A Retentive to Stay Good Christians, Title page · Motive 42 – Motive 43
The 42. motiue is parte of the 47. demaund.
The Parliament Church and Religion. Sainct Peter excluded Bristowe,out of Englande by Parliament. Yea Christe, Peter and Paule and other Apostles excluded out of Englande by Parliament. The Apostles were of our Religion. Howe Sainct Augustine should be vsed in England by the Parliament lawe if he were there liuing. Of what Religion and authoritie the Fathers are. Succession. Protestants contrary to them salues.
Wee must consider (sayth Bristowe) what Church Fulke.that is, where Lawes be made to charge Peter if hee were liuing, to giuegive vppe his commission receiued of Christ, and to take another of the Kinge or Queene, and to charge him and his fellowe Apostles to leaue the true seruice which they had receiued, and to minister after an other sorte, as the Paliament lawe prescribeth.
To this I aunswere, we will bee tryed by the writinges of Peter and his fellow Apostles, that the Parliament lawe for Religion and seruice of God, concernig the substance thereof vrgeth not Peter to chaunge his commission, nor to vse any other seruice then they them selues hauehave taught vsus to vse. If Augustine were aliue and in Englande, hee was a man of such modestie and louelove of the trueth, that seeing the same plainly reuealed out of the holy Scriptures, hee woulde retracte his errour of Prayer for the deade, as when hee lyued hee retracted and sette foorth manye thinges, wherein he founde that he hadde erred. As for the fine of an hundred Markes, he woulde not hauehave lefte nor beene depriued of his Byshoprike and imprysoned for saying of the popishe Masse, for hee neuer sayde any in his life, but was an vtter enemye to the chiefe poyntes thereof, allowing nothing therof but prayer for the deade at the celebration of the Lords supper.
And for as our Sauiour Iesus Christ, the King of all Kinges and Lorde of all Lordes, and the onelyonly ruler of Heauen and earth, doe you thinke that hee wyll not complaine that hee onelyonly by Parliament lawe is acknoweledged to bee the heade of his vniuersall Church, and so continually present therewith by his holy spirit, that he neede no viear generall of a mortall manne, which canne occupye but one place, although he were neuer so diligent and painfull to discharge his dutie in that behalfe.
For his diuine and spirituall authoritie, is not excluded vnderunder the name of forraine power, as Bristowe not more slaunderously then ridiculously affirmeth. Yet hee pleaseth him selfe so much in so greate folly and madnesse, that hee sayth, Christe coulde not clayme to be heade of his Church, excepte he should clayme to be the naturall Kinge of Englande, and to hauehave sayde vntounto Pylate, My kingdome is of this world and thy maister Caesar doth me wronge. As though the King of Englande, by title of his royall power, clayming to be the chiefe Seruaunte or deputie of Christe, in gouerning his Churche according to his worde, did exclude the soueraignitie of Christe which he hath ouer his Church and elect, wheresoeuer they are vponupon the face of the earth.
But the Protestantes (sayth Bristowe) are contrary to them selues while they say that our Prince is Kinge of France aswel as of England and Ireland & yet say not that he is he…de of the Church of Fraunce, but onelyonly of the Church of England and Irelande. And is Bristowe such a profound Logitian that he cannot distinguishe a Kinge in right onelyonly, from a King in actuall gouerment. If our Prince had as good possession of the gonernmente of Fraunce, as hee hath title of right to hauehave it, hee shall be gouernour of the Church of Fraunce, as well as of the Church of Englande and Ireland. That hee sayth we hauehave beene from hence at the Apostles going so long a iorney without any footing, in the way, it is a foolish cauel for wee hauehave often shewed succession of doctune, euen from the Apostles from whome it is receiued.
The 43. Motiue is parte of the 47. demaunde.
Communion of Saintes. Christendom shut out of England by Parliament. Councels. Sainct Paule might not write Pristow.ad Anglos for the Pa…l…ament.
The Church of Englande is not so straythened or pinched within the lymites of one Kingdombut that Fulke.she beleeueth and inioyeth the communion of all the Sainctes of God, as a member of the vniuersal church of Christe. And therefore I meruail what collour Bristowe hath for those slaunders: that one Christian man in Englande in spirituall affayres is a straunger to another, that generall Councels hauehave no authoritie in it, that Sainct Paule or all the Apostles if they were lyuing might not write to the Englishmen aswell as to the Romaines, Galathians, Corinthians &c. that Christe without the consente of the Kinge and the Parliament might not dispose his owne Church. These vaine and impossible suppositions, could not come but from a grosse and foolish inuention of one that lacketh argumentes to proue his cause. The lawes are made according to that which is, namely the trueth, set foorth in the holy Scriptures, not according to that which eueryevery foole will fondly suppose or imagine.