Reply Against Gilbert Brown, Section 46
Maiſter Gilbert Browne.
4 Symon Magus, Marcion and Manichaeus denied that man had Fre-will as f)Hereſ. 46S. Auguſtine, S. Hierome, and g)Hereſ. 42Epiphanius makes mention.
5 Iouinianus affirmed, that Prieſts marriage was lawfull, after the lawfull vowe of chaſtity. He moued ſundry Nunnes to marrie in the cietie of Rome He made faſting and abſtinence from meat ſuperfluous, as h)Hereſ 82. Item lib. 1. cap. 7 de peccat. merit. & remiſ.S. Auguſtine wrytes of him.
6 Vigilantius denyed the prayer to Saints, as i)Contra Vigilant.S. Hierome writes: he deſpiſed the burning of lights and candles in the Kirks, in the day time, and the Relicks of Martyrs.
Iulian the Apoſtata, was of the ſame opinion, as k)cont Iulian.Cyrillus declares. The ſame Iulian deſpyſed the image of Chriſt and his Saints, as the forſaid llib. 9. contra Io lianum.Cyrillus makes mention.
Maiſter Iohn Welſche his Reply.
As to this fourth hereſie, they tooke away all the liberty & freedome of the Will in man, but this is not our doctrine. For we affirme that man hes a libertie and freedome in his Will in naturall, morall and ſinfull actions: but not in theſe things whilk pleaſes God, before he be renewed. This is your fourth calumnie.
As for the fifth, Iouinian taught, as a)Hereſ. 82Auguſtine and b)In his 8. epiſt. in his defence of his bookes againſt Iouinian.Ierome ſets it downe, and c)De Eccleſia militant. lib. 4. cap. 9Bellarmine reports, that the married eſtate was equall with Virginitie. VntoUnto the whilk we anſwere, that true and vndefiled Virginity we prefer alwaies, as the more noble and excellent gift in them to whome it is giuen: but we doubt not to ſay, but that marriage is better in them, that cannot containe. And generally we dar prefer the honeſt marriage of Chriſtians, before the proud & fained virginity of many Monaſticall votaries, as dIn Pſal. 99.Auguſtine ſaies, Lowlie and humble marriage is better then proud and hauty virginity. As to the ſecond point, he affirmed indeede that the choyſe of meates and faſting was no merite, and this is no hereſie: But if this be hereſie, Rom. 6.23.then the doctrine of the Scripture is hereſies: for it teaches vsus that life euerlaſting is the free gift of God: as hes beene prooued before. This is your fift calumnie.
As for the ſixt of Vigilantius hereſies, if the denying of praier to be made to Saints be an hereſie, then it is an olde hereſie: Pſal. 50.15. Iſa. 42 8. Aug. de ciuitate de… l. 22. c. 20.for it is the Lords who is the auncient of daies, for this is his doctrine: call vponupon me in the daye of thy trouble, and I will deliuer thee. And let Auguſtine alſo go for an hereticke who ſaies that the Saints are not called vponupon. As for the diſpyſing of the burning of lightes and candles in the Kirks in the daye time, I know not to what vſe it ſerues, except to bee a ſigne that yee are blinded of the Lorde, who in the midſt of the day, lightes your candles: did Ieſus Chriſt or his Apoſtles ſo? And this was the cuſtome of Pagans, whilk you hauehave taken from them. Irenaeus lib. 6. cap. 2. As for the deſpiſing of the relicks of Martyres: if he deſpiſed theſe, then he erred: for we both teach & practiſe that the bodies of the Saints ſhould bee honorablie buried, and we do not deſpiſe them. But if he taught that they ſhould not be worſhipped, then I ſay he is not an heretick in this, Matth. 4.10 Deut. 6.23.but you are hereticks and idolaters who expres contrarie the commandement of God, doth worſhip the creature. And Vigilantius was no hereticke, nor his opinions condemned as hereſies, only there was a hoate contention betwene him and Ierome. And as for Iuliane, he calumniated the Chriſtians that they adored dead men for Gods, and the tree of the croce. VntoUnto whome Cyrillus anſwered that they adored not the ſigne of the croce, but God only. So this was but Iulians calumny againſt them. But if he had liued in your dayes hee might iuſtly hauehave obiected it vntounto you.