A04459:17
An apology or answer in defence of the Church of England with a brief…An apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe…
An apology or answer in defence of the Church of England with a brief and plain declaration of the true religion professed and used in the same.An apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande with a briefe and plaine declaration of the true religion professed and vsed in the same.
Londini: printed by Reginald Wolfe, 1564
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
For shortly to say the truth, these folk falsely accuse and slander all our doings: yea the same things which they themselves can not deny but to be rightly and orderly don, and for malice do so misconstrue and deprave all our sayings and doings, as though it were impossible, that any thing could be rightly ⟨image 11⟩spoken or don by us. They should more plainly & sincerely have gone to work if they would have dealt truly, but now they neither truly nor sincerely: nor yet Christianly, but darkly and craftily charge and batter us with lies, and do abuse the blindness & fondness of the people, together with the ignorance of Princes, to cause us to be hated, and the truth to be suppressed.
For shortely to say the truth, these folke falsely accuse and slaunder all oure doinges: yea the same thinges whiche they themselues can not deny but to be rightly and orderly don, and for malice do so misconstre and depraue al our sayinges and doinges, as though it were impossible, yt any thinge could be rightly ⟨image 11⟩spokē or don by vs. They should more plainly & sincerely haue gon to worke if thei would haue dealt truely, but now they neither truelye nor sincerelye: nor yet Christianly, but darklye and craftely charge and batter vs with lyes, and doe abuse the blindenes & fondenes of the people, together with the ignoraunce of Princes, to cause vs to be hated, and the truth to be suppressed.
This, lo ye, is the power of darkness, and of men which lean more to the amazed wondering of the rude multitude and to darkness, then they do to the truth and light: and as S. Hierome sayeth, which do openly gain say the truth, closing up their eyes, and will not see for the nonce. But we give thanks to the most good & mighty God, that such is our cause, where against (when they would fainest) they were able to utter no despite, but the same which might aswell be wrested against the holy Fathers, against the Prophets, against the Apostles, ⟨image 12⟩