists offer vp the verie bodie and blood of Christ in the Masse as they teach then they destroy Christes bodie and blood and depriue vs of Christes body But this is a most blasphemous assertion to say that Christes bodie and blood may be destroyed and such fellowes deserue of all Christians to bee abhorred as blasphemers and abolishers of Religion 23. They holde that not onely wicked and reprobrate men but also that Dogges and hogges may eate vp Christs true bodye But that is contrarie to all Religion not onely to cast holy thinges but also the redeemer of the world to Hogges and Dogs 24. They beleeue and teach that Christes body is in the Sacrament really although it bee neither seene nor felt there They beleeue also that the same body is both in heauen visible and in the earth inuisible at one time But this dooth quite ouerthrowe Christes humane nature For neuer was there man in the world that had such a bodie 25. Bellarmine lib. de incarnatione Cap. 11. saith that God is able to turne all the world into bread and that all this bread may bee turned into Christes body But it is moste absurd to thinke that Christ hath a bodie so great as all the world or that al the world is no bigger then a mans body or that one mans body may bee in all places 26. They pray vnto Saints to helpe them and to intercede for them But what is more absurd then to leaue Christ and to pray to those of whome they haue no certaintie whether they be saued or not if they say they are assured they are saued they speake absurdly For if they teach aright that no man can assure himselfe of his owne saluation then they teach men absurdly to assure themselues of the saluation of all those that are canonized by the Pope 27. They ouerthrowe the groundes of artes and rules of reason and sence where they teach that Christes bodye and blood is really in the sacrament and offered vp continually for quicke and dead For reason and Arithmeticke teach vs that many vnityes make a number that one one make two But this ground the Papists destroy For albeit vpon this Altar is one bodie and at the same time another vpon an other yet doe they denye that in this case one one make two They say also that albeit Christes body bee entyre vppon three hundred seuerall altars yet there are not diuers bodies vppon the Altar Sense also teacheth vs that wee receiue breade and wine But they will haue vs rather to beleeue the Pope then our owne sences Philosophye teacheth vs that no bodye can come to a place or goe away without locall motion But these teach that Christes bodie beginneth to bée in the Sacrament and departeth from thence againe the formes being corrupted without locall motion 28. All Christians beleeue that Christ is the redeemer of the world and the sole and absolute mediator betwixt God and man But Papists in their Masse make their Priestes mediators betwixt God and Christes body that lyeth on the altar as they say and that in pitifull sort included in a small roome Supra quae saith the Preest speaking of consecrated hoastes propitio ac sereno vultu respicere digneris accepta habere as if God wold not looke vpon his Sonne nor accept him without their mediation And againe iube haec perferri per manus sācti angeli tui in sublime altare tuum that is commaund this sacrifice viz. of Christes bodie and blood to bee carryed vp vnto thy high altar by the handes of thy holy Angell So they make Christ a weake and impotent mediator that cannot ascend into heauen without the Preests Prayers and helpe of Angels 29. They beleeue that their soules are redeemed by Masses for that they boldely affirme in the Canon by indulgences and merits of Saintes and by our owne satisfactions as it appeareth by their common positions in their Doctrines of indulgences merits and satisfactions 30. They destroy Christes Preest-hood and that two waies First as if he had offered no perfect Sacrifice for mans sinne they continually offer vp sacrifices for quicke and dead Secondly as if his prayer were not heard they runne to our Lady to Angels and Saints and make them their mediators Our Lady they call the gate and S. Peter the Porter of heauen 31. They denie Christ to remaine a Preest for euer after the order of Melchisedech when they teach that their Masse-priests are after the order of Melchisedech and that Christ offereth not now but by these Vicar-priestes 32. They deny Christ to be the onely head foundation and teacher of his Church giuing equall authoritie to vnwritten traditions and popish decretales and to Christes doctrine Finally no man can talke more wickedly and dishonorablye of Christs person ond offices then Kellison Page 256. he saith the word was mute But what could the Arians speake more dishonorably of the eternall word then to say he was mute He saith also that Christ with one word or teare might haue redeemed vs. But this abaseth the greatnesse of his power and diminisheth the merit of his passion Page 261. He affirmeth that Christes passion
accompt it a matter very heynous Fiftly next to Lucifer the Pope excelleth in pride He treadeth on Princes neckes he giueth his feete to bee kissed hee rideth on mens shoulders he is called a God on the earth and vsurpeth his honor Such also are the Prelates and the rest of the popish Clergie Auentinus lib. 6. annal in praef sheweth they excell in pride and with goods giuen to the poore keepe Dogges Horses Harlots Pauperum alimentis canes equos scorta alunt Sixtly neuer was idlenesse more in price then since Monkes and Fryars came into the world They deuoure the fruites of the painefull labour of others and intend nothing but to eate drinke sleepe and to inioy carnall pleasures Of such we may say with the Apostle 2. Thess 3. Hee that laboureth not let him not eate Seauenthly albeit the Masse-priestes Monkes Nonnes and Fryars forsweare marriage yet not sect of Religion or state of men or women is more impure Honorius Augustodunensis speaking of Nunnes saith they are more common then Harlots Omnibus fornicarijs peius prosternuntur In England most horrible abhominations were found in the visitation of Abbyes Petrus de Alliaco lib. de reformat Eccles and Theodoric à Niem in nemore vnion diuers others shew that albeit Priestes were not marryed yet commonly they kept Harlots and that now is euident in our times by common experience Sacerdotes moderni saith Holcot in lib. sap lect 182. sunt similes sacerdotibus Baal sunt angeli apostatici sunt similes sacerdotibus Dagon sunt sacerdotes priapi sunt angeli abyssi The Priestes of his time he resembleth to heathen Priestes and sheweth how much they were subiect to lechery and heathenish impieties Finally the Doctrine of Popery is a doctrine full of licenciousnesse the Popes of Rome take vpon them to dispense with all sins and wickednes Their indulgences as the Germans Grauam 3. complaine are causes of many mischiefes hinc stupra say they incestus adulteria periuria homicidia furta rapinae foenora ac tota malorum lerna They take vppon them to absolue moste wicked sinners à poena culpa Nay euerie Masse-priest challengeth to himselfe power to giue absolution to such as come to confession The Iesuites of late absolued them before hand which by gun-powder went about to blow vp the Parliament house HaÌ„mond the Iesuite absolued Pearcy Catesby and their fellowes taking armes against their King and Countrie While men hope to satisfie for their sinnes in purgatorie they deferre repentance to the last breath Their enemies they tye with yron bondes Alexander the 3. would not release the Emperor vntill he had trod on his necke with his feete and vsed him with greate indignities Contrarywise they promise heauen to their friends though laden with greeuous siâ—s They hold euerie transgression of the Popes decretales to bee sinne This is therefore a Religion that both promiseth reward to cutthroates greeuous sinners and by their indulgences absolutions and fancies of purgatory hold a sinner so fast bound in sinne that there can bee no hope for him to bee loosed as long as he followeth their wicked Doctrines As for Luther and Caluin they are farre from such wicked courses They teach christian liberty But they extend it not so that they exempt Christians eyther from the obedience of Gods lawes or mans lawes but onely from the cursse of the law and from humane traditions that they binde not mens consciences They distinguish Christ Moyses And so would Kellison too but that hee talketh hee knoweth not what Of Moyses his law they make diuers vses and onelye detract from it the effect of iustification and saluation by reason it accuseth man of sinne and is not fulfilled The Apostle also teacheth if iustice were of the law that Christ had dyed in vaine Of the author and original of sinne and of conscience they teach most Christianlye following therein the Doctrine of the Apostles and holy Fathers of the church The pride of the Pope his adherents they detested and refused both by wordes and examples and so farre were they from idlenesse and allowing of idlenesse that they thought him vnworthy to liue or eate that laboured not in some honest and lawfull vocation Concerning chastitie they taught as truely as the Papists wickedly They shewed that it consisted not in forswearing marriage but in abstinence from all filthie thoughtes actes and speeches That which some impute to Luther of taking the Mayde when the wife refuseth is a meere calumniation He sheweth onely what some doe or at the least threaten to doe and not what they ought to doe Of the degrees of consanguinitie they teach better then the Pope They neuer taught that a man might marrie his brothers wife or his Neece or his Sister as the Popes haue doone Finally they hold no sinners fast bound in sinnes but shew the right way how to rise from sinne by faith in Christ and true repentance clearing those doubts which before had entangled many Christian soules and brought them to vtter destruction If then this K. had not had his conscience seared his eyes seeled and his vnderstanding darkned in these points he would haue seene and acknowledged the deformities of his owne fellowes Doctrine and abstained from accusing others Chap. 11. A reiection of Kellisons slaunderous accusations imputing in his 8. Booke Atheisme and contempt of Religion to the professors of true and Christian Religion in the Church of England COnsorte not thy selfe with detractors saith Salomon Prouerb 24. For their destruction shall come vppon them suddenly But Kellison was not so wise as to borrowe light from so wise and prudent a King He hath chosen rather to imitate fooles who as if all their treasure were in their tongues count it gaine to speake lewdely of their betters Istic est thesaurus stultis in lingua situs saith plautus in paenulo vt quaestui habeant malè loqui melioribus Forgetting his friendes in Italy Spaine and other countries groaning vnder the captiuity of Antichrist in his preface he chargeth his natiue couÌ„try of England as vnfortunate for ingendring a certaine Monster called Atheistes But if our Countrie men had lesse frequented Italy there had béene farre lesse Atheisme then in England now there is It is well knowne that Machiauelisme came from Italy and rose not in England and how Englishmen Italienated are said to be like Diuels incarnated Furthermore if the Masse-priestes as they haue brought with them the dregges of Popish heresies had not also brought with them the sinnes of Sodome and mixed diuine Religion with temporall policies and state practises seeking with fire and Gun-powder to reestablish in this kingdome the Popes tyranny then had he had no colour of this imputation Neither dooth this any way concerne vs that professe Religion heere in England beeing the proper crime of the Italianated and Hispaniolized Masse-priestes and their consortes that beeing inspired with the malicious spirit of Antichrist liue like Atheistes
and Sodomites teach rebellion murder of Princes periurie equiuocations and diuers other pointes of Doctrine repugnant both to Religion and ciuill pollicy In the first Chapter of his 8. Booke hee affirmeth Kellisons calumniatitions as if our doctrine sauored of Atheisme refuted that certaine poyntes of our Doctrine open a gappe to a deniall of the diuine Majesty But when hee commeth to particulars hee powreth out of his wide mouth a streame of impudent slaunders First hee saith wee are not afrayd to auouch that God is the author of all sinne and wickednesse and that he hath ordained vs to sinne from all eternitie that wee sinne by Gods will and commaundement and that he vrgeth vs to sinne And concludeth that wee make God cruell and tyrannicall as commaunding vs that which wee cannot performe wanting free-will and punishing vs for faultes which wee cannot auoyde But first hee doth not so much as offer to prooue his charge eyther out of the Doctrine of the Chuch of England or out of any mans wrightinges whose name is of any note in our Church Nay hee knoweth wee teach contrarie to that which he imputeth vnto vs. May he not then be ashamed to charge his aduersaries with matters so false and improbable Secondly hee is neither able to conuince Maister Caluin of any such impious Doctrine nor hath he reason to make so greate clamours if anye one priuate man of our teachers should hold any point of erroneous Doctrine Lastly before hee come at his conclusion hee must make better proofe of his premisses if he meane to haue the particulars of his suruey to passe without censure He must also vnderstand that albeit we haue not freewil or liberium arbitrium in discerning the thinges of God and dooing thinges pleasing to his diuine Maiestie it followeth not that God is therefore cruell or tyrannicall because by our owne default we became vnable to performe the Lawe and blinde in discerning matters tending to eternall life The rest of the first Chapter containeth a long inuectiue against Atheistes and certaine weake arguments brought to prooue that there is a God But as in the first hée toucheth his owne fellowes so in the second hee confirmeth them in their Atheisme being able to bring no better arguments to confute them and in the whole behaueth himselfe fondly and vnlearnedly First hee saith that neither reason nor faith nor both together are able to discouer what God is But therein hee discouereth by his owne confession that hee is a poore Surueyor of Religion not knowing what God is and a silly Doctor of Diuinitie if hee deny that Scriptures teach vs what God is as farre as is necessarie for vs to know Pag. 642. he saith that creatures in God are increate infinite perfect and that all of them in God are God Which assertion first taketh away the distinction betwixt God and creatures Next aduanceth creatures to a diuine being And thirdly commeth neere to Seruetus his impiety For if a creature in God is God why may not Kellison also say that God in a stone is a stone and in Iron Iron as Seruetus did if Bellarmine in praefat ante tom 1. disput say truly Neither can it excuse him that God foresawe and foreknew all thinges and as Philosophers say had ideaes in him For this deuise of ideaes is a Philosophical fancy and yet cannot make Kellisons assertion good seeing the platonicall philosophers distinguish ideaes from the thinges them-selues and make them separate from them Pag. 645. he talketh of conuincing a God-head and sayth that the world by Philosophers is called Alle. But the first speech is impious seeming to import that he meaneth to ouercome God and to confute him as hee hath alredy endeuored to confute his truth The second proceedeth of ignorance For hardly will hee bee able to shew in what tongue Philosophers call the world Alle. Pag. 648. he belyeth Caesar where hee maketh him say that the first inhabitants of England sprang out of the earth as herbes or Toad-stooles Caesar in his commentaryes talketh neyther of hearbes nor Toad-stooles and vtterly reiecteth this falshood Pag. 649. he would gladly prooue that there is a God by the conuulsions of men possessed And pag. 650. by Witches Hee sayth also that such as are possessed by Deuils somtimes howle like Dogges somtime yell like Wolfes But his argumentes from Witches and possessed with Deuils prooue the Deuill rather then God Secondly his proofes are weake being drawne rather from illusions and counterfet trickes then from matters euidently true Lastly it is hard to be beleeued that he hath heard any that eyther howled like Dogges or yelled like Wolfes These proofes therfore are liker to draw men to infidelitye then otherwise Afterward he talketh idlely of the heauy and lumpish nature of the earth an element as it seemeth predominant in him of the Common-wealth of Bees so well ordered that a Statist may learne policy from it as he beleeueth of the leapes of Hares of Foxes and Fearne bushes of Spiders and spider-webs and such like vaine and idle similitudes But what should I follow or runne after him that runneth so farre not onely from his argument but from himselfe also In the second chapters rubrike he affirmeth that our Doctrine ruineth al Religiō But in the Chapter it selfe there is no ground brought for proofe of his assertiō Only in the latter end he doth afresh charge vs with holding that God is the author of all sinne And thereof concludeth that those which beleeue this must needes haue cold hearts in Religion But we haue declared his antecedent to be false and fantasticall What then shall we need to beat downe his ruinous consequent The rest of this Chapter containeth diuers poyntes of popish Doctrine cōcerning Gods true worshippe Heretikes and their markes Christes honor Priestes an sacrifices succession vnity vniuersality here idelye repeated and formerly refuted Pag. 671. he beareth vs in hand that the moderne Romish Religion is most conformable to the Doctrine planted by the Apostles But he shall not be able to prooue all his life halfe of that which he hath affirmed in one line He saith he hath prooued it in his commentaries in secunda secūda But his proofes are weake and therefore dare not abide the light If he come forth with his proofes of his Religion heerafter we will pray him also to shew that the Romish Doctrine of blowing vp Princes and Parliament-houses with Gun-powder of breaking of oathes of lying and equiuocating of the Popes vniuersall Monarchye of kissing the Popes Pantoufle of iustification by confirmation extreme vnction Mariage and orders ex opere operato of taking Christ with the teeth of transubstantiation halfe communions priuate Masses prayer in a tongue not vnderstoode worship of Saintes and Angels and the rest of those Popish Heresies which we refuse are conformable to that Religion which was first planted by the Apostles In the third Chapter hee affirmeth that in contempt of the Churches authority
we bring all ReligioÌ„ into contempt But how prooueth hee that wee contemne the Churches authoritie First he sayth it is a maxime and almoste an article of fayth among vs that the true Church which once was hath erred grossely and in no lesse matters then fayth justification merit free-will workes satisfaction Purgatory prayer to Sayntes worship of Images number vertue of Sacraments sacrifice and such like But if hee meane the whole Catholique Church this is neither article nor maxime nor opinion of ours that the whole Church hath erred grossely If he meane the Pope and his adherents and parasites why should not they erre as well as the Churches of Antioch Alexandria Hierusalem and Constantinople That they haue indeed erred we haue already prooued and offer our selues alwayes ready to prooue and it is most apparant for that their Doctrine is not only diuers but also contrary to the Doctrine of the Prophets and Apostles and namely in the points aboue specified Next hee sayth Luther cared not for a thousand Churches and Caluin Beza and others despised all the Councels and ancient Fathers But neyther the contempt of the Synagogue of Rome nor the reiection of diuers Conuenticles assembled by Popes nor the refusall of diuers counterfet Bookes alledged vnder the name of Fathers or of some Fathers singuler opinions doth argue anye contempt of the true Church or of lawfull councelles or of the authenticall writinges and common Doctrines of Fathers Further I would haue thought that reason might haue taught him talking so long of Religion that priuate mens sayinges and opinions should not so often haue beene imputed generally to vs or to the whole Church To prooue that contempt of the Churches authoritie bringeth Religion into contempt hee alleadgeth that wee cannot knowe which is Scripture which not but by the voice of the Church But first this is nothing to vs which doe much esteeme the authoritie of the Apostolike and Catholike Church We say also that euerie priuate man is to reuerence the iudgement of the true Church But what is this to the Romish synagogue that is not the true church againe what is this to the Pope that is an oppressor of the church and an enemie of Christian Religion if Kellison wil contend that the sentence of the Pope which neither vnderstandeth nor percase can reade Scriptures in the originall tongues must needes be followed in deciding the controuersies about Canonical scriptures his owne schollers wil laugh at him that maketh a betilheaded fellow iudge in matters of religion a blinde man iudge of colours If he refer men to the particular church of Rome that now is it will bee said that she cannot bee iudge and partye and that the auncient Church is much to bée preferred before her Saint Augustine wee confesse among manye other reasons was enduced also to beleeue by the churches authoritie So likewise are many more then he But K. remooueth all other reasons and motiues in matter of discerning scriptures and maketh his moderne Church a necessarie cause and almost sole motife of faith as if none were to beleeue eyther scriptures or any other Article of faith vnlesse hee bee resolued by the Pope and the moderne Church of Rome Blasphemously also hee affirmeth that the Romaine Church being contemned wee can no more assure a man of Scripture then of a Robin-hoodes tale But to vse these comparisons is blasphemye To make so much of nothing and to stand so much vpon a blinde Pope and to preferre the Romaine moderne Church before the auncient and all other moderne churches is foolery In the fourth Chapter he beareth his Reader in hand that wee reject some bookes of Canonicall Scripture and for proofe saith that Luther reiected the Booke of Iob Ecclesiastes and all the Gospels saue that of Iohn and that we reiect the Bookes of Iudith Tobia Ecclesiasticus Wisdome and the Machabees But these latter Bookes hee shall neuer prooue to be canonicall vnlesse wée take the Canon largelye as Saint Augustine sometimes seemeth to doe S. Hierome in prol galeato Athanasius in Synops Gregorius Nazianzenus in carminibus Epiphanius in lib. de pond mensur and the moste and best Fathers esteeme of them no otherwise then we doe The calumniation concerning Luther wee haue answered already But saith K. they will needes receiue Scripture at the Roman Churches hand And of this hee would inferre that as well we ought to follow that Church in the number of bookes as in receiuing canonicall Scripture vpon that Churches warrant This sâ—ith hee but hee taketh that for graunted that no man yeeldeth him For wee take the Scriptures as the Church of Rome her selfe did from the Prophets and Apostles We doe also assure our selues that the iudgement of the Apostolike Church is farre to be preferred before the iudgement of the Apostaticall moderne Romish Church Lastlye wee answere to his argument that wee haue diuers arguments to assure vs of the authoritie truth and number of canonicall bookes of Scriptures beside the testimony of any one particular Church as for example the testimony of Scripture it selfe the likenesse Maiestie antiquitie truth stile of Scripture and such like In the fift chapter he endeuoreth to prooue that our dissensions in Religion doe open a gappe to contempt of Religion And thereupon talketh his pleasure of Caluinistes and Lutherans Puritanes Protestants soft and rigid Lutherians Zuinglians Bezites Anabaptistes Libertines Brownistes Martinistes family of loue and damned crew But first the damned crew is by vs damned In this late conspiracie of Papists Edward Baynham that is knowne to bee of the damned crewe was choson for a fit maÌ„ to goe as nuntio from this damned crew to the Pope Anabaptistes Libertines the family of loue are more among the Papists then among vs. We say to them anathema maranatha The Brownistes and Martinistes wee generally condemne The rest are the names of slaunder deuised by Papistes To answere his obiection therefore wee say that the Churches of Germanye France and other countries doe well agree and priuate men doe submitte themselues to the determination of a free generall councell and in the meane while to their nationall Churches The groundes of his sixt chapter are laide vpon the Popes head-ship For because wee want a visible head hee supposeth wee giue great aduantage to Atheistes But as the Popes headship is a matter rather fancied then prooued out of Scriptures or Fathers so what so euer is thereupon built the same is founded vpon fancie and not worth a head of Garlike That Saint Peter did rule both the Apostles and all the church as Christes vicar generall and head of the Church it cannot bee prooued All the Apostles were called alike and sent to teach and administer the Sacraments alike They had also the keyes of the Church giuen to them by one ioynt commission and Paul professeth that the principall of the Apostles gaue vnto him nothing But had Peter had any such monarchy as is