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…

Where as they say that we are fallen into diverse sects,¹ and that some will be called Lutherans, some Zwinglians, & that we could never well agree amongst our selves touching the sum of our doctrine: what I pray you would they have said, if they had been in the first age of the Apostles and of the Fathers? when one said, I hold of Paul: an other, I of Cephas: an other, I of Apollo. or when Paul reproved Peter: when upon occasion of strife, Barnabas departed from Paul: when that, as Origene doth testify, ⟨image 21⟩the Christians were divided into so many factions, that they retained only the name of Christians commune to them all, else nothing that was like unto Christian men: And as Socrates saith, that for their dissensions & sects, they were scorned openly in stage plays, of the people: & when that as the Emperor Constantine doth say, there were so many dissensions & brawls in the Church, that the misery thereof might seem to pass all the other miseries that were before: Also when that Theophilus, Epiphanius, Chrysostom, Augustine, Rufine, Jerome, all being Christians, all Fathers, all Catholics, did strive amongst themselves with most bitter contentions, and such as could not be appeased: when that as Nazianzenus saith, the members of one body, one destroyed an other: when the East part of the world was divided from the West, about leavened bread and for Easter, matters of no great weight: when in all Councils now and then new Creeds and new Decrees were stamped, what trow ye these men would have said in those days? To which would they have chiefly applied them self? From which would they have fled? Which Gospel would they have believed? Which would they have taken for Heretics, which for Catholics? Now for two names only, Luther & Zuinglius, what a business do they make? Only to the intent, that because there is something whereupon they two do not yet agree, we should imagine that both of them erred, neither of them had the Gospel, and that neither of them did teach rightly and truly.

Where as they saye that we are fallen into diuerse sectes,¹ and that some will be called Lutherans, some Zuinglians, & that we could neuer wel agree amongst our selfs touchyng the summe of our doctrine: what I praye you woulde they haue sayde, if they had bene in the firste age of the Apostles and of the Fathers? when one sayd, I holde of Paule: an other, I of Cephas: an other, I of Apollo. or when Paule reproued Peter: when vpon occasion of stryfe, Barnabas departed from Paule: when that, as Origene dothe testifye,