A Retentive to Stay Good Christians, Title page · Motive 12
The 12. Motiue is the 28. demaunde.
Sea apostolike. The communion of the Bishop of Rome Bristow.to be kept of all Christians. The Romain Church is the Catholike Church. Saint Augustine of our religion. Such as are condemned by the Sea Ap…stolike are holden for Heretikes. Pelagians aliue againe in Protestants. Emperours and other peeres of our Religion, as also their first conuersion. S. Theodoret, Chrisostom, and Hierome of our Religion. Antichristes side against the Pope. Protestants doe decay and shall come to nothing.
VVhosoeuer (sayth Bristow) at any time were for their doing or teaching condemned by the definitiue sentence of Fulke.the Sea Apostolike, and stubbernly condemned the same, they were Scismatikes or heretikes. And contrariwise, all Catholike men hauehave kept them selues in the vnitie of that sea, and if for any cause they were out of it, labouring to be reconciled againe, or if they had beene but suspected, neuer ceasing vntill they had made their purgation. Moreouer he saith, there can none example be alleadged to the contrary, but innumerable for it. It is not denyed, but the Church and Sea of Rome, while it continued in true catholike Religion, was much reuerenced eueryevery where, so farre at least as the Romane empire did extende. But when any Bishop of that sea, went out of the way, either in scisme or herefie, they were not followed but resisted, & condemned. For Example, When Victor bishop of Rome like a proude scismatike, did take vponupon him to excommunicate all the Churches of the East, for celebration of Easter, they did not onelyonly contemne his censure, but many Bishops also did sharply rebuke him, as Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons: & other. Euse. li. 5. ca. 25. Whē Liberius bishop of Rome relented vntounto the Arrians, he was forsaken of the true Christians, and accounted an Heretike. Hier. in Catal. When Bonifacius, Zosimus and Celestinus, Bishops of Rome, would chalenge appellations out of Africa, contrary to the decrees out of the councels of Africa, by counterfaiting a Canon of the Nicene councell, they were resisted by all the Bishops of Africa, and the trechery discouered. Caic. Aphric. ad. celest. To these examples adde Pope Honorius, cōdemned in the generall councell of Constantinople the sixt, for a Monothelite. Euen the popish councell of Constans, deposed three Popes. But now let vsus see Bristowes wise examples. The Pelagians (which he saith, but sheweth not how) are aliue in Protestants, were condemned by the Apostolike Sea as witnesseth Augustine. Episto. 106. And this iudgement of the Catholike Church, the Emperour Honorius confirmed as testifieth Possidonius and Augustine. What then? Ergo Saint Augustine and the Emperours were of our Religion. If the Pelagians had beene condemned by the authoritie of the Byshoppe of Rome, without conuiction out of the holy Scriptures, the Example had beene to some purpose. But when their heresie was bothe by Preaching, writing, disputing and Councell declared to be contrarie to the worde of God, then if the Byshoppe of Rome subscrybed to his condemnation, as one of the true Patriarches of the Church within the Romaine Empire, what doth this aduaunce the singularitie of his Sea? For examples of Catholickes purging them selues, Firste he nameth Chrysostome in his Epistle to Innocentius the sixt of Rome, but setteth downe none of his woordes, as in deede there is no such matter in that Epistle, onelyonly he sheweth howe iniuriously hee was handled by the barbarous Souldiers. His next example is: Theodoretus Byshoppe of Cyrus, who beeing vniustly deposed, appealed to Leo Byshoppe of Rome, which considering of his case indifferently, consented to his restitution in the councell of Chalcedon. But that Theodoret would not hauehave accounted him selfe an Heretike or scismatike, although he had beene condemned by Leo, it is plaine by these words. Vestrā enim expecto sententiam. &c. For I expect your sentence, and if you commaund me to stand vntounto that which hath beene iudged against me, I will stande vntounto, it neither will I trouble any man heereafter about it, but will expect the iudgement of our God and Sauiour, which cannot be altered. These wordes declare, that Theodoret although the Bishop of Rome also shoulde be deceyued to confirme his depriuation, by his sentence, yet he woulde not thinke him selfe to be an heretike, but quietly waight for the iudgement of God, which could not be deceyued, as the iudgement of man was. Wherfore Theodoret was farre from acknowledging those popish principles. That the Pope can not erre, that his iudgement is all one with the iudgement of God. Although the mysterie of iniquitie in the Bishop of Romes prerogatiue, had by that tyme wrought very highe. The submission of Hierome to Pope Damasus, you shall finde aunswered in my confutation of Saunders rocke cap. 15. where you shall see how the Church of Rome was called Catholike, while it was so in deede, and howe Antichristes side was against the Bishop of Rome, namely so longe as the Bishop of Rome was on Christes side. Whether Protestantes in England hauehave decayed and Papistes increased, as Bristow braggeth, for these 16. yeares, let wise men iudge. Although want of seuere discipline hath caused many to remaine obstinate, and some perhaps that were of no religion, to fall to Popery, yet for the number, it is altogether false, that Bristow so confidently affirmeth.