A04459:9
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.
IT HATH BEEN AN old complaint, even from the first time of the Patriarchs & Prophets, and confirmed by the writings and testimonies of every age,1 that the Truth wandereth here and there as a stranger in the world, & doth readily find enemies and slanderers amongst those that know her not. Albeit perchance this may seem unto some a thing hard to be believed, I mean to such as have scant well and narrowly taken heed thereunto, specially seeing all mankind of natures very motion without a teacher doth covet the truth of their own accord: and seeing our Saviour Christ him self, when ⟨image 6⟩he was on earth would be called the Truth, as by a name most fit to express all his divine power: yet we, which have been exercised in the holy scriptures, and which have both read & seen what hath happened to all godly men commonly at all times, what to the Prophets, to the Apostles, to the holy Martyrs, and what to Christ him self, with what rebukes, revilings and despites they were continually vexed whiles they here lived, and that only for the truths sake: we (I say) do see, that this is not only no new thing or hard to be believed, but that it is a thing already received and commonly used from age to age. Nay truly, this might seem much rather a marvel and beyond all belief, if the Devil, who is the Father of lies and enemy to all truth,2 would now upon a sudden change his nature, and hope that truth might otherwise be suppressed, then by belying it: Or that he would ⟨image 6⟩begin to establish his own kingdom by using now any other practises, then the same which he hath ever used from the beginning. For since any mans remembrance, we cent scant find one time, either when Religion did first grow, or when it was settled, or when it did a fresh spring up again, wherein truth and innocency were not by all unworthy means and most despit•ully entreated. Doubtless the Devil well seeth, that so long as truth is in good savoury, him self cannot be safe, nor yet maintain his own estate.
IT HATH BEEN AN olde complaint, euen from ye first time of ye Patriarks & Prophetes, and confirmed by the writinges and testimonies of euery age,