The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholic religion against popery proving…The safe religion, or, Three disputations for the reformed catholike religion against popery proving…

Firmilianus, a famous Bishop writeth a confutation of Pope Stephens Epistle and therefore took him not to be infallible;^* and he parallel's him with the Ancient Heretics, Marcion, Apelles, Valentinus, Basilides, as bringing in error under pretence of Tradition as they did. And saith [And for them that are at Rome, they do not in all things observe those things which were delivered from the beginning, and do in vain pretend the Authority of the Apostles; as may be seen in that about Easter and about many other Divine mysteries, there are some diversities with them, and they do not equally observe all things as at Jerusalem they are observed. As also in many other Provinces many things are varied according to the diversity of places and names, and yet no breach of the Churches unity and peace for this. Which now Stephen hath dared to do, breaking the peace with us, which his ancestors kept in love and honour: and moreover defaming Peter and Paul, as if he had this Tradition from them. — And in this I have just indignation at the open and manifest foolishness of Stephen, that he that thus boasteth of the place of his Bishopric, and contendeth that he holdeth the succession of Peter, upon whom the foundations of the Church are laid, doth bring in many other Rocks and maketh ⟨p. 303⟩new buildings of many Churches while by his authority he defendeth that there is Baptism▪ — And as to the confutation of Custom, which they seem to oppose to truth, who is so vain as to prefer custom before truth? Or that seeing the light will not forsake the darkness? Except that when Christ, that is the truth, was come, the most ancient custom would have in any thing helped the Jews, that leaving the new way of truth, they remained in Antiquity, Which you Africans may say against Stephen, that having knowledge of the truth you have forsaken the error of custom. But we do both join custom to truth, and to the custom of the Romans, we oppose custom but of the truth, from the beginning holding that which from Christ and his Apostles was delivered to us. Nor can we remember any beginning of this — Yea thou art worse then all the heretics — See then how ignorantly thou darest to reprehend them, who strive for the truth against a lye. For who should more justly be angry with the other? he that defendeth Gods enemies or he that consenteth?