The 29. motiue.

Although we did receaue such things, as he reherseth vpon their churches credit, it followeth not, that theirs * is the true church, for we receaue nothing from them, without dew exammation. The Scriptures we receaue Page  85 not, vpon the only credit of the Popish church, but vpon the credit of y^e vniuersall church of Christ. The creedes, articles of doctrine, tearmes of person trinitie, consub∣stantiality, Sacraments &c. we receaue, because they be consonant to the Scriptures, & not because the church of Rome tell•th •s they be true. As for the auctoritie of the church, which he sayth was S. Augustines motiue, to beleue the Gospell, was not a single or sole motiue, but a commotiue or an argument that with other argumēts did moue him, for the sayth not moueret but commoueret: and so it is with vs. Prouided alwayes that the Popish church be no taken for that Catholike or vniuersall church. VVhat then (sayth Bristow) was it the Protestants church whereof Augustine ment? or can you hold laughter when the question is asked? No verily, for when the Pro∣testants church, that it is now so called in this age, like as it was called the Homousians church in Augustines time, is a member of the Catholike vniuersall church of Christ, and so proued by the holy Scriptures, it is a ridiculous thing to doubt whether it were the popish church which is but an hereticall assembly, departed from the vniuersall church long since Augustines de∣parture out of this life. But Bristow will proue, that the church at whose commanndement Augustine beleued the Gospell, was not the Protestāts church, because that church commaunded him to beleue the bookes of To∣by, Iudith. VVisdome, Ecclesiasticus, & the Machabees to be canonicallscripture, which the church of Prote∣stantes doth denye. But what it Augustine were decei∣ued? to thinke he hearde the voice of the Catholike church when he did not, shall the Protestantes churche be condemned? S. Hierome who if the church of Rome were the Catholike church, was more like to heare her voice, because he was a Priest of the church of Rome, telleth vs a cleane contrary tale. For thus he writeth, In praefat. in Prouerbia.

Doth the Church of Protestants iudge other∣wise of these Bookes, then that Church which thus in∣structed Hierome? What then? I must say as Bristowe doth, S. Hierome and the Catholike Church in his time of our Religion. The Church of Rome now is of an other iudgement, then the Church of Rome was then, ergo it is not now that it was then. But whereas Bristowe chargeth vs to to deny, or at least to leaue in∣different the Canticles of Salomon. The Epistle to the Hebrues, The Epistles of Saint Iames, S Peter, S. Iohn, Sainct Iude, with the Apocalips, it is a diuelish slaunder, as God knoweth and the wo•ld can beare vs witnesse.