A Retentive to Stay Good Christians, Title page · Motive 45
The 45. motiue conteyneth the 31. 32. & 33. & 40. demaundes.
Euer visible and Catholike. Vniuersalitic. Antiquitie. Consent. BristoweProtestants were neuer before this tyme. They are ashamed of their fathers. Hus was not a Protestant. VVicklefe was not a Protestant. VVicklefe condemned by Melancthon. Prophecy for our religion. No Scripture against the Catholikes but all for them.
Here is nothing but the old popish bragge of vniuersalitie, antiquitie, and consent, which is as easily denied Fulke.as it is allwayes alleaged without proofe. Sauing that in the demaundes, they are sundered, as though eueryevery one of them without the other two, were a sufficient triall of truth, which nether Vincentius nor Optatus, nor Augustine, nor any that vsed this argument did euer meane. But that is truth, which being most auncient, hath at all tymes, of all true Christians, by general consent bene receyued. But this can not be proued of any one error of poperye. For if any of these three be omitted, the argument is of no force to proue truth. All nations by generall consent embraced Idolatrie. yet was the true worship of God which was knowen onelyonly in Iurye the more auncient. The worship of Iupiter was more auncient, then the honor of Christ shewed in the flesh, and more vniuersally receyued, but not of the true worshippers of God. As for generall councells, which in the demaund of consent, he sayth to be all against the Protestants, he is not able to shewe one approued generall councel, that was held within six hundreth yeares after Christ, that decreed any thing contrary to that which we beleue in any poynt. But confessing that in many ages some there hauehave bene in some poyntes of our opinion, yet he sayth we can shewe no lyneall succession, but leape from Luther to Christ, without any recorde of our religion in all the meane tyme, hauing no monument of such Church nether in leafe or lyne of seruice booke: As one that loueth antiquities well, I would fayne see, what leaues the Papistes can shewe of their seruice bookes, to proue a lyneall desc…nt from Christ to Pope Gregory the 13 when Bristow sweareth perdie, to agree in all poyntes with Pope Leo the tenth, which was in Luthers tyme, some of their seruice being made by Thomas Aquinas, some by Fulbertus, some taken out of Beda, some out of Gregory, some out of Augustine, some out of Hieronyme, some out of Iohn Chrysostom, and of Ambrose, and the eldest I thinke not of Origen: which argueth nether antiquitie nor vniuersalitie to stand with the popish seruice as for lyneall succession from Christ, it is vnpossible for them to shewe.
But Bristow wil proue, that we were neuer before this time. For as for AErius, he knoweth we are ashamed of him. But he will proue that nether Hus, nor Wicklefe were Protestants. Because they held some opinions, that we doe not. By the same reason he may proue, that the fathers of the councels of Constance and Basil were no Papists, because they tooke vponupon them to depose Popes and decreed that the councell was aboue the Pope, which most Papistes at this day dare not affirme. AEneas Syluius doth slaunder Wicklefe and Hus, that for eueryevery mortall sinne a Magistrate should lose his office, for their Apologies are extant to be seene to the contrary.
But Luther (sayth he) denyeth that he was an Hussite, affirming that Hus was not of his opiniō. Although he had bene in all poyntes of his opinion, as he was in the chiefe, yet might Luther iustly deny the name of a man, which is proper to sectaries as Franciscanes, Dominicanes &c, & not to Christians. Yet Wicklefe (sayth he) is condemned by Melanthon. How I pray you? First that he found many errors in him, by which iudgement might be made of his spirite. If Wicklefe liuing in a time of so great blindnes and darkenes, coulde not see the truth in all matters, it was no maruell, and that he had errors, he sheweth that he was a man, euen as the best writers of the Church since the Apostles tyme, which might be deceyued: But as we condemne not Augustine, Hierom, Chrysostom, Cyprian, and other auncient writers, because we know rhey erred in some things, no more hauehave we iust cause to cond emne Wicklefe for some errors which it is not vnlike, but he did holde, yea but Melanthon chargeth Wicklefe (sayth he) to be altogether ignoraunt of the righteousnes of faith, which is the foundation of religion. I will rather thinke that Melanthon was ignoraunt of Wicklefes opinion, as one which had not seene but fewe of his workes. In which as perhaps he might vse the tearmes of merit and deseruing, then commonly vsed in his tyme, yet that he had not the same meaning in them, but did well vnderstand and holde the righteousnes which is of fayth, I can playnely proue by his owne writings in diuerse places. As vponupon the Heb. 10. he sayth: Sith Christ is God and man, satisfaction for the sinne that he made thus freely, is better then any other that man or Angell might make. The same man in nowmber that sinned in Adam our first fadir, the same man in nowmber made asseeth by the second Adam Christ. And sith he is more of vertue then the first Adam might be, and his payne is much more then sinnefull lust of the first Adam, who shoulde hauehave conscience here, that ne this sinne is clansid all orst. And sith our Iesu is very God that neuer man forfete this mede, he is a sufficient medicine for all sinners that bene contrite, for Christ is euer and eueryevery where, and in all such soules by grace, and so he clanseth more cleanely then any bodye or figure may clense, and herefore as Poule sayth, Christ is mediator of the newe lawe, &c. Agayne vponupon 2. Cor. 3. Seeth mans thinking amonge his werkes, seemeth moste in his power, and yet his thought mote come of God, much more eche other werke of man &c. Thus should we put of pride and wholly trusten in Iesu Christ, for he that may not thinke of him selfe, may doe nought of him selfe, but all our sufficiencie is of God by the meane of Iesu Christ. Likewise vponupon the 8. to the Romanes. Sith God susteyneth man and moueth him and helpeth him for to trauell, how had it not come of grace, and thus reward of this trauell mote needes all come of grace. These places and many other shewe that Wicklefe was not ignorant of the righteousnes of fayth. It seemeth therefore that Melancthon had seene only the articles which his aduersaries had gathered against him, and not his owne writings and discourses.
The prophecyes, which Bristow boasteth to be for their religion, be of Ieremye and Esay, for the perpetuall continuance of the true Church of Christ, but seing it is proued that the popish Church hath not bene from the beginning, those prophecyes appertayne not vntounto her. How the Church is visible, is shewed in the 37. motiue whereunto I adde, that while the Papistes glory of a visible Church on earth, Ierusalem that is aboue, and therefore not subiect to the eyes of earthly men, but of such whose conuetsation is in heauen, is the mother of vsus all. Finally if Bristow coulde as truly proue, as he doth boldly say, that no Scripture is against them, but all for them, he shoulde hauehave no Protestants to be his aduersaries, who more accept of the authoritie of the holy Scriptures, then of all other motiues in the world.