A reply to Fulke, In defense of M. D. Allens scroll of articles, and booke of purgatorie. By Richard Bristo Doctor of Diuinitie ... perused and allowed by me Th. Stapleton.

38 Old Heresies.* 1.1

Among the Protestants, on the contrary side, I say, that there are to be founde very many of the Olde condemned Heresies. Which is so playne, that Fulke confesseth (here cap. 3.) Aerius, Iouinianus, and Vigilantius, to haue bene counted Here∣tikes of the true auncient Church, for sundry opinions of theirs, nowe reuiued by the Protestantes. And therefore is fayne (cap. 7. pag. 80.) for his owne cause to goe about to defende them, partly with his stale of Only Scripture (cap. 7. pag. 80.) to the which I haue made aunswere cap. 8. pag. 110. and cap. 9. pag. 171. partely with abusing sundrie places of the Scrip∣tures, and of the same Fathers which condemned those Here∣tikes, to the which I haue answered cap. 8. and 9. partly also with more insolencie to charge those Fathers rather as defen∣ding Heresie agaynst Aerius, &c. (cap. 3.) wherevnto I haue an∣swered cap. 6. sauing that the two Heresies which he layeth to them that hold with the Machabées and with Traditions (as the Fathers do cap. 9. pag. 165. & cap. 3.7. pa. 12.85.) I haue answered in this present chap. in the 36. & 29. Demaunds. And so with one labour I haue cléered both the Fathers & our selues together, not

to be Gnostici, Valentinians, Carpocratians, Collyridians, Ossenes, Caianes, in our Traditions, in our Crosses and other Images, in our Inuocation of Angels and Sants and worship∣ping of their Relikes: nor to be Manichées, Tiacianistes, Mon∣tanistes, Aerians, in our Abstinence and Fastingdayes, in our single life: nor Gentiles, Carpocratians, Origenists, Heracleo∣nites, Montanistes, in our name of Sacrifice, in our Purgatory, Anealing, and praying for the dead: nor Arrians in our beeres for burying. For such is his modesty and Christianity and truth, to charge the Pillers of Christ with such heresies, yea and more∣ouer to saye generally, (as I noted cap. 3. pag. 9.) that if the Gen∣tiles or Heretikes had any thing that seemed to haue a shewe of pietie or charitie, they woulde drawe it into vse: whiche was the greate corrupting of those auncient tymes. That we maye nowe be more content to heare him charge vs, and say with all generalitie that is possible:* 1.2 In all tymes when soe∣uer, and wheresoeuer, was any peese of miste, or darke corner (though all the rest were light) there were the steppes of your walke. Which two golden sayings of his, procéede of these two diuine opinions of their new Gospel, that the Primitiue Church should prepare the way to Antichrist, and that Christes Vicare should be Antichrist. Wherof I haue spoken ynough cap. 8. and 9. Such opinions must vtter such sayings. And yet not able for all that, truely to charge the Church either Primitiue or of later time, with so much as one point of Antichristianisme or Heresie, as partly I haue declared cap. 6. and now wil declare for the rest. They are such matters as agrée no otherwise to vs, then to them whom he dare not to condemne, and therfore not in the same ma∣ner as to the old Heretikes.

* 1.3Of the Messalians or Martyrians, you lerned (saith he) to shaue your beardes, and to let your lockes grow long, Comas muliebres producunt, They kepe their heare long, like women. Do we so? Be our heades like womens long heades? womens heads bylike are rounded heades: or S. Paule did meane that men should poll their heades, Ita ad pressum tondentes vt rasorum similes vide∣antur, Cutting them so neare the skin that they should be like to shauen heades. Or do not some Protestantes weare round heads and shaue their beardes, as well as some Catholikes: and some

Catholikes, euen also the Cleargie in Italie and Spayne, weare beardes and polled heades, as well as some Protestantes? Epi∣phanius noteth it in those Monkes, because they did it, in conten∣tione, of contention, and at that time and in that place, when and where the Apostles statutes and the Churches orders were to the contrarie, as yet they be touching womanly heades, but not also euery where touching shauen beardes. It is a signe, that you a∣bounde with substantiall stuffe against vs, that you lay our heares to our charge. Nothing was wont with you to be heresie, vnlesse it could be proued contrarie to expresse Scripture,* 1.4 (so ea∣sily we might answere all, by your principles) and that also ex∣cepting ceremonies. Yet now conformitie and obedience to com∣ly order for lacke of better matter must go for heresie. Sée, whe∣ther we do not more substātially charge you with the Messalians heresie, for saying, that the Sacraments, and namely Baptisme,* 1.5 Eucharist, and Orders, do not conferre grace. Reade Theodo∣rete and Damascene.

Of the Pharisees you receiued your superstitious masking gar∣ments, which you call Amictus, Dalmaticus, and Pallia, as witnes∣seth Epiphanius in his Epistle to Acacius and Paulus. Doth not also your owne order appoynt speciall and gorgeous garmentes in the ministrations? And that in the Primitiue Church also were such, I haue shewed here in the 21. Demaund: and by name, if you will, you may reade of the Deacons Dalmatica and Alba, to be worne in the time of the oblation, and lesson out of the Gos¦pell, Con. Carth. 4. cap. 41. as also in other places both of them and the rest. You might as well, or also better haue brought this against the Leuiticall garments in the ministeries of the Iudai∣call Temple.* 1.6 You do not consider that Epiphanius there repor∣teth the seuen sectes of the Iewes, and describeth them, namely the Scribes and the Pharisées, in their common daily garments, being Stolae siue Pallia, and Dalmaticae siue amicula, as we might say, cassocks and gownes or clokes vpon them, with simbriae, frin∣ges commaunded Nu. 15. Deut. 22. to haue made for ostentation of holines certayne superstitious additions & enlargementes, by which our Sauiour, Mat. 23. doth note their hipocrisie. Doth not this make sore against holy vestments in the Seruice of God?

An other sect of the Iewes were Hemerobaptistae (touched by

our Sauiour Mar. 7.* 1.7) who said, Neminē assequi vitam aeternam nisi qui quotidie baptizaretur, None to obtaine life euerlasting, but such a one as were baptized (or washed) euery day. Of these were deriued your holy water, saith Fulke to vs, which you say you vse to put men in mind of their Baptisme. O I sée our fault: although we baptize but once for life euerlasting, yet we would haue men to remember it euery day. S. Paule deceaued vs Rom. 6. he was to blame. As also to tell vs that the Creatures of God are Sanctified by the word of God and by prayer, 1. Tim. 4. Spe∣cially to attribute so passing muche to the prayers of the holy Ghost, that is, to the prayers of the Church, encouraging vs, and saying:* 1.8

the Holy Ghost also doth helpe our weaknes, praying for vs with groanes vnspeakable,

as he that knoweth the hartes of the Catholike Church can tell, howsoeuer blinde Heretikes do thinke, that God will do nothing by water for prayer.

* 1.9Againe he sayeth: Of the Ossenes (who were another sect of the Iewes) you tooke the great estimation of water, salte, oyle, bread, &c. And vse to sweare by them, as they did. You do not charge vs, I trow, as teching this swering in cōmon talke with∣out truth or without cause. Nor you be not, I trow, an Anabap∣tist, to condemne eyther all swearing, or swearing by Creatures. What besides these you should meane to charge vs withall, I know not.

But I know what Epiphanius chargeth the Ossenes withall, to wit, for frequentinge othes, as we do prayers, and that for diuine honor of septem testes, seuen witnesses prescribed vnto them by their master Elxai, which were these: Salt, Water, Earth, Bread, Heauen, Ayer, and Winde. At another time these: Heauen, Water, Spirits, the holy Angels of prayer, Oyle, Salte, and Earth, but in no case fire.

Therefore if Catholikes be not plaine Ossens, I report me to you.

The same Elxai prescribed a prayer, saying in the booke of his fables: Let no man seeke the interpretation, but onely say these words in his prayer: [Abac anid moib nochile daasim ani daasim nochile moib anid abac selam.]

Of him therfore we lear∣ned (saith Fulke) to cōmaund the people to pray in an vnkno∣wen tongue. Epiphanius sheweth, that his prayer was nothing at all when it was interpreted. Belike the Pater noster and Aue, are such: or els the Priuate prayers of the Corinthians in

more strange tongues then the Latin is to the people of the La∣tin Church, which yet S. Paule commendeth, as I shewed in the 22. Dem. But he commeth also to our publike prayer and saieth:* 1.10 The Marcosians, when they baptized (after their strange maner mentioned here cap. 6. pag. 50.) vsed to speake certaine Hebrue wordes, quae magis admirationi sint, that the ignorant people might maruel the more at them: as you do in Baptisme, Ephata, &c.* 1.11 Euen as truly as S. Marke in his Gréeke Gospell sayeth the same in the very same maner with the interpretation,* 1.12 as we do in Baptisme, and as in S. Ambrose time also we did, to be (for∣sooth) maruelled at the more: Epphatha, quod est, adaperire, which is to say, Be thou opened.

And as S. Iohn in his Greke Apoca∣lypse so often vseth for maruell (forsooth) the Hebrue words A∣men, (which in other Scriptures also, yea and in your owne prayers is commonly vsed) and Alleluia, of which two S. Augu∣stine saith (that I may note somewhat here against your Ser∣uice, where you note nothing agaynst ours) not onely that in the Latine translations of the Bible they be reteined Prop∣ter sanctiorem authoritatem, for more holy authoritie,* 1.13 al∣though it was possible to interprete them, but also that all Na∣tions doe sing them in the Hebrewe worde, quod nec Latino nec Barbaro licet in suam linguam transferre, Not being lawfull nei∣ther for the Latine, nor for the Barbarian to translate them into his owne language.

Of the Marcionistes you learned to giue women leaue to Baptise. You doe therein your selues by order of your booke,* 1.14 as muche as we doe. Marcion is noted for confounding all order, as consecrating the mysteries in presence of Catechume∣ni: so likewise allowing women to Baptize solemnely, as though they might haue that office as well as Priestes. We say onely, that for necessitie Christ alloweth any person to Baptize:* 1.15 in so muche that the Primitiue Church also hath allowed the baptisme which a boye hath giuen to his playfellowes. Which you woulde neuer carpe, but that like a Pelagian Puritane, (here cap. 6. pag. 65.) you denie the necessitie of Baptisme,* 1.16 saying that children, etiam si non baptizentur, although they be not baptized, may come to life euerlasting, and to the king∣dome of God.

* 1.17So playnly you are proued to be Pelagians. But yet we in our consciences forsooth must néedes be Pelagians for holding Free wil, and merites of works as they did, and not Predestination and grace as Augustine did. How they did holde it, eyther you knew not, or it was not for your hipocrisie to report it. Sure it is, that a 1.18 Manichaeorum est, liberum auserre arbitrium, It is the Heresie of the Manichies to denie Free-will. Sure it is againe, that S. Augustine denying the Pelagians merites, that is, such as procéede of man him selfe, and go before grace: yet holdeth the Catholike merites, that is, such as procéede of grace. b 1.19

The Pe∣lagian Heretikes do say (quoth he) the grace of God to be giuen according to our owne merites. quod omnino falsissimum est, Which is vtterly moste false, not that there is no merite, either good of the godly, or euill of the vngodly: but the grace of god doth conuert a man, that of a wicked one he may be made a iust one, and so may beginne to haue good merites, which God shall crowne when the world shall be iudged.

This is the doctrine of the Catholikes, and is most euident to be séene in the Councell of Trent.* 1.20 But you denying all good merits, do like Hipocrites con∣ceale from the people that distinction of merites before grace and merites after grace, making as though all which hold merites, so much as after grace, be Pelagians. But that we hold also merits before grace, as they did, you will proue by the distinction De cō∣gruo & condigno: For God is as much bound to congruity as to dignitie or worthines: and as he can do nothing against worthi∣nes, no more can he do any thing against congruitie, which is a kind of equitie. We also our selues do hold, that a man of him selfe without Gods speciall helpe, can not merite so much as de congruo, the grace of God (though we haue no resolute warrant to call the contrarie Pelagianisme or Heresie) and that with bet∣ter argumēts then this of yours, or els we might hold our peace, which you can not. For you imagine that if God do not that which is congruous, he doth against congruitie. Not so, good syr, for it is congruous to his mercy to saue the simple, that followe you only of ignorance, and otherwise do liue in good works, espe∣cially his welbeloued seruantes also praying for them. Yet to damne such also because they be out of the Church, is congruous to his iustice. Yea for God to saue al the world, is cōdigne to the

merites of Christ: yet he damneth innumerable, because that it is condigne to their owne merites.

Thus while you went about to stayne Gods Church in vaine, it is fallen out only by the way, y^t you your selues are Messalians for denying the grace of the Sacraments: Pelagians, for deny∣ing the necessitie of Baptisme: and Manichees, for denying Frée-will. This is all that you haue gayned.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Motiue 4.
• * 1.2

  Pur. 287.
• * 1.3

  Ar. 21.22. Epiph. s. 3. Haer. 80. 1. Cor 11. Hier. in E∣zech. 44.
• * 1.4

  Sup. dem. 36.
• * 1.5

  Theo Haer. fab. li. 4. Dam. Haer. 80.
• * 1.6

  Epipha. ep. ante lib. de Haer. & Haer. 15.16.
• * 1.7

  Epipha. ep. ad Acac. & Paulum. & Haer. 17.
• * 1.8

  Rom. 8.
• * 1.9

  Epip. Haer. 19.
• * 1.10

  Epip. Haer. 34.
• * 1.11

  Mar. 7.
• * 1.12

  Ambro. de Sac. li. 1. c. 1. Apoc. 19.
• * 1.13

  Au. de doc. Chri. li. 2. c. 11. & inter. Epist. 174.
• * 1.14

  Epip. Haer. 42.
• * 1.15

  Ruff. hist. li. 1. ca. 14.
• * 1.16

  Aug. Haer. 88. Pelagia.
• * 1.17

  Pu. 13.405 Ar. 44.
• a 1.18

  Hier. pro. con. Pelag. Au. de fide con. Mani. ca. 9 10. Chry. hom. 45. in Io. 6.
• b 1.19

  Aug. epi. 46.
• * 1.20

  Con. Trid. Ses. 6.