This worde Hæresis, is deriued of the Greke worde / αἱρεῖν, which signifieth to chose / to pick / or to cull out. For heretikes do chose out / vnto thẽselues sum doctrine which is contrarye to the holy scriptures / and do obstinatly defend the same. Vnto this euell they are brought / either bicause they do not know the holy scripture / either bicause that though they do knowe them yet they do contemne and despise them either els bicause they do applye thẽselues to get sum honor or riches by this meane. Wherfor Augustine saith.
He is an heretike which either enuentith / or folowith fals and new opinions for ony worldly commoditie / and cheifly to gett himself glorie ãd autorite. But of Heresie I will make this definicion.
Heresie / is a choise and obstinate defence / of certeyn doctrynes which are contrary vntto Godds worde / springinge / either of the ignoraunce / or of the contempt of the holy scriptures / to gett therby aduaũtag / or honors. There are foure kyndes of causes in this definicion. The formall cause is / chosinge and defending of picked doctrynes. The materiall parte or cause is picked doctryns contrary to Godds worde. For he that beleauith no doctryne at all / is godles / and not an Heretike. The cause efficient by which they are moued to Heresie is / ignoraunce and contempt of the holy scripture / and lust or couetus desire. The end whi men fall to Heresie is / to obtayne honors / ãd riches: For they do abhorre the Crosse which folowith the preachinge of the gospell / ãd as Paule saith /
Theyr belly / is their god. Augustine hath also this diuisiõ.
Euell catholiques are they / which do lyue otherwise thẽ they saie that they do beleaue. Schismatiques are they / which for diuersitie in opiniõ do diuide and separat the church / for σχιζειν, is to deuide. Heretikes are they / which perseuere / and cõtinue in that schisme.
But in an other place he saith. That Heresie / doth differ frõ schisme. For a Schisme / is a stryfe which risith vppon diuersitie of sentẽces. Neither can a dyuiding or a schisme be / onles they which do make it do thinke and holde cõtrarie thinges. But Heresie is / an inueterat schisme.
Saint Paule obseruith no such diuersitie / for he vsith theise too wordes for one thinge. Nowe that ye se what Heresie is / consider well wether that the papistes be heretikes / or no? They themselues do stoutly saye that they be none. Yea ãd sum other ther are / which dare affirme / that the papistes do differ from vs only in certayn abuses of ceremonies / and not in the doctrine of faith. But how farr theise mẽ do err from the truithe / it shall forthwithe appeare. For I will playnly proue / that the papists are Heretikes / and do mayntayne Heresie againste certayn principall doctrines of our faithe.