A04459:183
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.
And yet as though all this were to little, they would needs make all the Realm ⟨image 126⟩tributary to them, & exacted there yearly most unjust and wrongful taxes. So deer cost us the friendship of the City of Rome. Wherefore if they have gotten these things of us by extortion thorough their fraud and subtle sleights, we see no reason why we may not pluck away the same from them again by lawful ways & just means. And if out kings in that darkness and blindness of former times gave them these things of their own accord and liberality for Religion sake, being moved with a certain opinion of their feigned holiness, now when ignorance & error is spied out, may the Kings their successors take them away again, seeing they have the same authority, the Kings their ancestors had before. For the gift is void, except it be allowed by the will of the giver: and that cannot seem a perfect will, which is dimmed and hindered by error.
And yet as though all this were to litle, they would nedes make all the Realme ⟨image 126⟩tributarie to them, & exacted there yearely most vniust and wrongfull taxes. So deere cost vs the freendeshyp of the Citie of Rome. Wherefore yf they haue gotten these thinges of vs by extortion thorough their fraude and suttle sleightes, we see no reason why we may not plucke awaye the same from them againe by laufull wayes & iust means. And yf out kynges in that darknes and blindenes of former tymes gaue them these thinges of their owne accorde and liberalitie for Religion sake, being moued with a certaine opinion of their fained holines, now when ignoraunce & errour is spied out, may the Kinges their successours take them awaye againe, seing they haue the same auctoritie, the Kinges their auncestours had before. For the gyft is voide, except it be alowed by the will of the giuer: and that cannot seme a perfit will, which is dymmed and hindered by errour.
Thus ye see good Christian Reader, ⟨image 127⟩