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…

But let them make a proof, let them give the Gospel free passage, let the truth of Jesus Christ give his clear light and stretch forth his bright beams into all parts, and then shall they forthwith see how all these shadows straight will vanish and pass ⟨image 40⟩[…] at the light of the Gospel, even as the thigh mist of the night consumeth at the light of the sun. For whilst these men sit still and make merry, and do nothing, we continually repress and put back all those heresies, which they falsely charge us to nourish and maintain.

But let them make a proofe, let them giue the Gospell free passage, let the truth of Iesu Christe giue his cleare light and stretche sorth his bright beames into all partes, and then shall they furthwith see howe all these shadowes streight will vanyshe and passe ⟨image 40⟩〈…〉 at the light of the Gospel, euen as the thi•h myste of the night consumith at the light of ye sunne. For whilest these men sit still and make mery, and doe nothing, we continually represse and put backe all those heresies, whiche they falselye charge vs to noryshe and mainteine.

Where they say that we have fallen into sundry sects, and would be called some of us Lutherians, some of us Zwinglians, and cannot yet well agree among our selves touching the whole substance of doctrine, what would these men have said, if they had been in the first times of the Apostles and holy Fathers, when one said: I hold of Paul, an other I hold of Cephas, an other I hold of Apollo: when Paul did so sharply rebuke Peter: when upon a falling out Barnabas departed from Paul: when as Origene mentioneth, the Christians were divided into so many […], as that they kept no more but ⟨image 41⟩the name of Christians in common among them, being in no manner of thing else like to Christians, when as Socrates saith, for their dissensions and sun dry sects they were laughed and jested at openly of the people in the common gameplayes, when as Constantine the Emperor affirmeth, there were such a nun ber of variances and brawlings in the church, that it might justly seem a misery far passing all the former miseries? when also Theophilus, Epiphanius, Chrysostom, Augustine, Rufine, Hierome, being all Christians, being all Fathers, being all catholics, did strive one against an other, with most bitter and remediless contentions without end? When as saith Nazianzene, the parts of one body were consumed and wasted one of an other? when the East part was divided from the West, only for leavened bread, and only for keeping of Easter day, which were in did no great matters to be strived for? And when in all Councils