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…

Nevertheless in this point they triumph marvellously that they be the Church, that their Church is Christs spouse, the pillar of truth, the ark of Noah, and that without it there is no hope of salvation. Contrariwise, they say that we be runagates, that we have torn Christs seat: that we are plucked quite of from the ⟨image 61⟩body of Christ, and have forsaken the catholic faith. And when they leave nothing unspoken that may never so falsely and maliciously be said against us, yet this one thing are they never able truly to say, that we have swerved either from the word of God, or from the Apostles of Christ, or from the primitive Church. Surely we have ever judged the primitive Church of Christs time, of the Apostles, and of the holy Fathers to be the catholic Church: neither make we doubt to name it Noes ark, Christs spouse, the pillar and upholder of all trueth: nor yet to fire therein the whole mean of our salvation. It is doubtless an odious matter for one to leave the fellowship whereunto he hath ben accustomed, and specially of those men, who though they be not, yet at least seem and be called Christians. And to say truly, we do not despise the Church of these men (how soever it be ordered by them now a days) ⟨image 61⟩partly for the name sake it self, & partly for that the Gospel of Jesus Christ hath once ben therein truly and purely set forth. Neither had we departed therefrom, but of very necessity, and much against our wills. But I put case, an Idol be set up in the Church of God, and the same desolation which Christ prophesied to come, stood openly in the holy place? what if some thief or pirate invade and possess Noes ark? These folks as often as they tell us of the Church, mean thereby themselves alone, and attribute all these titles to their own selves, boasting as they did in times past which cried The temple of the Lord, The temple of the lord: or as the Pharisees and Scribes did, which cracked they were Abraham's children. Thus with a gay and jolly show deceive they the simple, and seek to choke us with the very name of the church. Much like as if a thief, when he hath gotten into an other mans house, and by violence either ⟨image 62⟩hath thrust out or slain the owner, should afterward assign the same house to him self, casting forth of possession the right inheritor: