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…

As for the Merchandises and open sales of masses,¹ and the bearing up and down and worshipping of bread, and such other idolatrous and blasphemous follies, which no man can affirm that Christ and his Apostles delivered unto us, we suffer not in our Churches. And we do justly reprove the Bishops of Rome, which without Gods word, without authority of the holy fathers, without any example, after a new guise, do not only set forth to the people the sacramental bread to be worshipped with godly honour, but also they carry it about upon an ambling horse,² where soever they ride themselves, as in times paste the Persians did fire, and the Egyptians the relics of Isis: and thus they have now brought the sacraments of Christ to be a pageant & a solemn pomp, to the intent that that thing whereby the death of Christ should be continually remembered and celebrated, and wherein the mysteries of our redemption should be devoutly and reverently renewed, should serve for nothing else but to feed mens eyes with foolish sights and wanton boys games. And where as they say and persuade also sometimes to fools,³ that in their masses they can distribute & apply unto men (which many times think nothing on yt matter, nor understand what is in hand) all the merits of the death of ⟨image 17⟩Christ, it is a matter to be laughed at, and also both Heathenish and foolish. For our faith doth apply unto us the death and cross of Christ, not the masking of a sacrificing priest.⁴ The faith saith S. Augustine, of the sacraments, doth justify, not the sacrament. And Origen saith, He is the priest and the propitiation, and the sacrifice, the which propitiation cometh to every man by the way of faith. And in like wise say we, that without faith the sacraments of Christ profit nothing, no not the living, much less them that be dead. For as touching that they are wont to boast them of their Purgatory,⁵ although we know it is not very newly invented: yet it is nothing but mere foolish and an old wives tale.