An apology, or answer in defence of the Church of England concerning the state…An apologie, or aunswer in defence of the Church of England concerninge the state…

But you were ones, say they, of our fellowship, but now you are become Apostatas & runagates, & have separated your selves from us. True it is that we have dissevered our selves from them: and for that cause we both give thanks to our most merciful and mighty God, and also on our own behalves we do most highly ⟨image 49⟩rejoice. But we have not departed at all from the primitive Church, from the Apostles, nor from Christ. We can not deny but we were brought up amongest them in darkness and in the ignorance of God: even as Moses was in the discipline and in the bosom of the Egyptians. We were saith Tertullian, of your fellowship, I confess, and no marvel: for men are made and not borne Christians. But let these men tell me wherefore they are come down from these seven hills, whereupon afore time Rome did stand, and have chosen rather to dwell upon the plain which is called the field of Mars? They will say peradventure, because the conduits of water that were in those hills, without the which they could not well live, are now decayed & dried up. Then let them give us that same leave, touching the water of everlasting life, which they will have to be granted unto them in this case of material water. Amongest them this water failed long a go: the elders, as Jeremiah sayeth, sent their younglings to the waters, but they, when they could find nothing, brought home their empty vessels, being in great misery and utterly lost for thirst. The needy, sayeth Isaiah, and the poor sought after water, but they found none in no place: their tongues were now even dried for thirst: these men had broken up all their water courses and their conduits: these had choked all their springs, and had filled with mire and dirt the fountain of the water of life. And like as Caligula in time paste, by closing up of all mens barns, brought upon the people a general hunger and famine: so these men in choking up of all the fountains of Gods word, have brought the people into a miserable thirst. They brought as Amos the ⟨p. 49⟩Prophet saith, hunger and thirst upon men, not a famine of bread, not a thirst of water, but of hearing the word of God. The poor wretches wandered up and down seeking after some little spark of that light of God, wherewith they might cheer their consciences: but it was clean quenched out: they could find none at all:

But you were ones, saye they, of our felowship, but now you ar become Apostatas & rūnegates, & haue separated your selfs frō vs. True it is yt we haue disseuered our selfs from thē: and for that cause we bothe giue thankes to our moste mercyfull and mightie God, and also on oure owne behalfes we doe moste hyghlye