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.

iiij. Of abstinence from fleshmeat and from mariage.

Nowe to another error common to the Fathers and to vs:* 1.1 You sayde in the same thirde Chapter, and confessed, that they counted Aerius an heretike, for teaching against our prescript Fastingdayes, and so Iouinianus likewyse, for denying the merite of abstinence from fleshe and from mariage, and for licensing therevpon Votaries and Priestes to marrie. You on the other syde charged the Fathers, and saide,* 1.2 that they tooke prescript tymes of Fasting, and vnmeasurable (so you terme it) extolling of Sole life in y^e Cleargie, frō the Manichees, Taciani∣stes, & Montanistes. But you bring no proofe thereof.* 1.3 Onely this you haue in another place: Augustine by authoritie of Phila∣ster, chargeth the same Aerius, with abstinence from fleshe. If this bee an heresie, then bee all Papistes heretikes, which count abstinence from fleshe an holy fast. Still you take Richard for

Robert. These thrée heresies condemned fleshe & mariage as per∣taining to the yll God, and not to the good God, according to the heresie of y^e Valentinians before them. So writeth S. Augustine of the Tocianistes or Eucratites: Nuptias damnant, &c. They con∣demne mariages,* 1.4 and esteeme of them all a like as of fornicati∣ons and other pollutions: neither admitte they to their number, any that vseth mariage, be it man, or be it womā. Non vescuntur carnibus, eas{que} omnes abominantur: They eate no flesh, but count all flesh abominable. He hath there of Apostolici or Apotactite likewise, saying: Eucratitis isti similes sunt, &c. These are like to the Eucratites. They receiue not into their Societie them that vse mariage, and haue proprietie: Such as the Catholike Chur∣che hath both Monkes and of the Cleargie very many. Sed ideo isti haeretici sunt, &c. But therefore these are heretikes, because se∣parating them selues from the Churche, they thinke that there is no hope for them which vse these thinges, that they do not vse. Nowe saieth he of the Aerians afterwarde: Some saye that these doe not admitte into their Societie, but onely such as con∣teyne them from mariage, and haue renounced all proprietie: being therein like to the Eucratites or Apotactites. Yet from flesh meate, Epiphanius saieth not that they absteine: But Philaster layeth to them also this abstinence. What abstinence, and howe from fleshmeate, but such as in those Eucratites he had saide a∣fore? Sure it is, that this Aerius of his maister, called Eusta∣thius,* 1.5 had this heresie, to whom therfore Concilium Gangrense sayeth Anathema, and to all that holde the like, to witte, that a Christian vsing mariage, and eating fleshe, in Regnum Dei in∣troire non possit, can not enter into the kingdome of God. Et spem non habeat, Nor hath ought to hope for. Though withall he taught Ieiunia praescripta auersanda, that the prescript fastes shoulde be detested, Dominicis{que} diebus ieiunandum, and to fast on Sondayes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Supra. ca. 3. pa. 2. diui. 2.
• * 1.2

  Pur. 419.
• * 1.3

  Ar. 45.
• * 1.4

  August. ad quoduult. haer. 25.40 53.
• * 1.5

  Gang. con. Can. 1.19. Soc. li. 2. cap. 33.