A Retentive to Stay Good Christians, Title page · Motive 4
The 4. motiue is the 38. demaund.
Olde heresies. Arrians againe aliue in Protestantes. Protistants be Pelagians, in denying Baptisme to be necessarie for the Bristow.saluation of Infants. Her etiques are not Christians.
Whatsoeuer was heresie in times past (saith Bristow) Fulke.is heresie now also, some opinions holden by the Protestants, were heresie in times past, Ergo, they be heresies now also, so Protestants be Heretiques, and no Christian, but almost Apostataes. But I deny that any opinion holden by vsus, was euer Heresie. Yes saith Bristow, the denying of prayer and oblation for the dead was accounted heresie in A…rius, both by Epiphanius and Augustinus. True it is, they both following the errour of their times, account it for an errour in A…rius, but it doth not followe, that bicause they accounted it so, that it was so in deed, seing neither of them both doth proue it to be an errour by the authoritie of the holy Scriptures, but by the corrupt vsage of their Churches, which had turned thankesgiuing for the dead, into prayers and oblation for the dead And yet the same Epiphanius denyeth fasting and almes to bee profitable to the dead, wherefore the Papistes do now hold the contrarie. Contra Melchisedec sumus Haer. 53. Hee accounteth the hauing of the images of Christ and the Apostles, one of the heresies of the Gnostikes, Haer. 27. & many such like things which the Papistes defend for Catholike. The like doth Augustine, wherefore let Bristow aduise him selfe whether it be a good argument. Epiphanius and Augustine accounted prayer for the dead to be an errour, Ergo, it was an heresie in deede. For an other example of old heresies by vsus recyted he bringeth in, That cruell heresie of theirs, against the necessitie of childrens baptisme, wherin they agree with the Pelagians, through which they suffer many thousand poore soules to perish, which can not helpe them selues, while they promise them both life euerlasting, and the kingdome of heauen without baptisme, whereas the Pelagians promised life euerlasting only. Who would thinke, that this slaunderous heretique had liued so long in England as hee did before he became fugitiue, which lyeth so impudētly without all colour or shewe of trueth? Was there euer any of vsus heard to preach of baptisme, as not necessarie for infāts, if they might obteine it according to the institution of Christ. But contrariwise, that it is a cruell errour of the Papists, which condēneth infants, who being preuented by death, can not obteyne the outward Sacrament: yet hath this error Augustine and Cypriane to vpholde it. But if Augustine and Cypriane neuer erred, no not about the doctrine of the Sacramentes, then let their authoritie defend the Papists. But when Cypriane denyed the Baptisme of Heretikes to be any thing auayleable, how many thousand soules both of yong and olde dyd he condemne? And whē Augustine with Pope Innocent holdeth the communion to be as necessarie for the saluation of Infants as Baptisme: how many hūdred thousand soules doth he condemne, or the Papistes destroy, which denye the communiō vntounto them? Cyprian lib. 1. Epi. 6. Magno. Augustin. Contra duas Epist. Pelagi. lib. 2. Cap. 4. where he accuseth the Pelagians, as well for affirming the Communion not to be necessarie for Infants, as for houlding, that Baptisme was not needefull for them.
In the 38. Demaunde he chargeth vsus with denying prescript fasting dayes, which is falle, when they be prescribed by the Churche of God, and not vsurped of superstition and opinion of merite.
He chargeth vsus further with denying of Free Will, and quoteth in the margent August Tom. 6. De fide cō tra Manichaeus, Cap. 9 & 10. where in deede Augustine against the Manichees affirmeth the Free Will of man, but in his retractations he sheweth, that euen then hee vnderstoode it of the state of Man before his fall, and therefore the Pelagians, whiche were maynteyners of Free Will to remayne in man since the fall of Adam, did slaunderouslie vsurp those his sayings against him and the truth, euen as the Papists do now. Cùm autem de libera voluntate rectè faciendi loquimur, de illa scilicet in quae homo factus est loquimur. Ecce tam longè antequam Pelagiana haeresis extitisse…sic disputanimus: velut iam contra illos disputaremus. Whensoeuer we speake of the Free Will of man to do well, we speake of that Will, in whiche man was made. Behold so long before the Pelagian heresie arose, we hauehave disputed euē so, as though we had disputed against them. Retract. lib. 1. cap. 9. Now iudge whether if Papistes or we, be more like to the Pelagians. He chargeth vsus moreouer, to hold against the merite of single life, quoting Aug. haer. 82. with Iouiaian, which is false, for as Augustine vnderstandeth by merite worthines or excellency, we acknowledge that the state of virginitie is more excellent then of matrimony, in such respects as the Apostle preferreth it. 1. Cor. 7.
Last of all he chargeth vsus, with holding against the vowe of single life, quoting Aug. Retract lib. 2. c. 22. where there is no word of any vowe, and much lesse of vowing a single life, in them that can not liue an honest & chast life without mariage. There is mention of certaine sanctimoniales holy and deuout women, of whose chastity was no suspition, which leauing their purpose of virginitie, were perswaded by Iouinian to marie. Not we therefore, hauehave reuiued any old heresie, but the Papists hauehave continued many old errors, reuiued many old heresies, of the Pharises, P…gians, Anthropomorphites, & added many new of their owne, such as were neuer he…d of in the primitiue Church, for six hundred yeares after Christ, as hath often bene shewed at large.