A04468:1431
A defence of the Apology of the Church of England containing an answer to…A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to…
A defence of the Apology of the Church of England containing an answer to a certain book lately set forth by M. Harding, and entitled, A confutation of &c. By John Jewel Bishop of Salisbury.A defence of the Apologie of the Churche of Englande conteininge an answeare to a certaine booke lately set foorthe by M. Hardinge, and entituled, A confutation of &c. By Iohn Iewel Bishop of Sarisburie.
Imprinted at London : In Fleetestreate, at the sign of the Elephant, by Henry Wykes, Anno 1567. 27. OctobrisImprinted at London : In Fleetestreate, at the signe of the Elephante, by Henry VVykes, Anno 1567. 27. Octobris
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.
But why do ye not here plainly declare, which be the Books of the Scriptures, that ye allow, and which be they* that ye reject? In general, ye say, that ye embrace all the Canonical Scriptures.2 Yet if a man press you with the place of the Maccabees, for Prayer to be made for the Dead, and with the words of S. James Epistle against your Justification of Faith only, and likewise with certain other places of the Scriptures, which be accounted in the Canon of the Church, against certain other your false doctrines: in this case* your wont is to deny those Scriptures to be Canonical. Yet here ye bear the world in hand ye allow all. Would God there were in you either more truth. or less craft. Well, ye give thanks to God for the Scriptures, for that having them before your eyes, ye are stayed in Truth, assured, that by the subtlety of man, or snares of the Devil, ye be not carried away into Errors, and Lies. And is it so in deed? I pray you sirs of what sect be ye? or of which sect is each one of you? For I dare boldly say, and so the world seethe, that ye agree not all in one. If ye say, ye be Lutherans, then must I further demand of you, of which sort of Lutherans? For that puddle runneth out by many sinks. Be ye Zwinglians, Arians, Osiandrines, Libertines, Adiaphorists, Anabaptists, Calvinists, or Sathanis•es? What Privilege have ye before your fellows? a match being made between you (I mean that new Clergy of England) and the other sects of our time, &c. If ye have this light of the Scriptures before your eyes, how is it, that ye agree not within your selves? yea how is it, that each one of you oftentimes disagreeth with him self? how is it that* so many times ye have changed your Communion Book, the order of your Service, your doctrine of the blessed Sacrament, your Homilies, &c. Who knoweth not how in the matter of the Sacrament your chief Captains have showed them selves inconstant and mutable, and contrary to them selves. I mean Cranmer, Ridley, Latimer, and that great Rabbin Peter Martyr him self? As for the rest, they be not worthy to be named.
But why doo yee not here plainely declare, whiche be the Bookes of the Scriptures, that ye allowe, and whiche be they