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…

The Prophet Haggai, after the Ten ple was repaired again by Esdras, and the people might think they had a very just cause to rejoice on their own behalf, for so great a benefit received of almighty God, yet made he them all burst out in tears, because that they which were yet alive, and had seen the former building of the Temple before the Babylonians destroyed it, called to mind how far of it was yet from that beauty and excellency which it had in the old ⟨image 115⟩times past before. For them in deed would they have thought the Temple worthily repaired, if it had answered to the ancient pattern, and to the majesty of the first Temple. Paul because he would amend the abuse of the Lords supper which the Corinthians even then begun to corrupt, he set before them Christs institution to follow, saying: I have delivered unto you ye which I first received of the Lord. And when Christ did confute the error of the Pharisees, Ye must, saith he, return to the first beginning, for from the beginning it was not thus. And when he found great fault with the priests for their uncleanness of life and covetousness, and would cleanse the Temple from all evil abuses, This house saith he, at the first beginning was a house of prayer, wherein all the people might devoutly and sincerely pray together, and so were your parts to use it now also at this day. For it was not builded to the end it should be a den of thieves. ⟨image 116⟩Likewise all the good and commendable Princes mentioned of in the Scriptures, were praised, specially by those words that they had walked in the ways of their Father David. That is because they had returned to the first and original foundation, and had restored Religion even to the perfection wherein David left it. And therefore when we likewise saw all thing es were quite trodden under foot of these men, and that nothing remained in the Temple of God but pitiful spoils and decays, we reckoned it the wisest and the safest way to set before our eyes those Churches which we knew for a surety that they never had erred, nor never had private Mass, nor prayers in strange and Barbarous language, nor this corrupting of Sacraments and other toys.

The Prophet Aggeus, after the Tē ple was repaired againe by Esdras, and the people mighte thinke they had a very iuste cause to reioyce on their own behalfe, for so great a benefit receiued of almightie God, yet made he them al burst out in teares, bycause that they whyche were yet aliue, and had sene the former building of the Temple before the Babylonians destroyed it, called to mynde how far of it was yet from that beautie and excellencie whiche it had in the olde