A Retentive to Stay Good Christians, Title page · Motive 46
The 46. motiue is the 39. demaund.
VVhere grewe the Protestants seede before our time. The church hath rehearsed wednesday fast long sithence. A Bishop Bristow.is aboue a Priest. The Saincts were of our religion. Baptisme necessarie for saluation of children. Anabaptists. VVhy there be so many Atheistes in England. Trinitaries.
Such seedes of our doctrine (sayth Bristowe) as hauehave growne before this time, did alwayes growe in euell Fulke.grounde, namely in heretikes as denyall of prayer for the deade in Aerius, who beside that errour was an Arrian. He chargeth vsus also with denying the ordinarie fast of the church, but that is false. For we hold that the fast which is appointed by the church, ought to be obserued, although we hold that no man is bounde to the blasphemous, superstitious, and counterfait fast of the Popish synagogue. In that time in which Aerius liued, there were other times of fasting appointed, then such as the Popishe church obserueth. But the wedsnesday fast (sayth Bristowe) the church hath released. In what generall councell good Sir: are you able to shewe: likewise of other times of fast named in Epiphanius? if you be not able to shew this where is either your vniuersalitie, antiquitie, or succession in doctrine and discipline, without interruption.
More thē this (sayth he) Aerius did hold, that a Bishop & a Priest be equall, which also the Protestāts do mainteyne. In preaching the word and ministring the Sacramentes. S. Hierom Euagrio is of the same opinion that they are equall likewise in Epistad Titum. cap. 1. shewing that a Bishoppe is preferred before a Priest magis ecclesiae consuetudine quam dispositionis dominicae veritate rather by custome of the church to auoyde schismes, then by truth of the Lordes disposition. Furthermore one of the Protestantes seedes is, that we must not pray to Saints, but this was held of certayne heretikes in S. Bernardes time who were called Apostolici & were also Anabaptistes, denying the baptisme of infantes. The conclusion is, that these opinions can not be good, because they are founde in some heretikes. And the contrary opinion must needes be true, because they are found in some holy men, as in S. Athanasius, Epiphanius, Augustine. &c. Although these opinions are but fewe in comparison of so many articles of religion, in whiche we dissent from the Papistes, which if they coulde be founde in heretikes, we should soone heare of them: yet what Logike is in this conclusion of Bristow, you shall see by examples of the like, and euen of the same heretikes. Aerius, as Augustine reporteth out of Philastre, did also receiue into his felowship none but suche as wete continent, and had so renounced the worlde, that they possessed nothing in common, likewise they abstayned from fleshe. The very same doth Bernarde report of the heretikes called Apostolike, that they rereuerenced mariage, and abstayned from all flesh and whitemeates. In canti. ser. 66. This diuelishe seede prophecied before to be the note of Antichristian hypocrites, grew in many heretikes before the time of the Papistes, and not these only, but many other also. Worshipping of Images in Carpocratians Ep. 1. lib. 1. T. 2. prefat. contr. Gnostic. 27. 29.
The superstitious estimacion of the crosse in the Valentinians Epiph. Ho. 31. Transubstantiation of the wine into blood in Marcus and the Marcosians Ire…aeus lib. 1 cap. 9. Prayer for the deade in the Montanistes. Tert. de Monon. & de Anima. &c. Inuocation of Angells in the Caianites and many other Popishe plantes were first sowne by the deuill in elder heretikes. And yet were this no good argument to confute these opinions or errors, because they are founde in heretikes, except they were found to be contrarie to the word of God. All is no heresie, whatsoeuer an heretike hath affirmed, for there was neuer heretike, but affirmed much truth, neither is all truth that is affirmed by eueryevery Sainct and holy man, for not one of the ancient writers but is acknowledged to hauehave affirmed some vntruth. Only the holy Scripture ought to hauehave this preheminence, as Augustine sayth, that it may iudge of all sayings and writings, it selfe being iudged of none, because it is the word of God which can not erre or be deceaued. Cont. Crescon. gram. lib. 2. cap. …. But Bristowe hath Scripture to proue that he which denyeth prayer for the dead, being found among the Arrians & Anabaptists, can not choose but be boūd in bundells with them and cast into the fire. Mat. 13. In deede he that is an Arrian or Anabaptist shal not escape for denying prayer for the deade. But the Angells that are the reapers, are not so vnskilfull, but that they can discerne true Christians denying the abuse of prayers for the dead, which the Scripture doth not admit, from blasphemous heretikes, among a great number of falsehoodes affirming some truth.
But it is a sore matter, that he sayth, The verie worst sorte of heretikes of this time, as the Anabaptistes, Trinitaries, yea the verie Epicures and Atheistes, were first Protestantes, ye such they be and will seeme to be still. He had spoken more truly, if he had sayd they were first Papistes. But what heretikes and Atheistes woulde seeme to be, it is no dishonor to our cause, seeing all hypocrits would seeme to be true Christians. That only Papistes are troubled in our countrie, and all other sectes tollerated and mainteyned the publike execution and punishment of Anabaptistes and other blasphemous sectes as the Familie of LoueLove &c. doth playnly proue to be false, and Bristow to be a shamelesse slaunderer.