Demands to be propounded of Catholickes to the heretikes by Richard Bristow ... ; taken partly out of his late English booke of Motiues to the Catholicke faith, partely out of his printed Latin booke of the same matter.

The 20. Demaunde. In all persecutions.

BEcause the Romane Empe∣rours first were persecutours & Protestantes haue talked much of persecution, as though we vsed them so as those Tyrants vsed the first Christians: to the end that the truth many be plainly know∣en, aske them, whether they wil be content to trye this cōtrouer∣sy of Religion which is between vs, * 1.1 by the religion of those ancient Martyrs, and others then in per∣secution, as S. Ireneus, S. Cyprian, S. Laurence, and such others as we read of in the Ecclesiasticall Hi∣stories, where they write of those persecutions, and was sensibly the true Religion of Christ? and

yet, I warrant you, the learned Protestants, that haue read and seene all, will neuer be content to be tryed by it. They know to well, that it was not theirs. O∣therwise aske them, what it mea∣neth, that they and we be so con∣trary in setting out the liues of Martyrs: their Foxe (for example) being most occupyed about their new foūd Martyrs of this our age: and our Surius (besides many o∣thers) being altogether occupyed about the liues of old Saintes, such as haue bene euen from the Churches beginning? read their liues, and you will not meruaile, neither at Foxe on the one side, nor at Surius on the other side.

And not only in the sundry per∣secutions of the heathen: but aske them likewise of the sundry per∣secutions of diuers Heretikes;

as in the persecution of the Ari∣ans in Afrike, a little after S. Au∣gustines death, whether the Ca∣tholiks whom those Heretiks did persecute, were not of the same religion, as we whome these he∣retikes doe persecute (S. Victor who then liued with them) writ∣ting that the Arrian King Hune∣ricus permitted the Catholiks a 1.2 Missas agere, to say Masse in certaine Churches; & afterward charged them b 1.3 contra interdictum Missas e∣gisse, to haue sayd Masse in other Churches that they were forbidden: writing also, that afore him the Arian King Gensericus did forbid them all churches (Neque c 1.4 vs∣quam orandi aut immolandi concede∣batur locus. Neither any place was permitted vs to pray or to Sacrifice: And that thereupon caeperunt Sa∣cerdotes, qualiter poterant, & vbi

poterant ablatis Ecclesijs, Diuina Mi∣steria celebrare, The Priestes began when their Churches were taken from them, to celebrate the Diuine Miste∣ryes, as they might, and where they could: so as they are fayne to doe now also in England: Saint Au∣gustine himselfe being to those Priests d 1.5 fellow both in perse∣cution and also in Religion.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Comfort sor Ca∣tholiks in England. Eus. hist. l. 4. c. 14 l. 6. c. 4.9.35. l. 8 cap. 2.17. Cyp. ep 5 34.37.57.69.
• a 1.2

  Vict. de perse. vand. l. 2. fol. 12.
• b 1.3

  f. 19.
• c 1.4

  Lib. 1. fol. 3.
• d 1.5

  fol. 2.