A04459:29
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.
Sithens then they bring forth none of these for them selves, and call us nevertheless Heretics, which have nether fallen from Christ nor from the Apostles, nor yet from the Prophets, this is an injurious and a very spiteful dealing. With this sword did Christ put of the Devil when he was tempted of him: which these weapons ought all presumption which doth advance it self against God, to be overthrown and conquered. For all Scripture,1 sayeth S. Paul, that cometh by the inspiration of God, is profitable to teach, to confute, to instruct, and to reprove, that the man of God may be perfect and throughly framed to every good work. Thus did the holy Fathers alway fight against the heretics with ⟨image 18⟩none other force then with the holy scriptures.2 S. Augustin when he disputed against Petilian an heretic of • Donatists: Let not these words, quod he, be heard between us: I say, or, you say: let us rather speak in this wise: Thus sayeth the Lord: there let us seek the Church, there let us bolt out our cause. Likewise S. H•erome:3 All those things (saith he) which without the testimony of the scriptures are holden as delivered from the Apostles, be throughly smitten down by the sword of Gods word. S. Ambrose also to Gratianus the Emperor: Let the scripture (sayeth he) be asked the question, let the Apostles be asked, let the Prophets be asked, & let Christ be asked. For at that time made the Catholic Fathers and Bishops no doubt, but that our Religion might be proved out of the holy scriptures. Neither were they ever so hardy to take any for an heretic, whose error they could not evidently & apparently reprove by the self ⟨image 18⟩same scriptures. And we verily to make answer on this wise as S. Paul did: According to this way which they call heresy, we do worship God and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, & do allow all things which have ben written either in the Law or in the Prophet•, or in the Apostles works.