A Retentive to Stay Good Christians, Title page · Motive 13
The 13. motiue is the 27. demaund.
Councells. The Apostles were of our religion. Parliament religion. The councell of Trent. Councells. S. Augustines Bristow.motiue.
VVhosoeuer hath bene condemned by any councell (sayth Bristow) generall or prouinciall confirmed by the sea Apostolike, Fulke.They were heretikes, nether can there against this be brought any exception. I will bringe such exceptions, as Bristow for both his eares dare not affirme the parties so condemned, to be heretikes. Liberius Bishop of Rome, was first a good Catholike, so farre that for refusing to satisfie the Emperour Constantius, which required him to subscribe to the vniust depriuation of Athanasius, he was caried into banishment, and one Felix a good Catholike also, yet by faction of the Arrians, was chosen Bishop of Rome in his place. But afterward, Liberius sollicited and perswaded by one Fortunatianus as S. Hierome witnesseth in catal. and through wearines of his banishment as Marianus Scotus testifieth, subscribed to the heresie of Arrius, and returned to Rome like a Conquerour. For whose returne and depriuation of Felix, Constantius gathered a councell, which was confirmed by Liberius, as testifieth Pope Damasus in his pontificall. Constantius Augustus fecit concilium cum haereticis simul etiam cum Vrsacio & Valente, & eiecit Felicem de Episcopa…s qui erat Catholicus, & reuocauit Liberium. Constantius the Emperour held a councell with the heretikes and also with Vrsacius and Valens, and did cast out Felix which was a Catholike out of his bishoprike, and called backe Liberius. And againe: Ingressus Liberius in vrbem Romam 4. nonas Augusti, c…nsensit Constantio haeretico, non tamen rebaptizatus est, sed consensum praebuit. Liberius after he entred into the citie of Rome the 4. of the nones of August, he consented to Constantius the heretike, but yet he was not rebaptized, but he gaue his consent. Let Bristow aduise him selfe, which of the Popes he dare call heretike. If he condemne Felix and iustifie Liberius, then hath he S. Hierome against him and Pope Damasus, which can not erre. Another exception I will bringe of Pope Honorius the first, condemned and accursed for an heretike by the generall councell of Constantinople the sixt, confirmed by Pope Leo the 2. and that not generally but by speciall wordes, pariter que anathematizamus noui erroris inuentores &c. nec non & Honorium qui hanc apostolicam Ecclesiam non aposiolicae traditionis doctrina lustrauit, sed profana praedicatione immaculatam fidem subuertere conatus est. And likewise we accurse the inuentors of the newe errour &c: and also Honorius which did not lighten this apostolike Church, with doctrine of Apostolike tradition but by profane preaching went about to ouerthrowe the vndefiled faith. The same Pope Honorius is condemned in the second councell of Nice confirmed also by the Pope Adrian. Notwithstanding all this, I would Bristow were so hardy on his head, to graunt that Honorius was an heretike. I might ioyne to these, three Popes condemned by the councell of Constance, confirmed by Pope Iohn 23. One of the three. also the condemnation of Pope Eugenius by the councell of Basil, confirmed by Pope Nicolas and Felix. But the other are sufficient exceptions against Bristowes false principle. Now whatsoeuer he prateth of auctority of councelles, is to no purpose. For we acknowledge how necessary synods are for the church of Christ, with the Apostles, whom the fond mā boasteth to be of theyr religion, because they helde a councell. Not considering howe they determined the controuersie, only by auctority of the holy Scriptures, as it is manifest Act. 15. And what councell soeuer followeth that rule, we gladly embrace, and that is the cause, why the parliament ioyneth, the foure first generall councells with the Scriptures, in triall of heresie, not that those councels are of equall auctority with the worde of God, but in that they agree with the same, in condemning the heresies of Arrius, Macedonius, Nestorius and Eutiches. That proude scoffe of Parliament religion, bewraieth the stomake of a Vauntparler, & not the spirit of a diuine or good subiect. Popery was also confirmed by Parliament in Queene Maryes time, therefore it was Parliament Religion. But where as he would compare the laste rablement of Trent, in all pointes with those ancient holy Councels, he doth euen as much as if he would goe about to proue an Ape to be a man. But I may not omit that in shewing the necessitie of the Popes confirmation of Councels, out of Annianus Marcellus, Lib. 15. Hee helpeth the matter with falsifying the writer, sor he deliuereth his wordes thus, auctoritate qua poti…res atern…e … Episcopi, with the authoritie in which the Bishops of the eternall city are better whereas the word is po…iuntur, by that authoritie which the Bishops of Rome hauehave or doe enioy. But if we shall beleue Marcellinus an heathen writer. Liberius Bishop of Rome, was of the same mind in condemnation of Athanasius, that the rest of the Bishops were, which proceeded against him, but that he thought it not reason, to subscribe to his condemnation before he had seene and heard him. For thus Ammon writeth. Hunc per subs…riptionem abiicere sede sacerd…tali, par…a sentiens c…eteris iubente principe, Liberius monitus perseucranter renitebatur, nec visum hominem nec auditum damnare nefas vltimum s…epe exclamans, apertè s…ilicet recalcitrans imperatoris arbitrio. Id enim ille Athanasio scmper infesius, li…et s…iret impletum, tamen auctoritate q…a potiuntur aetern…e vrbis Episcopi firmari d…siderio nitebat…r ardente. This man (speaking of Athanasius condemned before by a Synode of Bishops) Liberius being of the same opinion with the rest, warned by the Princes commaundement, did stiffly refuse by subscription to cast out of his priestly seate, crying out often tymes, that it was extreme wickednes, to condemne a man being nether heard nor seene, so openly kicking against the Emperours pleasure. Who although he which being alwayes an enemy to Athanasius, knew that it was already fulfilled, yet he labored with earnest desire, to hauehave it confirmed by the authoritie which the Bishops of the eternall citie hauehave. There can nothing els be gathered of this, but that Constantius, knowing Athanasius to be depriued by a councell of Bishops of the East, would hauehave Liberius Bishop of Rome, to consent to his condemnation, because Athanasius was one of the foure Patriarchs, & was not to be condē ned, but by the rest of the Patriarches. Not that it was then thought, that all councels were insufficient, except they had the Popes confirmation, as Bristow doth dreame.
But Bristow sayth, the Protestants regarde no councells, because they suffer Lewys Euans in a naughtye booke to cal the councel of Chalcedon a blasphemous, proude, sacrilegious Antichristian Councell. This Lewys Euans while he was a Papist, and did write from Louayne in defence of Papistrye, was accompted of you a learned man, a sober man, a godly man, but now that God in great mercye, hath opened his eyes to see and acknowledge the light of the Gospell, you rayle on him and slaunder him at your pleasure. For if you had bene able to iustifie your reproche, you woulde hauehave noted in which of his bookes, seeinge he hath written many, and in what leafe and lyne he had written so vnreuerently of that Councell. Howsoeuer it be, he is able to aunswer you him selfe: Although if he hauehave erred in the name or iudgement of that councell, it were small reason to charge all the Protestantes in England, with one priuate mans error.
The last is, that Councells were S. Augustines motiue, because he writeth, that euen prouinciall Councells, must giuegive place without all doubt to generall Councells. De bapt. cont. D…n. lib. 2. cap. 3. but what writeth Augustine immediatly after? Ipsáque plenaria saepe priora posterioribus emendari cum aliquo experimento rerum aperitur quod cla…sum erat, & cognoscitur quod latebat sine vllo trpo sacrilegae superbiae, sine inflata ceruice arrogantiae, s…ne vlla contentione liutdae inuidiae, cum sancta humilitate, cum pace Catholica, cum charitate Christiana. Who knoweth not, sayth Augustine. That euen generall Councells are often tymes, the former corrected by the later, when by any tryall of thinges, that is opened which before was shutte, and that is knowen which before was hidde, without any swellinge of sacrilegious pride, without any swellinge stubbernes of arrogance, without any contention of spightfull enuye, with holye humilitie, with Catholike peace, with christian charitie. What saye you Sainct Augustine? hauehave generall Councells often erred, that the former were corrected by the later? If you mayntayne this saying, you shall be no longer of Bristowes religion.